• Covid-19 information, Right to Work checks, Flexible Working and Inclusion

    Covid-19, right to work checks, flexible working and inclusion

    Latest HR News and updates on Covid-19, Right to Work checks, Flexible Working and Inclusion  * * * HOT OFF THE PRESS * * * Check out information on the Black History Month website to help create a bank of resources and reading for you and your staff for October and beyond. Also, there is now a further extension to the Kickstart Scheme which will run until March 2022 and apprenticeship incentive payments will be available until the end of…

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  • Small Business Inclusion

    Inclusion

      National Inclusion Week gives organisations a good opportunity to learn about, celebrate, share and champion inclusive practices. But what does inclusion mean in the workplace? To understand inclusion, you also need to understand equality and diversity. If equality is about the fair treatment of everyone, protected by law via The Equality Act 2010 in the UK, diversity can be described as the ‘mix’ or ‘variety’ of…

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  • Empathy at Work

    Empathy Power

    The New Super Power? I remember reading a pre-Covid Forbes article in 2019 in which the author was challenging those who referred to empathy as a “soft fluffy skill”, advocating its importance in the workplace to aid co-operation, innovation and influence. Two years on and we are living in a very different world, with new threats and challenges, so is empathy being viewed any differently? According to the employee benefits provider…

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  • Eating Disorders

    mental health awareness week

    During Mental Health Awareness Week, it was refreshing to see helpful media coverage and dialogue about encouraging good mental health in and outside of work. However, we still have a long way to go to truly de-stigmatise mental illness within our society, communities and workplaces. By way of example, eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are frequently misunderstood and hidden from many employers. There is still a commonly held…

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  • Covid News, National Living Wage, Kickstart Scheme and Work-Life Blend

    Covid News, statutory rate changes and Work-Life Blend

    HR UPDATE AND EMPLOYMENT NEWS – Spring 2021 A summary of key HR and employment updates affecting small businesses: Covid News Shielding (1st April 2021) People categorised as extremely clinically vulnerable will no longer be advised to shield or be eligible to receive SSP on the basis of being advised to shield. This category of worker are being advised to work from home where possible, but if this is not possible, they should return to work.…

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  • Work-Life Blend

    Work-life balance vs Work-life blend

    Work-Life Balance vs Work-Life Blend Work-life balance was a concept first popularised by the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1980’s highlighting the importance of flexible work schedules and family friendly policies for the first time. Since then, the term has evolved to describe a state of equilibrium where a person (of any gender) equally prioritises the demands of their career and the demands of their personal life. Work-life balance…

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  • Covid-19, Brexit and Mental Health Resources

    2021 Covid-19, Brexit and Mental Health Resources

    QUARTERLY HR UPDATE AND EMPLOYMENT NEWS – January 2021 Another challenging year ahead, navigating the direct and indirect effects of Covid-19 and Brexit – I hope this information is helpful and please feel free to pass on to others you think it may help. Latest Covid-19 Information for Employers The Furlough Scheme extension runs to 30th April 2021 and now includes employees who are unable to work because of childcare issues, even if they…

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  • Resilience Culture

    Building a Resilience Culture

    Earlier this year I wrote an article about Resilience at Work. This was several months before the true impact of Covid-19 was felt in the UK. Since then people and organisations have been on a bumpy rollercoaster ride of twists and turns, navigating what is frequently being referred to as a VUCA world – a military acronym standing for volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. As we approach the latter part of 2020, my HR work with local…

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  • Coronavirus Support, Plan for Jobs and Anti-Racism

    Covid-19, right to work checks, flexible working and inclusion

    QUARTERLY HR UPDATE AND EMPLOYMENT NEWS – Oct 2020 What a year! There are more challenges ahead for small businesses, but I hope the following Coronavirus information will give both support and guidance. However, if you only click on one link, please make sure it is on this one: ‘Tackling Racism at Work’. Latest Coronavirus Information for Employers Job Support Scheme JSS (1st November 2020 – 30th April 2021) This govt support package…

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  • Tackling Racism at Work

    Tackling Racism at Work

    You can’t tackle racism with just an Equal Opportunities Policy Many organisations are having to consider their future viability and survival post Covid-19, which isn’t going to be easy. However, there is a real danger that some will continue the traditional trajectory of either ignoring race issues or rationalising that racial problems don’t affect their business. In a rural and very white county like Shropshire (95.4% of residents in the…

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