Why is it important to maintain contact with someone on long term sick?

Most small businesses will have to deal with an employee being off sick for an extended period at some point, and knowing how much (if at all!) to stay in touch with someone can feel like a bit of a minefield. It may feel easier

What are the limits on employee monitoring information?

If you are satisfied that the employee monitoring you are proposing is lawful and necessary, and you have complied with data protection requirements around security and access, it’s important to consider the limits there are on the monitoring data you are collecting. Some of these

When is employee monitoring lawful under data protection legislation?

If you are considering employee monitoring, it will involve processing personal data, which means there will be legal obligations and requirements to consider under the Data Protection Act 2018/the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). That doesn’t mean monitoring isn’t lawful, it certainly can be,

Are there problems or risks with employee monitoring other than data protection?

When it comes to deciding whether you should conduct any employee monitoring, the key potential pitfall discussed is usually around data protection. Quite rightly, as this is an area of significant vulnerability and administrative/legal burden for an employer monitoring its workers. But there are other

What kind of employee monitoring can I do, and should I do it?

There is increasing interest from employers about the kind of monitoring they can and can’t do on employees. This is partly because of an increase in technology which enables more sophisticated monitoring, partly because there has been an increase in remote working, leaving many employers

Can I force my employees to get the Covid-19 vaccine?

Now that we have a vaccination programme up and running, it does appear as though an end is in (fairly distant) sight to all the disruption to businesses and to individuals. For those who are not in the most vulnerable categories, it seems likely to

What are my options if an employee is struggling with home schooling?

With schools closing again, many employees with school-aged children will be faced with having to supervise them with remote learning, presenting significant challenges when it comes to maintaining usual ability to work. But what are your options for supporting these employees, or dealing with the

How do my general Health and Safety obligations relate to Covid-19?

Health and safety is always important, of course. But for many small businesses working in standard low-risk office environments, it doesn’t take on a lot of prominence on a day-to-day basis. This can mean that many small business owners don’t really know precisely what their

Welcome to Rachel Weaven

We are delighted to welcome Rachel Weaven to face2faceHR. She’s going to be bringing our down-to-earth, realistic and tailored approach to HR to SMEs in Swindon and the surrounding area, with the benefit of extensive experience across a wide range of HR issues, including particular

How does Brexit affect recruitment of new EU workers?

The transition period for Brexit, and therefore free movement for EU citizens, has now ended. This means EU workers will now need specific permission to work in the UK like anyone else. Here are some common questions about how recruitment will be affected. I want