Boss wants his staff all at sea

1st August 2017

One Sheffield boss has come up with a novel approach to corporate team-building Some businesses throw their employees in at the deep end on Army assault courses or have them all at sea on a country orienteering day.

But Jonathan Richardson's idea of a great staff away-day is deep sea fishing in the North Sea. The MD of Attercliffe confidential shredding, archiving and recycling specialists Russell Richardson is challenging his staff to join him for a six-hour stint on a chartered fishing boat off Bridlington. He plans to get their competitive spirit flowing miles offshore. A keen fly and coarse angler, Jonathan has dipped his toe into deep sea fishing a few times on holidays around the UK. -River fishing is a great way to relax, but sea fishing is really challenging, says Jonathan, MD of the £2m turnover company founded by his father Russell in 1978, which keeps thousands of businesses in Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster and across the UK protected against data thieves and in line with regulations. -You're miles from anywhere and you have to cope with whatever the weather throws at you. Then you have to pit your wits and muscle against whatever takes your bait. -It struck me as something really different for my staff to get involved in. Sea-sickness notwithstanding, it will be a morale-boosting, team-bonding day. To Jonathan's delight, 12 out of 20 staffers from the Attercliffe company have signed up - from office workers to drivers of the company's mobile shredding fleet, and a number of shredder operatives. While some staff might flounder, sales manager Nicky Hellewell is the odds-on favourite to make the catch of the day; while deep sea fishing on a holiday in Mexico she landed a four foot tuna.