Navigating legal waters to bring in Britain hospitality’s bright future
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There is no doubt the years following the pandemic have been some of the most challenging for the industry.
But this period has highlighted the importance of the industry and how it’s a treasured part of the fabric of community life.
We’ve seen a shift away from survival to focusing on resilience, growth and looking to the future. The large-scale tough questions we’re seeing from clients are: How do we cope with workforce recruitment and retention issues? What are modern consumers expectations? How are businesses supposed to meet rising costs and maintain viability? And how does their business fit into the changing landscape of hospitality in Britain?
With legal expertise across multiple disciplines, we’re able to help navigate them towards positive solutions and that bright future.
One significant area is workforce.
Ensuring there are enough people to keep the lights on following the post-Brexit exodus of European workers and proposals to further restrict international recruitment under the Government’s recent White Paper. Effective recruitment, development and retention strategies are critical to future success.
Supporting the financial well-being of the workforce has become critical to retention; our clients innovate through the introduction of new platforms to enable early access to pay and quicker access to tips. A backdrop of a rising minimum wage and national insurance contributions has proven a particular pressure point, and we’re supporting hospitality businesses who are utilising technological solutions to mitigate mounting costs.
Clients are also grappling with and planning for the fundamental reform to employment law being introduced in the Employment Rights Bill.
The Bill will radically change the employer-employee relationship through measures including a day one right to claim unfair dismissal, regulation of zero-hours contracts, increased rights to sick pay, greater rights for trade unions, the introduction of third party harassment and restrictions on imposing changes to terms and conditions.
Whilst the prospect of the Bill is daunting, those that start preparing early will have a better chance of mitigating the impacts.
With increasing costs also comes shifting business needs.
With increasing costs also comes shifting business needs to meet consumer demand in creating memorable personalised experiences – and with unique and specific needs, real estate management can be a challenge for businesses seeking profitability and sufficient space.
We’re seeing a rise in clients trying to innovate and find their own unique selling point in the industry – be it through working as part of an underlease to share property space with another business in a different industry, or by adding significant renovations to property spaces to stand out from the crowd. Tapping into legal expertise that helps you navigate these waters is vital to ensure you can make confident decisions and unlock the full potential of these opportunities.
A bright future for Britain’s hospitality sector also requires confidence in knowing where to turn when things do go wrong.
Contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, reputation management issues and challenges over intellectual property can all derail the smooth operation of a business.
It is essential lease terminations, property dilapidations, rent disputes and other exit management issues are handled properly as these issues could cause headaches long after exiting the premises.
For some businesses, a bright future may take the shape of buying a new business, selling your company or exploring a potential joint venture and we can provide commercial advice to support.
Whether you’re keen to expand or maybe looking to exit, ensuring your business is fully prepared – be it protecting the brand and any intellectual property, ensuring contracts are in order across employees, suppliers, and any property needs, as well as considering the involvement of key staff in the process to ensure continuity and ongoing culture.
While the last five years have been challenging times for the industry, the spark at the heart of many businesses up and down the country remains firing.
In order for Britain’s hospitality industry to keep its bright future, we’re here to work in partnership to help stabilise operations, build resilience and enable growth. No matter if you’re a hotel, pub, bar, restaurant, or leisure business; you’ll get strategic legal advice and support tailored to your needs.
We’re proud to be doing our part to serve Britain and help businesses not just survive, but thrive as part of Britain’s bright hospitality future.
Written by RWK Goodman Partner, Paula Green.
Learn more about Paula Green here
