Christmas parties and client meetings will go ahead as planned, Financial Planners have told Financial Planning Today.

Guildford-based Chapters Financial does not expect the Government’s plans to have much impact on business, and it is well prepared to shift to working from home if needed.

Keith Churchouse, Chartered Financial Planner at Chapters Financial, said the firm’s employees are a “flexible group” and “well versed now in these changes”.

He said the firm has a well-established infrastructure in place from the last 18 months of periods of home working and will, “implement changes where appropriate and responsible to care for our team members and clients.”

Mr Churchouse said that the latest Government guidance holds little impact for vulnerable clients as they are, “vulnerable irrespective of what the Government does.”

The latest Government guidance was the subject of the weekly team call for Cranleigh-based Financial Planning firm Informed Choice this morning.

Informed Choice has been working with a skeleton staff at the office since they were allowed to return, with most of the team continuing to work from home with the occasional visit to the office.

Martin Bamford, Financial Planner at Informed Choice, said the firm had already upped its level of caution when the Omicron variant was first identified.

He said: “The guidance to work from home next week is unlikely to have any impact on our business, as the pandemic experience demonstrated that working from home was just as productive as working in the office. When the Omicron variant was identified a couple of weeks ago, we upped our levels of caution slightly in response, but in practice there is little difference to any of our working practices.”

Informed Choice already has precautions in place to protect vulnerable clients, should they request a face-to-face meeting, and does not expect this to change this in the face of the most recent guidance.

Mr Bamford said: “Our vulnerable clients continue to be seen via Zoom, but where they insist on a face-to-face meeting, we are very cautious, using a large meeting room, wearing masks and keeping the space well ventilated. We also take the additional step of carrying out a lateral flow test on the morning of these meetings.”

The Informed Choice Christmas party is going ahead in a “well ventilated tent” attached to a local restaurant, with the team members attending to do a lateral flow test on the morning of the party.

“There wont be any snogging under the mistletoe!,” said Mr Bamford.

Chapters Financial are in the middle of an office move this month so had already chosen to defer seasonal celebrations to the New Year.

Mr Churchouse said should a full lockdown occur, they will delay the celebrations further.

Mr Bamford does not expect another full lockdown to occur.

He said: “In my opinion, and based on the current data, there won't be a new Christmas lockdown. There's a decent chance that Omicron will prove to be the turning point in the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to less severe symptoms, even in those who have chosen not to become vaccinated. The latest data from Pfizer showing protection following a booster jab and the protection afforded by t-cell immunity (for those who have already had Covid) is also very promising.”