In business, a culture of sharing can be transformative. Imagine a staff base that proactively shares new techniques, insights into competitor strategy, market trends and lessons learned from mistakes. What organisation wouldn’t want that kind of culture to thrive? However, getting people to share knowledge within the workplace isn’t necessarily easy - particularly with your HR function. In this article, we go through the hurdles to get past and how to develop healthy information sharing in your business. Obstacles to effective information sharing Trust Feeling…
Body odour is cited as the biggest bugbear for 70% of employees. So what should HR do to tackle this awkward and personal situation? In the first instance, you should not ignore the situation. Sitting next to, talking to, and working with a colleague who has consistent objectionable personal hygiene can be an intricate concern for employers to deal with. You should consider the hefty impact this may have on relationships between colleagues, clients, and customers. For example, working with a colleague who has body odour…
Suffering from bereavement is a difficult time in anyone’s life, especially if the person you have lost is a close work colleague or friend. Dealing with grief can impact someone physically, emotionally, and psychologically, leaving long-lasting scars that might affect their ability to do their job. Research suggests that at any given time, one in ten employee's are likely to be affected by a bereavement (McGuiness 2009). This means if you have a large team of staff, it's likely that you'll have to provide support…
Most people will experience the death of someone they know at some point during their working lives. In the last year, 24% of the working population in Britain has experienced a bereavement, which equates to 7.9 million people. Only 30% of employees say the leadership of their organisation has communicated with them about grief or bereavement in the past year and subsequently, only 32% of employees are aware that their employer has a bereavement policy. Although employees may take very different paths when dealing with…
Please note there may have been some updates since this article was published. Please see our latest employment law guide for updated information and news. The 2024 King’s Speech reminded us of childhood letters to Father Christmas – a lot of hopes and expectations but no guarantee the presents will be under the tree on Christmas morning. Signalled for progression within the first 100 days of the new Government does not translate that everything will be law in that time frame. Keir Starmer has made…
If you're thinking about outsourcing your payroll, you're probably wondering how much it costs. An outsourced or 'managed' service from a professional payroll provider must be costly, right? Let's find out! Keep reading to find out how much it costs to outsource payroll. Plus, we reveal the hidden costs associated with running your payroll in-house (and getting it wrong – eek!). We also explore 'free' options for businesses who are operating their payroll operations on a shoestring. What's an example of a payroll fee? PEPM:…
The best practise is any formal meeting with an employee should be recorded in some form and placed on the employee’s personnel file. This includes performance reviews and appraisals. "This is the most important piece of equipment you will ever own. This notebook has saved my skin more times than I care to mention." - Nicholas Angel, Hot Fuzz (2007) And when it comes to employment law, we agree. However, because of the litigious nature of employment law, it almost goes without saying that it…
The payroll year end in 2025 is 5 April. Here’s everything you need to do to prepare for it. Payroll year end ties in with the tax year-end, which is 5 April 2025. Quick checklist Send last FPS to HMRC. Report your expenses and benefits. Prepare for new tax year and the first payroll run. Send P60 forms to your employees. Sending your Final Full Payment Submission (FPS) On or before your employees’ payday, you will need to send the HMRC your last Full Payment…
If you cast your memory back several years, you’ll remember employee engagement and culture was merely considered a popular topic for HR professionals to debate. Fast forward to the present day, culture and engagement are now presented as a key business issue, with many believing it has recently dominated the HR trend list. In fact, Deloitte Insights found that 87% of organisations cite culture and engagement as one of their top challenges, with 50% of respondents calling the problem “very important”. While improving employee engagement can help…
In an extraordinary turn of events, Labour has stormed ahead in the 2024 UK General Election, marking the most significant shift in the country's political landscape since the Conservatives were elected 14 years ago. As businesses prepare for the changes ahead, it’s crucial for payroll professionals to understand what Labour’s proposed reforms mean for the industry. Let’s dive into Labour's manifesto and explore how these changes impact your payroll processes. A genuine living wage The introduction of a genuine living wage in the UK represents…
