A business owner or manager’s quick guide to absence management

When your staff call in sick, it can cause a real headache. And COVID hasn’t made this any easier. A recent report has shown that requests for sick notes from doctors are up 78%. And 52% of absence is related to stress, anxiety and depression. All of this unplanned absence is costing small and medium-sized UK businesses in excess of …

Since the pandemic, the number of grievances reported have massively increased

It’s safe to say that the pandemic has caused tensions to run very high at times, especially when we have to adapt to sudden changes like working from home. While many of us flourished in this environment, others struggled and we hit a wall of frustration, stress and isolation. As a result, more work issues have been reported. Since the …

Can improving email communication skills make your a better leader?

As a business owner, you’ll already know the importance of good communication skills.  You’ve probably attended plenty of training sessions on face-to-face communications, and extensively practiced your effectiveness when it comes to leading meetings and getting teams onboard with wider goals and objectiveBut what about email?  These days, it’s likely to be one of the most common ways in which …

How to write a job advert

With the job market at its most competitive ever, trying to recruit the right new team member for your business has become even harder. Potential candidates are looking for much more these days and the job advert may be the first impression they get of your business, so the wording really matters. It is worth spending time on preparing your …

Why the Employee Experience is important

What is it about an employee’s experience of the workplace that keeps them engaged and makes them stay with that employer? Is it the company culture, the management, the workplace, the salary, the benefits, the colleagues, the hours or is it a mixture of factors? And why does it matter? Disengagement Employees can be disengaged if they don’t understand the …

Three HR challenges that bosses experience in January

As we head into the New Year, the HR headaches that are typically associated with the Christmas period have become a distant memory.  Hopefully, we won’t have to contend with snowy weather conditions or bad behaviour at the festive party for at least another eleven months. Whilst many business owners are looking forward to a starting afresh with new goals …

What to do if an employee doesn’t turn up for work over Christmas?

As an employer I am sure you try to approve Christmas holiday requests for your employees wherever you can but inevitably there are times where it is simply not possible. The main reason for refusing is usually because the business will be understaffed or cannot function without the employee over a certain time period. Employees may not be happy about …