As we are now firmly into the colder months, many of us are beginning to think about the government plans for Covid-19 this winter, and how we can prepare our small businesses to deal with which ever plan is put into place. England’s proposals contain two plans: Plan...
As schools break up for the summer and Covid 19 restrictions ease, you may be struggling to work out how to manage staff absences over the summer period, especially if they will be required to quarantine after a holiday abroad. This may not be as much of an issue if...
The recent announcement of a roadmap back to normality has, I’m sure, got many of you thinking about what’s next. A return to the office, hybrid working, seeing colleagues again and fostering a positive staff culture. Our software has a number of features to help you...
It’s not an ideal situation working from home with children, but during a prolonged crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic, lots of your parent employees and indeed you, may find this situation unavoidable. Looking after a child and home-schooling is a full-time job in...
With Coronavirus still dominating work in the UK, our development team have been working hard to help support you more with the current situation. Here are our latest software updates to help. We’ve added a brand new desk-booking feature to help manage safe working in...
It’s September already, and if we’re lucky the country (and world!) will start to get slowly back to normal – or a new normal more likely. But Coronavirus is still very in our midst so we have some software updates for you to help manage your teams. We thought we’d...
The Coronavirus has caused unprecedented disruption to businesses, from recruitment and how we conduct interviews to keeping our teams engaged, across the globe, which has led to many companies, big and small, working remotely to keep their staff safe. Whilst this...
What is the Working Time Directive? The Working Time Directive (WTD) is a piece of legislation introduced by the European Union in 1993. Its purpose is to ensure individuals don’t work too many hours in the interests of their health and safety. The WTD was brought...
As a small business owner, it can be tricky keeping up to date with different employment laws. Sometimes it seems as if the rules are constantly changing, particularly around hours and holidays, and this can cause a lot of worries for employers who don’t want to risk...
A recent survey carried out by GDPR.EU revealed that only 36% of small business owners believe that their organisation is mostly compliant with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) passed in May 2018. We know that when you’ve already got a lot on your plate,...
The realisation that you may have made a bad hire is an unsettling one. Maybe the individual is turning out to be very different to how they came across in their interview. Or perhaps they professed to have more skills and experience than is proving to be the case. It...
We know that for employers, getting new hires to the point where they can start effectively contributing to the organisation takes up a lot of time and resources. However, having a clear onboarding process to follow will help new employees to become important and...
Under UK employment law, someone is defined as disabled if they have a mental or physical health issue which: makes it difficult for them to carry normal daily activities which will usually include their normal day to day activities at work has more than a minor or...
It’s always best to take a consistent approach when requesting references to help you avoid any claims of unlawful treatment. To request a reference for a prospective employee you should: Get written, detailed and signed consent from the prospective employee before...
When providing a reference for an employee, it’s important to: Get written and signed consent Be consistent in the types of information you give Avoid providing any information which could be disputed as unfair or incorrect Comply with data protection laws Mark all...
Exit interviews are a brilliant way for employers to find out how they might better engage and retain staff. Employees leaving an organisation tend to speak a little more frankly about their experiences, which can sometimes uncover problem areas you might not have...
Recruiting the right people is rarely simple. Getting the right fit for the role, as well as your business, can be a really challenging and time-consuming prospect. The answer is to have a bullet-proof recruitment process. One that saves you time, and makes sure you...
Need to make a new hire? Where should you start looking for candidates? Start-ups obviously have no other option but to hire from the outside. However, when a company gets to about 20 employees or so, the best place to start looking might be internally. In this post...
Looking to recruit but are unsure what you should be considering? Do not worry, a lot of people we speak to everyday ask similar questions. There are a number of steps employers must take to stay on the right side of the law when it comes to recruiting employees. Much...
When checking someone’s right to work in the UK, you’ll need to view valid documentation and make and save a copy of these. Failing to do so for everyone you employ is breaking the law, so you need to ensure it’s a routine part of your recruitment process. Why is...
Restrictive covenants are clauses in employment contracts that help prevent employees from taking unfair advantage of their employers when they leave. This could include joining a competitor or starting up in competition to their previous employer within a few months...
To employ someone successfully, you need to start off with a clear idea of your requirements for the new hire. What will they be doing day-to-day, and what skills do they need to be successful? Next, you must carefully follow the employment laws relating to...
There are four different terms to be aware of when it comes to employment contracts: express terms, statutory terms, implied terms and incorporated terms. While only express terms, such as pay and working hours, must be documented in writing via a written statement,...
There are three main types of employment contract: permanent employment contracts, fixed-term contracts and casual employment contracts. Documenting the specifics of the employment relationship in writing is not only a legal requirement but can also help you to...