HR Blog

If the answer is no, read on……… All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working. You do this by conducting simple right to work checks before you employ someone, to make sure the individual is not disqualified from carrying out the work in question by reason of their immigration status. Why … Read more

Yesterday the Government announced that it has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations on minimum wage rates to apply from 1 April 2024. This is the largest ever increase to the minimum wage in cash terms. The National Living Wage will apply to all workers aged 21 and over for the first time (previously applying only to … Read more

Bullying and harassment is never a good thing, but at work…….. A new piece of legislation ‘The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023’ has received Royal Assent, and will come into force in October 2024. This is an important piece of legislation when it comes to sex harassment litigation. In short, from next year … Read more

I’m not sure many of us can see a GP any quicker, or that the recruitment of nurses has been resolved, but some of that red tape has finally been snipped. Since Brexit, we have seen very little in the way of new employment law save for some fine tuning and extension of the likes … Read more

How confident do you think you or a member of your team would feel to talk to you about the menopause?  Research from Bupa has shown that almost a million women have left their job because of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and increased anxiety, while others are forced to take long-term absence … Read more

In a modern working environment, there will always be employees who choose to leave, but employers can make this loss productive, improve business strategy and help retain staff in the future by carrying out a thorough exit interview. What is an Exit Interview? An exit interview is a formal discussion between a company (or HR … Read more

On 20 July 2023, the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill received Royal Assent. The Bill grants eligible employees the right to request flexible working patterns, such as remote work, flexible hours, or job-sharing, allowing them to better manage personal responsibilities and professional commitments. By fostering a more adaptable and inclusive work environment, the UK aims … Read more

The unique combination of post-Covid pandemic, a cost of living crisis, a rise in flexible working and the increased awareness of the importance of maintaining wellbeing and good mental health has seen concept of ‘quiet quitting’ gain traction. What is quiet quitting? Quiet quitting is not a worker simply giving up their job, instead, the … Read more

Is there any risk in dismissing staff with short service? In short yes, it’s true that the qualifying length of service for an unfair dismissal claim is two years, however there are other claims that could be raised against an employer if the reason for the dismissal is considered to be ‘automatically unfair’ or discriminatory. What … Read more

What is the difference between a manager and a leader? In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author states that that you can tell when you’ve become a leader by counting the number of people outside of your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more that do come to you, the more likely … Read more