In the new year, the government are proposing a series of new employment law changes. Here’s what you need to know and start planning for. We are likely to see the following changes come into force on 1 January 2024 for England and Wales: ??Holiday Pay and Entitlement Holiday pay calculations are to be streamlined by the introduction of an accrual method to calculate annual leave entitlement at 12.07% of hours worked in a pay period for irregular hours workers and part-year workers (which may include some agency workers) in the first year of employment and beyond. All statutory leave is to be ..read more

‘Tis the season to be jolly… and a Christmas party can truly be a fantastic opportunity to thank your team for all their hard work throughout the year. It also gives a space for teams to socialise which enables stronger bonds to be built between colleagues. What’s not to like? Well, unfortunately, in a small number of cases, it can result in a variety of HR issues to deal with in the new year! We don’t want to put a ‘downer’ on Christmas parties as we are all for them. In fact, we have a fab one planned for the Taurus HR Solutions team and we can’t wait! It’s just worthwhile being aware of th ..read more

That caught your attention! But women in Iceland did in fact go on strike back in October 2023, including the Prime Minister herself Katrìn Jakaobsdòttir! ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ One of the key items Icelandic women were protesting about was the gender pay gap that persistently seems to still exist there, despite Iceland’s best efforts at tackling this issue. One significant way they have tried to equalise pay between the genders is via legislation. In 2018 it was announced that any business in Iceland with twenty-five or more employees ..read more

You may have seen in the news last week that ITV have introduced some new rules regarding workplace relationships following the scandal with This Morning’s presenter Phillip Schofield. A ‘Personal Relationships at Work’ policy has been given out to all staff and ITV expects all its staff to declare if they are in a relationship with a fellow member of staff, and if they fail do so they can be dismissed. Some believe this has been quite a drastic step to take. Afterall, we spend a lot of time at work and therefore there is a high chance we will meet and fall in love with a life partner. In fac ..read more

There has been a real increase in the number of people absent from work due to stress, depression or anxiety. A survey by Simplyhealth (2022), suggested 79% of respondents had been absent from work due to a stress-related conditions. What does this mean for employers? There has been a rise in grievances and workplace conflict over the last few years. Not surprising, you may say, given how uncertain and volatile the world has become since the Coronavirus Pandemic. There is no doubt the world of work has been impacted hugely and the fallout economically and socially is still being felt. However ..read more

The surge of artificial intelligence (AI) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT in recent years has prompted a growing concern among HR professionals: Will these powerful AI models replace human resources people, like us? This blog aims to allay these fears and emphasise the irreplaceable value of human touch in HR. Here, we discuss grievances, AI information risks, ChatGPT hallucinations, and the unique importance of HR practitioners in the digital era. The Power and Pitfalls of AI in HR Firstly, let’s acknowledge the power of AI models like ChatGPT. They can process vast amounts of information, automate rou ..read more

Small businesses are often hesitant to use a human resources consultant, believing that they can handle HR themselves, which we often hear. However, there are several good reasons to consider using an HR consultant. Firstly, HR consultants have a wealth of experience and knowledge about HR best practices. This experience is acquired through working with multiple businesses and across multiple sectors. They can help you develop policies and procedures that will protect your business and ensure compliance with employment laws. Additionally, HR consultants can provide valuable insights into emplo ..read more

We were recently approached by the BBC for our thoughts on Jeremy Hunt’s plans to get more people who have retired early to return to the workforce to help revive the economy. Anyone looking for work was promised it would be worth their while. We provided a number of tips for those seeking work, they included: Focusing on ability and not age. Being open about any relevant health concerns. Updating your skills. Asking to work flexibly if you need to. Reinventing yourself. Not underselling yourself. You can read the article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64625372 We recent ..read more

Recruitment is a bit of a nightmare at the moment. There are loads of jobs out there but not enough people to fill them. And the employee’s mindset has completely changed since COVID. We’re now in a candidate driven market, which makes hiring your next employee more time consuming, difficult and costly. That’s why we’ve created this article for you. Below, we’ll talk you through 7 steps you need to consider when hiring your next employee. Step one – Identify what you’re looking for   Before you start recruiting, it’s key to understand exactly what you’re looking for, how your new employee ..read more

When your staff call in sick, it can cause a real headache. And COVID hasn’t made this any easier. A recent report has shown that requests for sick notes from doctors are up 78%. And 52% of absence is related to stress, anxiety and depression.  All of this unplanned absence is costing small and medium-sized UK businesses in excess of £900 million, annually. With that in mind, is it time that you took a serious look at the ways you can reduce absence in your business? What is absence management? Absence – or attendance – management encourages you to look at the ways you can decrease the am ..read more