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BA5 Recap | Reinventing the workspace
It was a pleasure to open the Hawke’s Bay Business Hub doors again last night to welcome guests to this month’s BA5 hosted by Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers and Remarkable People.
A beautiful grazing table greeted our guests, which had everything from cheese and crackers to chocolates and sweets. A local business, Platter Box, created this gorgeous table.
Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce CEO, Karla Lee, opened the evening by welcoming our guests and introducing our two hosts, Myriam Mitchell, Copeland Ashcroft and Cam Kingi, Remarkable People.
Myriam, partner at Copeland Ashcroft, spoke about her role as a lawyer, partner and specialist in employment, health and safety, insurance law and dispute resolution. Copeland Ashcroft is an independent legal practice, providing specialist advice, representation, and support across workplace law issues. With a team that spans across New Zealand, they understand what can go wrong in a workplace and how to put the correct systems in place to prevent these issues before they occur.
Cam, Branch Manager for Remarkable people, shared her journey in recruitment and described Remarkable People as a recruitment agency for both permanent and temporary employment. Founded in Queenstown and named after the Remarkable Mountain range, they have expanded to 11 branches around New Zealand.
Myriam and Cam took a new approach with their BA5 format. Both prepared questions to challenge each other as they presented to the crowd.
A few of the questions asked were:
Myriam - "What sets you apart from your recruitment competitors?’
Cam – "We are not a bum on seat office. Our agency's approach is to get out there and truly understand our clients, their environment, and their needs.
Myriam – "What trends are you seeing in employee expectations and employment packages with the current staffing shortage?"
Cam – "Post Covid has been interesting and challenging for many. It is important to ensure you are taking care of your existing staff. Make sure you give to your current staff, show them you have their best interest at heart."
Cam – "If an employer has a Health and Safety management plan in place but has not pulled it out of the draw recently, what do you recommend they do?"
Myriam – "Firstly, get it out and make sure it is updated! WorkSafe are always prosecuting for a breach of the act, and they do not require an incident to occur to do so. Be proactive and check for relevance. Ensure you are using this in your day-to-day workplace and that your staff know what it says. Copeland Ashcroft can assist with checking for relevance and giving advice on what is missing from this plan.'
Cam – "If you are a director of a company, what are your Health and Safety obligations?"
Myriam – "The key point is that it is not just up to the organisation. All offices and workspaces must exercise due diligence in ensuring these practices are in place. Make sure you know your organisation and how everything works, including your staff and volunteers. Be sure to understand their risks and potential well-being risks.
Myriam and Cam opened the floor to questions from guests, who were also invited to have one-on-one conversations at the night's end. The information shared by both was informative and relevant to current issues in the workplace.
Our hosts drew three winners from the Business Card draw to conclude the evening. Our lucky winners were:
Brian Henderson, ProcessIT – Bottle of Wine
Kelly Doyle, Rockit Apple - $60 Platter Box Voucher
Kristy Verster, New Era Consulting Ltd - $60 Platter Box Voucher
Thank you to all who attended, it was wonderful to see so many new and long-standing guests.
Next up, our July hosts are Toi Toi, Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre – this is set to be our largest BA5 to date and will sell out quickly!
