Employee Notice
Nov 21th 2024
We are pleased to inform you that, starting from January 1st, 2025, all staff members will receive a 3.2% salary increase. This decision has been made in alignment with the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) and takes into consideration the present state of our business.
We believe that this wage increase is both fair and necessary to ensure that your compensation keeps pace with the rising cost of living. It reflects our commitment to valuing and rewarding the hard work and dedication of our team.
As we celebrate your well-deserved salary increase, it is important to acknowledge that this positive change may influence the retail prices of our products. It is crucial to be mindful of the market dynamics, recognising that there is a limit to the price adjustments the market can sustain.
We understand that this news will be welcomed by all of you, and we are excited to continue working together in the coming year, building on the success of Carrs.
Thank you for your continued dedication and contribution to our company's growth.
Directors & Management
13th Aug 2024
The period of short-time working will end on September 6th. Starting on this date all employees will return to their regular working hours and schedules.
Please contact your manager if you have any questions.
Directors & Management
1st July 2024
Over the past year, we have experienced a significant decrease in order intake. This decline is primarily due to the global economic slowdown, which has notably impacted the high-end luxury market, specifically our sales in Harrods. Consequently, we need to reduce costs in the manufacturing side of the business to ensure it can break even without sales from Harrods. We had hoped that the period of short-time working in June and July would allow the situation to improve, but unfortunately, this has not been the case.
Regrettably, this situation has necessitated a review of our staffing levels, as these are the only material costs we can reduce, leading to a redundancy situation. It is deeply unfortunate that it has come to this, as we now have a highly skilled team here in Sheffield and we do not wish to lose anyone. However, we must take these steps to balance our finances.
In addition to these redundancies, short-time working will continue but will be revised so the business will be closed on Fridays (from start August). This decision is a direct result of the insufficient business coming from Harrods and the ongoing renegotiation of our contract to secure better trading terms. We are actively addressing this issue and hope to see an improvement in the coming weeks.
We will be commencing a redundancy selection process. Employees who are being considered for redundancy will be notified during the week commencing 29th July. Those selected for redundancy will be provided with garden leave/holiday before the redundancy is finalised. Regular monthly pay will continue for this notice period (you will receive 1 weeks notice period for each year worked up to a maximum of 12 weeks) at which point a P45 will be issued, and the previously advised redundancy pay will be paid.
Applications for voluntary redundancy will be considered, but will be assessed based on their impact on the department and the overall needs of the business. While we strive to minimise the number of redundancies, there may be a need for further reductions in subsequent months.
Directors & Management
11th June 2024
Due to the ongoing order situation, both here in Sheffield and at Harrods, we need to extend the temporary changes in our working arrangements.
Starting from Monday, July 1st, 2024, short time working will continue. This arrangement will be reviewed on a month-by-month basis and will be in place until the incoming order situation improves.
Under this arrangement:
• Week commencing July 1st: A small team of employees will be responsible for servicing web orders
• Week commencing July 8th: The majority of the workforce will be in work
• Weeks commencing July 15th onwards: All employees will be back to work as usual.
Similar plans for the following months will be communicated if required.
To compensate for the days not worked, there will be a guaranteed payment of £35.00 per day for the first five days not worked (in any 3 month period), which would usually be worked. Please note that the use of holiday days is not permitted to cover the days that you will not be working.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging period.
Directors & Management
16th May 2024
Due to the current order situation, both here in Sheffield and at Harrods, we need to implement temporary changes in our working arrangements.
Starting from Monday, June 3rd, 2024, short time working will start. This arrangement will be reviewed on a month-by-month basis and will be in place until the incoming order situation improves.
Under this arrangement:
• Week commencing June 3rd: The majority of the workforce will be in work.
• Week commencing June 10th: A small team of employees will be responsible for servicing web orders.
• Weeks commencing June 17th and June 24th: All employees will be back to work as usual.
Similar plans for the following months will be communicated if required.
To compensate for the days not worked, there will be a guaranteed payment of £35.00 per day for the first five days not worked, which would usually be worked. Please note that the use of holiday days is not permitted to cover the days that you will not be working.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging period.
Directors & Management
Nov 16th 2023
We are pleased to inform you that, starting from January 1st, 2024, all staff members will receive a 5% salary increase. This decision has been made in alignment with the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) and takes into consideration the present state of our business.
We believe that this wage increase is both fair and necessary to ensure that your compensation keeps pace with the rising cost of living. It reflects our commitment to valuing and rewarding the hard work and dedication of our team.
As we celebrate your well-deserved salary increase, it is important to acknowledge that this positive change may influence the retail prices of our products. It is crucial to be mindful of the market dynamics, recognising that there is a limit to the price adjustments the market can sustain.
We understand that this news will be welcomed by all of you, and we are excited to continue working together in the coming year, building on the success of Carrs.
Thank you for your continued dedication and contribution to our company's growth.
Directors & Management
June 2023
We have been closely monitoring the order situation and have noticed a recent increase in customer orders, notably in Harrods. Charles has updated the roll-over figure to include the value of boxed stock orders, primarily used for the website. This adjustment provides a more accurate assessment of the actual workload that needs to be produced. I am pleased to confirm that short time working will come to an end on June 30th.
We have also received positive news from Tiffany over the last couple of weeks and are hopeful to receive an official order in the coming weeks. This development makes it a real priority for us to push the stock through the system quickly.
However, it may still take some time for all departments to have sufficient work to keep everyone occupied. In the meantime, some individuals will be assigned maintenance, housekeeping, and similar tasks. This decision allows us to save costs as we would have otherwise hired contractors, and it also means that you will revert to your regular pay structure.
Initially, short-time working was planned to continue into July. I understand that some of you may have made alternative arrangements for the time you were expecting to be off. Given this notice, you may have the opportunity to rearrange your personal plans. If that is not possible, we can allocate or reschedule holidays to cover the remaining time off. Unpaid time off is also a possibility. Any changes in pay resulting from the short time working period will be reflected in your July payslip.
Throughout our time running the company, we have always prioritized its long-term future rather than pursuing short-term gains. Currently, the company is in a favourable position with no debts, complete ownership of all properties, and ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on third parties. While our concession in Harrods and website primarily cater to high-end cutlery and cases, with the website serving other customers as well, trade customers are considered an additional benefit rather than the primary focus. However, expanding the website to this extent will take a few more years. Please note that future challenges may arise along the way.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We have always aimed to maintain transparency and openness, and that approach will continue.
Directors & Management.
May 2023
We would like to inform you that due to the current order situation, we may need to implement a temporary change in working arrangements. We anticipate that there may be a period of week on week off working, starting from Monday 5th June 2023 and lasting for a total of eight weeks, with each employee not working for a period of four weeks. However, please note that this arrangement could end sooner if the incoming order situation improves.
Under this proposed arrangement, a small team of employees will be responsible for servicing web orders for one week (w/c 5th June), while all other employees will work the following week (w/c 12th June).
There will be a guaranteed payment of £31.00 per day for the first five days that are not worked, that would usually be worked and not covered by holiday. The use of holiday days is permitted for the days that you will not be working. If you decide to use holidays to cover, then they can be booked in the usual way, and would receive usual pay for that.
In order to give maximum flexibility in the use of holidays etc the difference in pay would be reflected in the following months’ payslip. So reduction in hours in June would be adjusted in the July pay run.
We will provide confirmation on whether or not this arrangement will take place on Monday 22nd May. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to speak with your line manager.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging period.
Directors & Management.