Also in the news...
Brilliant Borders: Kenya's Customs goes digital
A new app will save time and money for big businesses and small traders alike, as a longstanding Kenya-UK partnership further improves cross-border trade.
Yorkshire family brewery taps into new export opportunities with Government guarantee
UKEF support helps Wold Top brewery to expand its exports into new markets.
Bond Support Scheme
Find out about the Bond Support Scheme - how it works, its benefits and how to apply.
UK and African business leaders arrive in Togo to create trade and investment deals
The event brings together delegations from ten African nations alongside leading UK companies and investors to advance partnerships that promote economic growth and jobs.
Countering sanctions evasion: guidance for freight and shipping
For freight forwarders, carriers, hauliers, customs intermediaries, postal and express operators, and other companies facilitating the movement of goods.
Holiday Hack: More Than Double Your Holiday Leave in 2018
Most employees in the UK are entitled to around 28 days of paid leave annually, but with some strategic planning you can more than double your leave in 2018!
According to Instant Offices here’s how:
By carefully planning your leave, around bank holidays and weekends, in the upcoming year you can maximise your time off without having to use all your official leave days.
Maximise Your Holiday Leave in 2018
December 2017 – January 2018
Take a 10-day holiday by booking 3 days off
(23 Dec – 1 Jan)
March/April
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 8 days off
(24 Mar – 08 Apr)
May
Take a 24-day holiday by booking 14 days off
(5 – 28 May)
August
Take a 9-day holiday by booking 4 days off
(25 Aug – 2 Sept)
December
Take a 16-day holiday by booking 7 days off
(24 Dec – 6 Jan)
Benefits of Mid-Year Breaks
Working Smarter, Not harder
When you’re overworked or overwhelmed it’s easy to fall into the habit of ‘always working’ rather than working smart. It’s vital to be able to switch off from work for a while, not only to relax your mind, but to reset your attention span and renew your focus.
Avoid Burnout
Feeling inefficient, exhausted, anxious, disengaged, cynical and even excessively critical of yourself at work are all signs of burnout. Before reaching this extreme point in your career, it’s essential to take preventative measures, and one of the best ways to do this is by taking strategic andregular breaks.
Reset Your Work/Life Balance
Setting clear boundaries so that work stress doesn’t spill over into everyday life can be difficult, but it’s imperative to push the off button and take a step back to focus on the things that really matter – travel, spending time with loved ones, improving yourself, helping others and…lots of napping!
Increase Your Value at Work
Some companies place value in the ‘first to come in, last to leave’ style of working from their employees but, in truth, this culture only leads to burnout and reduced productivity over time. Rather than being the person who spends themost timeat work, focus on being the person who brings the most value to each task by being sharp, thoughtful and enthusiastic.