How will your people help your business grow this year?
You know your people are important to your business.
Without them, a lot less would get done.
But did you realise that they’re also the greatest asset you have to help your business reach its goals this year and beyond? However, it does involve some effort on your part. Primarily, putting the right focus on your HR processes. That’s things like making sure your HR documents are up to date, that they’re compliant with employment law and ACAS codes of practice, and that your business culture is where you want it to be.
It also includes the communication within your business. Taking the time to set goals for your people, to help their development, and to help them understand how they fit into the company and help you get closer to your business goals. When you do all of this, you’ll notice a real difference. A happier team, better engagement, improved productivity.
It can reduce staff turnover, stop you wasting time on the horrible side of HR (that’s the disciplinaries, resolving issues, even firing people). The list goes on. It also has the potential to impact your turnover too. And
isn’t that a great indicator of real growth? How much could your business improve if you made the right changes to your HR this year?
Of course, it’s not always simple to make these changes. You need to know where to start, and you need to put the work in (and to find the time for that!). It’s not a magic switch. We’ve tried to make things a little easier for you though. We’ve created a new guide, “The business owners HR checklist 2023”. It details everything you need to consider to make the biggest improvements in your business this year.
LATEST NEWS
Opening the door to Haus of Coaching
We’re super excited to have launched our sister brand as part of the Haus family. Haus of Coaching compliments our learning and development services, by offering executive, leadership and career coaching to new, developing and established leaders and business owners. Make sure you follow the latest news on the Haus of Coaching socials….
Linkedin → https://linkedin.com/showcase/haus-of-coaching
Instagram → @hausofcoaching
Twitter → @hausofcoaching
Attracting the best – Recruiting talent to your business in 2023
Recruiting new people is a challenge across businesses of all sizes and in every industry. So, what is at the root of the current issue and more importantly, what can you do to attract the best talent when candidates are thin on the ground?
Blue Monday – the real effect depression can have on your business
Monday 16 January 2023 is Blue Monday. Apparently the most depressing day of the year. And while there’s no scientific reason for naming the third Monday of the year as the most depressing, depression in the
workplace can be a real issue. And 10% of the UK population report to have it.
While work isn’t necessarily the cause of the depression, it can worsen symptoms. Depression is complex. It’s important that as an employer you don’t take it personally if one of your people is suffering. Instead, aim to make your workplace as pleasant as possible for everyone, encouraging a culture of openness and good listening.
Ideally, you want your people to be able to approach you or their direct manager if they’re struggling with anything, whether that’s their mental health or another issue. If there are open lines of communication, it enables you to offer the right support to your employee without fear of upsetting or alienating them. Train your managers in depression, stress, and anxiety so that they know the signs to look out for in your employees. Not only is it a good idea to tackle mental health issues quickly to stop them worsening, but it can also be better for business too.
Negative workplace affects caused by depression can be loss of productivity, burnout, increased absenteeism, and higher stress levels. These things can also go on to impact the rest of the team and have the potential to have a knock-on effect when others feel they’re picking up the slack, or in-team communication is affected. There are some simple things you can do to encourage a happier workplace, and workforce this January though. Make sure workloads are manageable, and where possible, give people the opportunity to be more flexible with their working hours or locations. Encourage good communication within teams, make sure people take their breaks, and get them away from their screens if possible.
You can also look at promoting lifestyle changes, such as getting your people moving by taking walks at lunchtime, offering healthier choices of snacks, or even subsidising gym memberships as an employee perk.
These things won’t directly cure depression, but they can go a long way towards making people happy at work. Of course, if you need any further help or advice, just give us a call on 01604 261380.
Q&A
Do I need to wait until the end of the probationary period before dismissing an employee?
No, you do not need to wait. The employee can be dismissed during the probationary period. Make sure you follow any applicable contractual disciplinary procedure prior to the dismissal, giving the required period of contractual or statutory notice – whichever is greater.
Can unused statutory annual holiday carried forward to the next holiday year?
Workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ statutory leave each year. 4 weeks under regulation 13 of the Working Time Regulations 1998 and an additional 1.6 weeks under regulation 13A. The 4 week entitlement cannot be carried forward, but the 1.6 weeks can be if agreed.
My employee handbook is out of date – what should I do?
Ideally, you should update your handbook every time you make a significant change in your business, or when employment law changes. If it’s been a while sit down and go through the handbook page by page making relevant changes as you go. If you need help, give us a call.
Let’s chat
Here are two questions for you:
- Do you currently have a HR consultant?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you with them?
- If the answer isn’t “I’m so delighted I could print 1,000 flyers to spread the word about them”, let’s jump on a video call
You know just how important it is to get proactive, responsive HR support. That’s what we do. And we’re now taking on new clients again.
Set up a FREE 30 minute discovery call at: https://calendly.com/rachelhr
CHO Corner
Poor mental health is costing UK businesses £42 billion a year!
62% of employees experience symptoms of poor mental health due to work at some point in their career. But did you know that Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are the most commonly used
workforce intervention in the UK?
An EAP provides unlimited access 24/7/365 confidential helpline for employees giving access to counselling, health support, legal information, work and home life advice.
Get a free no-obligation quote today to help you create a healthy and resilient workplace culture. Get in touch HERE
Download below the latest copy of our HR News Room to read, so grab a coffee and sit back and relax – enjoy!