Colleague Newsletter – October 2020

Posted on October 23, 2020 by - Uncategorised

Dear Colleague,

Hello and welcome to your October Colleague Newsletter.  In this edition you’ll find information on the current Covid-19 rules and restrictions, financial help from retailTRUST and the latest dates for Access HR.   

A message from our MD:
 
“I know this is an unsettling time for many, but on behalf of the Westgrove Management Team I want to say a big “THANK YOU” for your continued hard work during this pandemic.  We are extremely proud of all our Colleagues for how you are adapting to change and supporting each other through these unprecedented times.  
 
We can’t come and see you as often as we’d like to at the moment but please remember that our team of Business Managers and the Westgrove Management Team are here if you need to talk.
 
Please take care of yourselves and your families.  We hope to be able to see you soon.”

Covid-19 – Know the rules

As you will be aware, new rules came in to force on Wednesday 14th October to try and prevent the spread of Covid-19 in communities across the country.  

You can check what category your area falls into and the current restrictions for that area HERE.  Parts of the North West and South Yorkshire have already been placed into Tier 3 which carries stricter restrictions and Wales have announced a short sharp fire-break which comes into effect at 6pm today.   

Please continue to follow the Government guidelines and any supplied by Westgrove.  We all have a duty of care to ourselves and others too.  

Remember: Hands, Face, Space. 



Financial help is available to those who need it:   

There is financial support available to those in the retail sector currently suffering with financial hardship.  

It is now a legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for Coronavirus or are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service and told to do so, and we understand this may cause financial hardship for some of our colleagues.  The Government have set up a payment scheme for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home. Those people will be eligible for the new Test and Trace Support Payment, you can get more information HERE.   

In addition, our free and confidential well-being portal, retailTRUST offer financial help during times of need and are available 24/7 for advice and support to all Westgrove colleagues.  You can find out more about the financial support available HERE.
 
If you haven’t already done so, we recommend that you register with retailTRUST and access the free well-being and financial support available.  



Access HR – Book your appointment now

The next available dates and times for an Access HR session are:
*Tuesday 27th October @ 8am – 10am
*Wednesday 28th October @ 4pm – 6pm

The sessions are an opportunity for you to book in a date and time to have a private one-to-one with a member of the HR Team through video conferencing to discuss any non-urgent queries.

The dates to book your personal HR session are below. If you would like to book a time please contact hr@westgrove.co.uk and include the following;
* Chosen date and preferred time
* Confirmation that you are able to use Zoom or if you require an alternative arrangement

A member of the HR team will contact you directly with the exact time of your session, joining instructions and any other information. On the day of your session you will receive an email from HR providing you with a Zoom link.

Sessions are approximately 10 minutes long and the team will endeavour to answer all of your questions. Should this not be possible, and they need to investigate your question in more detail, then a further session will be arranged.