Blog – FMJ

Cat Ford

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:17:18 GMT

CBW opens in Reading: meet Catherine Ford

CBW opens in Reading: meet Catherine Ford.

As of this week, CBW Staffing Solutions has a Reading branch, led by Senior Business Manager Catherine Ford. If you hire facilities management, building maintenance, engineering or construction staff in and around Reading, or you work in those trades and want a recruiter who knows them, Catherine is the person to speak to.

Why Reading, and why now

CBW started in 2019 with a simple aim: recruit for the trades we understand, properly. Since then we have grown from London and Dartford to Edinburgh, Newcastle and, earlier this month, Manchester. Reading is the next step.

Until now, clients and candidates in the area have been looked after by our London and Dartford teams. [Dan: one or two sentences on why CBW is opening in Reading, e.g. client demand or existing accounts in the area.] Having someone dedicated to the patch means quicker conversations, better local knowledge and a recruiter who can get to site when it matters.

Meet Catherine Ford

Catherine joined CBW as Senior Business Manager on 26 October 2026 and leads our work in Reading.

What sits behind the Reading branch

Catherine is not starting from scratch. She has the whole of CBW behind her:

Offices across the UK: London head office, Dartford, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle, so a client with sites outside Reading still deals with one agency.
Experience: our consultants have more than 100 years' combined experience in the sectors we recruit for.
Dedicated resourcers: their sole job is tracking the permanent and temporary candidate market, so we know who is available before a vacancy lands.
Every level: we recruit from apprentice to managing director, permanent and temporary.
Specialist pools: we place a large number of ex-forces engineers, mainly from the Royal Navy and Royal Engineers, and we place water treatment and water hygiene engineers into large FM providers.

How we screen engineers

A CV that lists the right tickets is a starting point, not a shortlist. Before we put an engineer forward, we check the qualifications the role depends on, such as 18th Edition, F-Gas, NVQ Level 3 and L8.

We also run our own in-house technical test of around 60 questions covering electrical fundamentals, safe working and legislation, water systems and L8, HVAC and refrigeration, and controls and BMS. It means the engineers you interview have already been tested on the work, not just on paper. The same standard applies in Reading as it does everywhere else we work.

What this means if you're hiring

If you manage maintenance, FM or engineering teams in the Reading area, you now have a CBW contact on your doorstep. Catherine can take a brief for a single engineer or a full team, permanent or temporary, and she has CBW's national network and screening process to draw on. If your sites stretch beyond the Thames Valley, the rest of the team is a phone call away.

What this means if you're looking

If you are an engineer, supervisor or manager in FM, building maintenance, engineering or construction and you live in or around Reading, Catherine wants to hear from you. Whether you are actively looking or just want to know what your skills are worth locally, a conversation costs nothing. We are rated 4.8 on Google from 124 reviews.

Get in touch

Hiring in the Reading area? Send us a vacancy (/submit-a-vacancy) and Catherine will pick it up. If you are looking for your next role, browse our live roles (/job-results). Or call us on 01182076360 and ask for Catherine. You can also reach her directly at Cat@cbwstaffingsolutions.com

Qualifications that pay: how 18th Edition, F-Gas, Gas Safe and L8 add to an engineer's salary.

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:08:36 GMT

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In facilities management, the biggest pay rises rarely come from staying put and waiting. They come from the qualification that moves an engineer into a better-paid role. Using our 2026 Salary Survey, we have looked at four of the qualifications we are asked about most and what each one is worth.

How we have measured it

Our survey records what roles pay, not a separate allowance for holding a certificate. So the fairest way to show the value of a qualification is to compare the role an engineer is in with the role that qualification opens up. Every figure below is an average from the survey, with the range in brackets.

18th Edition: from improver to qualified electrician

Junior engineer / improver: £36,000 (£34,000 to £38,000)
Electrician / mechanical, days: £48,000 (£45,000 to £50,000)
Electrician / mechanical, shift: £52,000 (£50,000 to £55,000)

Together with an NVQ Level 3, the 18th Edition is the standard FM clients expect for a qualified electrical role. The step from improver to qualified engineer on days is worth £12,000 on average, and a shift pattern adds a further £4,000. For most improvers, it is the first qualification to aim for.

F-Gas: the way into air conditioning and chillers

M&E multi-skilled, mobile: £45,000 (£42,000 to £47,000)
A/C engineer, days or mobile: £50,000 (£45,000 to £55,000)
Chiller engineer: £53,000 (£47,000 to £60,000)

F-Gas certification is a legal requirement for working on refrigerant systems, so without it air conditioning and chiller work is closed off. For a multi-skilled mobile engineer, adding F-Gas and building refrigeration experience opens roles that pay £5,000 to £8,000 more on average, and chiller roles reach £60,000 at the top end.

Gas Safe: stepping up to commercial plant

Plumber: £40,000 (£38,000 to £42,000)
Combustion engineer, commercial: £55,000 (£50,000 to £60,000)

Commercial combustion engineers have the highest average salary of any engineer role in our survey. Reaching it means Gas Safe registration covering commercial work; domestic gas qualifications on their own will not be enough for plant rooms and commercial boilers. For a plumber, that is a difference of £15,000 between the two averages.

L8: demand you can rely on

Water treatment engineer: £40,000 (£35,000 to £42,000)

L8 does not deliver the biggest salary jump on this list. What it does deliver is steady demand. Large FM providers have a constant need for static and mobile water treatment and water hygiene engineers, and it is an area we recruit for regularly. Added to a plumbing or mechanical background, L8 makes an engineer relevant on almost any site with a water system.

Building a broader skill set

The best-paid engineers tend to hold several qualifications rather than one. The roles that sit above day-to-day maintenance reflect that:

M&E lead engineer: £55,000
M&E supervisor: £58,000
BMS engineer: £60,000

Engineers who combine electrical and mechanical qualifications and then add controls experience are the ones we most often see progress into these positions.

What this means if you're looking

Choose the qualification that leads to the role you want next, rather than the quickest or cheapest course.
Keep your certificates in date and have copies ready to send. We ask for them before putting anyone forward.
List your qualifications near the top of your CV, with the date each was gained.
Ask employers whether they fund further training. Some will, for the right engineer.

What this means if you're hiring

Qualified engineers command qualified rates. A role advertised at improver pay will attract improvers. Our survey gives a realistic benchmark for each role, and we verify every candidate's qualifications before they reach your shortlist.

Talk to us

Looking for your next role? Browse our live roles (/job-results) or call us on 0203 583 3099. Hiring engineers? Send us a vacancy (/submit-a-vacancy) and we will give you an honest view of what the market will pay.

FM salaries in 2026: what 54 roles pay.

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:50:52 GMT

Check out our 2026 salary survey

FM salaries in 2026: what 54 roles pay.

Every week we’re asked the same two questions. Engineers want to know if they’re being paid fairly. Clients want to know what it will take to fill a role. Our 2026 Salary Survey answers both, with minimum, average and maximum pay for 54 facilities management roles, from fabric engineers to managing directors.

The figures come from the roles CBW has recruited and the offers we’ve seen across the UK market this year. Here’s what stands out.

1. Shifts still pay a premium

An electrical or mechanical maintenance engineer on days averages £48,000. Move the same engineer onto shifts and the average rises to £52,000, with the top of the range at £55,000. That’s around £4,000 a year for working the rota.

The gap carries on up the ladder. An M&E shift manager averages £65,000, ahead of a days-based site or maintenance manager at £62,000. For engineers who don’t mind nights and weekends, shift work remains one of the quickest ways to add to a salary without changing trade.

2. Specialist tickets are worth more than general skills

Multi-skilled mobile engineers are the backbone of most FM contracts, but they’re not the best paid. The specialists are. Average salaries:

Commercial combustion engineer: £55,000
Chiller engineer: £53,000
A/C engineer (days/mobile): £50,000
Electrician / mechanical (days): £48,000
M&E multi-skilled (mobile): £45,000

Chiller and combustion engineers can earn up to £60,000. Gas, F-Gas and refrigeration qualifications take time and money to gain, and the supply of qualified engineers hasn’t kept pace with demand. If you’re an engineer weighing up your next course, this is where the return is.

3. The biggest jump is from trade to engineer

Junior engineers, fabric engineers and painters and decorators all average £36,000. A qualified electrical or mechanical engineer on days averages £48,000. That £12,000 step is the largest single jump on the engineering side of the survey, and it’s why apprenticeships and improver roles matter so much to the sector.

4. The step into management

For engineers looking to move off the tools, the path is clear and well rewarded. Average salaries:

M&E lead engineer: £55,000
M&E supervisor: £58,000
Site / maintenance manager: £62,000
Engineering manager: £75,000
Contract manager: £75,000
Account manager: £80,000
Area / operations manager: £90,000
Account director / operations director: £100,000
Managing director: £150,000

The move from supervisor to contract manager is worth around £17,000 on average. Contract managers who take on a larger account, or several, can reach £90,000 as account managers.

5. Specialist and technical roles are pulling ahead

Outside the core operational roles, some of the strongest salaries in FM now sit with specialists. Chartered engineers average £90,000, data centre managers £85,000, energy managers £75,000 and BMS engineers £60,000. Energy has the widest range in the survey, from £65,000 to £85,000 and above, reflecting how much net zero targets now shape what clients need.

On the soft services side, facilities managers average £55,000, senior facilities managers £65,000, and heads of FM £75,000.

What this means if you’re hiring

If a role has been open for weeks, pay is usually the first thing to check. Offers pitched at the minimum of these ranges tend to attract fewer applicants and lose candidates at offer stage, particularly for shift and specialist roles. Benchmarking against the average gives you a much better chance of filling a role first time.

We’re always happy to share how your package compares with the market. Send us a vacancy or call 0203 583 3099.

What this means if you’re looking

If you’re below the minimum for your role, it’s worth a conversation. Pay isn’t everything, and travel, hours, overtime and progression all count, but you should know where you stand. Browse our live roles or send us your CV, and a consultant who knows your trade will tell you honestly what you’re worth.

Download the full survey

The full 2026 Salary Survey covers all 54 roles across engineering, supervisory and management, soft services and specialist positions. Download it here or ask your CBW consultant for a copy.

Recruitment Fraud Alert

dan@cbwstaffingsolutions.com (Dan Barber) — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:28:29 GMT

Recruitment Fraud Alert - Please Beware

We have recently been contacted by several people who are not registered with CBW (i.e. Not on our database) who have received text messages from fraudsters claiming to work for CBW Staffing Solutions. In some cases, these individuals are impersonating and using the name of actual CBW staff and offering jobs to candidates. We urge you not to provide any personal details over text or email and to contact CBW immediately on Info@cbwstaffingsolutions.com or 0203 583 3099 to verify the approach. CBW Staffing Solutions are a leading Facilities Management, Engineering & Construction recruiter and would therefore not be offering work outside of these specific sectors.

Protect yourself against employment fraud

Check the official records to confirm that the organisation offering you the job actually exists. If it does, contact the organisation directly through officially listed contact details to confirm the job offer is genuine.

CBW would not text any job application links (Do not click the link)

Check any texts / documents for poor spelling and grammar – this is often a sign that fraudsters are at work.

Beware, too, if the employer or agent provides a webmail email address such as @Yahoo or @Hotmail as a point of contact.

Do not provide any bank details. If you’ve given them any money, contact your bank immediately.

Please report any incidents to https://lnkd.in/dwvz22n

Time to reskill our people to meet the needs of the digital economy

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 10:47:00 GMT

T he Autumn Budget presented an opportunity to reshape the economy around technology and scientific innovation and take a proactive approach to reskilling for a digital era.

This means the upskilling of certain professions, particularly across the hospitality industry which attracts many school leavers and other youngsters who have grown up with technology at their fingertips. Them, and their roles, should be treated with great respect because it is they who are needed to support digitalisation. However, it starts at education. Many children are now taught at school with iPads or laptops, so it’s important to develop digital programming skills in schools to set them up perfectly as they enter the ever-changing and digitally led world of work.

Technology has helped many hospitality and catering businesses survive the pandemic. Real time temperature monitoring has streamlined processes and procedures enabling all catering facilities, from supermarkets to independent cafes, to act immediately should any unforeseen issues arise. This was particularly important as technology supported catering facilities adopt to delivery models at the height of various lockdowns.

A NEW ERA

Those working in the hospitality and catering industries needn’t spend time going backwards and forwards through endless amounts of paper documents, nor should they expect it. Yet, despite entering a new digital era, some businesses remain unprepared for it.

Technology plays a crucial role in combating food storage and waste. Constant monitoring is required, and a cost-effective way of doing this is not through several manual checks of storage units each day, but with wireless data loggers. These are IoT-enabled devices which provide catering facilities, supermarkets, and transporters with the information they need to act immediately should any unforeseen issues arise when it comes to food temperatures. The danger of human error is bypassed, and the system is entirely paperless, removing the need for multiple members of staff to move between various control points while handling pens, paper, and thermometers. This is an important reduction in points of contact – key to ensuring a COVID-safe working environment. The pandemic and its ramifications look set to stay with us for some time, and many newly sharpened attitudes towards safety are here to stay. While this has placed extra demands on businesses up and down the food value chain, they can be overcome through stringent quality assurance and savvy investment in technology.

Whilst this equipment sounds expensive, the short-term investment can save a business money in the long term seriously impacting its bottom-line for the better. For example, let’s say it takes one person to perform five different temperature checks three times a day. That could reach upwards of 73 hours of labour annually, which based on minimum wage estimates to £636. Wireless data loggers provide a more accurate and regularly updated analysis for less than £30. Applying this technology can therefore save around £600 a year by freeing up more employee time. The 73 hours spared can be weeks’ worth of time dedicated to more fundamental work within the business.

The post Time to reskill our people to meet the needs of the digital economy appeared first on FMJ .

Time for FM to make the switch to a more sustainable transport solution

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:24:00 GMT

I n November, the UK hosts COP26 and the media channels will be full of debate about actions to be taken to reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change. Two of the most polluting sectors are the built environment and transport. Indeed, transport has overtaken power generation as the UK’s most polluting sector responsible for 27 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

That’s one reason the Government is backing more provision for safer active travel and wider use of bikes. Not just in the movement of people, but as a means of transport itself – moving goods and services. One example of Government commitment is a further £400,000 grant from the Department for Transport, administered by the Energy Saving Trust to help kickstart and incentivise the adoption of e-cargo bikes for businesses. Electric cargo bikes come in two, three or four wheel options and are primarily used in the last-mile delivery sector – although are replacing less efficient vehicles across a multitude of different applications. The power assisted bikes can carry loads from 150kg up to 400kg with a trailer. They are being used by construction firms like FM Conway and Morgan Sindall to move materials between sites, depots and their suppliers and construction logistics consultants such as O’Neill & Brennan and CSB Logistics are researching ways of making cargo bikes more mainstream.

Last month London based e-bike specialists Fully Charged hosted a well-attended e-cargo bike summit in association with the Energy Saving Trust, with people from construction, last mile delivery firms, catering, flower delivery, the textile sector and even an investment bank. But no one from FM. Why? Well, the transition is a hard one from a van to bike. The construction firms using cargo bikes are still learning – but certainly FM Conway is committed and others, such as HSS Hire are adopting them too. We know of one FM firm that is looking at trialling bikes, but no others. Even major suppliers to FM companies struggle to see how the logistics of vans can be changed to a cargo bike.

The trick is to go to events like Fully Charged’s e-cargo summit. EVs are not the single answer. Transport in facilities management, like transport across the UK, requires an integrated approach – vans and bikes together. It works for a lift maintenance firm that bought bikes from Fully Charged. Their teams now complete their work in less time and their operatives are healthier and happier – and so are their clients.

Think about the choices. Electric vans do not reduce congestion. They do not save time. They do not save on parking charges. Couriers using bikes that have also used vans argue the bikes are 60 per cent faster. Emissions are 90 per cent lower than diesel vans and 33 per cent lower than electric vans. Research claims that over 50 per cent of freight (and this includes service movements of MRTs in white vans) can be replaced by a cargo bike.

If the transition is too hard then think about customer expectations. The investment bank attending the Fully Charged’s e-cargo event is demanding all of its suppliers, including its FM service provider, decarbonise their operations and look at using different modes of transport. I know of at least one major cleaning company in London that expects its supplier to decarbonise and is waiting for a switch to cargo bikes from vans to deliver cleaning materials. If the dry-cleaning company Oxwash can run a business in Oxford, Cambridge and across London using a business model reliant on cargo bikes why can’t cleaning materials be delivered using a bicycle?

If FM’s do not rethink their logistics then customers will do it for them. A commitment to reducing carbon emissions is now a given in every invitation to tender. Major public sector customers such as the MOD, NHS, and the MoJ will all be seeking reductions in CO2 across their sites. Some of these will be easier to implement a transition from traditional vehicles to e-cargo bikes as they are closed, or campus sites. So, when responding to bids for something like a nuclear plant or secure defence research facility, a bike could, or should, be part of the integrated transport solution.

With the current 130 per cent supertax and grants available from the Department for Transport, administered by the Energy Saving Trust, there is no better time to make the switch to a more sustainable transport solution – more efficient and more productive, lower costs with increased profitability.

The post Time for FM to make the switch to a more sustainable transport solution appeared first on FMJ .

In the pursuit of net zero

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT

W hether you place your trust in Government, the investment fraternity, well respected scientists or passionate activists, the unarguable fact is that we now have only 10 years available to us to save the planet.

The science makes very clear that without significant change in the next 120 months by all of us that consider earth our ‘home’ we will reach a tipping point in our climate beyond which climate change will be both irreversible and catastrophic.

Glasgow hosts the COP26 conference in November and this event will put the UK in the global spotlight for demonstrating positive environmental action. To ensure success, those of us working in the built environment need to play a leading role in supporting both the UK and countries around the globe in delivering on their commitments to reach net zero emissions as soon as possible. The way we design, construct and operate the built environment will have a fundamental impact over the next ten years in helping our communities and local economies adapt to climate change.

We must lead a revolution in the sectors within which we work and break our dependance on polluting energy systems and seize the opportunity that exists from the falling costs of renewables and advances in energy storage. At a structural level we must contribute to and support the acceleration to zero carbon transport and the development of green infrastructure. To make all this possible, we must better understand and support the green transformation of the financial systems so that we can champion clean and resilient investments.

The transition to Net Zero will, however, involve deep structural changes that will affect people, communities and economic sectors in very different ways. The political acceptability of the transition and by implication public support, will depend on those changes being seen to be science based, fair and demonstrably impactful.

Across the Built environment though, we have a mountain to climb. In the 2020 progress report to the UK committee on climate change it was made clear that whilst some fantastic progress on emissions since 2008 had been achieved within the UK, the significant progress had been almost all been made in the power generation sector. The report further demonstrated how other major sectors were lagging way behind, one of the most disappointing areas being building.

The report concludes that “Buildings have seen limited progress in the last decade”. Whilst emissions relating to the building sector have reduced by 13 per cent, the policy driven successes of the first half of the decade have not been maintained. In the housing sector, the challenge to provide low carbon heating remains and the necessity to shift existing households away from natural gas to greener solutions is critical. The scrapping of the 2016 Zero Carbon Homes standard now means that we have more new homes requiring zero carbon retrofit than when the Climate Change Act was passed. Energy efficiency in existing building stock across all sectors and the challenge of widespread renovation and retrofit remains largely unaddressed with various Government incentives schemes not generating the demand anticipated.

Last month the UK Government committed to reducing emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, a commitment that will set the tone for COP26 and lead to similar stretching targets for many of the worlds most polluting countries. 2035, however, is only 14 years away, in the context of the built environment or the investment lifecycle of an asset this is no time at all.

Achieving these targets will require wide-ranging policies that are credible, consistent around the globe, long-term and of a robustness to transform behaviours and how our communities and wider society relate to energy, food, transport, waste and the use of finite resources. The challenges to how we all live and work will be significant.

The future of our planet is fragile, precious and our responsibility to maintain for future generations so there can be no greater purpose for all of us that work in the built environment than to contribute all we can to protect the globe.

The post In the pursuit of net zero appeared first on FMJ .

Home working lessons for FMs

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 10:20:00 GMT

H ow ironic. Facilities management spent years distancing itself from cleaning and janitorial services, casting these out as undervalued, commoditised and margin-less activities, in favour of the sparkly lights of workplace management. Then, in a matter of weeks, these services were thrust into the spotlight, front and centre of every corporate’s office re-entry plans.

So, where does the sector go from here? The scale of opportunity for FM teams to demonstrate their value is unprecedented. Yet the chances of squandering that opportunity are of a similar magnitude. Suddenly, cleaning is sound business. Board rooms are empty, but the C-suite has moved workplace to the top of its agenda. Soon, however, it will want data and later it will demand proof.

The initial data from Leesman’s assessment of employees’ home-based experience suggests that employees have adapted well to their new settings. More than three in four (77.5 per cent) of the first 10,000 employee respondents report that their home environments enable them to work productively. Compare this with our corporate office survey data where only 62.8 per cent of respondents can say the same for their office workplace.

Perhaps, however, this says more about the quality of the experience that the average corporate office provides, and casts doubt over whether these spaces are really designed for the employee and their role.

The corporate office has a new competitor on the block: employees’ own homes. And for corporations, that’s an attractively cheap alternative to upward-only rents and service charges.

But, before anyone signs an execution warrant for the workplace, they ought to hear the whole story. A deeper look into Leesman’s new data reveals that home working suits certain activities crucial to the vast majority of today’s workforce. For example, people do a lot of individual focused work. In our office-based index of 740,000+ responses, 91 per cent of employees describe this activity as important. And despite the shift to home working, people’s roles haven’t changed. In the home working data, 91 per cent of respondents claim that individual focused work is important. Yet 87 per cent of home workers report that their home environment supports this activity, while 78 per cent of office workers feel the same way about their workplace. We might infer from this that the home offers fewer interruptions and that employees benefit from exercising greater control over their space and schedule.

It’s a similar story for work activities such as meetings. Home-based employees feel considerably better supported than their office-based counterparts when it comes to planned meetings (+12.9 per cent) and video conferences (+28.4 per cent). Perhaps this is down to the Zoom revolution. As the only way for colleagues to stay connected while socially distancing, video conferencing tools have surged in popularity since March.

However, our research also bares the inherent limitations of video conferencing and home working more generally. The data suggests that employees working from home feel far less able to learn from others and interact with colleagues. Zoom calls have their advantages, but they will never replace those precious few minutes before and after a face-to-face meeting. There’s a lot of cynicism for so-called ‘water cooler moments’ – much of it justified – but it is undeniable that bringing colleagues together under one roof creates more opportunities for interaction, socialising, collaboration (spontaneous or otherwise) and team learning.

Our home working survey has almost reached 50,000 responses. When it does, we will have more insights into this mass home working experiment. Already, however, our data has revealed some urgent pressure points. As organisations form their back-to-work strategies to minimise the spread of COVID-19, FM departments will need the data to determine why their colleagues want to return to the office and what support they will need when they get there. At a moment when millions of people are rushing to conclusions about the new normal, and plenty of workplace vendors are flogging their products, knee-jerk decisions could prove to be the FM department’s undoing. Not following the data will tear up years of carefully considered progress in workplace.

The post Home working lessons for FMs appeared first on FMJ .

FM and business resilience

Tue, 26 May 2020 10:01:00 GMT

W e are living in a crisis like no other. Although it will eventually come to an end, none of us know when, and nobody can predict what the new ‘normal’ will look like.

This uncertainty could be our undoing if we fail to build business resilience, because the economy is likely to be fragile by the end of this pandemic. Currently, British workers seem to understand the almost impossible position some businesses are in – and that understanding is perhaps one of the reasons why most are accepting pay cuts and furloughed leave.

However, we need to prepare for the eventuality that the economy may not just ‘bounce back’ to where it started when lockdown and social distancing ends. What’s more, if the government support ends before British business gets back on its feet, then there’s every chance we could witness another recession.

I was promoted to Managing Director of BMG in 2008, just two weeks before the Lehman Brothers collapsed and the subsequent financial crash. It was a strange time. Initially we saw a real surge in work, albeit a different kind of work. Rather than expanding their property portfolios or moving into larger premises, businesses were consolidating and downsizing. This kept us reasonably busy to begin with, although not as busy as we’d been used to.

There’s a massive temptation to cut costs and to reduce prices when there’s less work as a result of a crisis. Back in 2008, we curbed the costs we could, those that wouldn’t be too detrimental to the business. Yet, we weren’t going to start cutting our prices in the hope of receiving more work. No, for us it was about believing in the value we bring customers, and that was our catalyst for thinking harder about all the ways we could continue to provide the best service, maintain our relationships and retain our best talent.

Our decision was to hold strong. And that approach served us well. In fact, it made us more robust.

The key lesson back in 2008 was the importance of adapting to the new reality. As a business operating in a time of crisis, you adapt or die. You have to communicate better than you’ve ever communicated before. And you have to stay true to who you are.

Workplace management is a business-critical profession which can help organisations shape new and innovative ways of working. And that’s what we need right now. The coronavirus outbreak provides us with an opportunity to think about the ways businesses may have to adapt, not just during the lockdown, but afterwards when life starts to return to a closer version of normal.

Forward-thinking companies will be talking to their employees, their supply chain and their customers in order to build a strategy that takes onboard everybody’s experiences. This will allow them to introduce step-change processes that will better support the business, and everyone who’s part of it, in the future.

Let’s recognise there is no normal. And let’s become as resilient as possible so we can bend and sway with whatever’s thrown our way. Keep communicating. Act with integrity. Be adaptable. Change quickly. Trust in people, trust in yourselves. And don’t lose that sense of who you are and how you like to operate.

The post FM and business resilience appeared first on FMJ .

The effect of TUPE on FM is multifaceted

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:05:00 GMT

F or almost 40 years businesses have had to consider the Transfer of Employment (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) when transferring a relevant undertaking or implementing a service provision change. In the FM world, TUPE is an everyday occurrence. Whether this is dealing with a first-generation outsourcing, a change of outsourced service provider or an in-sourcing contract, TUPE can apply.

TUPE exists to protect the rights of employees and has introduced three concepts into UK employment law. The first concept is an automatic transfer principle that ensures employees transfer on their existing terms and conditions with their continu ity of service intact. This requires the transferee to step into the shoes of the transferor in regard to all “rights, powers, duties and liabilities under or in connection with” their employment contracts. The second concept is protection against dismissal in connection with a TUPE transfer and the third concept is the obligation to inform and consult with those employees affected.

From a legal compliance perspective, both outgoing and incoming service providers (and of course customers on a first-generation outsourcing or an in-sourcing contract) have obligations to adhere to under TUPE. Failure to comply with any of those obligations, such as the obligation to provide employee liability information (ELI) within specified time periods and the obligation to inform and consult with the right persons, could result in legal action against the offending party as well as financial repercussions.

From a commercial perspective, being able to price an opportunity correctly relies on thoroughly understanding the cost of the employee base that is linked to that opportunity. Therefore, receiving complete and accurate ELI data for a TUPE transfer is very important to an incoming provider. From a practical perspective, managing a workforce that could potentially be engaged on hundreds of different sets of terms and conditions is a minefield if the correct systems and processes are not in place to accurately capture employee data.

For businesses, it is commercially, financially and reputationally important to get TUPE right so keep the following in mind:

The post The effect of TUPE on FM is multifaceted appeared first on FMJ .

New vacancy - Air conditioning engineers required

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:36:43 GMT

https://www.cv-library.co.uk/cgi-bin/yourjobs.cgi?agency=354292">Current vacancies

Register today.....

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 09:09:21 GMT

Get in touch with CBW Staffing Solutions today to see how we can assist you on the search for your next career move.

By Phone - 0203 583 3099

By Email - Info@cbwstaffingsolutions.com

Once again sport gives a reminder that anything is possible if you don't give up and believe in yourself. prove your doubters wrong

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 09:12:59 GMT

Once again sport gives a reminder that anything is possible if you don't give up and believe in yourself. Prove your doubters wrong

One week to go...

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:18:29 GMT

One Week until the launch of CBW Staffing Solutions... Exciting times ahead

Blog – FMJ

Cat Ford

CBW opens in Reading: meet Catherine Ford

﻿

CBW opens in Reading: meet Catherine Ford.

Why Reading, and why now

Meet Catherine Ford

What sits behind the Reading branch

How we screen engineers

What this means if you're hiring

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Qualifications that pay: how 18th Edition, F-Gas, Gas Safe and L8 add to an engineer's salary.

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How we have measured it

18th Edition: from improver to qualified electrician

F-Gas: the way into air conditioning and chillers

Gas Safe: stepping up to commercial plant

L8: demand you can rely on

Building a broader skill set

What this means if you're looking

What this means if you're hiring

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FM salaries in 2026: what 54 roles pay.

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Recruitment Fraud Alert

Recruitment Fraud Alert - Please Beware

Time to reskill our people to meet the needs of the digital economy

Time for FM to make the switch to a more sustainable transport solution

In the pursuit of net zero

Home working lessons for FMs

FM and business resilience

The effect of TUPE on FM is multifaceted

New vacancy - Air conditioning engineers required

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Once again sport gives a reminder that anything is possible if you don't give up and believe in yourself. prove your doubters wrong

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