I’m delighted to be attending an IE Business School A&D event this evening – I will get to meet this year’s student cohort for the Master in Business for Architecture and Design, which is always interesting, exciting and a real honour.   Ten years ago, I was asked to teach the HR module for a Master’s programme with IE Business School in Madrid.  At the time, I was flattered to be asked, but had a lot of learning to do myself about the School and the prestigious nature of ..read more

Using the principle of every cloud (however dark) has a silver lining, one of the positives that has come out of the pandemic and related challenges over the past couple of years, is a heightened awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing.  It is difficult to imagine that anyone has sailed through the last two years completely unaffected by what has been going on and with no impact upon their mental wellbeing.  Time at home during the various lockdowns may have provided ..read more

The Russian invasion on Ukraine is having a devastating effect on many in the UK. Some will be Ukrainian, some will have friends and family living in the Ukraine, some will be Russian and may fear reprisals and others may be experiencing personal trauma triggered by images of war, particularly for those who have experienced war themselves.   You may be wondering how you can reach out to your staff and show your support.   A good starting point will be to email all staff, acknowled ..read more

By 1 April 2022, the majority of government rules in relation to isolating and testing ends. It is understood that workplace guidance will not be published until 1 April. Until then, you may decide to update your current coronavirus policy with a view to perhaps amending it in line with the official guidance when it is published. You may want to consider: if you will allow those who are positive but not too unwell and those who have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive to ..read more

Many organisations are currently finding it difficult to attract and retain talent. Recent research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and development (CIPD) and our own experience shows that many are experiencing stress and burnout due to work overload. The research also found that two thirds of staff would be less likely to leave their employer if they experienced good wellbeing support. So, what might this look like? Proactive support – Prevention is of course better than cure, so co ..read more

In my embarrassingly large photo collection in a box somewhere, there is a photo of me on the observation deck of Two World Trade Center – one of what is, or was, known as the Twin Towers. On that visit in the late 90s, who could have foreseen the tragic events of 20 years ago tomorrow, 11th September. On September 11th, 2001, I was working for the London office of Gensler, the US architecture practice. Our office of more than 300 people was made up of many nationalities, but obviously always ..read more

Employers must ensure that EU, EEA or Swiss citizens can produce evidence of either settled or pre-settled status from 1 July 2021. The documents must be checked and filed as stated above. Employers cannot insist that employees produce these documents before 1 July but should advise employees that if they are unable to produce the documents and they cannot be obtained using the employer checking service, they may be dismissed following the disciplinary procedure. The employer checking service ..read more

The temporary adjustments to the right to work check introduced on 30 March 2020, due to COVID-19, are ending on 21 June 2021. From this date, employers will once again need to check employees right to work in the UK documents (usually a passport or a visa) in person rather than digitally or via video link. As with before, the documents will need to be scanned, signed and dated and added the employee’s personnel file.  It is advisable to check documents in person for those who you have e ..read more

The recent government guidance confirms that individuals should continue to "work from home if you can."  It also states that employers should facilitate working from home. It is expected that employees will be able to return to the workplace without restrictions from 21 June. Where people cannot work from home employers should allow for staggered arrival and departure times to make travel easier, and should give consideration to those at higher risk. The guidance also states that, where it ..read more

I wrote this at the weekend before yesterday’s news regarding the number of deaths in the UK due to the pandemic reaching and passing 100,000. I had been hesitant to post it because it may not come across as sufficiently business focussed, but now feel that it may be even more relevant to those who are struggling with mental health issues and also bereavement. I hope so……… As we work our way through yet another lockdown, it is increasingly apparent that mental health and w ..read more