Our priorities have changed

THERE have been some dreadful queues at Birmingham Airport this year as spring develops into summer.

Similar chaos has been experienced by Midland drivers trying to get across the Channel at Dover. The root cause is a lack of staff available to process travellers through to overseas destinations either for business or pleasure.

This is one of the spin-offs from Covid, but one which could have been avoided with a little more forethought. Employees were laid off in their thousands, some temporary on furlough, some permanently, companies taking the view that they could not afford to keep them on their books.

Talking to a wide range of people over the course of the last two years, it is evident that Covid and its restrictions gave people the time to sit and think. This has caused many to choose a different way of life where the amount money was not the prime consideration, but the actual quality of life, coupled with some moving out of the big cities to rural areas.

Many have decided not to work unsocial hours. Some have started their own enterprises thus being able to control their own destinies. Being made redundant in mid life is not an appealing thought, but many have suffered this fate in recent years as automation has supplanted humans.

This is part of the reason why enterprises large and small have suddenly found to their cost, that, no, you cannot just advertise and the applications will roll in. With higher levels of education right across the board, people are more selective. Jobs have to be attractive not only with regard to renumeration, but in the type of work on offer, career prospects, and the security of the position.

Levels of employment are currently low post Brexit, resulting in fewer immigrants coming from the Continent. They are likely to stay well down for the foreseeable future. HGV drivers greatly benefited earlier this year when transport companies had to substantially increase pay rates just to keep wheels turning. This has led to other skilled workers looking to maximise returns in exactly the same way. It is, in effect, part of this Government’s policy of levelling up, so it is not being discouraged.

Employers now have to realise that if they wish to run a successful fully staffed business, they have to offer terms and conditions that will attract applicants.

Quite a change!