Many employees face stressful situations at work on a regular basis, and whilst often these are short lasting and isolated incidents, for some the effects are long lasting, and start to affect the employee’s life, both in and out of work. The symptoms of stress can be very varied but can include: Physical symptoms – Headaches, muscle tension or pain, stomach problems, chest pain Mental symptoms – Difficulty concentrating, struggling to make decisions, worrying or anxious, feeling overwhelmed, being forgetful Changes in behaviours – being irritable, change of sleeping habits, change of eating ..read more

With the summer holidays about the start, and the sun beginning to shine, it is the perfect time of year to take a holiday, but as an employer how do you manage these requests? Managing holiday requests is always a juggling act between ensuring that members of staff take their entitled time off to rest and relax and ensuring that the business is still able to safely operate. Therefore, at a time of year where many employees will want similar periods of time off, it is important to consider polices or guidance on how these requests will be managed. Some possible ways could include: have clear ..read more

Whilst it is hoped that it is never needed, there may well come a time where you will need to investigate a situation, whether this be for a grievance, disciplinary or complaint and you need to ensure that this is conducted fairly. First of all it is important to mention that investigations are covered by the ACAS code of conduct, so as a baseline, this must be adhered to, although your own policies and procedures may go further, so it’s always worth checking these before starting any investigations. Most investigations will follow the same broad structure. This includes: Preparing for the in ..read more

To put it plainly, TUPE ensures that when employees transfer to another business, they retain their current terms and conditions. We have worked with many Practices who have merged over the years to ensure that they are complying with the regulations that are dictated by TUPE. Over the coming weeks we will be looking at what the obligations are for all parties involved and what the TUPE process involves. In this article we will look at what situations TUPE applies and how to determine who TUPE applies to. When does TUPE apply? There are two areas where TUPE will apply: Business Transfers – th ..read more

A performance management process is often used when an organisation hopes to work with an individual to help them to achieve and meet the requirements for them to be able to carry out their role. (If the issues occur during an employee’s probationary period please contact our HR team for guidance on 07526 029975). Some things to consider when embarking on this process: Don’t Delay Sometimes Managers delay raising concerns with an employee about their performance. This can mean that the employee has a false impression about how they are performing in the role and when the matter is raised this ..read more

Parental leave – what is it? Who is eligible to it? And how do they apply for it? This post will hopefully help towards solving the mystery of Parental Leave and distinguish the difference between dependent care leave. What is Parental Leave Parental Leave is a statutory leave for Parents to take in order to care for their child. This leave is unpaid and is used for instances such as, taking time to look at new schools for a child, settling a child into new childcare arrangements or simply to spend more time together as a family. Where Dependant Care leave differs is that it is for emergencies ..read more

We all look forward to annual leave. A chance to be with our family and have a well earned break. However when it comes to managing employee annual leave requests for Christmas, it can cause quite a lot of stress for the individual who is responsible for managing the process. This article is going to look at a number of ways you can approach Christmas leave requests to help the whole process run much smoother for all involved. Annual Leave Policy You could outline your Christmas leave process in your leave policy. This will ensure employees know what is expected of them in order to have their ..read more

Employee happiness and engagement is difficult at all times, none more so than in times where there are extra restrictions and lack of ability for involvement in the more ‘fun’ or social side of work. However, ensuring that your employees are happy is just as important as ever. Happier employees are more likely to be engaged in the company, so will work harder and be more productive. They are also less likely to leave, saving you on the time and expenses of recruiting and training new people. But how can you ensure that your employees are happy at work? Here are a few suggestions to get you st ..read more