Today (the third Monday in January) is known as ‘Blue Monday – a gloomy title that’s usually awarded to this day because the festive season is over, the days are cold and dark, and there’s still a bit of a wait until pay day. This year, we are of course all facing the added weight of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and national lockdown restrictions. Low mood can really impact on our ability to stay motivated so we thought we’d try to help by offering a few tips that might help you be the one who keeps smiling.
The construction sector continued its trend of recovery during December 2020, thanks largely to a sharp rise in house-building along with strong order books and new business wins on projects that had been deferred since the beginning of the pandemic. While that’s good news, stretched supply chains and delays at UK ports means our industry has simultaneously faced purchasing prices that have risen at a pace not been seen for nearly two years!
As we approach the end of 2020, we’re guessing we’re not the only ones who are looking back over all the challenges this year has brought, counting our blessings to be among the businesses who survived and looking forward to what will hopefully be better times in the New Year. But, while we can’t ignore the impact that Covid-19 has had, Sheriff has actually had many positive moments this year. Here’s our highlights.
Increased workloads, rising stress levels, imbalances caused by remote working, untaken leave and the risk of burnout. These are all issues which are affecting many workers as a result of the pandemic. If you’ve not taken much of a breather this year, why not use the Christmas break as an opportunity to truly switch off, relax and unwind. Read on for some tips on how to do just that.
With most of our commercial contracts involving home building and our own property development arm growing, we’re always interested to see what’s going on with house prices. So, what has 2020 thrown up for the housing market? Well there’s only one way to put this – it’s definitely been a bit of a surprise.
In a week that’s been a bit shaky for the UK government, you might have missed the moment when Business Secretary, Alok Sharma thanked the construction sector for facing the challenges of remaining open, supporting the economy and carrying out vital work throughout the pandemic. In an open letter to all involved in the industry,…
When the Prime Minister announced England’s latest lockdown measures, there was at least some good news for construction workers. Exempting them from the general instruction to work from home wherever that is possible, the latest guidance states: “To help contain the virus, everyone who can work effectively from home must do so. Where people cannot…
With cases of coronavirus rising in the UK, we have taken steps to ensure every member of our on-site teams are fully up to date with the current rules. Sheriff’s foremen carried out a Toolbox Talk last week, explaining all the latest advice around avoiding infection and the spread of this disease. In case anyone…
While fatal injuries in construction have declined over recent years, there are still 54,000 non-fatal injuries in the sector each year, with slips, trips and falls among the most common accidents. Safety problems can be much more serious in cases of lone/ isolated working and it’s important to note that in construction this doesn’t refer…
Given the current climate of isolation, fear, uncertainty and economic turmoil, it’s no surprise that health officials are warning of a mental health crisis that’s likely to follow fast in the footsteps of COVID-19. With that in mind, we want to bring your attention to the fact that today is the start of Mental Health…