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When a row at work turns into a grievance

What’s a grievance? Dictionaries define it as a complaint resulting from a cause of distress or annoyance. In the workplace, any employee has a legal right to raise a grievance which is a formal complaint about a work issue. In practice,…
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Work & Christmas: a survival guide

Ho ho ho! ‘Tis the season of goodwill, when people smile more and sing along to festive favourite tunes while hanging tinsel and baubles over anything they can. So here are 7 things to consider as you eat your own weight in mince pies and…
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Empty chairs and no candidates?

Trying to hire is a gamble at the best of times, but lately it’s been a little bit of a nightmare. It’s a combination of various things, including the obvious (the B word) and that so many people are just treading water while we continue…
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Employ full-timers only? You're missing out

As the economy picks up and your business is expanding, it may be worth considering employing new staff on a part-time basis. Maybe you need more help but cannot justify the costs of a full-time worker? If you are replacing staff, do you really…
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Ho ho ... huh?

Dust down your Christmas To Do list and crack on with organising cards, a lunch or party or whatever celebrations you usually have in December .... oh wait. Maybe not. Everyone's scattered all over the place and you only see their faces on…
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Working in different places and how to adjust

With so many people now working from home, how are you getting on? As a massive experiment, it’s blown up all the previous obstacles and concerns about home-working: the worries that people won’t work or things will fall apart. If work…
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Help to pay workers

Government support is available if you put people on unpaid leave (otherwise called furloughs or temporary layoffs) but don't terminate their employment. Employers can apply for up to 80% of pay, up to £2,500 per month (annual equivalent…
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Holidays: checking how work’s going or taking a complete break?

Summer holidays are almost upon us and everyone’s heading somewhere for a week or two. With mobiles, tablets and laptops, because that way you can check in with social media and work while you’re away. That’s normal, right? Who would…
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Life after university: getting a job

What next? Once the hangover clears (and it could be a while) you may find yourself shivering and alone, underwhelmed and unprepared for the world of work that you have inevitably been thrust into. How do I know this with such graphic detail?…
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Parents, sickness and minimum wage – what you have to pay

Compulsory pay rates for various situations have just increased: the minimum wage, maternity and paternity pay as well as sick pay, if your company doesn’t pay people normal salaries when they are absent from work through illness. To help…
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Working parent? Here's everything you need to know

Expecting a baby? Already a parent?  Do you employ parents or soon to be parents?  We’re often asked about what parents are entitled to or how everything works with employers when someone takes maternity or paternity leave. Most people know…
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No more Employment Tribunal fees: what happens now?

Employment Tribunal fees are unlawful and the Government has to refund anything from £27m to £32m to people who have made claims. So what happens next? Since 2013 when fees were introduced, people who felt unfairly sacked or discriminated…
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Pay well? Tell everyone

Do you pay employees at least £7.85 an hour? If you’re not sure, that’s a salary of £15,100 - £16,300 depending on the length of your working week (based on 37-40 hours a week). If you’ve answered yes, and most digital media companies…
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New year - new you?

The change from an old to a new year is always a great time to reflect on what’s worked and what hasn’t worked for us, and to think about what we want to do differently in the next year. Many people will come up with a list of resolutions…
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Testimonials: what people say about Quick HR

"Brian is by far the best HR leader I have worked with" Mark Chapman Client Strategy + Services Director at White Hat Media Brian ran an HR course for a handful of companies that I attended which provided a comprehensive overview of many…
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"Thanks for your expert advice and support"

Just received a lovely note from a grateful client who was facing losing his job without any kind of severance payment when we first spoke and who finished by being better off by £60,000 after working with Quick HR. The client says: "Thank…
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“She never listens to me…. I’m going to complain”

So grievances are a way that employees can make a formal complaint about a workplace issue, whether it involves another employee or a manager. Having looked at grievances from a manager’s point of view, let’s consider the issue from the…
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Developing people – why bother?

When you hire people, you want to find the best person for the job.