You probably started your own business because you’re passionate about bringing your product or service into the world, and providing a much-needed solution for your customers and clients. This people management malarkey though – it’s not necessarily what you signed up for. Call it a necessary evil if you like, but the fact remains that if you want to grow …
Could grandparental leave be the next big HR issue?
Many businesses have just about got a handle on their new responsibilities surrounding shared parental leave. So the recent announcement from David Cameron indicating that he may in fact look at Labour’s proposals for allowing grandparents to share up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave will no doubt leave some employers feeling overwhelmed about what the future holds. It’s …
Gender pay reporting could be mandatory next year
It has been revealed that by 2016, it could be mandatory for businesses with 250 or more employees to publish information on how much they pay their male and female employees. It’s hoped that such measures will help to tackle the gender pay gap. Though progress has undeniably been made in recent years to ensure that women are on an …
You have less than a year to prepare for mandatory living wage
The UK government has announced that from April 2016, a mandatory living wage for employees over the age of 25 will be introduced. It currently stands at £6.50 and will be increased to £7.20. Conservative First Secretary of State George Osborne said, ‘Britain deserves a pay rise and Britain is getting a pay rise’. Of course though, the issue is …
3 Top tips for getting the most out of your relationship with your HR Consultant
Have you made the decision to work with an HR consultant to tackle people management issues within your business? This could be an excellent choice, and a tactic that could really pave the way for sleeker and more efficient working practices in the future. If you don’t have the resources at the current time to have your own in-house HR …
Why don’t your employees trust you?
Trust is a funny issue. It’s hard to describe, and it’s arguably not very measurable. Those who are skeptical of the HR profession might say that it’s exactly the type of thing that we’re known for dealing with. In other words, all fluff and no substance! Jokes aside though, if there’s a lack of trust between management and employees, you’re …
We NEED to talk about mental health
The recent Germanwings air disaster has highlighted the issue of mental health in the workplace, and the need for employers to ensure that such matters are right at the top of their agenda. Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz is suspected of purposely crashing the plane in to the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board. If one thing is for certain …
Four top tips for managing sickness absence
It’s inevitable that from time to time, your members of staff will get sick. It’s to be expected, and it’s something that you can’t really avoid as you grow your business and your workforce. As an employer though, you need to be sure that you’re managing your sickness policies and procedures in the right way. Without a robust approach, you …
Zero hours contracts – exclusivity clauses banned
Zero hours contracts have been a hot topic for some time and you may recall the Government conducted a consultation exercise about them back in 2014. The main conclusion reached from that consultation was that exclusivity clauses in zero hour’s contracts needed to be addressed. The usual aim of a zero hours contract (also known as a casual or bank …
The REAL reasons why you should recruit
There comes a time in the working lives of many business owners when they think that recruitment is their only option. Orders are increasing, profit is looking extremely healthy, and they’re keen to expand and take things to the next level. Sound familiar? At this stage, it’s likely that your nearest and dearest are urging you to take the plunge …