Understanding and preventing Imposter Syndrome as you bring staff back to work
Thanks to the continued easing of lockdown restrictions, many business owners are gearing up to bring staff back to work. Some already have done and find themselves navigating the post-lockdown workplace with new challenges for people management.
We often hear talk of getting “back to normal”, but question just how normal work can be after more than a year of the pandemic? Businesses and the people within them have changed. Managers and team leaders may find that they need to adjust in order to support staff and help them reach their full potential, post lockdown. Read more... |
Managing the return to work after you have made changes to your business
Although some businesses have implemented successful remote working strategies, and some are considering a permanent move away from the office, a spotlight has remained on the green light to bring employees back to work.
It signifies an important milestone of pandemic recovery, giving employers the freedom to choose if and when home working is right for their business. It’s a big step for employees too. More than two million people have been furloughed and many others have been away from their place of work for up to 18 months. For various reasons, returning to the workplace needs a well thought out action plan to maintain optimal health, well-being, and productivity. If you made essential changes to your business during the pandemic, as many business owners have done, these should be factored into your return-to-work plan. From communicating changes to those that need to know, to making sure that contracts, handbooks, and HR admin is up to date, there’s lots to be considered before bringing employees back to work. Read more... |
Are you aware of these employment rule changes starting 1st July?
For many people, July is a time when attention turns to summer holidays, for slowing down a little and enjoying the warm weather. For obvious reasons that is less so this year, and actually as an employer there are a couple of significant rule changes that you’ll need to get your head around. Read more...
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How inclusivity helps with workplace mental health
Did you know that one in four people will experience poor mental health at some point in their lives?
Mental health is just as important as physical health. The pandemic has brought this very important fact to the forefront and, more positively, conversations around mental health are becoming common place. Read more... |
Let's take a look at resilience
Workplaces are ever-changing and stressful environments, and the challenges they present can truly test a person’s tenacity. What’s interesting though is that some people not only comfortably ride out these waves of difficulty, but they even find success in them.
How do these people manage to make the most out of a bad situation? What prevents them from feeling personally affected when things don’t go the way they want or expect? This quality is often defined as resilience. Read more... |
April 2021 Employment Law Updates
This timetable outlines the major changes to UK employment legislation along with statutory rates and compensation limits. . Read more...
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Don't get caught in the Act!
March is UK Marie Curie Cancer Care Great Daffodil Appeal where one daffodil, one donation or one virtual collection will mean the world to someone. It is also Prostrate Cancer and Ovarian Cancer awareness month.
With the past year seeing a decline in people attending treatment or even going to see their GP, it is also perhaps timely to raise awareness around the diagnosis of cancer when you are employed. When the Equality Act came into force (1 October 2010), it made discrimination legislation more consistent, clearer and easier to follow. It meant that you may have been/are required to make some changes to the way you manage employees. Don't get caught in the Act. Read more... |
How to banish imposter syndrome when working from home
For those not furloughed, the majority of us will invariably have spent the last few months working from home, to varying degrees of success. The plus sides – no commute and a more flexible work/ life balance. The downsides? Lack of motivation, feeling disconnected with our colleagues and the worst of all – imposter syndrome rearing its ugly head, even during lockdown.
Yes, despite the fact we've been in the midst of a global crisis, many of us working from home will have suffered or currently be suffering from imposter syndrome. Likely due to the fact that so many people have either been made redundant — as many companies struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic — or have had to take a large pay cut. Read more... |
Your Festive Guide to Self-care
Worried about the preparation for Christmas taken its toll on your wellbeing?
Given what a year 2020 has been, Christmas maybe a little different to previous years, but with all the extra demands on your time and energy, taking care of yourself is still a necessity. Here are some self-care tips to help you stay calm and collected. Read more... |
The Power of Laughter
If you are feeling stressed about Christmas, get ready to laugh yourself better.
When we went into that first full on lock down in March the idea of being holed up indoors for weeks on end didn’t exactly sound like a bundle of laughs. Yet a recent survey* revealed that laughter is what got 79% of us Brits through. The survey showed that laughter (23%) ranked higher than exercise (19%) and sex! (13%) for its feel-good factor, with 53% getting their laughter fix via funny videos, 38% by virtual calls with family and friends, 22% by listening to the radio and 16% by reading funny books. Now, if humour can bring a spark of joy to lockdown, then surely, we can all do with a dose of laughter over Christmas? Read more... |
Merry virtual Christmas - alternatives and considerations to the annual Christmas party
As coronavirus cases are on the increase again and local lockdowns become more commonplace, localised and a daily moveable feast, the likelihood of a Christmas party seems increasingly very unlikely as we move closer towards the festive season. Whether you love or loath the annual knees up, it’s time to think what you could offer as an alternative to try and maintain some Christmas spirit.
Here are some ideas to consider. Read more... |
These times can be difficult
It’s been a difficult year for many reasons for many people and life is far from perfect, but there are lots of reasons for optimism. Setting positive goals for the future gives our lives a sense of direction and purpose. And although we face many challenges there are also lots of reasons to stay hopeful. By consciously choosing our priorities we can overcome issues, make progress and focus on what really matters.
Self-care isn't selfish, it's essential. No-one is perfect. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. Self-care increases our resilience and helps us get more out of life. It also helps us accept others as they are too. Read more... |
4 Reasons Your Team Isn’t Motivated (And What You Can Do to Fix It)
People want different things in life, so it’s difficult to generalise what works as an effective motivational strategy for any particular individual. Often, managers make the mistake of assuming what motivates them will also motivate their employees (and we all know what they say when you assume…)
Employees feature both intrinsic motivations, which stem from their internal satisfaction with their work, as well as extrinsic motivation, which can take the form of pay, title, promotion and benefits. Workers who find their jobs rewarding on both these fronts perform better and are more committed to their jobs. Read more... |
Will this pandemic change how we work forever…….?
Our new normal seems to be the endless schedule of virtual calls and meetings both at work and in our personal lives in order to stay in touch with each other. Couple this with changes in how we shop, greet people and even walk past each other on the street. It has created our new normal and it has left many wondering what the future holds.
As a business owner, director or leader, you are going to need to potentially change the way you and your company works and how you manage your people. Can we go back to the old ways of working or will it be a huge step backwards? Read more... |
Breaking bad habits - start small, make small progress and keep going
Habits are automatic sequences of actions that we enact, often with very little conscious decision involved. We may know what we are doing, but do not consciously think about whether or not to do it. Typically, we may notice that we are enacting a habit but do not remember deciding or even initiating the action.
Good habits are positive and useful. Bad habits are negative and problematic. Habits can also be neutral, having neither helpful nor harmful effect. Read more... |
How to deal with the pressure to do more during self-isolation (Part 2)
Many who are self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic have felt pressure to use this time to be productive—learn a new language, clean the house, or bake a loaf of sourdough daily. Read more...
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How to deal with the pressure to do more during self-isolation (Part 1)
Many who are self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic have felt pressure to use this time to be productive—learn a new language, clean the house, or bake a loaf of sourdough daily. Read more...
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Reservist
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is calling up 3,000 reservists to help in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020). How does mobilisation work and what employment protections are in place? Read more..
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Tips for working from home
We've been working from home for while now and for some of us it is the norm but for many it is a new experience. Some may not have found their rhythm yet as was hoping it was going to be short stint and abracadabra we would be back in the office before we could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Read more...
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The Budget 2020: what we need to know
Newly appointed Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered the government’s Budget. Here’s a roundup of the key measures and issues HR professionals should be aware of. Read more...
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April 2020 Employment Law Updates
The latest employment law developments and proposed future changes. Read more...
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5 Reasons You Should Be Investing in Employee Development
Training isn’t just important to any company, it is vital.
The development of staff should be an on-going consideration for employers and their managers. Why develop staff? Individuals will bring different skills and behaviours to a job when they are recruited, so regular development can help them master their new responsibilities. Even once fully trained in their role, further development is important. 5 Reasons You Should Be Investing in Employee Development Read more... |
Travel Disruption
From time to time, travel disruption can affect an employees ability to get to work on time, or in some cases at all. For situations from public transport cancellations to severe weather, employers and employees should consider how this could impact on the workforce. Read more...
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Safe Driving in Severe Weather
Driving in severe weather conditions is very different compared to other times.
As we have found out recently with prolonged periods of heavy snow, sometimes conditions can be extreme, making driving more hazardous. Read more... |
Staying Healthy in the Snow
There’s no doubt whilst snow can be beautiful and picturesque, it also brings travel chaos and lots of disruption. If you have been unfortunate enough to have been affected then try to stay as calm as possible and listen to all the emergency safety advice, including from your local weather and news channels. If the worst is now over, maybe think about what you could have done differently and try to take the positives and learn from what’s happened. Read more...
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Privacy notices and information, you must provide to employees and potential employees under GDPR
Under the GDPR the information you need to give people about the data you hold and process will be more detailed than under the Data Protection Act 1998. Currently you probably rely on a clause in your employees’ contract which states that they are giving consent to processing data, and possibly providing a bit of information about what you do with the data you hold. Read more...
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Getting ready for the GDPR - 10 things you need to know
The arrival of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will change the way organisations like yours manage personal data. This could be anything from names or email addresses to more detailed information such as bank details or medical records. Read more...
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What Small Business Owners Need to Know About GDPR
Despite the fact that Britain is set to leave the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation will come into force here in the UK on 25th May 2018. Read more...
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Who should take responsibility for data protection in your business?
There are two elements to this – first, who should be responsible for ensuring GDPR compliance, making sure your business is ready with systems and processes in place for the May 2018 deadline, and secondly, who will have overall responsibility for data protection on an ongoing basis. Read more...
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Hot Weather
Although the great British Summer often doesn't result in hot temperatures there will be times when the sun does come out and workers find themselves working in hot conditions. Read more...
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Holiday Time
As the holiday season approaches a timely reminder of your out of office message: Professional communication doesn’t stop when you go on holiday. In fact, it may be more important than ever during this time. Read more...
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Christmas Party – What message should you give to your employees re party etiquette?
Christmas is just around the corner – is your organisation planning to have a Christmas party? Read more...
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April 2019 Employment Law Updates
Recent and forthcoming legislation. Read more...
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April 2018 Employment Law Updates
Many key developments are geared up to take effect in 2018. Here are some of the main employment changes to be aware of. Unless otherwise stated, dates for implementation are as of 6th April. Read more...
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New visa fees from April 2018
New fees for immigration and nationality are to come into effect on 6 April 2018. The changes include increases to Tier 2 work visa fees, indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation applications. Read more...
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April 2017 Employment Law Updates
As usual, this April sees a number of changes to employment legislation. Read more..
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