Post Lockdown- What will your style look like?
A year of Zoom, Teams, Go Webinar has played havoc with the way in which we present ourselves. The beard has become a welcome addition for men who, having no access to a barber for on and off a year, decided not to shave an embrace this new look. Lounge wear and pyjamas became the go to fashion choice since Working from Home meant that as long as pyjama bottoms and slippers didn’t feature on screen during a management meeting, the more relaxed approach was totally acceptable. Handbags, ties and shoes were shoved to the back of the wardrobe, as hair colour went from the chosen artificial shade, to a combination of natural with a hint of grey. Self-care took over from make-up and that glossy made up look was only needed when facing the world from a lap-top or electronic device. Was it really necessary to spritz yourself with perfume or aftershave when no one could actually smell it?
What’s Your New Sense of Style
As Lockdown begins to be lifted, businesses start to re-open, barbers, hairdressers and beauty salons have been inundated with requests for appointments. Retail stores selling clothes are eager to welcome customers back into their shops as online everything took over with the speed of a Formula 1 car.
The Roadmap towards lifting Lockdown in England - The Return of the Soft Edges
It has been over a year since the first Lockdown and just over 3 months since the third, we have experienced drastic changes to our professional and personal lives. Children and students have had their education turned upside down. We have realised the importance of face-to-face social interaction and the fact that the “soft edges” have been missing from our lives, the things we have always taken for granted.
On April 12th, 2021, Stage 2 of the roadmap towards lifting lockdown comes into play and those “soft edges” will be re-introduced slowly into our lives, the escapism, the meeting face-to-face with family, friends, colleagues, sitting outside a cafe for a coffee or a beer, a long awaited visit to the barbers or hairdressers, going to the gym or swimming in a pool. Eventually, with sensible and measured protocols own place, we will hopefully work our way back to some sense of normality.
April Fool's Day - Deadline for Key Legislative Change
1st April is a day for Fools, a day of practical jokes and hoaxes. April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.
Of late it appears that the Government feel this day is significant and has bought Legislation into force on the 1st April, no pun intended we hope.
Client Money Protection (CMP)
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced powers allowing the Government to bring in legislation making membership of an approved or designated CMP scheme mandatory and in 2018, the Government announced regulations that would require all letting agents in England to belong to an approved CMP scheme by 1 April 2019. The deadline for the regulations was then extended to 1st April 2021.
What does this mean?
By 1st April 2021, all Letting Agents in England must be able to prove they have CMP in place. The approved providers of CMP have been in place for almost 2 years and therefore, there should be no surprise that this is a mandatory requirement. It is also important to remember, regardless of whether working from home or not, that the transparency rules relating CMP must also be adhered to.
The Importance of Privacy
What is privacy?
Privacy is the right to protect one’s own information from others or personal history from others. After 12 months of living our lives online, privacy is more important than ever.
Every time we sign up for online services such as emails, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, we are putting a snapshot of our lives and personal information online for the world to see. This is why it is essential to have the right to have your information kept securely when signing up to these platforms, otherwise this kind of security, everyone would have access to your life.
The Data Protection Act of 2018 establishes strict rules, data protection principles, that have to be followed. For example, that data is used fairly, lawfully and transparently. Furthermore, this enables people to have the rights to be:
· Informed how data is being used
· How personal data is being access
· How the data is erased
· How to stop or restrict the processing of your data etc.