Blog - Leadership
“I’m fine, honest” – How to support employees in denial
21st Dec 2016Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
Supporting employees in denial of health issues Like any good employer there may be times when you firmly believe that an employee may have a health issue due to certain symptoms that they are displaying. Having approached them tactfully, they are clearly in denial of health issues or any medical problem. What should you do now? Clues There can be many visual clues that suggest an employee is not in...
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The staff Christmas Party – Don’t be a Grinch
18th Nov 2016Employee Benefits, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
The Staff Christmas Party For many, plans are being made to celebrate the festive season with their family and friends and for business owners they see the staff Christmas party as a great opportunity to bring their team together – for bonding, boosting morale and saying “Thank you”. That said, it can be a risky time for employers – we’ve all heard the stories of “the office party” – filled...
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Why Employer Brand is so important to your business
24th Oct 2016Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
When we think about the importance of branding as a marketing tool, it is all about creating a connection with your customers on an emotional level so that they would not think of using any other company other than your own. Given that many companies use the phrase “our people are our best asset”, it often leaves HR professionals confused as to why companies don’t want to focus on the...
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Flippancy over mental health issues can be costly
10th Oct 2016Absence Management, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
Have you heard the joke about the woman who went to the Doctors and said she felt like a pair of curtains?… The Doctor replied “Pull yourself together!”. Well this may be a well-known gag but it was no laughing matter for the employer in a recent case – saying “pull yourself together” to an employee suffering from depression cost them £7500. HR History Wickers was employed as an assistant...
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7 must dos to create a great company culture
6th Oct 2016Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
Companies with impressive employee retention rates and high employee satisfaction levels all have one thing in common – they understand the importance of a strong workplace culture. They also know that you must really invest in your people if you want to get the best out of them. A poor workplace culture could actually end up costing an employer money, as it could result in absenteeism, employee stress, poor health...
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5 Top Tips on avoiding constructive dismissal claims
26th Aug 2016Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
When an employee is left feeling that they have no other choice than to leave their job due to their employer’s behaviour, you’re on course for a constructive dismissal claim. If the employee can prove that their employer’s behaviour was a fundamental breach of contract, in effect forcing them to resign, they may have a case and furthermore, if they’ve been there more than 2 years, could progress a claim...
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How can a probationary period help your business?
13th Aug 2016Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
Apparently, 88% of employers regret at least one recruitment decision they’ve made in the past twelve months. The main problems are because they: (1) aren’t up to the job; (2) lack skills; or (3) have other poor performance issues, e.g. bad timekeeping, or a combination of all three! New legislation and the counter-argument It’s been suggested that probation periods are pointless because new employees can only claim unfair dismissal once...
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How to manage and lead organisational change
8th Aug 2016Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
Whether you’re introducing a new initiative or about to launch a new product or perhaps you’ve identified that there are mistakes happening with the processing of orders or duplication of effort - dealing with the demands of change is the biggest challenge facing every business today. Walk any ten year old through your home and point out everything that didn't exist when you were their age. You will find lots...
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How to manage your employee who wants to leave
13th Jun 2016Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
An employee has told you that they are unhappy in their role and wish to leave your employment as soon as possible. As their heart clearly isn’t in the job anymore can you treat them less favourably than other employees? Let’s suppose that one of your employees has informed you that they don’t like their job and will be looking to leave at the earliest opportunity - they could be...
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How To Improve Performance
20th May 2016Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
Most managers, at some time in their career, have to deal with a poor performer. It can often be frustrating and a thankless task, unless you have the right tools to help you. There is an old Chinese proverb which said that "For every hundred men hacking away at the branches of a diseased tree, only one will stoop to inspect the roots." Are individual members of your team performing...
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How a nickname cost employers £63,000
27th Apr 2016Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
An employment tribunal awarded a male employee over £63,000 following his colleagues calling him “Gramps” for a number of years. Does your work environment allow, or even encourage nicknames to be used? Background Mr Dove (D) had been a salesperson and long-serving employee with Brown & Newirth Ltd (B), a small company that manufactures and sells jewellery. Some years ago the head of sales - who was a good few...
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10 Easy Steps To Becoming A More Effective Manager
15th Apr 2016Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
If you are stepping into your shoes as a manager for the first time, or you are looking to improve your management skills, then the following advice could help you with your quest. Regardless of how good your existing management skills are now, there is probably not a manager anywhere that does not have room for a little improvement. An effective manager needs to have a degree of natural leadership...
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Leading by Example – Leadership in the 21st Century
19th Mar 2016Human ResourcesLeadership
Over the years that I have worked in HR, I’ve taken a number of courses, read a number of books, and have seen and utilised a number of tools that have all promised success in leading teams and managing successful businesses. As helpful as they were, I found that the greatest asset in leading teams is not found in technical tools and procedures but in skilfully relating to people. You...
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9 Tips to Improve Your Confidence When Communicating
18th Jan 2016Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
Communication is an essential part of work and home life. Understanding how to be a good communicator can be an important productivity tool, one that’s frequently neglected. Poor communication can often have disastrous results; lost time, injured feelings, frustration, ineffective meetings, unproductive teamwork, resulting in a general lack of career advancement and goal achievement. To become effective communicators we need to be aware of a few fundamental tips we can use...
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Modern Slavery Act 2015 – What are the implications?
18th Nov 2015Employment Law, Human Resources, Leadership, PayrollRecruitment
From 1 October 2015 employers with an annual turnover of more than £36 Million will be required to produce and publish a slavery and trafficking statement each year. Here we ask about the Modern Slavery Act 2015 - What are the implications? Section 54 of The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is the legislation that will attempt to resolve the issues of slavery with the requirement of the statement. The statement will need...
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10 Reasons Why Companies May Need HR Support
11th Nov 2015Absence Management, Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
HR Support Many companies struggle on without the aid of an HR Manager or any form of HR support at all despite the constant increase in employment law. However HR can provide invaluable support with so many areas of people management. Here I have compiled a list of ten reasons why companies may need HR support. 1. Cost Savings HR can contribute to cost savings. One example is to implement...
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Directors Face Criminal Proceedings For Failing to Comply
6th Nov 2015Employment Law, Human Resources, LeadershipPayroll
It has been reported that three former directors of the now defunct parcel-delivery business, City Link, are facing criminal proceedings for failing to notify the Secretary of State of proposals to make large scale redundancies at the firm. Implications Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 ("TULRCA"), employers are obliged to notify the Secretary of State, in writing, where they are proposing to dismiss as redundant 20...
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How To Build a Better Team
14th Jun 2015Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
Have you ever wondered how some work groups exhibit effective teamwork and others remain dysfunctional? Effective teamwork is both profoundly simple and difficult at the same time. These ten tips from MAD-HR describe the environment that must occur within the team for successful teamwork to take place. Successful teamwork is the cornerstone for creating functioning, contributing teams and ultimately business success. The team understands the goals and is committed to attaining them....
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How to have an effective performance conversation
19th Mar 2015Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human ResourcesLeadership
You’ve got an employee who isn’t contributing their fair share. You know you need to address it. The rest of the team can tell this employee is a poor performer. If you don’t do something, your credibility will suffer. The purpose of conversations like this isn't to punish the employee. It’s to change their performance. That’s why you don’t want to delay the conversation. The longer you wait; the harder the...
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So why do you need help with HR ?
4th Nov 2014Absence Management, Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
If you own a business then the chances are you will have heard of human resources. If you were working for another company then it is likely to be the department that everyone dreaded having to deal with but even the largest of companies has them. So why do you need help with HR ? You may well associate HR with simply the hiring and firing of employees and dealing with...
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