When’s a redundancy not a redundancy? When it’s an obvious attempt to just sack someone. A real redundancy is when a company decides it no longer needs a particular role. Maybe because the work is no longer needed, or the company needs to downsize to reduce its staffing costs, or it’s part of a restructuring […]
Once upon a time, businesses communicated by posting letters, making phone calls and meetings. Now people are sending and receiving work messages through emails, messaging apps and texts. While considering the obvious pros and cons – from speed and ease of communication to the risks of being overwhelmed by pinging notifications on your phone from Slack, […]
Let’s start by saying this is relevant advice now but things might change. We’ll update this blog if they do. Many firms we work with have people moving between countries, either permanently or for a fixed period of time or just for business visits. We all have concerns about how things might change now that […]
So here we go again: the furlough scheme’s extended on the same arrangements until the end of September 2021. We’re updating this blog as things are fleshed out or change. Furlough scheme It’s now available until September 2021 with increasing costs for employers starting in July. You can furlough anyone including employees who haven’t been […]
Hands up who loves appraisals! Come on, don’t all rush to raise your arms enthusiastically. If you’re sighing and feeling it’s something you have to do, because your boss and HR are hassling you about it, then here’s some quick advice: 1 You have to do it – so make an effort If you […]
So now you’re juggling home-schooling and working remotely. Good luck and enjoy the experience! As a working parent, there are a number of ways to shake things up so that you can maintain some kind of your work-life balance, as well as your patience and sanity. There are a number of options available to you […]
If you’re working from home, you’ve probably sorted out in your mind the pros and cons by now. But the news that you have to work from home (if you can) again, and another lockdown, is still bound to cause spirits to dip a little – or crash, in some cases. Just when we started […]
We hope you have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2021!
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 Zoom. Let’s just get to Christmas and forget about the whole thing. […]
UPDATE: Honestly, there’s no point reading this. It’s been completely changed and now it’s been abandoned for November. Check here for the latest news about furloughs: https://www.quickhr.biz/furlough-extends-and-lockdown-is-back/ So, no more furloughs and the replacement sounds a bit complicated. Something about thirds and two-thirds, I think. Honestly, thinking through the details made juggling spaghetti sound […]
I went ‘out out’ to the opticians …. a very interesting experience under the current circumstances! We discussed my awesome skills in fixing glasses with Superglue but also, more importantly, signs of digital eye strain. As a result of the switch to home-working for many people, there has been a big increase in consultations about […]
It sounds like a simple idea: don’t fire people and the Government will provide up to 80% of their pay each month instead. Inevitably it’s becoming a little more complicated. The next key date is 10th June and after that new entrants cannot join, because the scheme closes for new applications on 30th June and any […]
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 can be done remotely, any glitches are just a matter of making adjustments: equipment, […]
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 is £30,000). So they will still be employed, the Government will help with their pay BUT they […]
Wow. Okay, everyone’s talking about working from home, worrying about Coronavirus and stockpiling toilet rolls. We’re living in interesting times. Don’t panic. But before you get overtaken by events – and the worst case scenarios could mean lots of missing people from your workplace – stop now and come up with a plan, so you […]
What happens if firms cannot hire enough people to make goods, look after people and wait on customers? We might find out soon. The Government has outlined plans for a points-based immigration system after the UK leaves the EU. The immediate reactions involve the difficulties ahead with getting “low-skilled” workers to qualify, which might affect […]
Apart from her HR talents, Melissa carves amazing Halloween pumpkins. This year’s model is Pacman!
We deal with all sorts of quirky goings on in the wonderful world of work and HR – but bringing a clown to a formal meeting is a new one on us! You may have read that a man in New Zealand chose to bring an “emotional support” clown with him to a meeting with […]
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