That’s a minimum of two lives lost, every single day, which is a really scary and awful statistic. What a grim reality to remind us of the profound impact of mental health challenges within the construction industry. Some unique factors might be contributing to high suicide levels in construction, including: Male-dominated industry:  Exacerbated by outdated beliefs that “men should be tough” and that showing any kind of vulnerability is somehow “weak” or “unmanly”, male-dominated industries are shrouded in stigma around openly talking about mental health, stress and similar challen ..read more

A lot of business owners we speak to are scared of conducting an employee survey because they think it might open a huge can of worms that they’ll never be able to contain. We’ve all been in a team setting when opinions start flying about and it can quickly become quite heated. This is every business owner’s worst nightmare. But employee surveys are completely different. They’re not a discussion. They’re mostly done independently online. They’re way more focused. And they’re designed to provide you, the business owner, with actionable insights that will help you to improve so many things in y ..read more

The statutory payments (National Insurance rates and thresholds and Statutory Payment rates) have  been confirmed and published by HMRC for the 24/25 Tax year. The Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) remains at £123 per week. The first six weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Statutory Adoption pay (SAP) will remain as 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings. From week seven - thirty nine , the statutory weekly rate will be 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings or £184.03, whichever is lower. For Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) and Statutory ..read more

Are you aware of the employment law changes are coming in 2024 that may change the way you  have to  manage employees holidays and holiday pay. Some of them have already happened so don’t let them wrong foot you and leave you unprepared. Check out the information below to make sure you are fully informed What are the key dates for new employment laws in 2024? January 2024 The emergency rules on annual leave carry over implemented during the Covid pandemic have been removed Fines for employers who employ illegal workers are increasing. The fine for employing an individual without the ..read more

Are you drowning in HR admin? Do you push admin to the bottom of the list because of the time it takes to manage? Do you keep your employee records and contracts stored in a filing cabinet? Do you record holiday requests and sickness absences on a spreadsheet? Nodding? well, Imagine a world where HR tasks are completed with lightning speed, and you have immediate access to insights that’ll help you make great business decisions... Well, there’s a solution. It’s HR software. And it might revolutionise the way you manage your employees and business forever. What is HR software? Much like any man ..read more

Do you push admin to the bottom of the list because of the time it takes to manage? Do you keep your employee records and contracts stored in a filing cabinet? Do you record holiday requests and sickness absences on a spreadsheet? If the answer is yes to one or all of the above it’s time to invest in an HR system to free up your time and keep everything organised. Checkout my guide on how to use HR Software to help make managing your team easier, faster and cheaper. As always if you have any questions get in touch ..read more

What are the common frequently asked HR questions in small businesses? Did you know that HR is one of the most important aspects of a business? It's responsible for everything from recruiting new employees to ensuring that everyone is following company policy. If you're not familiar with all the things HR does, then check out this post. In it, I’ll tell you a few facts about HR that every small business owner should know. So sit back and learn something new! 1. What is HR and what do they do in a company In its simplest terms HR is responsible for managing the employee lifecycle from recruitm ..read more

The FIFA Men's Football World Cup is fast approaching and kicks off (no pun intended) on 20 November with 32 nations taking part. Many many football fans are at the edge of their seats to find out who will win Football is the largest watched sport in the UK and it is likely you have at least a few fans of the game wanting to watch matches, some of which may take place during working hours This may then present some challenges when it comes to managing your employees especially if you do not have a Sporting Events policy to refer to. Below are some tips that may help: Make the tournament enjoy ..read more

It might still be a few months away but it's good to be prepared about employees rights and their entitled to the extra bank holiday on 8th May 2023. It is not a Yes or No answer so I have pulled together a guide for you so you know your obligations. 2 days ago the government announced that there would be an extra bank holiday on the 8th May 2023 to celebrate the coronation of `king Charles III. As a business do you know how this extra day's holiday affect you and what preparations do you need to make? Are employees entitled to the extra bank holiday? You are probably wondering if your employ ..read more

We are all aware that times are challenging at the moment. As a business owner what can you do to help? The answer employees want to hear is an above inflation pay rise but economists say that this will not help curb inflation and in reality it is not a solution as businesses are also struggling with spiralling costs and there is no easy answer. So how can you help your employees Are you able to offer any level of pay rise? Whilst it will not solve the problem every penny helps. Look at Implementing a financial wellbeing policy and provide financial education Do you offer any training on fi ..read more