HR ADVICE

The clocks have gone back, gloves are making a comeback and you haven’t looked for your sunglasses in weeks. This can only mean one thing. Winter is here! We’re pretty used to this now, it happens every year after all. And with the changeable climate of the British...

Bullying in the workplace is sad but true that bullying is still a significant issue in many organisations. The TUC reported in 2015 that nearly one third of people are bullied at work, with women being more at risk than men. If left unaddressed, workplace bullying...

Have you ever made an executive decision on impulse and then recited that famous, reassuring phrase “it will all be alright” to justify your decision making? You may have even felt good about the time saved by making a quick and easy decision. Because effectively,...

Unless you have buried yourself in offline processes for the past few years, you have probably heard that automation can be a great tool for SME success. From lead generation to real-time marketing, slick e-commerce to prompt customer service; automation can not only...

If you are reading this at work*, take a look around you. Are you inspired? Are you motivated? If you struggle to feel inspired by your surroundings at work, it’s fair to say that your staff members could be feeling the same way. So, if your answers to the above were...

Not again! From being too hungover to work, to calling in “dead” only to return the following week as though nothing had happened, employee absences can be a pain for employers. Especially if one particular employee is a repeat offender and keeps calling in sick. This...

Ever heard the phrase “Humans have a shorter attention span than a goldfish”? Perhaps you have quoted it yourself. This attention-grabbing headline has spread like wildfire in recent years as many have nodded, shrugged and added “Well of course, technology and smart...

If you’ve never had an intern before, you could be forgiven for thinking you hire one to pass on your wealth of business knowledge, so your legacy lives on after you retire. That, and to have some extra hands on deck to order your lunch when the going gets tough. To...

Instant messaging (IM) is such a common form of communication these days that text speak acronyms are used daily. Your personality could even be defined by your most used emoji. Instant messaging apps are accessible communication tools with growing popularity. So, it...

Have you ever been stood up by a job candidate? Called and emailed them but to no avail? You may have just been ‘ghosted’. In the dawn of a job-seekers’ market, that cold feeling of rejection usually associated with online dating is becoming a common occurrence for...

Dress codes can be subjective and your idea of dressing to impress may be different to someone else. In a diverse workforce made up of different cultures and backgrounds, it’s probable that you will come across varying opinions on what is and isn’t suitable for work....

It is not uncommon to hear about the difficulties that working mothers can experience when returning to work after maternity leave. What is less apparent are the struggles that can affect stay-at-home fathers re-joining the workforce after a career break. The...

With dyslexia affecting around 10% of the population, it’s very likely that at some point you’ll encounter it within your workforce. But while most people have heard of dyslexia, if it doesn’t affect you or someone you know, you may not understand exactly what it...

HR has more than its fair share of myths and misinformation! Could it be the ever-changing legislation and case law, the conflicting pressures that many SME business owners face or simply the fact that we are in the business of people problems? It’s probably down to a...

A French employee at a restaurant in Canada filed a complaint with British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal against his former employer. He claimed the dismissal was due to his French culture being perceived as ‘rude and aggressive’. What can we do to embrace and use...

The benefits of allowing staff to bring their pets to work is well documented and proven. As long as no one is allergic to them and the pets (usually dogs, but not always) are safe and well behaved, everyone gains. It could even be a deciding factor in staff retention...

Looking at the shops, it really does seem as though Easter is the new Christmas. Easter crackers, Easter biscuits, hot cross buns… And of course, the Easter Bunny will be frantically making his way across predicted snow-laden fields to bring us all Easter eggs. What...

Encouraging staff to be charitable is a good part of corporate social responsibility. And when done well can be a great team building activity. Studies have shown that doing good deeds improves mood, productivity and morale. For business owners, this has the potential...

To be a good people manager you really need to be a good gardener. The first part of planting a good herbaceous border is selecting strong and healthy plants that are suitable for the soil you are going to grow them in. Not much different to recruitment is it? For...

In a shocking indictment of how far women’s rights still have to go, one in seven bosses admit they wouldn’t hire a woman of child-bearing age. This is because of the fear that they might go on maternity leave. Men (18%) are significantly more likely than women (10%)...

According to the online tool Flusurvey, 61.7% of the people currently reporting flu symptoms are employed – and with health professionals warning that this week’s cold snap is likely to increase the number of cases, the flu could hit your business very soon. This is a...

The festive period means that many of us have enjoyed a week or two off work. However, some are now looking to go on a post-Christmas diet, join the local gym or give up alcohol. For your business, the best resolutions should include HR. For small businesses, it can...

For businesses that are open across the holiday season, it’s likely to be a skeleton staff. But if someone phones in sick, it can cause havoc and unanticipated service gaps. ‘Throwing a sickie’ is among the leading causes of why staff are absent, with one in five...

It’s creeping ever closer to Halloween and you don’t always need pumpkins and ghouls to have a horror show. We’ve gathered some HR nightmares from across The HR Dept to give you a scare: A nightmare from payroll After a new payroll system was implemented at a...

Sadly, we doubt that many were surprised that a male-led organisation, which holds so much power and influence, was rife with sexual harassment. What has been shocking is the sheer scale, and the allegations of sexual violence and rape, that have come out as Harvey...

Smokers cost their bosses and small businesses almost £2,000 per year in lost productivity for cigarette breaks, research from the British Heart Foundation shows. An average of one in five members of staff smoke, taking four cigarette breaks a day, that each last...

Working overtime will build up holiday pay The latest in a series of rulings has now been announced. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has confirmed that voluntary overtime is the same as other paid overtime and must be taken into account for holiday pay. The case...

How returnships can benefit your business A new word has arrived in the world of HR – ‘returnships’. Although in truth, the idea was first launched in 2008 by the food company Sara Lee. Internships vs returnships – What’s the difference? Internships are students or...

New research suggests people may benefit from working past retirement, especially office workers, teachers or skilled workers. With the government recently saying the state pension age will now rise to 68 between 2037 and 2039, it’s becoming increasingly important to...

Ever wondered what skill sets your staff have beyond their job roles? You employed your staff, so you know what they are good at, right? Well, maybe in some cases. But it is likely that several of your staff have hidden talents beyond their job description that could...

Working from home – Keeping your remote employees engaged There are many benefits for both employers and employees in allowing staff to work from home. But it is possible that remote employees may become disconnected from their office-based colleagues. A strong...

Is your desk strewn with holiday requests? It’s that time of year when it seems that everyone wants to take time off, with employees facing long school holidays, weddings, family getaways or festivals. But you still have a business to run, so managing who is off and...

The way we choose what to buy, and who to buy from, has changed. No longer do we trust the marketer’s word; we look instead to what other buyers are saying. Buying from Amazon? Your eyes probably skip the description, landing instead on the reviews. This is where the...