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Big change to employee sick rules

How long can you stay off sick before you have to get a doctor’s note? Will you get paid? Are you sure you know the answers? The answer to the first question was 7 days: you can self-certify that you’ve been ill for that long, before…
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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 this year 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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Working with friends and family

Can you manage your friend and say when she or he is causing problems? Can you do this to your partner and then share a bed later? We work with many firms where friends either got together to launch the endeavours or partners came in to work…
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Change, develop and improve

  If you see or hear the words “developing people” – you probably don’t react well. If you’re a manager, it probably feels like a duty or, at worst, a pointless exercise. Ticking a box in an appraisal process. But here’s…
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Redundancy – not a magic wand to fire someone

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…
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Thinking about a disciplinary?

If telling people off at work was easy, then anyone could do it. In reality, managers find it hard sometimes. You work closely with people and nobody enjoys sitting with someone who’s feeling angry or sad because you’ve just told them off…
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Why didn’t I get an interview? 8 top tips

I’m spending hours every week reading applications and CVs at the moment. Time and time again I am coming across the same common mistakes that tick the ‘no’ box. So have a read through my list of bugbears and you never know it might…
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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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Tech and people: make sure changes work

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 -…
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White powders and workplaces

Working with all kinds of people, we spot issues and trends as they rise and fall. One thing we’ve seen increase is conversations about people using cocaine. The clichéd views are that it’s everywhere, it’s becoming more and more acceptable…
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Brexit and travel between UK and EU

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…
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Living or Minimum wages: what do you have to pay?

What’s the difference between a Minimum Wage and a Living Wage? Well, it depends who you ask. There's a compulsory Living Wage all employers have to pay (although critics say that just changed the name of the Minimum Wage) and it's lower…

Enjoy the long weekend!

Hope you have a wonderful Easter! Enjoy the long weekend ... then there's another 4-day week.
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Furlough extends again

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…
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Hooray, it’s appraisal time again!

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…
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Options for parents and carers

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…
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Feeling bad at home? Tips to help people

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…