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Job interviews can be nerve-racking, so it is important to prepare for them thoroughly – not just in terms of researching the company, but ensure you look at the job description in relation to what the company does, and think about how the duties may relate to the...
Developing in-house talent is critical to an organisation’s future, with businesses often finding it difficult to fill key roles with external candidates, recognising in-house potential and nurturing it, massively supports organisations in having the most effective...
What is an HR investigation and when is it needed? Sometimes employees in the workplace can make accusations against fellow colleagues or an employee’s conduct may be deemed inappropriate by managers; in these instances, as part of the process to resolve conduct...
“Tell me about your weaknesses” is the dreaded interview question that candidates hate or fear to be asked, but interviewers love to ask! Asking candidates during an interview what they would class as their weaknesses, is a popular question with all companies looking...
Having a diverse workplace is more than just good HR and the following of legal legislation, it looks at the value of each employee as an individual and ensuring that your organisation boasts an environment and culture where all employees feel included, able to...
World Suicide Prevention Day - 10th September World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on the 10th of September, it started in 2003 and is held annually on the same day every year. This day is recognised for businesses, government agencies, the media and others to be...
Getting candidates for a job opening may seem like an easy task, good hours, good salary, advertisement is promoted well and there you have it, however, those with the most skills within the talent pool know their worth and take a lot more than just good salary to...
Feeling confident, and doing well in an interview starts with preparation…and a great interview outfit that you feel comfortable in. When you receive that exciting invite, take note of the detail, paying particular attention to anything you need to do ready for the...
What is the HR department for? The Human Resources department deals with your most important resource: your people. This encompasses all your employees and potentially any workers, contractors or volunteers. With such a wide scope it helps to narrow this down and look...
Feeling confident, and doing well in an interview starts with preparation… and a great interview outfit that you feel comfortable in. When you receive that exciting invite, take note of the detail, paying particular attention to anything you need to do ready for the...
Some teams work amazingly together and other teams fall apart at the first hurdle. Teamwork is essential for smaller companies to perform their strategic tasks in order for them to be successful, having good teamwork allows companies to use a wider range of...
Stress is commonly understood to be a result of an individual experience of excessive pressure, with ‘stressors’ being the term used to describe an event, action or other element that directly triggers or contributes to such an experience. It is vital to note that...
Dressing to make a great impression at an interview is so important, as we tend to hold onto our first impressions of people, which can be hard to change later. What you wear to an interview can demonstrate to interviewers how you may present your own personal brand,...
Boris Johnson has announced from Monday 19th July 2021 England will be moving to the fourth and final stage of the roadmap on lifting lockdown restrictions that we have be adhering to over the last 16 months. The Government have said that the pandemic is not over and...
An eating disorder is a condition that affects the way people eat or perceive food. Eating Disorders can be complex and can affect people in different ways. An eating disorder is a serious mental illness which can affect people psychological, socially and physically....
What is an informal interview? An informal interview usually takes place in a more relaxed or casual setting – such as over coffee or lunch. They have less structure than a formal interview would and often, are more focused on getting to know you as a person, whether...
Significant strides have been taken over the past decade or two to support Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and plus (LGBTQ+) employees and create diverse and inclusive workplaces. These strides have allowed organisations to identify talent and increase...
Get ready to rock that interview outfit and make a great first impression! Why is wearing the right interview outfit so important? Think about the culture of the company you’re visiting, when choosing what to wear. Getting a feel for the business, can really help you...
Amid a global pandemic, we have seen change after change to the way we live and work, we find ourselves in a constant state of flux within “the new normal” looking to an uncertain future. However, COVID-19 has shown us the importance of flexibility, reactivity and...
Unfortunately, one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. A miscarriage can affect a woman and her partner in different ways, and both will need support and help from their employers if they suffer a miscarriage. However early a miscarriage takes place it is a loss...
It’s vital candidates know and understand how to flourish and succeed during an interview, and to understand the important role body language can play in obtaining a new role. Researchers have established a rule that verbal communication is only 7% of what people take...
Euro 2020 has taken over the nation as teams are underway in the long-awaited competition. Due to the pandemic this competition was cancelled last year but has been allowed, with restrictions, to go ahead this summer. The group stages have already been played and we...
The menopause is a natural occurrence for women which happens usually in a woman’s late forties or early fifties, however for some it can occur earlier or later. The first stage is what is known as the perimenopause which sometimes can be mistaken for early...
Face to Face interviews Vs Telephone Interviews Telephone interviews over the years have become more popular with employers recruiting. Many recruiters conduct their initial screening process and first interviews via a telephone call which can save employers time and...
Father’s Day in the UK, this year is celebrated Sunday 20th June. Father’s Day was inspired by the success and presence of Mother’s Day which began back in the early 20th Century. It is a day to honor fatherhood and parental bonds along with the influence of fathers...
Telephone interviews have become more popular over recent years with employers who are recruiting for roles. Using phone interviews helps recruiters to save time and lower the costs of the recruitment process, It also helps them to eliminate the weaker candidates that...
The UK Government have recently announced that Portugal is now on the Amber country travel list. This decision was made because of the increase in the cases of the variants of coronavirus in Portugal, including the Indian variant. Tourists from the UK are now...
What is a Hybrid workplace? A hybrid workplace consists of mixing remote working with office work. Hybrid working allows better flexibility as to when the work can be done and allows employees to fit their work in around their personal life; rather than attending the...
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK back in March 2020, overnight it caused disruption and changes to businesses. A lot of businesses have frozen recruitment due to the uncertainty the pandemic has bought with it, however many businesses are still recruiting...
The use of video calls for interviews has over the years started to become more popular, and since the Coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in March 2020, face to face interviews were almost impossible, and video interviewing become the overnight new way to recruit....
To hire non-UK resident workers, your organisation must hold a valid sponsorship licence. Getting a Sponsor licence is usually the “easy” part; but maintaining the sponsor licence is often harder because there are so many obligations, duties, and responsibilities...
To hire non-UK resident workers, your organisation must hold a valid sponsorship licence. If your business has ever thought about submitting an application to the Home Office to become a sponsor licence holder, then read on for some of the key considerations. Why...
Many employers and HR staff will be all too familiar with the importance of conducting compliant Right To Work checks in the UK. That being said, with more than £10.5 million in fines issued in the 3rd quarter of 2019, clearly (better) procedures need to be in place....
The world of work has been altered for millions of people over the last 18 months. For many the relationship with the office has been severed and we have developed a new paradigm that includes online meetings, less travel and lunches at home with the family. But for...
Another milestone and you have successfully completed your second interview. Your task or presentation is complete and hopefully, you have had a chance to meet more members of the team, however briefly. Current restrictions permitting, you will have been able to...
Returners are employees looking to return to the workplace following a career break, usually this is after a certain time period, so it is not just a return from parental leave or unpaid leave. Some employers can be hesitant to reemploy these employees as they can...
Since March 2020 when the Coronavirus pandemic hit the UK, many employees who have health issues were classified as clinically vulnerable, or extremely clinically vunerable, depending on their illness and were told to shield by the UK Government. From April 2021,...
In the UK more than 11 million people are living with hearing loss, there are different causes of hearing loss, these include: Exposure to loud noises Genetics Ear conditions Being born with deafness If someone is deaf or has hearing loss then under the Equality Act...
It is important that employers can prove, if required in an employment tribunal, that any redundancy criteria they have used when making redundancies, has been applied and scored fairly for all employees. The most popular redundancy criteria that are used are:...
For a lot of individuals, due to the ongoing pandemic, their office environment has moved online, and whilst this has changed many things about how we conduct meetings and how we go about communicating with clients and colleagues, one thing it has not changed is the...
Great news! You have been invited back for a second interview. This is so positive for a number of reasons. Obviously, you are a step nearer that role you are interested in, and have invested so much time in. Secondly, you are a credible candidate for this and for...
An employment tribunal has recently found an employer fairly dismissed an employee who refused to wear a face covering. The employee worked for a distribution company who transported food products from suppliers to customers. Due to the coronavirus pandemic one of the...
Understandably, when approaching an interview, the candidate focusses on how best to present themselves in terms of their skills, their experience, their behaviours and their competencies. Answering the questions put to you by the interviewer or panel is one way of...
A job interview is very much a two-way process and the interviewer will be looking for candidates to engage, and show curiosity about the organisation and the role. The best way of doing this is for the candidate to ask the interviewer questions. Generally, there is...
The recovery rate from coronavirus can differ from person to person. Some have felt better in a week or two, some unfortunately have had symptoms that have lasted longer. Long Covid is described as the long-term effects some people are experiencing following on from...
Questions at interview generally follow a familiar pattern. The candidate will be asked questions about their career, their competencies, their behaviours and how much they know about the company. But these questions often do not give an interviewer sufficient...
What is Autism Autism affects how people view the world and interact with others, it is a lifelong developmental disability. It is not an illness or disease, it cannot be ‘cured’, if someone has autism then they have that condition for life. It is a spectrum condition...
Interviews can be like learning a new language, you prepare what you want to say, say it well and then comes the difficult bit – someone questions what you have just said – and they speak fast, and you are not too sure how to answer. You will have prepared well for...
LGBTQ+ refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, with the plus sign signifying a desire to be inclusive. Transgender or Trans, the T in *LGBTQ+, is an umbrella term used to describe individuals whose gender is not the same as the sex they were...
Importance of Preparation: Interviews are generally stressful experiences, and there are ways of making them, if not enjoyable, at least more positive experiences. If you feel you do not interview strongly, think about your interview toolkit. What are you using to...
Domestic abuse is an awful crime that can deeply affect those involved. Usually domestic abuse occurs in the home, the impact of the abuse affects a victim’s life in every aspect, including their work. Recent research shows that one in five people have had to take...
After being away from the workplace for a while, employees may have worries and concerns about returning to work. Some have been off for several weeks others it could be months. The Health and Safety of employees must be a priority for all employers. Employers need to...
What is Mother’s Day? Mother’s Day is a day for daughters and sons to celebrate their Mothers. In the UK traditionally, it is called Mothering Sunday, this is the religious name, the day is related to Easter, as Mothering Sunday always falls on the fourth Sunday...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his budget on 3rd March 2021. The main eight points for employers from his budget are: Furlough Scheme to be extended until 30th September 2021 Increase to Apprentice Incentive Payments Trainees grants Business Rates holiday extension...
Congratulations, the hard work with the CV, Application Form and/or direct approach to the organisation have paid off and you have been invited for an interview. You now need to persuade them that you are the right person for the role and you need to be specific about...
What is unconscious bias? Unconscious bias can be defined as judgements or prejudice that are considered unfair, either in favour of or against a person, group or action. Unconscious thoughts can be based on stereotypes or opinions that people do not realise they...
What is Self-Certification Self-Certification is a form that employers can ask employees to complete after they have been away from work due to sickness. A self-certification form can be used when an employee has been absent from work for seven working days or less....
Job sharing is when two employees share one full-time position. Job sharing is a form of flexible working as job sharers are part-time employees, however they are different in that they do not have a part-time job each. Job sharing involves the following being shared...
Zero hours contracts have become increasingly popular in the UK, particularly with the growth of the gig economy, the Economics Online report 1.8 million workers in the UK are on zero hour contracts, and the Office for National Statistics has reported a 300% increase...
What is Agile Working? The first question here is to define what we mean by agile working and how that differs from other types of working practices, such as flexible working. Put simply agile working can be described as a Company’s responsiveness to change, with work...
Employee relations can best be described as the relationship between employers and employees, and encompasses both the individual and collective relationships. It is essential for employers to maintain a positive relationship with employees to ensure the workforce...
With the current roll out of the coronavirus vaccine, employers may be looking at whether they can insist on employees having the vaccine. The government have previously stated that they will not be making the vaccine compulsory for all, but that they wish to do it by...
Fixed term contracts can be used when an employer has a requirement for an employee to work for a set amount of time. Generally, fixed term contracts are used for project work or to provide cover for an employee who will be on leave for a specified length of time,...
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, we were all put into lockdown, which saw some workplaces close and requests for employees who could work from home to do so. Overnight businesses had to find new ways to allow them to still operate as best as they could. Video...
What is Performance Related Pay? Performance related pay (PRP) is a process that links an employee’s salary increase to their individual performance. The concept of PRP is that performance is measured against pre-agreed objectives agreed between a manager and...
Before we get started, here are some statistic for employers taken from Alcohol Change UK; More than 25 million adults in England regularly drink alcohol. Lost productivity due to alcohol use costs the UK economy more than £7 billion each year. 35% of people say...
What is Garden Leave? There are times when either an employee has resigned from their position, or they have been dismissed by the company, with notice, that the company do not require the employee to work their notice of employment, as per their contract of...
There are several changes to UK Employment Law occurring in 2021, these include the following: End to the Furlough Scheme As announced prior to Christmas, the furlough scheme that was due to end on 31st March 2021, was extended for one month, so it is now expected to...
Boris Johnson announced tonight (4th January) that England will enter into another national lockdown. The same as the March 2020 lockdown, we are told that we must stay at home except for permitted reasons. Schools, colleges and universities will close to pupils from...
A New Year can often mean a new start for many people. January and February are often the busiest months, with people looking for a new job. However 2021 will be a different start to the year than what employers are used to due to Covid-19. Businesses will usually be...
Excluding sickness absence due to the coronavirus pandemic, sickness absence rates in the UK have fallen to their lowest records at 1.7% in the private sector, with experts advising employees are coming into work when they are unwell. Here are some (pre COVID-19)...
An unlawful deduction of wages occurs when an employee has either been unpaid or has been underpaid their wages by their employer for some reason. There must have been an actual deduction of wages, not just a threat or proposal to deduct money, for it to be classed as...
Following the pandemic some companies may be thinking of restructuring to be able to remain in business and remain competitive. It is essential companies plan for a restructure to ensure it will be achieved successfully. A restructure is changing how a business is...
With the coronavirus pandemic we’ve all been a bit distracted recently from the fact the UK is currently in an implementation (or transition) period of leaving the EU, which is due to end on 31st December 2020. Key facts; The freedom of movement between the UK and EU...
Anyone wishing to make a tribunal claim must complete a form to tell ACAS why they intend to make a claim. ACAS will try to help employees reach an agreement with employers before a tribunal claim is made. This process is called early conciliation. ACAS is a...
The government have announced that lockdown will end next week (2nd December 2020). Along with this announcement they have announced their Winter Plan to help control Covid19 during the winter months. From Wednesday 2nd December people will again be allowed to leave...
The government have announced new timescales for employers to lodge a furlough claim with the HMRC. All claims must be submitted within two weeks of the end of the previous calendar month, unless there is a reasonable excuse for not making a claim in this time frame....
Employers use competitive remuneration packages to attract and retain the very best employees. Skilled and high-quality talented individuals are constantly in high demand and many businesses are in competition with one another. A good remuneration package adds to an...
There are three main categories of work, permanent, temporary and contract. Temporary employees - what are they and why use them? Temporary employees work for a specific length of time or until a specific project or workload is completed. They do not require a fixed...
Further to the announcement of a second national lockdown in England, the Government have extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – aka furlough scheme – until 31st March 2021. The furlough scheme will continue to be flexible and furloughed employees will...
Suitable Alternative Employment Instead of being made redundant, an employee may be offered another job role with the company, which is classed as suitable alternative employment, if the employee has redundancy rights – been employed with the employer for at least 2...
Following the Government announcement on 31st October 2020 those living in England will enter into a second national lockdown from 5th November 2020, with people in England being advised to ‘stay at home’ and non-essential shops, leisure, pubs, restaurants, cafes,...
On the 22nd October 2020 the chancellor announced changes to the Job Support Scheme (JSS) which is replacing the furlough scheme in November 2020. The changes mean that employers will pay less and employees can work fewer hours to qualify for the scheme. Job Support...
The Government have amended the Employment Tribunal Rules of Procedure to increase the capacity of employment tribunals to hear claims. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a backlog in the administration of Employment Tribunal Claims leading to lengthy delays in...
Many facets make up our usual working environment from the overflowing car park, polished corridor floors to the worn office chairs and everything in between. Overnight, our pressed suits and daily commutes were replaced with ‘respectable’ pyjama combinations and a...
What is Organisational Development? Organisational Development is a planned effort for a work group or the organisation, it is managed by leadership and supported by employees to increase the organisations effectiveness through planned changes in processes and...
The coronavirus 19 pandemic has without a doubt affected the lives of everyone around the world in one way or another. Dentistry is no exception. With new procedures, mental health concerns and a loss of earnings for almost everyone within the sector, adapting to the...
Is an employee entitled to their normal/full pay during their notice period if they are made redundant while on furlough? Yes, where an employee is given notice of redundancy while they are on furlough leave as long as they are ‘ready and willing to work’ they are...
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is now a legal requirement for some organisations to collect customer, visitor and staff contact details for contact tracing purposes. These businesses have had to adhere to strict measures to ensure they are keeping customers and...
The job support scheme opens on 1st November 2020 and will run for 6 months until April 2021. Any employers using the Job Support Scheme will also be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus if they meet the eligible criteria for the JRB. The scheme is designed to...
Update on the Job Retention Bonus Further to the latest Treasury Direction, issued last Friday (2 October 2020) we can confirm the following updates on the Job Retention Bonus (JRB). Employers can claim for employees who: had an eligible claim made for them under the...
There are times when either an employee has resigned from their position, or they have been dismissed by the company that the company do not require the employee to work their notice of employment. There are two options available to employers to enable the employee to...
Suspension is when an employee is sent home from work, usually while receiving full pay and benefits. The right to suspend will usually be set out in employees' contract of employment, the employee handbook or disciplinary policy. Whilst a suspension is not a...
What is Unauthorised Absence Unauthorised absence is when an employee does not attend work and has not given a reason for their absence or contacted their employer to inform them of their absence. It can also be called: Absent without leave (AWOL) or Absent without...
Having a temperature of 37.8 degrees or more is one of the main symptoms of Covid-19. Many companies are introducing a Covid temperature check policy where temperature checks are performed upon entry to the workplace, to see if employees have a temperature of 37.8 or...
Update on the new job support scheme Since the announcement about the New Job Support Scheme starting from the 1st November 2020 the HM Treasury has clarified certain parts that were causing confusion. Job Support Scheme rules Employees and employers do not have to...
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak has announced a new Job Support Scheme today (24th September 2020) to replace the Job Retention Scheme which ends at the end of October 2020. This will directly support the wages of people in work, giving businesses the option of keeping...
The government has an easy to use system for checking someone’s eligibility to work in the UK which can be accessed via www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk. Employers can use this service to find out: Which type of documents give someone the right to work in the UK; What...
The EU settlement scheme enables citizens of EU member states, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, who have lived in the UK continuously for a period of five years, to apply for settled status to remain in the UK. Those arriving in Britain prior to the...
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted workplaces severely since it hit the UK in March 2020. The world was completely unprepared for the pandemic that occurred, businesses had to close, employees were placed on furlough leave, businesses operated on skeleton staffing...
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