Unsuitable-Unsuitable A client got in touch with us last week, and it wasn’t good news. It was from a lady who was off on maternity leave, and she’d discovered that while she was off, the company had created a new role and invited employees in the department to apply. But here’s the problem – they offered out ... Read more
When is she coming back?-When is she coming back? I had a question from a Club last week which left me entirely speechless: “My admin assistant is on maternity leave, has been for about 6 months I think, and is due back soon. How do I work out when she is due back?” The problem with the question is ... Read more
Welby weighs in-Welby weighs in I see Justin Welby has waded into the new cycle of zero hours bashing in the media. But I’m still just as confused as to why zero hours contracts are subject to the vilification they receive. I mean, sure, when Sports Direct was using them to “trap” a bank of tame workers, ... Read more
Heavyweight lightweight advice-Heavyweight lightweight advice Christopher went on his first D of E hike this . Getting him kitted out for it was a powerful reminder of how far hiking has come in the last 30 years. You see, I did Silver and Gold D of E, in Cyprus and the UK. I walked a lot of ... Read more
Not worth the paper?-Not worth the paper? We were setting up a new client last week, and while we were going through the handbook we got the section about company cars. The client was very pleased with themselves as they had a process to take a photocopy of all employees’ driving licences, both the card and the paper ... Read more
But you never said-But you never said Many employers don’t like to have formal meetings, i.e. in private, with closed doors, with staff who are not performing. Instead, they feel that an “informal” comment at their desk or the coffee machine will be enough for the person to understand the feedback and act on it. In an ideal world, ... Read more
Blink, pub and tuba-Blink, pub and tuba Hiring. It’s not an easy thing is it? You’ve got to get your job advert out there, look at some CVs, choose some people to interview and work out whether they’re up to the job. And – not to forget – you’ve got to deal with your inbuilt sense of prejudice. ... Read more
My employee resigned, didn’t she?-My employee resigned, didn’t she? This case was frustrating because my client had really bent over backward to help, and it had backfired badly. The employee had resigned, and then said that as she was intending to move up north, and things hadn’t been finalised, could she stay on till the end of term (this ... Read more
The wind and the sun – a modern sales tale-The wind and the sun – a modern sales tale I was on my first cruise last week, island hopping in Greece. Needless to say, it was beautiful and the weather was even hotter than in the UK! As well as some proper R&R on the beach, we got out on a number of excursions, ... Read more
Gout, strimmers & PPE-I was speaking to a restaurant owner this week about a shift manager that wasn’t performing. There was a long list of things that this person: Wasn’t doing but should be doing… Was doing but shouldn’t… …plus general comments about him not being ‘proactive’. But the cherry on top? “He has not been doing his ... Read more
Not much happening in the hot weather-Not much happening in the hot weather Now that the holiday season is upon us, you might feel that your staff aren’t really working at their “full potential”. But take consolation that they are probably working more than this guy! A Spanish civil servant has been banned from holding public posts, after his bosses found ... Read more
Standard practice for you-Standard practice for you I’m currently working with one of our clients on a professional negligence disciplinary case. The employee going through the disciplinary process is a standalone bookkeeper in the company and he’s been there for over two years. And he’s been making mistakes. A lot of them. He’s been on holiday for the past two ... Read more
Grumpy and relaxed-Grumpy and relaxed Frances has finished her GCSEs now, so she’s hanging around the house. There’s only so much scrolling down her phone she can do though, so I decided to drag her out and do something nice. After chatting it through, we settled on a spa visit, so I jumped straight online to research ... Read more
Far more serious-Far more serious One of the things I realized in the midst of the GDPR furor was that most people were only taking action because there was a natural deadline – the 25th May. But as an employment law expert, it all seemed a bit ironic to me. You see, all of these people were moving ... Read more
Your card has been declined.-Your card has been declined. I had a call on Saturday from my bank’s fraud department. They were concerned about some transactions on my account. Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify one of them and I couldn’t look it up at the time, as I was out with Comet. So the lady asked me to call back ... Read more
What a palaver that was-What a palaver that was! If you cast your mind back just a couple of weeks, you’ll remember the hoo-haa that preceded the General Data Protection Regulation coming into force. Every Tom, Dick and Henrietta was emailing their list, asking them to ‘opt back in’, and snake oil salespeople galore were making money from the ... Read more
Does GDPR mean e-mail marketing is dead?-Does GDPR mean e-mail marketing is dead? If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ll be familiar with the trends coming round and round again. And often in small business marketing, with marketers trying to sell new initiatives all the time, methods die and then rise from the ashes like a phoenix, only to be pronounced ... Read more
The acronym on everyone’s lips….-he acronym on everyone’s lips…. What’s the acronym you’ve heard most this year? For me, there’s only one answer: GDPR. The whole country’s been swept up into a widespread panic, with all and sundry concerned that they won’t be ‘compliant’. And as an employer you probably won’t be. GDPR for staff is VERY different to ... Read more
You won’t guess what my festive ritual is….-You won’t guess what my festive ritual is…. I went in for my annual health check this week. The “official” reason I go for a check each year is to ensure there aren’t any “hidden dangers”. Unofficially, I want to see impact my dissolute lifestyle is having on my body, and whether I need to forego ... Read more
Poisoning the Greenkeeper.-Poisoning the Greenkeeper. “A Greenkeeper has just accused his colleague of poisoning him. What shall we do now?” This is the absolute corker of a client question this year so far, by miles! And here’s the story… The Greenkeeper in question had decided that all of the drinks he had at the club tasted “funny”. ... Read more
