October’s World Mental Health Day got me thinking about how well small businesses tackle this issue. In recent decades many health conditions have benefited from public awareness campaigns, resulting in more open dialogue, but mental health remains one area where employers typically feel ill-equipped to support their staff and employees often feel that they need…
Good work is good for us all
The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, which was published this summer, was widely reported in the press for comments about the changing nature of the employer/employee relationship with the rise of the so-called ‘gig economy’. An aspect of the report that wasn’t so widely mentioned was the conclusion that “The shape and content of work,…
Equality, diversity and discrimination
Yesterday was the UN International Day of People with Disability, a date in the calendar which reminds us to think about how we make people with a disability welcome into our businesses, both as colleagues and as customers. Many small business managers are fearful of employing a person with a disability, thinking that they will…
New from Flourishing People – cost effective online training
Flourishing People has offered high quality face to face training for many years. Recently I have seen the demand for more accessible training increase and so have now contracted to distribute a suite of high quality, video based e-learning in addition to our face to face services. Like me, you’ve probably experienced some pretty poor…
Driving safely on your own
As a woman who travels extensively with work, I find that I often have to drive to places I don’t know and park in public car parks. During the winter months, I do a lot of this travelling after dark. I was reminded recently of some tips I was once given about personal safety when…
The dreaded appraisal
There has been some discussion in HR circles recently about dumping appraisal processes. I acknowledge that there are often problems with the way that appraisals are conducted which make them a less than positive experience for all concerned – but let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water! There are things that can…
Are they really self employed?
Once again today the headlines has been full of news about the extent to which employers are avoiding tax by declaring that their staff are self employed. I come across this a lot and so recently, following the Uber court case, wrote a short article on this subject for IQ Magazine. You can take a read…
Navigating office dress codes
Does the phrase “business casual” fill you with uncertainty? Discover how to navigate office dress codes with this guest blog provided by the work-wear experts T.M Lewin. So often job seekers or employees will be told to dress smart for an interview or new position. With many companies taking a different approach to office dress…
HR Post-Brexit – keep calm and carry on
The recent Brexit vote has created uncertainty in many aspects of our lives and the world of HR is one of those that many businesses are wondering about. For many who voted to leave the EU it was the imposition of EU red tape and regulations that perhaps prompted that vote. Read my thoughts about…
Harness the energy of the Olympics
Who will ever forget the buzz, the excitement, the energy and the sheer joy created by the 2012 London Olympics! So with the 2016 Rio Olympics fast approaching, what can employers do to manage the engagement of their staff during this period? Here are a few questions you might like to consider over the next…
T is for trends in people management for 2016 – HR A-Z
It’s always good to think ahead and anticipate some of the things that we will need to focus on during the coming year. Fortunately People Management magazine, the leading publication for HR professionals, has helped us by doing some analysis for us. Here is the list that they have produced of key HR trends to…
C is for community engagement – HR A-Z
All organisations impact on the society and environment in which they operate in a variety of ways. I aim to encourage my clients to make choices which enable them to operate in ways that minimise and reduce any negative impacts. I acknowledge that I must regard myself as a role model for others and must therefore…
B is for bullying – HR A-Z
When we talk about bullying in the workplace it’s easy to assume that all bullying is intentional; the behaviour of nasty people with some sort of axe to grind. But this isn’t always the case. Some time ago, in the course of supporting a government department to deliver 360 degree feedback for their middle managers, I…
A is for ACAS – HR A-Z
I can’t tell you how many conversations I have with businesses about people management problems that make my hair stand on end! They usually start with something like “we’ve got this member of staff….” and following some probing establish that a long-standing problem hasn’t been addressed, it’s festered and become a major issue, management have…
The Mamas And The Papas
The past couple of years have seen a whole raft of employment law changes which have already, and continue to impact heavily on small businesses – pensions auto-enrolment, real time reporting and the right to request flexible working to mention just a few. But these almost pale into insignificance when compared with the complexities to…
Employed or self employed
I had a very worrying conversation recently about childcare settings that are contracting with their staff on a self employed basis and assume this is just a matter of choice. I have also come across this recently where childminders are expanding and taking on an assistant. The people I was speaking with were not aware that…
Plan to avoid TUPE restrictions
I’ve been supporting a client who is facing a TUPE situation as a result of changing the legal structure of her childcare business from a sole trader to a limited company. She was hoping to introduce a couple of clauses into staff contracts to allow for greater flexibility in the future and was disappointed when…
Flexible working requests for all
On 30th June I’ll be welcoming the introduction of legislation providing every employee the right to request flexible working. This means a lot to me personally and will be a day when I feel a sense of affirmation of a view that I’ve held since I first became involved with the DTI Work-Life Balance Challenge…
Delivering Challenging Feedback
Sometimes delivering feedback can be difficult. In this article, written for Appraisal360, I describe a case study involving a middle manager who was faced with some very challenging feedback in his Appraisal360 report. I share some tips on how best to support your staff when you need to deliver challenging feedback. You can read the…