Category Archives: Business

Ardoe House has been done up

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Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel & Spa, a country retreat set in 30 acres of peaceful Aberdeenshire countryside, has been beautifully transformed into a Mercure flagship property following an extensive refurbishment of its bedrooms to accompany the grand public areas and spa facilities.

Built in 1887 in the Scottish Baronial style and fashioned on Balmoral Castle, just 50 miles away, Ardoe House Hotel’s bedrooms have been lovingly redesigned, bringing Aberdeenshire’s past and present to life. A locally inspired brand, Mercure worked with interior designer Frances Blackham at Trevellion Interiors. The refurbishment has seen new furnishings, textures and patterns incorporated into the property, capturing the cosmopolitan feel of Aberdeen, just five miles away.

All of the refurbished classic doubles and privilege rooms offer modern luxuries and a home-from-home experience, along with a dash of Scottish charm. Emblematic of the Highlands but with a modern twist, a plaid fabric in a shade of terracotta now adorns the bedroom chairs, while a montage of black and white architectural photography features on the headboards, showcasing 100 years of Ardoe House history.

The bedroom walls include a new array of monochromatic images, featuring the property itself. Graceful, neutral, stone coloured tones flow throughout the rooms and coordinate with beautiful walnut furniture. Each bedroom is equipped with a TV with international satellite channels, 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi access, which is available throughout the hotel.

During their stay guests will experience the juxtaposition of both new and old styles. The property’s original features were completed by local craftsmanship and include striking stonework and beautifully crafted wood paneling, elaborate plinths, stained glass windows and paneled doors with intricate metalwork. In reception sits an exquisite mosaic floor and extraordinary latticed ceiling. All compliment the modern design additions that have been made to the bedrooms.

Visitors have the option to dine at sophisticated Blairs Restaurant or informal Soapie’s Lounge Bar. With its farm to fork ethos, Blairs Restaurant offers an array of innovative culinary creations, pushing the boundaries of modern cuisine with innovate and exciting dishes. Guests can sample the signature dish of seared scallops from Isle of Skye, served with chamomile jelly, locally grown celeriac and grated coffee beans. There are also two classic cocktails with an Ardoe twist – a Smokey Papa Don cocktail with tequila, marmalade/chili syrup, lemon and grapefruit juice, and Lagavulin, along with the Grey Flannel cocktail containing Hendricks gin, mandarin marmalade, Earl Grey tea and lemongrass.

 

Alongside is Soapie’s Lounge Bar that serves homely dishes, inspired by locally sourced ingredients. The lounge is the ideal place to enjoy an informal lunch or dinner in front of an open fire. Guests can also enjoy a tipple in the Drawing Room or Laird’s Bar, with its impressive selection of malt whiskies.

 

Guests will be encouraged to pick from the ‘Flavours of the Cellar’ wine list, which includes three handpicked wines available across the Mercure Hotels in the UK, carefully selected by the BBC Saturday Kitchen Masters of Wine, Susie Barrie and Peter Richards.

 

Jonathan Sheard, SVP Operations Luxury, Upscale & Midscale Hotels, Accor UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted with the new look and feel of the bedrooms at Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel & Spa and how they really lift the hotel and create a full beautiful experience in this unique building for all our guests. True to the Mercure, the design reflects the brand’s commitment to strong local connections and we hope that people visit to see everything that Aberdeen and the region has to offer.”

Peter Sangster, General Manager of the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Spa said: “I’m thrilled to welcome both new and returning guests to the stunningly refurbished, historic property. The new look captures the spirit of Aberdeen, while offering unbeatable style and comfort.”

  • 120 bedrooms including classic doubles, privilege rooms and feature double rooms
  • Prices start from £94 per room, per night
  • Two restaurants – Blairs Restaurant and Soapie’s Lounge Bar
  • Two bars – Drawing Room and Laird’s Bar
  • Leisure facilities – spa, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and fitness suite
  • Nine function rooms ideal for gala dinners, weddings and conferences for up to 450 people
  • Five miles from the city of Aberdeen and seven miles from Aberdeen airport

 

www.mercure.com

 

Aberdeen firm fined for health and safety breach

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An Aberdeen-based demolition firm has been fined for safety failings after a worker was seriously injured by falling cast iron guttering.

Valentin Taljanov, 61, broke his right arm, seven ribs, and a vertebra; punctured his lung and cut his head in the incident at disused buildings at Aberdeen Harbour on 16 July 2009.

His employer, Lawrie [Demolition] Limited, was prosecuted after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Crown Office Health and Safety Division.

Peterhead Sheriff Court heard that Mr Taljanov, along with colleagues, was working in the vicinity of a substantial piece of cast iron guttering that had been left unsupported for two days at roof height during the demolition of old offices and warehousing at the former Craig Group Buildings at the harbour. Mr Taljanov was moving roofing materials from a platform onto the ground when the guttering gave way and struck him.

After the event one witness expressed surprise that the guttering had stayed up as long as it did.

The HSE investigation found that Lawrie [Demolition] Limited failed to put in place a suitable system to identify hazards that might arise as works progressed, and failed to adequately plan and implement exclusion zones in areas where materials could fall.

Lawrie [Demolition] Limited, of Rigifa, Cove, Aberdeen, was fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 29 of The Construction [Design and Management] Regulations 2007. Following the case, HSE Inspector Liz Hunter, said:

“This incident was wholly preventable by taking down the guttering in one go and it was probably only Mr Taljanov’s hard hat that prevented him from being killed.

“Lawrie (Demolition) Limited failed to review the constantly changing risks that are created during demolition work. Exclusion zones were not enforced to keep staff out of areas where materials could fall, despite there being two supervisors on site and regular site visits by management. I want demolition firms to learn from this incident. There is no room for complacency and regular risk reviews are essential for site safety.”

Lawrie [Demolition] Limited are part of the Leiths Group that operates quarries, road re-surfacing and plant hire companies in the north east of Scotland.

For more information about safe construction work visit this website.

Aberdeen is the next target for ExecSpace

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Jess Atkinson

 

Emma Little’s booming conference and business accommodation vehicle ExecSpace is announcing a further expansion into Aberdeen by a significant appointment of a new director today.

Edinburgh based ExecSpace, Scotland’s leading conference and business accommodation agent, has announced its expansion into the North of Scotland with the pivotal appointment of Jess Atkinson, as Regional Account Director based in Aberdeen.

A finalist at the 2013 Highland Business Woman Awards, Jess was previously Business Development Manager for Macdonald Aviemore Resort, the flagship conference and leisure resort of the UK’s largest privately owned hotel group.  Whilst there, she was responsible for developing and implementing highly successful strategies to drive revenue and attract a broad mix of new clients.

 

Prior to that, she spent approximately 17 years with multi award-winning local radio station Moray Firth Radio (part of the Bauer Media Group “BMF”) rising from Advertising Account Executive to a Senior Account Manager.  In 2009, Jess won the accolade of BMF’s top salesman in Scotland, becoming an ambassador for Bauer Media’s Rainmaker Programme.

 

Emma Little, Managing Director of ExecSpace said:-“I am delighted that Jess has agreed to join ExecSpace to lead our offering in Aberdeen and the highlands and islands.  This is an important step for us, expanding ExecSpace’s footprint outside of the central belt where we began, into the North of Scotland and into Aberdeen which leads the way in Europe’s energy generation. Not only does Jess have fantastic experience but her high personal values are totally aligned with those values which underpin ExecSpace, ensuring that we offer our clients the best possible customer experience every time. I am very much looking forward to working with Jess as ExecSpace continues to grow.”

 

Jess Atkinson commented: -“I am thrilled to be joining ExecSpace at this exciting time.  I believe that there is a huge opportunity for us to make a real impact on the conference and business accommodation market in Aberdeen and the North of Scotland, as customers understand what differentiates us from our competitors – namely our guarantee to provide outstanding standards of customer service. I am very much looking forward to being part of the future for this dynamic company and to working with Emma and her team.”

 

ExecSpace currently looks after 100 blue chip clients ranging from private companies to Stock Exchange listed businesses looking to host external events across the UK. It currently has annual revenues in excess of £5m.

The company sources appropriate meeting rooms. These can vary from conference and meeting style venues to seminars and training rooms and often come complete with AV equipment and catering functions.

Alongside this, ExecSpace offers business accommodation booking services, negotiating the most competitive rates.

 

The ExecSpace team places substantial importance on differentiating itself from its competitors in the current economic climate. It has achieved this by consistently going the extra mile for its loyal customer base and focusing on building strong, long lasting business relationships.

 

In July of this year, ExecSpace announced its first senior management appointment as Natalie Maynard joined the team as Regional Account Director for the West of Scotland.

In May 2013, ExecSpace received a substantial six figure investment from Bradenham Partners LLP and confirmed its plans to expand its new accommodation booking service in parallel with the company’s already well established conference and events business.

 

Port of Ardersier to become offshore wind hub

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The Port of Ardersier on Scotland’s Moray Firth, once the centre of the early oil industry, has today moved centre stage as one of the key manufacturing and port facilities for the UK’s fast-growing offshore wind sector.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond today announced a memorandum of understanding between Highland and Islands Enterprise and the Port of Ardersier which recognises the port’s capacity to become a major UK manufacturing, construction and installation hub.

With 138 hectares (340 acres) of vacant land and a deep water quay, the former oil rig fabrication yard is ideally placed to capture a slice of the estimated £70-80 billion UK offshore wind construction market.

Welcoming the memorandum of understanding, Port of Ardersier CEO Capt. Stephen Gobbi said:

“There are few other locations in the UK, or indeed Europe, which can offer this quality and quantity of vacant land, a 1000 meter deep water quay and proximity to major offshore wind development zones.

“It complements other sites in Scotland and offers offshore wind developers and manufacturers the opportunity to site their operations close to the first-generation deep water sites at Beatrice and Moray Firth.

“This memorandum recognises this potential, and commits the Port of Ardersier and Highlands and Island Enterprise to work together to develop the port and bring new jobs and economic activity to this corner of
Scotland.”

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HIE, said:

“Port of Ardersier offers significant potential to offshore wind developers. Given the scale of offshore renewables activity, the sheer size of the site means it is ideally placed to meet the range of needs for manufacturing and assembly. HIE is delighted to work with Port of Ardersier to bring the site back into commercial use and help it secure new tenants.”

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said:

“We are working hard with our enterprise agencies both to secure overseas investment into our world-leading renewable energy industry and to support Scottish businesses to seize the huge opportunities available, working in partnership with inward investors and the rest of the supply chain to create jobs and help re-industrialise communities right across Scotland.

“These ports are ideally-positioned to become key hubs for the deployment of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy – across manufacturing, assembly, operations and maintenance – and the new Memorandums of Understanding with Highlands and Islands Enterprise underpin the importance that we attach to ensuring that all of Scotland wins from the renewables revolution.”

This would be a second lease of life for the specialist port. Formerly the McDermott Fabrication Yard, it was built on land reclaimed from the
foreshore in the 1970s for the fabrication and construction of North Sea oil and gas platforms. At its height, the yard employed 4500 people. It has lain dormant since 2001.

The port’s next step is to submit planning applications to Transport Scotland, Highlands Council and Marine Scotland to secure full consent as an offshore wind manufacturing port, with the goal of securing permission by the Autumn. The site’s current consent relates to oil and gas only.

The Port of Ardersier was identified within Stage 1 of the Scottish Government’s National Renewables Infrastructure Plan as a key integrated
manufacturing facility. The plan’s goal is to enable Scotland to accelerate the development of offshore wind and capture a major slice of the supply chain and jobs potential.

Stage 2 of the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan involves the development of detailed investment plans for identified sites. The
memorandum of understanding forms part of stage 2 for the Port of Ardersier and commits the two parties to work together to secure planning consent and maximise the economic and social potential of the port.

New buildings opened at Aberdeen College

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The £10 million Aberdeen College Construction Training Facility designed by Archial, one of the country’s largest architectural practices and a member of the global Ingenium Group of companies, has opened to students.

Designed as the new main building on the Altens campus to relocate construction trade courses onto the same site as engineering, completion allows for the refurbishment of the existing Altens Buildings to facilitate estate rationalisation and to bring ASET (Aberdeen Skills and Enterprise Training) from an adjacent site in Altens onto one complete campus.

The new facility contains workshops and classrooms for joinery, brickwork, painting and decorating, and plumbing courses, as well as a new library, learning resource centre, fitness suite and communal eating areas.

Archial associate Ricky Connell said: “The basis of the college layout is to reform the urban streetscape to Minto Avenue and Minto Drive respecting the topography of the site. The redevelopment of the site, whilst integrating with the longer term masterplan, aims to enable all future stages and development goals to be achieved. It also creates significantly improved access/egress from the site, allowing for more efficient parking and open spaces within the campus itself.

“The communal area is conceived as a linear strip or ‘street’, which links all the parts of the college, as well as providing a buffer to the car parking. The street provides a series of high quality landscaped spaces for casual social interaction, vital to the life of any educational campus.

“The building is predominately two storeys with a central core of three storeys. The entrance core houses reception, staff and student common rooms, refectory and fitness suite. The two wings, which house the workshop areas and traditional college areas, can be locked down out of hours to allow only essential core areas to operate and hence reduce services requirements, whilst providing the flexibility and opportunity to use core areas for non-educational purposes.

“To help reduce the mass of the building, the elevations are designed as lightweight pavilions, set on a robust ‘stone’ plinth. The use of masonry on the ground floor and lighter cladding materials on the upper floors makes reference to the indigenous buildings in the surrounding area, whilst also mirroring the internal usage.”

Given Aberdeen College’s pronounced sustainability agenda, a key element of the design brief was that the building would incorporate all the elements required to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. To that end, the building incorporates a variety of CO2-reducing measures including the installation of solar panels, a 25KW wind turbine, natural ventilation, modulated lighting, insulation levels higher than building regulations, and radiant heat in the workshops in place of blown heat. Rain water is collected from the roof for use in the toilet cisterns.

The facility marks the first phase of the college’s comprehensive estates development strategy. Aberdeen College has about 30,000 enrolments each year and around 5,500 full-time students.

Archial is an international architectural specialist with public and private-sector clients. Its diverse portfolio includes work in corporate, education, government, healthcare, industrial, mixed-use, residential, retail and transport sectors and it employs approximately 300 employees in offices throughout England and Scotland. The award winning Archial organisation has been known for delivering intelligent solutions that combine creative excellence with commercial success.

Aberdeen’s Sea Energy win Green Energy award

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SeaEnergy Renewables has scooped a prize in this year’s Green Energy Awards.

The prestigious accolades – run by industry body Scottish Renewables and now in their ninth year – took place last week in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The event was hosted by Fred MacAulay and a keynote speech was delivered by Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore.

SeaEnergy Renewables won the Best New Business Award. The Awards celebrate Scotland’s success in tackling climate change, creating a low carbon economy and maintaining its global lead in the green energy industry. They recognise innovation, enterprise and excellence in the renewable energy industry, from student and community projects to best business and outstanding contribution to the sector.

Joel Staadecker, the CEO of SeaEnergy Renewables, said:-“SeaEnergy Renewables is thrilled to win the Best New Business Award at the Green Energy Awards this year. SeaEnergy Renewables is Scotland’s only independent offshore wind developer and we are playing a vital role in this emerging industry. Three of our large-scale development sites are offshore Scotland. We are so proud to be a key part of Scotland’s offshore wind industry and to be a major participant in the effort to secure Scotland’s future as a global energy capital. Receiving this outstanding award is really a testament to both our pioneering role in the development of offshore wind and to the truly outstanding people that make up SeaEnergy Renewables.”

New figures from Scottish Renewables show that Scotland is on track to surpass the Government’s target of 31 per cent of all electricity demand to be met from renewables by 2011.

Speaking at the organisation’s annual dinner and awards for outstanding contribution to the growth of the industry in Edinburgh, Chief Executive Niall Stuart acknowledged the part played by companies like SeaEnergy Renewables in driving forward the industry:-“Congratulations to SeaEnergy Renewables. Together, this year’s Green Energy Award winners will deliver huge economic and environmental benefits to communities across Scotland, and it’s all thanks to the determination, ambition and ideas of companies like SeaEnergy Renewables.

Scotland’s renewables industry has grown faster and further than anyone dared to hope even a few years ago. We now have over 4GW of developments in operation – enough to generate 32 per cent of the annual demand for electricity from every home and business in the country.”

Speaking on behalf of All-Energy, sponsors of the Best New Business Award, Judith Patten, Project Director, said:-“All-Energy is delighted to continue to sponsor the ‘Best New Business Award’. Over the years it has been exciting, and rewarding, to see ‘our’ winning companies go from strength to strength. Scotland is rightly proud of the tremendous success stories emanating from many innovative companies who are rising to the challenges and grasping the ‘nettle of opportunity’ offered by the rapidly expanding renewable energy sectors – our ‘Best New Business Award’ winners have certainly been at the forefront. We wish this year’s richly deserved winner much success in the coming months and years, and know they will come to be seen as one of the ‘Best of the Best’.”

Sea Energy has a series of videos on YouTube to explain their technology.  This is one of them

New director at John Clark

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Chris Clark has been appointed as a director at the John Clark Motor Group, the top four Scottish motor group established by his father, John Clark, in 1977.

Chris, age 34, joined the family business in 2007 after ten years working with BMW UK in a number of management roles in sales, marketing and customer service. During his time he built a strong relationship with BMW in the UK and in Germany.

Commenting on Chris’s appointment as a director, John Clark, chairman and managing director said:

“I am delighted that Chris has decided to take up a career in the family business. I have no doubt that the experience he has gained during ten years with BMW UK and the past three years working in various business development roles within the group, will be a great asset to the future development of the John Clark Motor Group.”

Like his father, Chris Clark is an accomplished sportsman and particular passion for motor racing. He is married to Clare, who works for Rolls Royce Motor Cars.

The John Clark Motor Group is Scotland’s fourth largest motor group with an annual turnover of £260 million and 640 employees.

Based in Aberdeen, the group operates BMW, Mini and Audi dealerships in Aberdeen and Dundee, Volkswagen in Aberdeen and Fife, Skoda in Aberdeen and Dundee, Seat in Aberdeen and Land Rover in Edinburgh. The group also holds the Volkswagen LCV franchise for the East of Scotland and owns Clark Commercials in Aberdeen.

Girl Geeks comes to Aberdeen

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A networking organisation for business people interested in technology, creativity and computing has announced the keynote speakers for its latest event, which will be held in Aberdeen later this month.

The Girl Geek Scotland event will take place on Tuesday, November 23, from 6.00pm – 9.30pm at Carmelite Hotel, Stirling Street, Aberdeen and is the third event of its kind to take place in the North-east.

Speaking on the evening will be Jacqueline Davey, Vice President for Business Partner Organisation and Midmarket UKI at IBM.

Jacqueline has worked for IBM for 20 years in a variety of roles, originally joining as company secretary, and then moving on to a technical role as a systems programmer. This led to her securing subsequent senior roles in marketing, sales, sales management, european operations and business leadership.

Jacqueline is the chair of the IBM UK Women’s Leadership Team, responsible for the development and execution of the gender diversity agenda for IBM in the UK. Jacqueline is also a much sought after speaker on the business circuit.

Joining Jacqueline in speaking at the event will be Carolyn Pearson, CEO and founder of maiden-voyage.com.

maiden-voyage.com is a global social network aimed at business women who travel alone. The site gives women the opportunity to arrange to meet up rather than having to spend free time on business trips alone.

In February, maiden-voyage.com won the Business Travel and Meetings Show Innovation Awards and in September, Carolyn was also named Forward Ladies Technology Business Woman of the Year.

Prior to setting up maiden-voyage.com, Carolyn held various senior technology roles, including head of business systems at ITV Productions.

Event organiser, Sheryl Newman, operations director at Aberdeen head-quartered Easthaven Group, which is sponsoring the event, is delighted to be welcoming such influential speakers to the event.

Sheryl said: “We are delighted to have once again secured such a high calibre of speakers and both Carolyn and Jacqueline have got a huge amount of knowledge and experience to share with those who attend.

“Although this is a Girl Geek event, it is definitely not restricted to women and in the past, male attendees have also gained a lot from the experience and we are hoping to see a really strong turn out from across the North-east business community.”

Tickets for the event, which cost £10, are available by visiting www.girlgeekscotland.co.uk or by contacting Sheryl on 01224 289 772.

Girl Geek Scotland is a non-profit networking organisation. The Scottish group was formed in 2009 and has already developed a strong following throughout Aberdeen and the North-east of Scotland.

Easthaven is a global training consultancy which specialises in the design and delivery of learning interventions which are relevant and practical across all industries. The company provides a service designed to suit individual business environments, addressing business goals and ensuring learning is fun and engaging for staff.

Editor of the P & J to retire early in January 2011

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The longest serving editor of a Scottish newspaper has announced he is to retire in January after 18 years running The Press & Journal, during which the paper celebrated its 250th anniversary, but also endured one of the most difficult periods in the history of newspapers.

Notwithstanding the downturn in circulation of newspapers, the P & J has maintained a presence in Aberdeen. It is the third-highest selling regional daily newspaper.

Tucker is reported by AllmediaScotland as saying that he is most proud of the fund-raising for the community in which the paper played an instrumental role.

Avoiding fireworks at work

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As Hallowe’en and Guy Fawkes Night approach, a leading Aberdeen legal expert shares top tips on how to avoid fright and fireworks in the workplace.

According to Lili Hunter, conflict in the workplace can be costly in terms of time as well as having an effect on productivity due to sickness absence levels, employment law claims by employees and legal costs in defending claims.

A new ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures was issued in 2009 encouraging employers to consider mediation as an option in resolving disputes in the workplace.

“The mediation approach differs from the traditional style of litigation which often causes public fireworks,” explains Lili.  “Indeed it flies in the face of Guy Fawkes with his underhand, secretive plot and it is there to help avoid a large scale explosion!”

“Mediation can be an incredibly useful method of resolving conflicts and can help avoid an explosive situation arising or developing into a scene akin to a horror movie.  It is a non confrontational method and aims to find common ground between the employee and the employer by getting all issues out into the open.

“Mediation creates a win/win situation as opposed to the win/lose situation of employment tribunals and courts and it is a process which can help to restore trust and understanding between parties.  In many cases mediation can lead to a productive future working relationship.”

Lili says that top tips to avoid explosive situations include:

  • Understanding employees – what makes individuals tick?  Having an honest and open relationship between parties may help avoid fireworks.  Employers should find a way to get behind the mask of employees when resolving workplace issues.  Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship based on trust can ultimately help both parties progress when problems arise.

  • Communication – Often a line manager will assume that employees know what is expected of them when things haven’t been explained. Also, an employee who is suddenly accused of poor performance after a glowing appraisal will rightly be shocked – employees cannot be expected to be mind readers. Equally, there must be clear lines of communication open for employees to ask questions when they do not understand – if an employee is silent a manager may assume that the employee has no problems.

  • Make the most of your people – employees who feel that their achievements are not recognised will quickly look elsewhere, or become a shadow of their formal self if not provided with opportunities.  Sometimes an employee who is aggressive or perceived to be “evil” simply needs more support or training. There may be personal circumstances of which the employer is not aware which is causing stress.

Lili adds: “Ideally through successful policies and practices within the workplace and training employees on these policies, along with effective management training programmes, disputes will never arise.  Most potential problems are avoidable.  Companies need not face a potential Guy Fawkes catastrophe or Hallowe’en fright if they simply listen to and communicate effectively with their employees.”

“However, in practice, preventative measures are not 100% effective and mediation is a successful tool when disputes arise.  What may be perceived as harassment or bullying may often be resolved quickly and effectively through understanding what the real issue is – court or tribunal action will rarely achieve this.

Lili Hunter Consulting and Lili Hunter Legal are located at 499 Union Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6DB.  For further information on employment law, training and mediation visit www.lilihunter.com Alternatively, call (01224) 228100.