NatWest has launched a digital advice platform for SMES to support them through their post-pandemic recovery.

The MentorDigital platform will offer employment law, HR and health and safety guidance for SMEs as the UK takes its next steps out of lockdown and to help with planning to ensure staff and customers are well protected as they return to the workplace.

The free online compliance platform offers up to date advice on business recovery and health and safety guidance, as well as tools to allow employee record and holiday management.

The free platform is the latest addition to NatWest’s Mentor service, which has seen a significant surge in interest during the pandemic, with over 200,000 users now using the service for advice and support, an increase of over 80 per cent since lockdown.

The financial pressures on SMEs during the pandemic have led to a surge of queries to the service.

NatWest reported that 47 per cent of the calls Mentor has received in the last 12 months were related to staff redundancies, and 34 per cent were related to the furlough scheme - meaning that 4 out of 5 calls it took during the course of the year were from businesses looking for support on their employment challenges.

Commenting on the MentorDigiral service, Iain Cumby, Mentor chief executive at NatWest said: “With the worst of the pandemic now hopefully behind us, SMEs face the next challenge of adjusting to the new normal. Changes to working arrangements, covid-compliance, the end of the furloughing scheme and the vaccine debate are all crucial issues that business owners with staff will be considering how to approach.

"Through Mentor, we’re here to provide SMEs with our free digital platform, as well as a telephone advice service to help businesses ensure they’re well prepared for all these issues, keeping themselves and their staff safe in the process, and allowing them to focus on what matters in the months and years ahead – making their business thrive.”

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