We’re well and truly into November now and no doubt most workplaces have booked and planned their Christmas party. But it’s fair to say the workplace Christmas party gets its fair share of bad press. From punch-ups and offensively drunk staff, to extra-marital activities and unwanted advances, we’ve all heard the horror stories. I certainly remember a few in my …
Help!! All my staff want time off over Christmas
So we’re quickly approaching the festive season, and no doubt everything’s going well in your business. You’ve got robust plans in place, so you’re in the best possible position for maximising your profits for the end of the year, and you’re feeling pretty organised and in control. All of a sudden though, you’ve got a big issue on your hands. …
Would you have a problem with a tattooed employee?
It’s fair to say that body art including tattoos and the workplace are two things that haven’t traditionally gone hand in hand. However in recent years, things have started to shift. In 2014, Starbucks famously lifted its tattoo ban for its staff in a move that was welcomed with open (and perhaps intricately adorned) arms. The coffee chain is known …
Going for Gold with staff health and wellbeing
Since the 2016 Rio Olympics there seems to have been various stories in the news about health and wellbeing. That isn’t at all surprising, as many people will have been motivated to get out of their chairs and get more active. Long may it last. Even the most dedicated of couch potatoes would have struggled not to feel inspired by …
Stop lying to your employees…
Corporate jargon is something plenty of us use every day without giving it much thought. Maybe you encourage a lot of ‘blue-sky thinking’. Perhaps you suggested to your team that you ‘take things offline’ when you’d rather have a more private conversation about an important issue. Or, a little disturbingly, you might occasionally consider yourself to be ‘punching a puppy’ when you do something that …
Key employment law changes to watch out for this Autumn
So we’ve made it to the final quarter of 2016 and as a business owner, you know it can often feel like there’s yet another new piece of employment law coming along that you need to make sure you’re complying with. We also know it can sometimes be tricky and confusing to keep to date, but I want to make …
Why crap communication might cause you to come a cropper…
This week I am going a bit off piste, as I need to share some exciting news. After being near on homeless for the last 2 months, our house extension looks like it is finally coming to an end. It’s not quite how I expected to start married life. It has certainly been an experience and taught me loads along …
What the hell does he do all day?
I recently did at talk to a local business group about what I called ‘The Discomfort Zone’. Basically it was about how to turn difficult conversations into successful discussions and let’s be honest, this is something that is relevant to all of us. I deny anyone to say that haven’t had a difficult conversation. Shortly after doing the talk I …
Pokémon Go – Should employers be worried?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you’ll be familiar with the latest digital trend sweeping the world. Pokémon Go involves using your mobile to find and capture virtual creatures, and is currently being used by more than 100 million users worldwide. Now I’m not one of them to be honest, but there have …
What can TeamGB teach us about improving performance?
I’ve spent quite a lot of time recently watching the Rio Olympics. I have justified this to myself on the basis that it only happens once every 4 years and Team GB did not disappointed. By the end of the games we were second in the medal table behind the USA and I would defy anyone not to be proud …