While selecting a good travel security company, you need to choose one with the right approach and understanding of the global social-economic and political landscape. AKE is one such company. 

For starters, AKE has one of the most unique approaches to travel security. The company strives to develop highly integrated and tailored solutions for its clients. By so doing, it works directly with clients to support their immediate requirements, both small and large, while developing an improved awareness of security that will lead to reduced overall risk and greater operational efficiency over the long term. 

AKE’s Approach 

AKE approach to security is intelligent and developed from a highly detailed and insightful analysis of all probable and potential risks. The company strives to understand each individual and corporate client’s requirements and ethos. At the end of the day, therefore, you can rely on AKE to develop an effective and targeted strategy to your travel security.

Similarly, AKE views security as a primal business function which will contribute greatly to risk reduction. It also contributes to effective business operations, thereby improving the client’s bottom line. Therefore, security for AKE is much more than just a cost centre. 

How It Works

From the design and development through to the implementation and analysis of travel security procedures and policies, AKE strives to support its clients whenever they have to travel to hostile and remote environments. As a result, the company has had astounding success since it went into operation.

For more than 20 years now, AKE has developed and practised support for its clients on the global stage. The company always believes that no problem is insurmountable and no situation is too difficult for it. 

Therefore, you can depend on AKE to develop cutting-edge approaches to your crisis management issues based on the company’s experience in resolving those situations that are too difficult for others to handle. 

Overview of Global Conflict and Security: 2016

To better understand AKE’s process, one has to check the company’s analysis of global security and conflict. For 2016, the risks that clients with international operations are likely to encounter include, but are not limited to:

1. Europe and Russia

The Ukrainian war is likely to turn cold. While skirmishes on the ground will continue, the front lines are also likely to remain constant.

2. Sub-Saharan Africa

Economic instability is likely to exacerbate internal tensions. Similarly, it will increase the risks of political violence and terrorisms, especially in West Africa.

3. North Africa and the Middle East

Al-Qaeda, IS, and their affiliates will increase attacks in the region.

4. Asia

Although long term conflicts will continue, the region is likely to remain stable.

5. The Americas

Key travel security risks will mostly stem from strikes, rising levels of violence and civil unrest relating to organised crime. Terrorism will remain relatively low, particularly considering the potential signing of a finalising peace deal between the FARC and the Colombian government.

To protect yourself against all the above potential and actual threats, get in touch with AKE. The company has been providing travel security services to both individual and corporate clients for more than 20 years now. Therefore, you can rely on it to protect you from all risks whenever you, your loved ones, and your manpower travel to uncharted territory.

Anger at work. We’ve all seen it. Most employees in an organisation will experience angry emotions for one reason or another and to one degree or another. It is how we handle it that is important.  

None of these can be achieved overnight but a naturally angry person has to start somewhere:

The reasons may range from a lost parking space, apathetic and inefficient colleagues, heavy workloads with tight headlines which cause causing stress and fear, not to mention conflicts between team members, alleged favouritism by supervisors and even family matters – they can all spill over to create conflict.

All in all, anger is known to cause tremendous effects in the workplace if not well managed. This article highlights some of the effects as well as suggestions about effective ways of handling it.

To begin with, listed below are some of the effects caused by this seemingly inevitable human tendency:

• Anger can cause potential career issues and other problems at a personal level. If you are the kind of person who easily gets angry in your workplace even for minor reasons, then:
• colleagues are likely to carry secret and even open grudges against you.

• you’ll develop an undesirable reputation of being short-tempered and abrasive as well as being potentially incompetent under pressure.

• people will avoid engaging with you and this will include customers, vendors and clients. If customers don’t want to talk to you then career trouble is just around the corner

• you’re unlikely to be promoted or participate in crucial and high-profile projects due to your temperament.

• you may develop long-term health issues.

According to some studies, unhealthy anger can affect your physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual health. 

Certain illnesses are also associated with anger including heart diseases, certain cancers, auto-immune diseases etc. (More of these health effects can be found here http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/warning-anger-can-seriously-damage-your-health)
 
It can cost business organisations immensely.

Studies show that anger in the workplace has devastating effects including a lot of time wasted in resolving conflicts.

When an employee harbours resentment and frustration, his/her productivity significantly reduces due to lack of energy and low morale. As a result, it’s very easy for the entire team to be affected which may lead to low morale and  interpersonal conflicts. This wastes much time not to mention the associated costs of staff absences, increased staff turnover, the resulting financial losses and even lawsuits arising from conflicts/violence in the workplace.

All these and more reduce an organisation’s productivity and output, proving extremely costly to the employer.

When an employee harbours resentment and frustration, his/her productivity significantly reduces due to lack of energy and low morale. As a result, it’s very easy for the entire team to be affected which may lead to low morale and  interpersonal conflicts. This wastes much time not to mention the associated costs of staff absences, increased staff turnover, the resulting financial losses and even lawsuits arising from conflicts/violence in the workplace. All these and more reduce an organisation’s productivity and output, proving extremely costly to the employer.
 

How to handle anger in the workplace.

Due to its numerous negative effects, knowing effective ways of handling anger then becomes vital. We have put together some suggestions for employees to help in handling it and alleviate its effects:

1. An individual’s role.

None of these can be achieved overnight but a naturally angry person has to start somewhere:

• Try to change your mindset so that anger no longer becomes the natural reaction
• Try to let go of any unmanageable anger. Often, you won’t be able to control situations, so it’s important to try not to become involved. To do this, ask yourself, "Is it possible for me to resolve whatever that's causing my anger?" If your answer is no, then just let it go. 
• Consider your anger determining whether it really makes sense given the particular situation. 
• Control your response to anger. Living healthily – if you involve yourself in constructive things like exercising, getting sufficient sleep, avoiding alcohol, eating a proper diet etc. You’re likely to respond to situations better when you’re healthier. 
• Change your way of thinking by reminding yourself that being angry neither fixes anything nor makes you feel better.
• Change environments that seem to make you angry if possible.
• When anger strikes, you can divert it by listening to some favourite music, taking several deep breaths etc to calm it down. 
• Change your way of thinking by reminding yourself that being angry neither fixes anything nor makes you feel better.
• Change environments that seem to make you angry if possible.
• When anger strikes, you can divert it by listening to some favourite music, taking several deep breaths etc to calm it down. 

Finally, you can also look for anger-management classes online and these would greatly help.
For more information on:

• handling anger on a personal level, visit http://recruitmentjobs.co.uk/uncategorized/2013/02/getting-angry-at-work-six-tips-for-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/ or http://www.angermanagementseminar.com/articles/what_is_anger.html.

• handling your employees’ anger if you’re a leader/supervisor or manager in the workplace, visit http://www.payscale.com/compensation-today/2009/05/anger-management-in-the-work-place

2. The company’s role.

Essentially, a company should have an employee assistance programme to help employees see therapists for anger situations. 

Additionally, it should have other anger-management programmes that encourage accountability for anger related issues by its employees. 

Finally, it should have well-defined policies to do with anger matters that can help guide the employees, as well as the steps to be taken for any violations of the same.

Hopefully these are helpful steps towards having an anger-free workplace and please remember that our members have access to an advice line to enable them to discuss a whole range of issues – get in touch for more details.

If you struggle with sleep, you probably know all the usual advice on deep breathing or avoiding screens before bed. Instead, here’s some proven methods that mightn’t be so familiar.

2. Get up. Yep, that’s right. If you’re tossing and turning too long, get up and do something quiet and calming, like reading a book in a chair, or colouring. This is a particularly good one if you’ve woken up in the middle of the night. “The key is to avoid associating your bed with being awake,” says Professor Richard Wiseman, of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. Then when you’re feeling sleepy, go to bed. 

3. Change your body temperature. The ideal body temperature for sleep is a slowly cooling one. Your body will naturally get sleepy as your temperature cools down at night. To encourage this, have a warm bath or shower before bed, and try to keep your room around 18 degrees Celsius. 

4. Plunge your face into cold water.  I know, it sounds like the worst thing in the world you can do to relax, especially when we’ve just told you to have a warm bath. But apparently, a thing called the Mammalian Dive Reflex means that plunging into water can help reset your nervous system.   

Choosing the right sort of international healthcare insurance policy can be influenced by a range of factors – we examine just a few for you to consider.

In order to determine the right international healthcare insurance, you need to assess your concerns and priorities as far as healthcare is concerned. Different insurance companies offer different levels of coverage. 

What is covered?

The main healthcare levels of coverage are usually: Maternity, Dental, Outpatient, and Hospitalisation cover. A healthcare plan with hospitalisation only will cater for major risks such as surgery, diseases, or accidents, that leave you hospitalised. This is the most significant level of healthcare plan, as it provides a way to cover for the typically expensive cost of hospitalisation. 

Generally, you’ll be provided with the Outpatient International Healthcare Insurance plan as an option. This will enable you to go and visit doctors (Specialists, GPs, and for prescribed medication). You may not need a healthcare insurance plan if the outpatient benefits in your country provide low cost visits to the doctors. 

Several international healthcare insurance plans also offer dental care as an option. This usually comes with a waiting period before you can start enjoying the dental coverage. There are some healthcare plans that cover major dental treatment as well. Usually, healthcare insurance plans that include orthodontic cover are the most expensive, which goes to show how expensive they are. 

Maternity cover, on the other hand, is quite different and a policy qualification period of between three and twelve months is often included. This level of cover can significantly increase your healthcare premiums so careful consideration should be made about whether or not it is necessary. 

Determine your priorities 

Figure out whether you want the most cost effective healthcare plan, or the best offer in your range. Relatively inexpensive insurance plans should cover hospitalisation, at the very least. But flexibility may also come in handy when choosing the right international healthcare insurance plan. A healthcare plan that includes dental or outpatient cover will provide more alternatives should you find yourself in an overseas country. For instance, expatriate doctor fees are usually higher as compared to local doctor fees. An insurance plan that includes outpatient cover will enable you to consult any doctor you want freely from any medical facility. 

Compare the International healthcare insurance plans 

Enquire for a healthcare insurance quote (which is usually free), and compare the available plans. When deciding over a wide range of international healthcare insurance plans, you may need to determine how much travel you are likely to do and how many different countries you will visit. A suitable insurance plan will enable you to move from one country to the other without having to reapply.

If you would like advice from experienced professionals please contact our friendly team at info@mayfairworldwide.com

Corporate health is the collective well-being of company averaged by the health of its individual members. Successful business managers are always aware of the health of their employees.

A physically fit and active work force is a great asset to any corporation. We look at several reasons why employers should not underestimate the importance of the good health for their employees, education programmes and healthcare insurance.

· HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE.

Medical costs keep increasing with each year. For many staff, their health care insurance is covered by their employers. However, staff who are overweight, smoke or drink too much are at higher risk of lifestyle diseases and thus stand to incur more health care costs in the long run.

One of the ways to prevent this is by ensuring your staff keep fit. Education programmes and links with local fitness clubs will reduce the number of employees who regularly suffer from lifestyle illnesses and significant strain on company’s efficiency.

· ABSENTEEISM.

Numerous sick leaves always cost businesses money and time. A fit and healthy workforce means all available working hours will be fully utilized. It also reduces the need for temporary staff or colleagues covering that can often lead to important tasks being left half done or not completed at all.

· ENERGY LEVELS.

Regular exercise is believed to reduce fatigue and increase energy levels. For a business manager, having keen, energetic staff is a tremendous boost to overall staff morale.

Conversely, the heavy smoker will be away from there place of work on a regular basis having a ‘smoking break’. Much working time can be lost due to smoking breaks and smokers will often be less efficient than their non smoking colleagues.

Education and encouragement to give up smoking is practiced in many workplaces and the benefits can be seen in increased productivity and a healthier workforce. 

· COMMITMENT AND GOAL SETTING.

For someone to maintain optimal fitness and health, a good level of commitment to achieving set goals is required. Employees with healthy bodies and minds have learned how to set goals and go about realizing them. This attitudes often spreads to all areas of their life including their jobs. An active labor force will always stay in line with company goals and missions. Additionally, they will always have ways to keep them motivated at all times.

· REDUCED STRESS.

The workplace tops the list of factors contributing to stress in individuals. Overweight staff and smokers will be less efficient because they often have higher stress levels. Employees with healthy bodies are much better at handling stressful situations. With impending deadlines, workload and set targets, there will always be no shortage of stress triggers in any company. With this in mind employers stand to benefit hugely from fit staff that better cope with dynamic conditions.

To ensure full mental and physical productivity employers must ensure wellness programs are put in place to help those employees who need it to become healthier and a more productive member of the team.

ADVICE

If you are in need of advice about how to approach better health in the workplace or where to go for a Healthcare Plan, then we can help, please email us here at: info@mayfairworldwide.com and one of our friendly team will contact you.

The reasons

A good pension plan is designed to ensure that the employee’s future is secured by the amount that they will as pension upon retirement. The amount that is deducted from the employee’s monthly salary, together with employer contributions under the workplace pension scheme, is supposed to enable them to enjoy a good quality lifestyle during their retirement years.

Unfortunately for many employees this has not always been the case. Some people waste their money paying into dormant pension schemes that fail to produce the required results. It is therefore very important for employers to ensure that you find a reliable pension service management company that have a good track record of achievement and know the market.

In 2012 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCU) forced the pension providers to lower the forecast rates. This in turn led to the conservative rate dropping from 5% to 2% and the high growth forecast dropping from 9% to 8%.

The Issues

A BBC programme (Panorama) found out that some of the high street pension providers taking up to two thirds value from people’s pensions in commission and fees, which is inappropriate. It therefore follows that many workers in the United Kingdom face the risk of working a lifetime but having little money in retirement.

When you hire a trustworthy pension services management company there are many issues to consider and pitfalls to avoid. It is vital for any employer to consult with pension service providers that have a good reputation and cut links with any service provider that is deemed dormant or poor performers.

6 Considerations

Here are just but some of the factors that employers can be looking for to determine whether a pension service provider is viable or not. A good service provider should be able to: 

• Track down all the previous pension payments for employees and transfer the pension scheme to one company.
• Manage all the employees pension processing on their behalf.
• Keep track of employees pension records and ensure all employee payments are processed accordingly
• Follow up all retired employees pension claims and ensure they are paid
• Find reliable pension service providers with the best forecast rates.
• Link you with wealth management firms that are well regulated by FCA.

If you care about the welfare of your employees it is necessary to ensure that your pension plan service provider can meet all the above.

The most important and key factor is that the firm must be regulated by FCA since it is the only body that cares for employees welfare as much as pension is concerned. Further the firm must have a good and known reputation.

The Solution

For further information please follow this link to our partners for pension advice St. James’s Place Wealth Management – Warren House Chartered Financial Planners www.whcfp.co.uk

Increasing numbers of people go to work abroad as faster travel shrinks our world.

Working overseas to further a career has always happened and it is easier now than it ever has been to take advantage of the benefits to career progression that a willingness to develop yourself and your company abroad offers.

Taking such a step can be both daunting and exciting and when the day of the posting arrives you are bound to have some mixed emotions. You are facing a massive change to your way of life and your decision will have needed careful thought.

Proper planning is key and if you and your employer have taken account of all the issues that you may face then you will leave confident that you are fully prepared. Some personal aspects to consider are: 

Family.

• How will the move affect you and your family and is your partner fully supportive? 
• Will your family be going with you? 
• Have you researched local schools? 
• If they are not coming with you, how often will you get back to see them?

Financial.

•   Is your new salary and position sufficient compensation for inevitable personal sacrifice?
• How long will you be away?
• Have you researched your tax position?
• Will you be paying tax abroad?
• How much?
• What are the affects to your pension – if any?

Travelling overseas on business to places you haven’t been before can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming and there is much to consider. 

As a business person you are there on behalf of your company but safety and not business should be your first priority.

Although your company may have done all the homework and researched the area you should double check to ensure that you are travelling to a safe region or country. The stakes of foreign travel are high and there is need for you to take concerted efforts to protect yourself.

Even when travelling to regions or countries that are considered safe, you still need to actively protect yourself against several risks. Here is a list of 6 dos and 6 don’ts of foreign travel:

The Dos

1.     DO your research- Safety, etiquette and culture differ from region to region and it is best that you consult your embassy, consulate or internet sources to know about a region’s security situation, culture and other circumstances you are likely to encounter.

2.     If you are UK based then the first place you should consult for travel and safety tips and warnings is the Foreign Office. This link will take you straight there https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

3.     DO keep important documents in a safe place- Always keep your credit cards, passport, ID, insurance policy, some emergency cash and a copy of your airline ticket in a safe and secure place separate from the other luggage. You should also leave a copy of these documents with a friend or relative at home.

4.     DO be aware of what is going on around you and watch out for distractions such as someone asking for directions or bumping into you.

5.     DO label your luggage-It is important that you label your entire luggage with your contact details and name both inside and out in case it is lost or misplaced.

6.     DO cater for a worst case scenario and have a safety plan- A safety plan that includes having contact details of your nearest embassy or consulate and emergency numbers of the local police and hospital. The safety plan also involves updating your business partners, friends or family about your whereabouts in a foreign country.

The Don'ts

7.     DON’T drive a rental car that has the company rental stickers all over it. It is great advertising for them but it also advertises you as a tourist as well.

8.     DON’T ever give anyone a lift unless you know them. Doing favours for hitchhikers no matter what the circumstances is to be avoided.

9.     DON’T take out large sums of cash in public- Large sums of cash attract attention and expose you to risks. Always pay your bills with small sums of cash. You should wear a money pouch/belt to carry your money instead of carrying cash in your back pocket or wallet. A money pouch/belt is easy to hide under a layer of clothes.

10. DON’T use your smartphone in the street unless it is absolutely necessary.

11. DON’T walk or visit unfamiliar, dimly-lit or isolated places. In addition, try to hold your business meetings during the day and in company office or public places.

12. DON’T leave your belongings unattended. You should also avoid storing your medicine, money or other valuables in your luggage.

This list is by no means exhaustive and a lot of it is common sense - foreign travel is interesting as long as safety is your first priority. You can avoid risks by being cautious, vigilant and self-aware having carried out your research and prepared fully for your journey.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of travelling abroad on business with us please don’t hesitate to contact us here:  mayfair.uk@mayfairworldwide.com

Workplace health insurance programs are enormously popular because they offer numerous mutual benefits for both the employee and the employer. The best healthcare packages combine both individual and organizational strategies if it is to benefit the employees, their families and the company as a whole.

4 Benefits to employers offering health insurance  

From an employer’s perspective, it is unfortunate that a majority of publicity relating to providing healthcare perks to employees mostly focuses on the added burden that these benefits impose to a company.

However, it is important to look beyond the liability and focus on the overall benefits that come with offering the cover to your employees.

·        Good for the company image

One of the most important components of your company's brand is its public image. By offering a good benefits package including health insurance to employees, you help increase your company's visibility to potential future employees and the general public. Most people use this measure to gauge the company's desirability when seeking employment. To them, this in part shows your commitment as a caring employer.  

·        Reduces absenteeism

Healthy employees, satisfied with their salary package are far more likely to value their jobs and less likely to take days off sick. This is good for productivity and overall job satisfaction. A healthy employee with peace of mind who practices preventative health care is a tremendous asset to any employer and the health care package helps create this virtuous circle.

·        Saves the employer money

The cost of providing healthcare packages, whilst a major investment, is still likely to provide the employer with savings over the cost of sick pay, the cost of holiday accrual during sickness, the cost of temporary staff to cover the sick employee and the cost of managing the sick employee.

 ·        Helps you retain your best employees

Having a strong benefits package that incorporates health insurance will help the employer when it comes to retaining or attracting good employees. It is often the deciding factor when a competitor is head hunting your best people. If you have looked after them well the loyalty factor will usually repay you.

3 Benefits of health insurance to employees

·        It is a valuable perk

At a time when we are always looking to maximise our salary, the healthcare perk is a very attractive one when offered as part of the employment package. Such a benefit offers employees and their families the reassurance of being quickly and efficiently seen in the event of health worries.

·        Enhances job satisfaction

Employees appreciate the care and sacrifice that their employers make by offering them, and often their family, comprehensive health cover. This gives peace of mind that has a positive impact on job satisfaction. It is said that a happy employee is a more productive employee.

·        It’s more convenient

Job-sponsored health cover will help ease pressure of waiting anxiously for doctor’s appointments and enables health issues to be tackled quickly, efficiently and at a time to suit you.

Conclusion

A staff benefits package that includes healthcare insurance delivers benefits for both employees and employers in equal measure. It can be argued that a company is more likely to experience success and profitability for longer with a workforce that is looked after properly by a caring employer.