employees

There is light at the end of the tunnel. After more than a year of turbulence, there are signs to suggest that life may soon return to normal. The Government has outlined a roadmap out of lockdown, and if the current trends are maintained, then most British adults will have received a vaccination by Summer’s end. With restrictions on socialising and non-essential retail currently set to be lifted on the 21^st of June, many are already looking forward to the return of ‘normal’ activities like eating at a restaurant, going to the gym, or spending a night on the town.

In the modern economy, there is no shortage of candidates for any positions in a company. It appears as if the employers are successful in finding the most suitable candidate for a post within no time. But, this is not as easy as it looks. There is always a chance that you will end up hiring the wrong person for the job and this may trigger a series of negative consequences. This incorrect person may turn out to be unmotivated, lazy, or unqualified and he or she may influence the working atmosphere in your company adversely. When you spend a lot of time training the prospect and end up looking for another one, it costs a lot of time and money.

If you decide to become self-employed, either on your own (as a sole trader), or with other people (as a partnership), you will be responsible for working out and paying your tax liabilities to HMRC.

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Would you jump into a plane with a pilot who had learned to fly from books alone? Highly unlikely I suspect! We are willing to trust pilots because they’ve spent hundreds of hours in a flight simulator, have developed their expertise and can cope in situations of extreme pressure.

Reopening your business or bringing additional staff back to the office is a positive step. However, there are also anxieties around keeping everyone safe – your staff and also anyone else visiting your premises. Looking ahead how will you be able to judge when your risks in relation to Covid-19 increase, and you need to do something different? Will you be able to identify a new source of infection in good time? One way to help with all of this is to introduce regular and methodical testing.

It is not uncommon to experience delays in a business only to be slapped with the phrase, “that’s how we have always done it.” While some tasks need to follow a specific process, you will agree that other processes are complicated for no good reason.

A good sign of business growth is the need for more staff. As your business grows, one of the most important roles you will have to fill is an IT/Tech support professional within the business. Majority of the businesses in today’s world will need some sort of IT support for the business and its employees, in order to work efficiently. IT staff can ensure that your other staff are able to effectively work as well as finding new tech to support your business whether this is new software or new equipment.

There are several signs to suggest that as a nation we’re through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection rates have fallen from the highs seen in mid-April, and London – which was one of the worst affected localities – recently saw no new coronavirus cases for a full 24-hour period.

As an entrepreneur, starting a new business and hiring employees to join your team can often be a daunting first move to make as your business expands. It can be difficult to create the right environment and culture as a start-up business whilst also developing your brand.

April is the time when many businesses will take stock of the year just gone, whilst planning for the quarters ahead, however, the impact caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may loom heavily over these plans.  Many businesses are attempting to balance outgoings and ensure cashflow remains intact for the next few months, which, for many, could bring a downturn in income.  To mitigate the deepening economic and social impact, the UK Government has introduced a package of support to help both employers and employees through the crisis.

There are 7.6 million people, according to the UK Office of National Statistics, that have some form of disability — and nearly half of them are unemployed. But disabled people are just as skilled and as talented as everyone else. Finally, new research is emerging and shining a light on how making a conscious effort to hire disabled workers can boost company morale, productivity, and job satisfaction. 

Evidence published by Future Workplace, after carrying out their Workplace Wellness Study, suggests that the number one luxury on employees’ wish lists is in fact something very simple – and far from expensive. Rather than elaborate perks and benefits, employees are searching for natural light. The research showed that a substantial proportion of employees wish they had more access to natural light. Intrigued as to why this is?

Good communication skills are essential in pretty much every aspect of life, none more so than in the workplace. Today’s workplace can be a tricky area for employees to navigate, as so many generations are now mixed together and each age group has specific ways they prefer to communicate. 

In a recent study carried out by the Close Brother Asset Finance, it was found that small and medium-size businesses find diversity is good for business. However, they still struggled to achieve a diverse workforce. There are a number of benefits of having diversity in the workplace and SMEs may be missing out on these benefits.

The majority of schools will close on 20^th December so from that Friday the pressure is on! With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both being on a Wednesday, this holiday season may be proving a bit more complicated to plan than usual.  What time off will you be giving your employees?

Christmas sales are crucial in the success of a business and is the key period of the year that determines the overall profit margin for the year, so it is vital to implement a strong business and marketing plan for the festive season to make sure that your business will continue to grow and thrive into the New Year.

Businesses have enough to worry about; one of the major things being competition from outside sources, so fraud that takes place within a business can be viewed as an avoidable problem. Not only do employers have to be extremely vigilant to defend against external threats from their competitors, but they also must be constantly looking for indications that their employees may be stealing from the company from within for personal gain.
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If you are running a small business, you might have some employees that work for you on a remote basis. This new generations of employees expect more from their work and employers. They expect their employer to care about their work-life balance and offer them flexibility through remote working. So if you are one of those employers, then it is essential that you regularly communicate with remote employees for several reasons.

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There’s no doubt about it: moving out of the home is a bit of a leap in the dark for any business. There may be unintended consequences and hidden expenses just around the corner, but there may also be limitless opportunities for growth and lucrative success.

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