There are a ton of challenges that come hand-in-hand with employing a team of staff… Ensuring that productivity is high and that you’re getting a good return on your staffing investment. Keeping up to date with performance reviews. Staying on the right side of employment legislation. And the tricky question of whether to accept that friend request you just received …
Refuse annual leave? What happens if the employee still takes time off?
As the summer approaches and employees start thinking about taking time off, one question we often get asked is what should you do if you refuse annual leave but the employee still takes the time off anyway. Now you don’t need us to tell you that the summer period is peak season for staff wanting to take time out of …
How to deal with the influx of Bank Holiday weekends
The weather seems to be warming up which surely means there must be another bank holiday on the way. We all love a good old bank holiday weekend. More time with the family, an opportunity to unwind, and weather permitting, maybe even a barbecue or two. But as a business owner long weekends bring some key challenges. With four bank …
Contracts of Employment 101 – Here’s what you need to know
This week we’re sharing a great guest post from one of our Associate Consultants – Mara Thorne, who is addressing some common myths around contracts of employment. We get a lot of questions on this topic, so she’ll be looking at – are they necessary at all, whether they have to be in writing, whether they need to be signed …
Are you making these mistakes with your employee handbook?
So with 2017 now well and truly here, it’s a great time to think about making sure you have all your ducks in a row. No doubt you have lots of plans and HR isn’t at the top of your agenda yet but making sure you have the right contracts, policies, procedures and employee handbooks in place can pay for …
What will you be wearing this Christmas Jumper Day?
I was out shopping with my girls at the weekend and you can’t escape the fact Christmas is well and truly on the way. Music is playing, decorations are up and the new tradition of Christmas is blatantly on sale in most shops – the novelty Christmas jumper. Now I love Christmas jumpers (although I wouldn’t be caught wearing one) …
Does the work Christmas party bring you out in a cold sweat?
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 …
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 …