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24
Mar
Business Breakfast: MD calls for Harrogate to become tech hub
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The managing director of the company that has just opened the doors of the newly refurbished Copthall Bridge in Harrogate has urged the district's firms to join forces to establish the town as a thriving tech hub.
Workwell's Oliver Corrigan relaunched the landmark office block earlier this month and is keen to attract more tech firms to the area.
Harrogate is already home to leading innovators such as InHealthcare, which has developed virtual wards for NHS Trusts, and the Harrogate NHS Innovation team, which is recognised as a valuable asset in health tech.
The town is attracting attention from national and international bodies, including officials from the Department for Business and Trade and a recent delegation of Indian health technology companies.
Copthall Bridge is already home to Harrogate tech company Mobile Tornado, Danish publishing tech company Chronos Hub, and tipping software company Grateful.
Mr Corrigan said:
Harrogate’s technology sector is going from strength to strength, and it’s the perfect time for businesses to connect and drive this growth even further. We want to create a space where tech companies can share ideas, forge partnerships, and support innovation.
Harrogate’s strategic location, with strong transport links to northern cities and London, makes it an attractive destination for tech businesses and professionals.
The creative and digital sector has been identified as a key focus in the region’s Local Growth Plan, highlighting its potential for further investment and expansion.
Companies interested in attending future networking sessions or becoming part of the growing tech community are encouraged to contact WorkWell through its website.
Employer NI worries
Nearly all the calls to an employment law helpline this year have been about April’s new wage rates and National Insurance (NI) increases, the Harrogate law firm that operates it has revealed.
LCF Works, which was launched recently by LCF Law, is an employment law and HR advice package that provides companies with unlimited advice, training and documentation on employment issues, as well as telephone guidance.
Last October, the government announced the annual increases to the national minimum and national living wages. For those aged 21 and over, the National Living Wage will rise by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour, up from £11.44. The National Minimum Wage, for those aged 18 to 20, will increase by a record 16%, from £8.60 to £10 per hour.
Those aged 16 to 17 or on an apprenticeship will see their hourly rate increase by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55.
This is the largest ever increase for under-21s, closing the gap between 18 to 20-year-olds and 21-and-overs by 63p.
The following day, as part of her Autumn budget statement, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced that employers’ NI will also increase by 1.2% from 13.8% to 15%, whilst the threshold at which NI is paid will decrease from £9,100 to £5,000 a year.
This means that for an employee on £25,000 per annum, an employer will pay around £67 per month more in contributions.
The changes drew widespread criticism from the business community, including from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD).
Brendan Bah of LCF Law.
Employment law adviser Brendan Bah, from LCF Works, said:
Approximately three million workers will receive significant pay increases in April. These will be worth around £1,400 per year for eligible full-time workers on the National Living Wage and those on the National Minimum Wage will enjoy an increase of approximately £2,500 per year.
Whilst this is obviously good news for employees, employers are also going to see their Secondary Class 1 NI contributions skyrocketing as well, and the reality is that a lot of businesses are nervous about these significant cost increases.
To support small businesses, the Chancellor also increased the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will not pay NI at all next year, while over a million companies will pay the same or less than they did previously.
Since the start of the year we’ve been inundated with enquiries from businesses wanting to clarify the changes, update their procedures and, unfortunately, there are some that are also considering making redundancies.
We’re working with them to identify all the available options. This might mean exploring whether changes to working arrangements and contractual terms are feasible, or looking at alternative and more flexible staffing models. Alternatively, it may be possible to offer more employee benefits using salary sacrifice arrangements, to reduce NI liabilities.
LCF Law is a full-service law firm, with more than 145 employees and offices in Harrogate, Ilkley, Leeds and Bradford.
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