We’re not your average HR consultancy. Led by Sam Swinstead, a plain-talking HR professional with over 20 years of experience, we focus on sensible, practical advice that gets results.
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HR Zone have an interesting blog post today about the business risks in using self employed contractors in a way that could result in either HMRC or an employment tribunal deciding that they are in fact employees....
With all the media attention focused on the mess it appears the BBC & Newsnight have got themselves into, many people are questioning the £450,000 exit package that George Entwistle appears about to receive. How can failure be so richly "rewarded" is the question...
It is Living Wage week this week. What's that you ask? Another initiative from people who have no clue about the real world might be my first answer! From this year onwards a figure will be published in November which gives the recommended minimum hourly rate that...
It is Living Wage week this week. What's that you ask? Another initiative from people who have no clue about the real world might be my first answer! From this year onwards a figure will be published in November which gives the recommended minimum hourly rate that...
174 female ex-employees have finally won their lengthy Equal Pay battle against Birmingham City Council...although they are yet to see any money, as having won the case they now need to pursue their claims for actual payment. Their potential payout totals around...
We find ourselves unable to get very worked up about George Osborne's latest and greatest annoucement - one that seems to have come from absolutely nowhere with no consultation as far as we can tell. Apparently, by April 2013 a new "owner-employee" contract will...
On a related note to yesterday's blog, the CIPD Absence Management Survey reports that average employee absence has fallen by approximately one day, but this is not all good news it seems. Employees who are fearful of redundancy or who can't afford to receive just SSP...
Today is World Mental Health Day and the World Health Organisation are this year focussing on depression which is identified as a major issue in the workplace. The Mental Health Foundation have published research suggesting that British workers are the most depressed...
A reminder to employers about the power of social media and the ability for disgruntled staff to rapidly share your alleged short-comings with the world. An employee sent his resignation email to every employee of his firm detailing his numerous complaints about his...
Flexible Working Options are helping businesses weather the storm of recession according to a report by the the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's (REC) Flexible Work Commission. By introducing more short term and project based work contracts, using more temps...
The Smoke-free (signs) regulations 2012 come into effect on 1st October - these revoke the previous regs. They require less signage to be displayed in premises & vehicles where smoking is prohibited but still require that at least one clearly legible & visible...
Be careful how you handle staff data! One NHS Trust has just found out the cost of not maintaining staff confidentialty to the tune of £175,000 after being served with a penalty by the Information Commissioner. Ensure you are complying with data protection principles...
A reminder from vivoHR today. If you are updating Terms & Conditions of Employment that impact on the contractual agreement between the business & your staff you need to consult with them and give them appropriate notice of the changes. It is best of course to...
Do you have new apprentices starting with you this September when college starts again? If so are you aware of the contracts you must have in place? Changes in requirements that came into force earlier this year may mean you need to update your contracts in order for...
I applaud Cisco for their approach to enabling employees to enjoy the Olympic Games. They have set up places at each of their sites where staff can get together with work collaegues to watch an event on TV. Or staff can choose to watch on their own laptops with live...
We've been reading legal updates today about convictions under The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2008 and whilst it would appear that there is still confusion about when this Act applies over the Health & Safety at Work Act it is clear that the...
Long term unemployment (out of work for two years or more) is at the highest it has been since 1997 with over 440,000 people affected. Unsurprising perhaps considering the number of jobs that were shed at the early days of the recession meaning so many people were...
We've had a few enquiries recently about the Qualifying Period for Unfair Dismissal Claims. This was raised from one year to two years from the 6th April 2012. But ONLY for employees recruited after that date. In any case our advice is always to address issues with...
Research suggests that less than 50% of employers have started to prepare for Pensions Auto Enrollment. It is happening folks & we'd recommend all employers start to think about the impact & plan for the finances sooner rather than later. Call us if you want...
So it would appear fair to say that despite much hype and a fair degree of hysteria last year, the Agency Worker Regulations have not had the massive impact on businesses that was predicted! In fact figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)...
We have noticed that many companies, whilst relying on the internet and email to carry out their business, have concerns about the way in which staff might be using these facilities for their own use and yet more are really not sure what they should be doing when it...
Do you measure the success of your training? Have you defined what that “success” will look like? Can you measure it in terms of behaviours, attitudes, knowledge, or other positive changes within the business? Do you ensure that you get the best return in investment...
Legal Updates There are a few essential changes to employment legislation coming into force on the 6th April 2012 that are primarily aimed at reducing the number of tribunal claims made, tribunal costs incurred and the time to resolve cases that do go to tribunal....
Wow! We've been so delighted recently to receive some wonderful testimonials for the business. They make us feel great and they are brilliant for helping potential new clients feel assured they they will get great service from us. It makes us feel great to give...
Many of the “myths” about training do little to encourage people to invest the time and money in developing their staff; we believe that these often spring from bad experiences with poor trainers and hope we can shed some light on the reality behind the myths about...
For many business owners the answer to that question may well be “we don’t – it’s just not worth it” After all, it costs lots of money, it takes people out of work for too long and there’s no guarantee that it will improve performance....is there? So really....why...
We have been pondering change and continuing development here at vivoHR. Certainly the last year or two have led many businesses to take stock, make changes and do things differently. What about each of us as individuals though? How do we continue to grow, change,...
