Our phone lines will be shut during the festive period. However, we will be monitoring our support desk in case of any high level queries. If you need to contact us urgently, please send an email to support@staffsquared.com and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Otherwise, we will respond to any queries on our return on Tuesday 2nd January 2024. From everyone at Staff Squared, we would like to wish all of our customers a safe and happy Christmas and New Year! The post 2023 Christmas & New Year Closure Information appeared first on Staff Squared ..read more

As the cost of living crisis is leaving households across the county worse off, it’s no wonder that many people are turning to their employers for a pay rise.  In fact, the number of searches for the term ‘how to ask for a pay rise’ (or similar) has more than doubled since the beginning of 2021. This makes keeping an up-to-date record of your employees’ salaries and any changes made to their pay even more important than ever. Keeping Track of Salary Changes and Pay Rises When you’re recording a pay rise, write down three things: The date The salary increase The total salary It’s a simpl ..read more

From excessive sick leave to last minute holiday requests, employee absence can have a negative and costly impact on your business.  In fact, high levels of employee absence can cost businesses thousands of pounds every year – costs that most companies can’t afford, especially in today’s climate. Having clear and accessible policies in place is a great starting point. It ensures your staff understand the company’s rules around absence and what is expected of them when it comes to taking time off. But having these policies in place will only get you so far. If you really want to get the mo ..read more

More and more, HR teams are searching for better ways to manage their internal processes – moving away from manual processes and instead, turning to the aid of dedicated Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS).  HRMS systems are designed to make running HR easier, more efficient. They do this by enabling the management of several HR functions in one place through the use of technology. How Can HRMS Systems Help? HRMS is an effective way to improve the productivity and efficiency of a business as it provides automation for otherwise manual and repetitive tasks. Implementing an HRMS allow ..read more

Staff training is absolutely vital, whether you’re part of a multi-national corporation, a small business or just a few people. However, whether for financial purposes or because they simply don’t see the necessity, small businesses seem to neglect staff training and development all too often. Why is Staff Training so Important? Studies have shown that staff training can: Increase profits. Enable employees to meet more of their goals. Encourage long-term service and staff retention. Be the difference between a company thriving and failing, particularly if management training is lacking. Creat ..read more

No matter how hard we try to manage the pressures of work, it can sometimes become more than we can cope with, leading to work-related stress.  The impact of work-related stress can effect not only the employee who is suffering, but also the company and its other employees. Statistics show that 17 million working days are lost each year to stress, depression and anxiety. For the average person, this equates to around 18.6 days off per year. Recognising the signs of work-related stress and dealing with it in a fast and effective manner can help to mitigate the impact that is has on the hea ..read more

It’s become common practice for most employers to offer jobs to new starters on the understanding that they must successfully complete a probation period in order to secure their position with the company.  While this typically means that a company would be able to let someone go should the employee not meet the desired standard during the probation period, it’s understandable that some employers feel a little anxious when it comes to dismissing staff, or worry about how to do so safely. Let’s take a look at what probation periods are, what they mean for the parties involved and, better y ..read more

It’s the first full working week after two back-to-back 4-day weeks – thank you Easter Bank Holidays(!) – and I don’t know about you, but I’m already missing that extra day of no alarms and free time.  The full time, 5-day week has been standard for so long that people seem to just accept it for what it is, and nobody really ever questions why. That was until COVID happened and the majority of workers got a taste for a more flexible way of working. Whether it’s remote working, flexi-work or compressed hours, there’s been a profound shift in the work-life balance which has benefitted a lar ..read more

We hear a lot about bosses and leaders, but what actually is the difference? Take a look at the graphic below and you’ll see the contrast between these two roles. One half depicts a boss being pulled by their team, effectively adding extra weight and hindering those up front from making any progress; while the other half shows a leader pulling their own weight, allowing the team to move forward and progress towards the shared goal more freely. What are the Differences? Essentially, a leader helps the team with their work and works out front to lead by example rather then taking the ‘do as I s ..read more

All employees have a right to the legal minimum of at least 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave per year, though they could be given more than this depending on the terms stated in their employment contract. Understandably, there are often many queries related to holiday entitlement, pay and accruals – and there’s plenty of guidance available across resources provided by bodies such as Gov.uk and ACAS, so we’ve covered the basics below for a short and easy guide. Staff Holiday Entitlement To qualify for the right to annual leave, you need to be classed as a ‘worker’. How Much Paid Holi ..read more