HR ADVICE BLOG
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison Schreiber is an experienced HR professional who provides practical and pragmatic outsourced HR support to SMEs in the Durham and Darlington area.
The HR Dept specialises in Employment Law, contracts of employment, disciplinary and grievance, appraisal, performance management, absence management, dismissal and redundancy, TUPE transfers, employee surveys, training and development, payroll, recruitment, health and safety.
Alison’s areas of expertise also include job evaluation, compensation & benefits, leadership, change management, employee engagement, coaching and diversity.
For more info, visit HR Dept Durham and Darlington or call Alison on 01325 526036 or 07535 853226.
BLOG POSTS
HR ADVICE: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme explained
We are certain that most business owners who heard the Chancellor’s announcement on Friday breathed a sigh of relief. He announced an unprecedented and comprehensive list of measures to support firms both large and small. We are also aware that the announcement will...
HR ADVICE: Why investing in your staff can reap rewards for your business
Employing people can be a very rewarding experience. When you employ and nurture the right people for your business, growth and success can have endless possibilities, for all involved. We know that managing employees can come with challenges. But we also know the...
HR ADVICE: Top tips for attracting the right talent into your business
January is a natural time of reflection for many people. The new year signifies the start of a new chapter, and for some, a new career. Whilst you are likely thinking about the year ahead for your business and who you would like in place to help it succeed, others may...
HR ADVICE: Would a four-day working week solve productivity issues
Monday mornings. You may be ready to jump straight into the week ahead, but you’ll likely encounter at least one person who wants to know how your weekend was, or tell you about theirs. Even up until mid-week, it can still be a distraction. Employees will swap stories...
HR ADVICE: To note or not to note, that is the question…
Although the benefits of writing something down are widely known, you may sometimes be tempted to take a chance and hope that you’ll remember something important later. Even with multiple methods of note taking at our fingertips in today’s technological age, there...
HR ADVICE: Why creativity in the workplace is an important tool for business growth
Why it’s so important to inspire creativity in your business A common misconception of creativity is that it requires a specific time and place to materialise. For example, a planned brainstorming session or in a design studio. Whilst these environments can be...
HR ADVICE: Who can be called for jury service and what happens when an employee is selected
You’ve set your sights on an exciting new project, got your people in place and are ready to hit the ground running. Then it happens. A key member of staff informs you that they have been selected for jury service. “You’re joking!” is quite possibly the reaction you...
HR ADVICE: Do you have a bad apple in your team?
How to manage a negative employee Negative employees can be real energy zappers. Their negativity can be contagious and halt productivity for the wider team. Blaming others for incomplete work or poor performance, holding up projects, criticising company procedures...
HR ADVICE: Could you be paying the price for incorrect payroll?
A reminder for payroll cut-off pops up in your calendar. How does it make you feel? If you have someone in place to manage PAYE for your business, you might dismiss it without a second thought. But, if you are managing payroll yourself, it could be an unwelcome...
HR ADVICE: How to address poor time management with employees
“There just aren’t enough hours in the day!” “Something more important came up” “I don’t have time right now. I’ll do it later” Sound familiar? If employees are providing these common excuses when you ask them for an update on a task or project, you may need to...
HR ADVICE: How would you rate your workplace wellbeing?
How well is your workforce? The UK has been ranked 24th out of 25 comparator economies for work-life balance in the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) second Working Lives survey. This suggests that workplace well-being in the UK needs...
HR ADVICE: Managing maternity leave
You’ve signed the card and waved an employee off into parenthood. But what happens next? Perhaps you hadn’t thought that far ahead yet, especially if the employee is taking the full allowance of maternity leave which is one year regardless of how long they have worked...
HR ADVICE: What to do when an employee asks for a pay rise
What to do when an employee asks for a pay rise Just when everything seems to be ticking along nicely, you get a request from an employee asking for a pay rise. Sigh. It could be right on time, perhaps you have been reviewing wages. Or, it’s caught you off guard and...
HR ADVICE: How do you ensure you communicate effectively with your staff?
What is the key to effective internal communication? One employee missing your important email and asking questions could be brushed off as an honest mistake. But when the second, third or fourth person does the same thing, you may find yourself exhaling sharply and...
HR ADVICE: Making the most out of Mondays in your business
There are times throughout the year that you may wish to reward your hardworking employees by hosting a party or a fun team-building activity. Work events such as the annual Christmas or summer party can be a great way to boost morale. They bring everyone together in...
HR ADVICE: How to celebrate Christmas and keep your staff happy
During December it can be easy for some to get caught up in a flurry of festive cheer and carried away with Christmas. Depending on the nature of your business, you could find employees in high spirits or beaming more than usual since December 1st. Or, you could be...
HR ADVICE: Four ways to improve knowledge sharing in your SME busines
It is not uncommon for a small business to be fuelled by multitaskers who wear various hats throughout the day. As the leader of such a team you may even read this and say, “Oh certainly, I myself have at least five hats to choose from!” Whilst creating a team of...
HR ADVICE: How to spot and stop bullying in the workplace
Bullying in the workplace is sad but true that bullying is still a significant issue in many organisations. The TUC reported in 2015 that nearly one third of people are bullied at work, with women being more at risk than men. If left unaddressed, workplace bullying...
HR ADVICE: It might be the easy option, but is it the ethical one?
Have you ever made an executive decision on impulse and then recited that famous, reassuring phrase “it will all be alright” to justify your decision making? You may have even felt good about the time saved by making a quick and easy decision. Because effectively,...
HR ADVICE: Automation meets HR – sure-fire shortcuts to get things done
Unless you have buried yourself in offline processes for the past few years, you have probably heard that automation can be a great tool for SME success. From lead generation to real-time marketing, slick e-commerce to prompt customer service; automation can not only...