The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 34: Dec/Jan 2017/18 | Page 45
IS IT ME?
IS IT ME?
John Davies is a senior corporate partner at leading commercial law
firm Thrings. In each edition of TBE John addresses a topical news or
business-related issue. This time John talks about finding time.
Thrings
@ThringsLaw
www.thrings.com
Work. Life. Balance. Three words, one big
statement.
It’s the utopia we’re all aiming for. Much
like the fashion industry where men and
women are portrayed by advertisers as
having flawless faces, bodies and hairstyles,
there are gurus out there who tell us we
can all achieve the nirvana of a work-life
balance. The perfect working day, every
day, mixed with a home life that Disney
writers could only dream of.
Well, well, well. I just wanted to bring
you up to speed on some personal reality
and how the smallest things can send your
work-life balance (let’s call it W-LB from
here on in, shall we?) into a tailspin. I’ve
got lots of three-word examples which
completely stuff the paradise we’re aiming
for. Can any of you relate to these?
Dog. Sick. Carpet. Result: 30 minutes
late for work.
Forgot. Son’s. Lunch. Result: an
unscheduled return trip to school.
Unexpected. Traffic. Jam. Result: panic as
the grains of the day fall into the bottom of
the egg timer.
Teacher. Training. Day. Result: concern
about taking time off.
Granted these may be First World
problems, but they can cause huge
amounts of stress.
Those tiny things, on any given day, can
send your W-LB into the realm of stress
and chaos. I think it’s symptomatic of being
a working adul t in society today. Work is
full-on. Home life is full-on. The phone
is full-on. Kids – if you have them – are
unquestionably full-on.
Everything is so full-on it only takes a
minor hiccup – think printer running out
of paper at home – to turn ‘balance’ into
‘tumbledown’. How often do you see folk
of a certain age rushing around, the world
weighing heavy on their ever-shrinking
shoulders? Got to get the work done. Got
to walk the dog. Got to do the shopping.
Got to help with homework. Got to
get to this or that. It’s all small and often
unimportant stuff, but in a world where
time is so difficult to come by, the balance
is often hard to get right.
At least that’s what I think. Perhaps
I’m alone. Perhaps it’s just me. If any
superhumans out there have any tips, I’m
all ears. Does the W-LB really exist? Did it
ever? Or is it just a case of accepting that
no-one’s perfect all the time, every time?
With that acceptance, should we
just take a breath, take a moment and
relax…….just for 10 minutes? Or maybe
five minutes? Or just two?
No, can’t afford the time.
And to make matters worse, someone’s
just pointed out that work-life balance is, in
fact, two words, not three.
Oh gawd I’m stressed again!
John Davies
e: [email protected]
t: 01793 412634
Inspire CEO Rob Perks, talks BREXIT
For months before the referendum vote, Inspire’s view was always that a
“remain” vote would be the best outcome for the UK economy in the short
term (2 years or so) but would make little difference in the longer term.
We believed that there would be a temporary
depressing of economic activity, due to
the uncertainties surrounding our future
relationship with Europe because markets
hate uncertainty, which would be undesirable
as we were experiencing economic recovery
after the longest and deepest recession for
many years. Hence, we had a “house” view
that remain was preferable.
June 16, 2016, delivered a leave vote and
we have always held the view that whilst
unfortunate for the reasons described above,
the most sensible response is to insulate
our businesses as much as possible from
the negative consequences and to look for
opportunities which now present themselves.
Our overall analysis didn’t change and
remains the same 18 months later.
Increasingly at present, the doomsayers
have it. The EU will give us an awful deal and
we could even “crash out” with no trade
arrangements at all. Interest rates will rise,
everyone will be poorer, we will lose half
our export market in one fell swoop, there
will be border chaos, particularly in Ireland,
EU workers will be sent packing on the first
ferries to France and all our Ex Pats will have
to return home, our young people will be
unable to pursue careers which would take
them to the EU and even holiday flights will
be grounded. Essentially, we will return to
the dark ages economically. Workers will be
treated badly with the repeal of all employee
rights legislation and the best action to take
will be to emigrate, anywhere other than the
EU of course.
Our view is based on calm reflection on
the economic realities of the 21st century,
coupled with private discussions with
Government and other representatives from
international organisations. We believe that
unlike the 1960s and 70s, it is impossible
to effectively ban trade or put high tariffs
on goods moving around the world in the
modern global economy. There are too many
routes to access markets. We can see this
reality in the extreme examples around the
world where the international community
attempts to apply sanctions – total bans –
with only limited success, on international
pariah countries and the UK is a long way
from that. We believe the negotiators on
both sides of the EU negotiations know
that and so it is highly likely that when the
posturing is over, a deal will be done on
sensible terms for both sides. If we’re right in
that conclusion, our predictions for 2018/19
are as follows. This will follow a bounce
in mood and a more optimistic attitude to
prospects for the UK economy.
• The labour market will be even further
squeezed as firms invest in growth projects
and take on more staff
• The growth in GDP will outperform
forecasts
• Sterling will bounce reducing the
inflationary consequences on imported
goods
• Interest rates may well rise a bit more than
the 0.25% predicted by the markets
• One of the main drivers for Brexit, EU
immigration to the UK, will prove to have
been pointless as we will need these
workers to fill our job vacancies
• We will sign some very interesting trade
deals with some of the world’s leading
economies. (We know from sources that
these are already written but cannot be
signed until we leave the EU).
• The Stock Market, in particular the
FTSE250 which covers the more UK
focused Companies, will bounce higher
• Polly Anna will have it over Eeyore and a
more hopeful outlook will return.
• The mainstream media will rejoice and
conveniently forget that they were some
of the most ardent doomsayers and
forecasters of economic Armageddon.
• Wiltshire’s businesses will get on with
doing business as they have done
throughout this difficult period.
@Inspire_Biz
For more info:
www.inspirebiz.co.uk
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017 45