Interim changes you need to know about

Legislation
Jan52022
Legislation RHR Consultancy - Interim changes you need to know about - FI

The government discreetly changed the rules regarding fit notes and self-certification back in December. This article highlights this temporary change in guidance aimed at supporting GPs during the ongoing pandemic. For Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), where employees go off sick on or after 10 December 2021, employers can only ask employees for proof of sickness (such as a fit note) after 28 days of sickness (including non-working days). Proof of sickness cannot be requested earlier than 28 days.

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April 2022 increases and changes – what you need to know

Legislation
Jan42022
Legislation RHR Consultancy - April 2022 increases and changes – what you need to know - FI

The Government is putting in place increases to the National Living and National Minimum Wages that were recommended by the Low Pay Commission, an independent advisory board. As of 1st April 2022 the National Living Wage will see its largest increase (6.6%) to £9.50 per hour. At the same time, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will be increased as follows…

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Policies and procedure – not seen as the most “exciting” but are one of the most “important”

Policies and Procedures
Jan42022
Policies and Procedures RHR Consultancy - Most people when you mention policies and procedures suddenly look at you with glazed eyes or a lack of confusion as to why they need them. Some see them as boring, un-necessary or a cause of pain and frustration. So are they a necessary evil? Are they a pain for small business or are they a great tool to give direction, structure, and process to a business? As business grow and develop policies and procedures can be a great way of ensuring rules are enforced for fairness and transparency as well as ensuring legal compliance. They can act as guidance and give structure and help managers and employees. They are a great way of ensuring people know what is expected of them and in turn what they can expect from the company in return, the same way a contract does. They allow businesses to navigate stuations such as under performance as well as supporting colleagues through an illness for example. But what else do they do? Legal compliance – they allow businesses and employees to comply with legal requirements and ensure any issues or processes are governed and managed correctly Positive impressions – they allow a business to present themselves in a clear, objective and structured way and allow everyone in a consistent way to understand expectations of them Management support – they allow managers to understand how best to manage people and the framework in which they should do this and how the employee should behave De-risk situations – by having clear and compliant policies and procedures they de-risk the likelihood of any legal recourse or should this occur they can support mitigate any claims by showing policies and procedures were in place and followed correctly A suite of policies and procedures is an excellent idea for business even small ones and we recommend an engaging and company centric handbook is also in place to underpin this and ensure consistency, engagement and understanding within the workplace. Recent changes to working patterns such as working from home can be wrapped into a policy to ensure a clear and consistent way of working. We offer an assessment service to review your current ways of working where we can identify any gaps and recommend a package to get you on the right track. Policies don’t have to be lengthy or ladened with legal jargon. We work with you to ensure they are clear and concise and work for all - FI

Most people when you mention policies and procedures suddenly look at you with glazed eyes or a lack of confusion as to why they need them. Some see them as boring, un-necessary or a cause of pain and frustration. So are they a necessary evil? Are they a pain for small business or are they a great tool to give direction, structure, and process to a business?

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The top 7 things I’ve learnt working in HR

Advice
Jan42022
Advice RHR Consultancy - The top 7 things I’ve learnt working in HR - FI

And just like that… 15 years in the industry have passed. I’ve practiced my profession both employed and self-employed and have had the most incredible experiences and some of the most difficult challenges! It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and the last 2 years in particular have been extremely testing. So as we enter a new year and start a new chapter, I wanted to reflect on what have I learnt…

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