The cost of living crisis is a hot topic at the moment, and with rising costs on everything from food to fuel, the question on many peoples minds is what can employers do to help soften the blow.
Kirsty Senior
Employment tribunal cases on flexible working are on the rise
It has recently been reported that the number of employment tribunal decisions in the year 2020/2021 that involved issues relating to flexible working requests rose last year by 52%. We are taking a look at why this might be, and some top tips from our HR experts on...
#5 Our software has had a summer makeover
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and summer has definitely flown by for citrus HR’s very own dev team, who have been having buckets of fun giving our software a ‘Summer makeover’, which included a redesign, new and improved expenses, as well as a brand new...
The 2021 budget: what small business owners need to know
If you’re a small business owner then you already know that the 2021 budget announcements are big news. We’re going to break down everything you need to know. In early March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his new budget. There are big changes coming to the furlough...
The Good Work Plan and other April 2020 employment law changes
Right now, all the HR newsfeeds are full of Coronavirus and furlough news, so you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s the only thing happening in the world of employment law! But amidst the mayhem of the pandemic, the Good Work Plan came into force on 6th April...
Coronavirus – what employers need to know
Never in our lifetime have employers had to deal with such a fast-changing, disruptive and stressful environment as that caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Plans made one day have to be changed the next and, most importantly, the details and practicalities...
Is the new Tax-Free Childcare Scheme better for your employees?
The cost of childcare is a regular topic amongst young families. We know numerous people who struggle to pay for childcare when the primary carer goes back to work. In many cases it just doesn’t make financial sense for the primary carer to go back to work, as...
Gross Negligence Manslaughter
Why the owner of a company got a 7 year prison sentence for an accident he was not directly involved in. News of a horrendous lorry crash in Bath in 2015 was hard to miss. Four innocent bystanders were killed, one a small girl, when a lorry’s brakes failed and the...
Help With HR Consultancy
What to expect from a qualified HR consultancy and how to choose the right one for your small business. Your business is growing and you feel great about it, but with every new staff member you find your desk drowning in more paperwork and your inbox clogging up with...
5 ways to take control of rising employment costs
Employment law has changed a fair bit in 2016, meaning that in some cases it can now cost you more than it would have done last year to take on a new employee. With this in mind, are you aware how much each employee costs your business? We’ve written this blog to help...
What is Auto Enrolment?
The law on workplace pensions has changed; all businesses in the UK with more than 1 staff member must take part in Auto-Enrolment. It is being phased in and if you are a small employer this year is the time to start looking at workplace pensions for your employees....
Living Wage Week – what you need to know about paying the Minimum Wage
Recently, 113 companies were publicly named and shamed by HMRC for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage. Monsoon, one of the larger companies named, failed to pay a total of 1,400 workers the right amount, demonstrating that even large businesses struggle to keep...
HR trends in the news – The end of appraisals, and Unlimited Leave
There's been some HR trends in the news recently that might be music to both employers and employees' ears. First of all, the CEO of Accenture announced the death of the appraisal at his company (employers cheer!), and Netflix has joined the ranks of 'those...
Ante-natal, Adoption and Surrogacy – do you know your employee’s rights? A quick update from citrusHR
Some legislation came into force recently which has not been particularly well publicised and has largely gone under the radar; the statutory right for fathers and partners to take time off to attend ante-natal, adoption and surrogacy appointments. Pregnant...
Dress code policy at work – when does it become unfair?
When does a dress code become unfair, or even unlawful? A recent news story from North Wales got us thinking. The story, covering a petition from Denbighshire taxi drivers looking to stop a ban on shorts, highlights the issue of what a reasonable approach to...
Managing employee behaviour – in and out of the office
Managing employee behaviour goes beyond what happens in the office. Even though an employee may have closed their laptop for the day and headed home, it doesn't mean that their behaviour doesn't affect you as their employer. We look at this closer in a recent case:...
Staffing costs increase again
Last month we heard the announcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the UK being increased from 1st October 2014 following recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission. The increases are bigger than usual so we would strongly advise checking your staff’s rates of pay to check what impact this will have on your ‘bottom line’.