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With businesses currently focused on hybrid working and staff shortages, due to sickness and the Great Resignation, it can be easy to miss an HR issue like workplace loneliness. You’re busy tracking attendance for your hybrid team whilst also arranging urgent cover....
If you bank with HSBC, you may have noticed the roll-out of “Quiet Hour” in branches at the end of last year. For those who bank elsewhere or haven’t seen the posters, Quiet Hour is a dedicated time for customers with invisible or hidden disabilities to receive...
If you employ people and have recently won or lost a contract to provide outsourced services to a client, or you are thinking of bringing an outsourced service in-house, this is known as a Service Provision Change. The likelihood is that TUPE applies. What is TUPE?...
An unexpected turn of events at this year’s Oscars ceremony put a spotlight on how “it was just a joke” can go horribly wrong. Best Actor winner Will Smith walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada’s medical condition,...
Although every employer hopes that their staff are all extremely contented and that no one will ever have a complaint, the reality is that all employers need a grievance procedure that meets the Acas code of practice. Once it is written, the first step is to ensure...
Russia’s devastating invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing humanitarian crisis have sent shockwaves worldwide. Employees with links to Eastern Europe will need support, whilst those who are not directly affected may also be feeling anxious or helpless during these...
The UK government has announced its plan for living with COVID, detailing how and when remaining COVID restrictions and laws are to be lifted. This plan is relevant for businesses in England, whilst the devolved administrations are working at their own pace. Although...
The disability employment rate, which shows the number of disabled people in employment, has sat somewhere around 52% for the last three years. Whilst it’s slowly increasing, it still shows that almost half of people with disabilities are unemployed. Many disabled...
Questionable leadership, drinking in the workplace and an alleged disregard for the rules. Such staff issues aren’t usually heard coming from Downing Street, but a very public ongoing investigation has put the culture at No.10 firmly under a spotlight. It goes to show...
Employee satisfaction What contributes to employee satisfaction? Do the goal posts move or are they fixed? Whilst it may be achievable for some, 100% employee satisfaction is a tough target for employers to reach, and even then, may not be an easy metric to maintain....
January is synonymous with goal setting. The pandemic is, hopefully, finally subsiding and employers are no doubt keen to kick off the year with a positive start. For others though, and perhaps a few employees, January can be a slow start. There is Dry January...
The events of 2020 saw a drastic shift in working practices, with many companies facing remote work for the very first time. Since then, a further shake up to employment has taken place. Dubbed the “Great Resignation”, 2021 was the year that millions decided it was...
Whether you have them or not, you’ll probably know what company values are: carefully chosen words or crafted sentences which capture the ethos of your business. They are part of the foundations of your company culture which help guide all staff in their decision...
News of the Omicron variant has made everyone much more edgy about COVID-19 again this festive season. Daily cases of coronavirus are on the rise, and the government has asked people to work from home where possible. Even before this you may have faced a difficult...
You know that the festive season has well and truly arrived when temperatures are going down and lights are going up! Plus, of course, the return of Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and co to the airwaves. The pandemic is still making headlines, but virtual or otherwise,...
Have the darker days and winter weather got staff thinking about their next summer holiday? It’s not unusual for some employees to want to get their leave requests in early, especially to tail end the bank holidays for an extended break if they can. In fact, some may...
Are you hosting a staff Christmas party this year? After a compulsory virtual affair in 2020, and almost two years of pandemic related ifs and buts for events, a Christmas get-together could be just what’s needed to reunite your team. If your workforce has been...
Forgetfulness. It happens to all of us at one point or another. From forgetting to call someone back to defrosting the food you had planned for dinner or even missing an important anniversary. Causes of forgetfulness are varied, and there are different ways in which...
Ensuring that you have adequate staffing for your business to operate day-to-day takes some planning. However, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that things don’t always go to plan. Finding yourself short-staffed, whether due to sickness absences or an...
“I’m running late because my pet snake has escaped, and I need to find it.” “I accidentally got on a plane.” “A fortune teller told me I shouldn’t leave the house through fear of a brain haemorrhage.” Believe it or not, these have all been genuine excuses from...
Banter is defined as an exchange of light, playful teasing, and is also often accompanied by a declaration of “only joking”. However, as harmless as it sounds, it runs the risk of causing actual damage to a business and the people within it. Banter is often used as a...
Glitz, glamour, dancing, and a side of drama can only mean one thing, Strictly Come Dancing is back. Grabbing front page storylines since it started last month, this season is sure to provide some entertaining viewing as autumn and winter draw in. Even those not...
The BBC has reported that rush hour trips on the underground are at their highest since March 2020. This suggests that more elements of pre-pandemic life, such as commuting to work, have returned. Some people will be pleased about leaving their home office and...
Did you know that term-time only working isn’t just for educational establishments? Term-time only working is a type of flexible working that, if suitable for a business, can widen its prospective pool of talent. As the name suggests, an employee on a term-time only...
At a time when many business owners are focused on bringing employees back to work, and with some also dealing with a severe shortage of staff, proposals for a four-day working week have once again hit the headlines. Except this time, it’s a little closer to home....
Promotions in the workplace should be positive. They create new and exciting opportunities for employees and the businesses that they work for. They are however, like all aspects of people management, subject to complications. Are you aware of the risks involved when...
Hiring can be both an exciting and trying time. You’re likely to be busy, hence the need for a new person, but you also want to make sure that you take the time to attract and select the right people for your business. Similarly, job candidates are also going through...
Too often people shy away from disability, but it’s important to understand that many disabled people feel proud of their uniqueness and that disability should be celebrated rather than avoided. This is evident from the rapid growth of Disability Pride: a month-long...
Although some businesses have implemented successful remote working strategies, and some are considering a permanent move away from the office, a spotlight has remained on the green light to bring employees back to work. It signifies an important milestone of pandemic...
Blog supplied by HR expert Alison Schreiber of the HR Dept, Durham, and the Peterlee and Seaham business park groups: Having been bathed in sunshine for much of June, the UK is in for another treat in June 2022: an extra bank holiday is confirmed to celebrate the...
June 21st, the date designated for the final lifting of lockdown restrictions, is fast approaching. You may however have seen in the news some uncertainty as to whether everything will go ahead as planned. Despite the ambiguity surrounding this date, we are pleased to...
Last month we witnessed the welcome return of outdoor hospitality, non-essential retail, and other businesses such as gyms and hairdressers. And next week we are preparing for further restrictions to be lifted, which will allow indoor dining and more relaxed mixing...
After more than a year of ups and downs, cancellations and lockdowns, holidays have been in short supply. So as lockdown restrictions begin to gradually lift, many people will be eager to find out when they can book their next break. Simultaneously, the easing of...
After a winter like no other, the government’s recent announcement of a cautious and phased route out of lockdown will have provided some relief to business owners. Many will be eager to make plans for the year ahead. An integral part of the plan laid out a timeline...
With February being the month of Valentine’s Day, we’re taking a moment to explore how new and existing relationships have been impacted by the pandemic, how this affects employees and subsequently employers. Pre-pandemic, you could say that cupid had an all-access...
Pre-coronavirus, some employers may have thought that remote working couldn’t work for their business. In which case, a request from an employee who wanted to work from abroad could have possibly been rejected for this reason. A lot has changed in the past year. Many...
2020 is drawing to a close and what an eventful year it has been. New year celebrations are on the horizon, and while they will be very different this year due to the continuation of lockdown restrictions, plenty of people will be eager to acknowledge the end of this...
This time of year is usually filled with festivities. From Christmas parties to the legendary Secret Santa gift exchange, there is normally no shortage of reasons to get together with friends, family and co-workers during December. But after a difficult year...
We know that sadly many employers are finding they have no choice but to reduce costs and make redundancies in their business. This is just one of the economic consequences of the pandemic, and has meant that unemployment is at an all-time high. Because of this, some...
Sometimes change can lead to good things. If your business is in the position to be hiring at the moment, chances are you and your team are fairly busy, and business is going well. After finalising your recruitment process, which may have been arduous with...
Ordinarily, it would be highly unlikely for most of your team to be absent from work at the same time. Each case would be dealt with individually according to your absence policy and your staffing levels would typically provide adequate cover. But the continued impact...
On August 8, face coverings became a legal requirement in most indoor public settings. The use of face coverings and masks is an important defence mechanism in the fight against coronavirus. However, the phased rollout of usage in some, but not all, public settings...
One of the significant cultural changes forced by coronavirus is the rise of home working. Is the genie now out of the bottle to make this a permanent shift? Here Alison looks at how this issue is affecting local businesses. Alison begins: “Some companies already...
In her latest blog for the Peterlee and Seaham business park groups, HR expert Alison Schreiber asks: What can Durham businesses do to avoid COVID-19 redundancies? The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme remains open until October. It is reported 8.9 million employees...
Pre-coronavirus, commuter woes typically included delays because of rush-hour, strikes or storms. But ever since the UK’s recovery strategy asked people to stay at home in response to coronavirus, most people have not had to think about their commute for some time....
As many parents are preparing to return to work in some, if not full capacity, they are facing the unwelcome dilemma of what to do with their children. Schools aren't due to re-open until at least next month, and with visits to other households not yet permitted, how...
Have your employees been participating in training and development during their furlough leave? It is not too late to introduce an effective professional development scheme for employees to feel motivated and sharpen their skills whilst furloughed from work. Perhaps...
What will life after the lockdown look like for Durham businesses? • A lockdown lasting weeks (at the very least) has transformed the way many businesses are operating. • For those which survive, the workplace could look very different after the pandemic. • But where...
By now you will hopefully be well informed on the extreme measures put in place by the government to protect the public and slow the spread of COVID-19. The latest official guidance goes beyond frequent hand washing and coughing into a tissue, with most people now...
Starting and running your own business normally involves wearing several hats throughout each day. It’s down to you to manage essential functions like sales, marketing, accounting, customer services and more, in order to make your business a success. A master of...