Are you finding excuses to dismiss someone?

Many business owners would admit privately that they have one or two employees they would love to get rid of given the opportunity. A recent tribunal case in which the judge felt the decision to dismiss was unreasonably harsh and specifically observed that the business

Quick tips for writing effective interview questions

Interviews are far and away the most popular way of choosing the best candidate for a vacancy you have, but their effectiveness and reliability in terms of informing interviewers who will be best in the job can be patchy at best. By designing some really

How do I choose my suppliers?

As part of working out how best to market my own business I obviously need to work out how my target clients choose their HR provider; where they get their options from and how they choose which one is right for their business. As part

Performance management in small businesses, why bother?

This is the first in a series of articles looking at performance management in small businesses. Before examining how performance management in a small business might work, I thought it would first be worthwhile identifying why on earth a busy small business owner might want

Contracts of employment – why a good one is one of the best investments a small business can make

A well drafted contract will guide business owners in managing their staff effectively, avoid as far as possible problems arising in the employment relationship and deal with them quickly and effectively when they do. Contract of employment -the basics As a minimum legal requirement you

Why legal cover from HR providers is bad for small businesses

Many providers of HR services to small businesses offer some kind of legal insurance or guarantee, usually along the lines of guaranteeing to pay your costs at a tribunal or to represent you themselves at no cost. Sounds great, right? Peace of mind? Or is

Employment law changes – what’s the deal?

There have been some announcements by the government recently about changes to some major elements of employment law, and I am regularly asked for clarification on what exactly might be involved. So here we go; a brief plain English summary of the proposals and some

5 easy steps to understanding the Bribery Act for small businesses

1. What exactly is- bribery’? Bribery is basically giving someone a financial or other advantage in order to encourage them to do something they shouldn’t. That would include trying to influence a decision-maker to give you a contract or similar. 2. When might my business

10 easy steps to understanding the Agency Workers Regulations for small businesses

1. Which staff do the Regulations cover? If you have staff who are employed by or through an agency working in your business under your supervision, they will be covered. Their contract is with the agency. Staff who were supplied by an agency initially but

Top 10 tips For dealing with problem absence

I frequently get asked about the best way to deal with sickness absence. Most of my clients are small businesses who prefer not to have very bureaucratic procedures to follow and have quite personal relationships with their staff, making formal or confrontational action difficult. With