London Society

Time 2020-07-05 09:05:04

Web Name: London Society

WebSite: http://london.charteredaccountants.ie

ID:19592

Keywords:

London,Society,

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Nearly 2,000 members who live and/or work within the Greater London area are served by the London Society of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Since its inauguration in March 2009, this society has presented a regular and varied programme of CPD and networking events. Council member Peter Keenan-Gavaghan is chairman of the society. Tuesday's announcement that Revenue is to query claims made by 55,000 Irish businesses for temporary wage subsidies is very unhelpful to Irish industry which already has so much to deal with.While claims for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme should of course be policed, the announcement that Revenue is to correspond with so many Irish businesses runs counter to their previous indication that vetting would only take place at the end of the scheme. Claiming the Temporary Wage Subsidy depended on eligibility, and businesses were asked to self-assess their entitlement. The blanket enquiry approach suggests that no attempt is being made to identify risky claims by the authorities.All claimants of the scheme are to have their names published, and all employees are clear from their payslips that their employer is claiming money through the scheme. These very public checks should go a significant way towards satisfying the authorities that the process is transparent. Commenting, Norah Collender, Professional Tax Leader at Chartered Accountants Ireland said Carrying out blanket enquiries of this nature the very week that so many businesses are trying to reopen signals an indifference to the plight of many businesses. We are calling on Revenue to defer any compliance interventions until the Autumn. This will help businesses to focus on getting back to work rather than having to deal with Revenue correspondence following their enforced shutdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Revenue Commissioners have to date been exemplary in their response to dealing with the pandemic, and in particular, their operation of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme has been deservedly praised. Unfortunately, this blanket and unselective compliance measure, launched at this critical juncture, could undermine much of the good work and a lot of goodwill established in recent weeks. For most, figuring out parenting and your career is difficult. It can be even more so if you are an LGBT parent. Peter Keenan-Gavaghan explains how the support from his organisation enabled him and his husband to make the leap into parenthood while growing his career.Balancing a career and a family is always a juggling act. However, when your family does not fit the traditional model, it can also prove to be a minefield for all concerned, especially at work. Societal expectations of parental roles, parental names and second glances are only a few of the factors that need to be thought about before LGBT people become parents.Despite having made the decision to have children early in our relationship, it took my husband and I eight years before our son arrived into the world. With both of us being working professionals, the process of family planning started in the traditional way: how do we balance parenthood, careers and our relationship? We quickly realised that we also needed to consider society. In the end, some of it came down to practicalities, and some came down to our own values, preferences and external supports.Parental leaveOne area we had to consider was managing early childcare. My firm gives enhanced paid parental leave regardless of gender and this played a big part in our decision that I would be the stay at home dad for the first seven months of our son's life, with my husband returning to work on a reduced work week.Without the seven-month paid parental leave from my firm, our family would be much different position starting out and certainly disadvantaged compared to mums going on leave. It s important that not only the people in an organisation are supportive to LGBT families, but that the support is reflected in the HR policies and procedures.Creating a networkWe always knew we would need to navigate the potential assumptions from colleagues and clients that there is a mum at home. We quickly realised that if social assumptions were to change, we needed to be proud of our family, and not place each other back in the closet. Having same-sex parents is nothing new in Barclays. Indeed, when we were investigating how we would become parents, one of the first ports of call was Barclays LGBT network, Spectrum. There we got a greater understanding of fostering, adoption and surrogacy. The network also holds regular talks on non-traditional' parenting to educate colleagues on how they can become parents and continue to build their career.While nothing would have stopped my husband and me from having our son, the information and support gained from the LGBT network in my organisation eased the process for us (as much as to-be parents can be eased when planning for their first) and normalises families like ours to colleagues and clients. Before going on paternity leave, my team did the traditional baby gift presentation and I was invited to expectant parents events. This not only showed support but also demonstrated inclusivity.Talent retentionWhat I have found since going back to work is that I have become more focused and flexible. Because Barclays gave me the information on parental leave, the precious first months with my son, and the flexibility to alter my working hours to the typical parent s life without judgements or assumptions, they have retained a committed employee and have helped create a happy family.Peter Keenan-Gavaghan is Vice President of Barclays Internal Audit RFT Functions Technology. Chartered Accountants Ireland has responded to the announcement this afternoon by Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, TD that the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) is to be extended until the end of August.In the face of unprecedented disruption following the arrival of COVID-19, the swift introduction of this Government scheme has been a vital lifeline for businesses since March. By retaining that crucial link between employer and employee, it not only provided immediate support for businesses but also positions them as strongly as possible for recovery when the time comes.Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Public Policy at Chartered Accountants Ireland said Ireland s subsidy scheme compares extremely favourably with similar initiatives worldwide, and credit is due to the Revenue Commissioners for in effect putting the PAYE system into reverse to make the scheme work effectively. Today s extension of the TWSS brings much needed clarity for businesses at a time when the economy is gradually being reawakened. It allows businesses to plan for the coming months with a greater degree of confidence. Is the website not looking right / working right for you?Browser support

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