A bit of fun at work can be great for boosting morale, whether it’s decorating the office, dressing up in costumes or bringing in a few spooky treats, it can be a nice way to break up the working week.

There are a number of reasons why an employee might resign. Unfortunately it’s all part and parcel of running a business or being a line manager, so it’s important to try not to take it too personally.

As a small business owner or line manager, you might assume that someone is only protected under the Equality Act 2010 when they become an official employee. However, there is no qualifying period of service for protection from discrimination, which means it applies even at the recruitment stage.

As a business grows, it can become necessary to make changes. You might need to restructure roles, change working hours, introduce new responsibilities or change the location an employee works from. These sorts of changes might make sense to you and your business, but it’s not as simple as changing your employee’s contract and expecting them to accept it.

An inclusive workplace is one where every employee has equal opportunities, feels valued and has the chance to develop and progress in their career.

For the businesses that have adopted a hybrid-based working model, there’s still plenty of opportunity for employees to catch up ‘over the water cooler’ or in meetings, but for those who are fully remote, it’s a lot harder to build a workplace culture.

As a business owner, how often do you think about the future? What happens to your business when you decide to retire? Have you got plans in place if you can suddenly no longer work, or even pass away? What if one of your key workers stepped down?

As a business owner, it’s always great to see employees getting along with each other. Naturally, when people work in the same location and begin making small talk, friendships can form. Before you know it they’re popping out for lunch together or having a quick natter in the staff room.

You might be the boss of your business, but are you a leader? What’s the difference?

Anyone can be a boss, but it takes someone who actively tries to understand their team, invest time in them and sets an example to be a leader. Some of the most successful businesses are those whose owners focus on being good leaders too.

It’s inevitable that employees will leave your business at some point. It’s very rare for people to spend their entire career within the same business/with the same employer, but there are a variety of reasons why people do leave, from career progression or relocation to changes in personal circumstances.

In our many years in the HR industry, we’ve heard all the misconceptions going. We’re the first to admit that HR often gets a bad reputation, with many people believing we only show up when things are going wrong.

Unused annual leave in employees is something that every business encounters. You would think that most people would snap up the chance of paid time off work, but there are many reasons why some employees would rather not take it or end up leaving it until the last minute.

We get it, your business is your baby. You don’t really want an outsider coming in and telling you what to do. But let’s be realistic, you cannot do it all. 

Did you know, there is no legal maximum working temperature? However, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, employers have a duty of care to ensure working temperatures are reasonable for their staff.