by Kate Underwood | Aug 1, 2022 | Uncategorized
What are the most common and easy-to-address risks in making someone redundant? Dismissals on grounds of redundancy must be true to form, it cannot be to hide a performance or conduct issue that you don’t want to address. This can cost you, long-term employees, as... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
The cost of living is having an impact on many families and understandably requests for pay rises are on the increase. As an employer, there are other ways and means that you can support your employees especially when a salary increase isn’t necessarily... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
Over half of the UK workforce would like more flexibility when it comes to work (though we here at KUHR estimate that figure to be much higher, ADP reports that 6 in 10 employees feel this way). Flexibility can come in many different forms and one of them most common... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Laws around fit notes have changed several times now. The first change was that doctors can now sign fit notes digitally, which is why leniency towards the change in a signature’s appearance should be upheld. As of right now (1st of July), the law has allowed... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Ever since flexibility became the new norm in a post-pandemic era, work-life balance has been in the control of the employee. As a result, demand for jobs that offer remote work has dramatically increased. According to data found by LinkedIn UK, paid job... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
Did you know that the health risks loneliness has equates to the same risks as smoking 15 cigarettes per day? Aside from the impact loneliness has on your mental and physical health, studies suggest that severe loneliness costs businesses £9900 per person, every year... 
by Kate Underwood | May 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
As an employer, by law, you have a duty to protect workers from stress by performing risk assessments and making necessary and reasonable adjustments based on your findings. What counts as stress? The HSE definition of stress is it’s an “adverse reaction people have... 
by Kate Underwood | May 5, 2022 | Uncategorized
Specific legislation protects new mothers, pregnant women and those who have had to endure miscarriage (for up to 2 weeks post-miscarriage). This legislation was called to attention during an Employment Tribunal. This specific case had to assess potential sex... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 27, 2022 | Uncategorized
Redundancy is difficult for all parties involved. It’s hard for employers to let someone go, make financial arrangements, and fill the skills gap they’ve left behind. On the other hand, the redundant employee now has to find a new job! So, let’s take a... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
Inflation is the next biggest challenge for employers looking to recruit. Following The Great Resignation and the newfound power that candidates have over employers, many are now looking to remuneration as both incentive and demand which for many sectors is a setback... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
Statutory Increases From 2022 As of this coming April, The UK’s Employment Laws have changed regarding the minimum rates of pay, statutory sick pay and statutory family-related pay in order to keep up with the current rates of the UK’s Cost of Living. As... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 4, 2022 | Uncategorized
People assume that working from home is the cheaper alternative to paying petrol and fares for the commute to work. However, some of us must pay for our own equipment, incur an increase in costs from an increase in electricity usage and in some cases -not to get into... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 2, 2022 | Uncategorized
Wellbeing in the workplace is now becoming a staple part of corporate HR. When companies prioritise their people, their health and growth, the ROI in recruiting, retaining, work output and overall business performance is clear to see and can’t be argued with.... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 24, 2022 | Uncategorized
As of last month, The Home Office updated the right to work guidance. The key changes are as following: As of right now to the 5th of April 2022, employers have the option to conduct a right to work check of Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), Biometric Residence Card... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
At any given moment in time, 1 in 5 people are having suicidal thoughts. Mental health difficulties were a pandemic well before COVID made the issue a thousand times worse. At work, employees are taking days off – faking illnesses and making excuses – in... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 3, 2022 | Uncategorized
Aside from the new wave of mental health awareness after the pandemic, there are still big wellbeing killers in the UK workplace today. From rising medical concerns such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, to conditions of working all be it either in the... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 27, 2022 | Uncategorized
As a small business, are you confident that the staff training you offer is sufficient for your company and the roles of your employees? There are many reasons why staff training should be a priority within your business and as an example, we wanted to bring your... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
There are plenty of reasons why both employers and employees are considering the 4-day working week. National Insurance contributions are set to rise in April and the 4-day working week could reduce UK employees’ commute costs anywhere between £160-£796 a year. Not... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 11, 2022 | Uncategorized
The 2010 Equality act prevents employers from asking health-related questions in order to avoid discrimination, exclusion, and inequality. Employers have been historically known to ask about health or disability in the early stages of recruitment. As a result,... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 6, 2022 | Uncategorized
Are you, like many businesses in the UK, having to reconsider finances in 2022? The small business community are now taking redundancy plans as a popular option for cutting back on expenses. Whether you’re the one being made redundant, or the employer having to make... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
Latest updates Coronavirus Support for Businesses Rishi Sunak today announced today there will be three new measures to help businesses during this troubling time for many businesses with this new wave of COVID-19. Cash Grants for Hospitality Eligible... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
Our two Kickstarters have been on the come-up! They started out with no office experience at all and have grown to become two very valuable members of the KUHR team. This year we’ve laughed, made memories and exchanged gifts. If you ask us, it still feels like... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 14, 2021 | Uncategorized
The Prime Minster has currently pledged to get all adults over the age of 18 a booster vaccination by the end of January which he changed last week. To aid in the changes to the COVID-19 booster roll out being bought forward to the end of December – the... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
Have you reviewed your benefits package recently? Did you know that there is a new Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme that you could now be offering your employees? This specialist scheme is like the modern-day cycle to work scheme, available to help support... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
A surprising number of the workforce claim that they’re underpaid which can often lead to employees feeling undervalued, increased job dissatisfaction, lower productivity and an increase in absence. Furthermore, low salaries as advertised in job vacancies are... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
Are you aware of the importance of your company’s brand in the marketplace? Do you understand the benefits of maintaining that brand to reflect your company values and product/service? We wanted to delve in a little deeper into employer branding and look at how... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
Tech Tuesday We’ve got another #TechTuesday for you, and this week we want to talk about a great tool called Toggl. Have you heard of it? Do you know what it does? If you are yet to give it a go, it is about time you tried it! Toggl is an extremely handy... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Tech Tuesday We’ve got another #TechTuesday for you, and this time we’d like to highlight our ‘go to’ HR system – Breathe! We believe that having the right software to support your HR processes, really can transform your business. ... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 27, 2021 | Uncategorized
Pocket HR Membership So you may remember in November 2020 we launched our founding members on the wonderful world of Pocket HR. Since then we have been tweaking and improving Pocket HR and I would like to thanks our founding members for their patience and... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
Breathe HR Software keeps on getting smarter and smarter! It’s been just over 2 months since Breathe launched their brand-new Rota, Time and Attendance module, and they now have even more useful new features. Let us introduce you to the Breathe – People Portal mobile... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
There have been some recent employment tribunal cases with regards to employers, not allowing employees time off to go and deal with things such as going to pick up their child from nursery who was sick and not allowing an employee to amend their working hours. So, we... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
Tech Tuesdays It is safe to say that when it comes to transcribing meetings, volunteers are often hard to come by. I am yet to find a person who loves writing up minutes or transcribing interviews. Let me introduce you to Otter, a mobile app and website that... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
Do you ask your new hires for references? A couple of years ago I wrote a blog on DO NOT Make This Costly Mistake When Checking References but one thing I didn’t touch on was what you should do if you get a bad reference. Can you just dismiss someone? Should... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 27, 2021 | Uncategorized
Tech Tuesday Have you ever spent far too long writing out an email to someone to explain how they should go about completing a task, only to find that when you reach the end…the wording is probably not all that clear, there would still be room... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Tech Tuesdays So as a self-confessed geek most people that know me, know that I love tech and finding new apps and programs to help small business owners – or frankly just to turn the kettle on to make sure the water is boiled for tea when I walk in the door... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
Hi! I’m Tia and I’m the newest addition to the KUHR team! With no previous experience in HR, I was offered this opportunity as HR Assistant through Kick-starters. I am super fortunate to have the chance to gain some very valuable work experience with a team that is... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 30, 2021 | Uncategorized
The current rules Following Brexit, there were no changes to the exiting right to work checks and the current guidance remained in place. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020 are eligible to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme... by Kate Underwood | Jun 30, 2021 | Uncategorized
The current rules Following Brexit, there were no changes to the exiting right to work checks and the current guidance remained in place. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020 are eligible to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
What is the current scheme? So at the moment until the 30th June 2021 the scheme is the following: Employers can continue to claim 80% of worker’s pay. Employers need to pay the NI, Tax and pension contributions of the employees. Employers can use flexible... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Hi there! I’m Dyllan, the newest and (I’m reliably informed) loudest member of the KUHR team! I’m delighted to announce I’m one of the young up-and-coming kick-starters who are here to learn as much as we can while we can. So far, it’s been a blessing to be working... 
by Kate Underwood | May 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Hi! I´m Hannah, and I’m over the moon to be the newest member of the KUHR team… until our young Kickstarters join us in June! I´ve been part of the team for a while, working part-time from Mallorca, Spain. But I’m delighted to announce I will soon be back in the... 
by Kate Underwood | May 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
In August 2020, Gary from DA Training was able to share the good news about employer incentives, which has really seen an increase in apprenticeship starts (especially across smaller businesses) over the last few months. He now has some updates for us on how DA... 
by Kate Underwood | May 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
Introducing Hannah Hi! I´m Hannah, and I’m over the moon to be the newest member of the KUHR team… until our young Kickstarters join us in June! I´ve been part of the team for a while, working part-time from Mallorca, Spain. But I’m delighted to announce... 
by Kate Underwood | May 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
5 ways Employee Engagement will enable your small business to grow. To build the most effective team and to ensure long-standing employees it is important that your team members feel empowered rather than micromanaged. It is a fine balance between giving freedom to... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 27, 2021 | Uncategorized
So this morning I was on BBC Radio Solent talking about if the workplace is going to change because of the pandemic and what SME’s need to think about before going back to the workplace – if they go back to the workplace. 1. What happens if there is an... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
If you could show all the employees on your team how much you appreciated them, what would be the first thing you’d do? Remote working is now well and truly embedded in to our working day and many believe that working remotely could be here to stay either as a whole... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 1, 2021 | Uncategorized
Overview We have another blog from our wonderful guest blogger Sarah Quirk of SarahQuirk Wealth Services. This week, Sarah shares her expert knowledge on how accountants and financial advisers can both help you manage your finances. Both roles are important, both... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
Do Small Businesses need to publish a Modern Slavery statement? The Government has confirmed that it is going ahead with major changes to the duty on large employers to publish an annual modern slavery statement. So what is a large employer? A large employer is... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
How does IR35 apply to Small Businesses? As you may remember IR35 was delayed for the private sector from being implemented due to COVID-19. However, the legislation is going into force from 1st April. Below are the 7 key steps that small business owners need to... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
April 2021 Employment Law Changes for Small Businesses Following on from the Budget last week please find below all the changes to Employment Law that are happening in April 2021. National Living Wage / National Minimum Wage The important thing to note is that the... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 3, 2021 | Uncategorized
Small Business and the Budget; March 2021 On March, 3rd, 2021 Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak delivered his first budget of the year, and it wasn’t as bad as feared! Despite the bad news that 700,000 people lost their jobs in the last year, his... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 3, 2021 | Uncategorized
5 Top Tips for Managing Employee Holidays in 2021 Managing holidays for your team is difficult at the best of times but with COVID and Furlough, managing employee holidays in 2021 is even harder! So I thought it’s high time to give you some tips on Managing... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
The Government’s 4 Steps to Lifting Lockdown Today in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out his proposed 4 Steps to Lifting Lockdown. Here is a summary of those 4 Steps to Lifting Lockdown. Step 1: On 8th March, 2021 All students return to... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
How to Improve Your Personal Wealth in 2021! Over the next few weeks, will be sharing blogs from our wonderful guest blogger Sarah Quirk of SarahQuirk Wealth Services. This week, Sarah shares her expert knowledge on how you can improve your personal wealth in 2021 as... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
Here are 9 Financial Tips for Small Business Owners Over the next few weeks, will be sharing blogs from our wonderful guest blogger Sarah Quirk of SarahQuirk Wealth Services. This week, Sarah shares all her expert knowledge with 9 Financial Tips for Small... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
What are the New UK Immigration Rules? Welcome to our quick blog post about new UK Immigration rules. Now, due to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, new UK immigrations rules now apply. Free Movement for European nationals ended on 31st December 2020. This... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
13080The Advantages of Online Learning with IMPROVE We want to talk to you all about the opportunities that online training can provide and a few of the wonderful advantages of Online Learning with IMPROVE. What is IMPROVE? IMPROVE is a fantastic online microlearning... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Here’s the Lowdown on Lockdown 3.0 Welcome to Rumour Control! Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement at 8pm on Monday 4th January, here’s what you need to do from Thursday 6th January 2021, when England goes into Lockdown 3.0 People... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
Excessive Workloads During the Covid-19 Pandemic Would you have imagined this is what your 2020 would have looked like at the start of the year? Blink and you might have missed it… March to December seems to have gone by quicker than you can say “How many... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 1, 2020 | Uncategorized
Why Successful SME’s Outsource Learning and Development Guest Blog by Richard Gourlay – IMPROVE Today I am sharing a guest blog by Richard from IMPROVE, the complete Microlearning platform for SMEs. I recently became a partner of IMPROVE as a way to... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Hello and Welcome to Our HR Risk Quiz! Do you run a small business but think you might need a little HR support? Well, you’re in luck! Here at Kate Underwood HR & Training, we’ve created an HR Risk Quiz to help you to decide what kind of support you... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Welcome to Steps to Success: Wellbeing Challenge! So, boys and girls; how are you feeling about this lockdown? It sucks, doesn’t it? Well, there’s good news, the Steps to Success: Wellbeing Challenge is here to rescue you from the... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 31, 2020 | Uncategorized
“Remember, remember the fifth of November for gunpowder, treason and plot!” They say the last man to enter Parliament with honourable intentions was Guy Fawkes, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer has pulled some helpful Coronavirus Government Support out... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 26, 2020 | Uncategorized
Job Support Scheme Expanded (For Businesses Required to Close) As of the 26th October 2020, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak has announced on Friday 9th October 2020 that the Government’s Job Support Scheme will be expanded to firms required to close due... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
HR in Your Pocket! Before we introduce Pocket HR, a quick question: Have you ever wished you had help with HR? Starting out as a business owner – full of hope and expectations – human resources probably wasn’t that high on your priorities list. Perhaps you... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
Following Proper Redundancy Process is Vital So, let’s start by looking at a few examples of how companies have made mistakes in the redundancy process: East London NHS Foundation Trust v O’Connor; Mr O’Connor was unfairly dismissed after accepting an... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 9, 2020 | Uncategorized
A Fitness Challenge for You and Your Employees! 2020 has been a helluva tough year, right? What with Coronavirus and all the lockdowns, furloughing, and job uncertainty that comes with it, we can’t wait for New Years! With the ever-changing rules that we are... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
What is Employee Voice 24/7? The Happiness Index have created an employee survey designed to give employees a voice during times of change. The pre-built survey is completely anonymous and allows employees to leave feedback 24/7. Whether your team work shifts and are... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
Will The Winter Economy Plan Save The Day? If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll know the phrase “Winter is Coming” only too well. Right now, autumn has arrived with a wind from the north meaning winter is just around the corner. This... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
How On Earth Do You Manage The Number Of Staff In The Office? The question ‘How Do I Manage The Number Of Staff In The Office’ was relevant before the world changed, but it’s even more relevant now people have started returning to work after... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 7, 2020 | Uncategorized
Knowing Your Redundancy and Furlough Rights As the Government Job Retention Scheme begins to require increasing employer contributions, it is forcing employers to evaluate the continued sustainability of their business, potentially leading to tough decisions. So,... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
How The Kickstarter Job Scheme Grant Works The Kickstarter Job Scheme Grant enables businesses to create 6-month job placements for people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. Placements must ensure that... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
Government Announces £20 Million in Small Business Grants Finally, some good news amongst all this! And no, we’re not talking about the Eat Out to Help Out half-price Nandos! The government has announced the launch of a new £20 million support in Small Business... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
In a speech to the House of Commons on 8th July, Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined the next stage in the Coronavirus Economic Recovery Plan. The measures covered include the New Apprenticeship Scheme – which we covered in our previous blog – and this, the new Government... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Apprentice Incentive Bonus is Here! The governement has provided some clearer understanding of Apprentice Incentive Bonus and what is happening with apprenticeships. Even better news… the lovely Gary from DA Training and Consultancy has put it in plain... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
An HR System that makes Rota Planning a Breeze! We know that organising and communicating quickly and efficiently with your team can be challenging, especially when they are spread across various locations (especially at the moment with so many people still working... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
What is Survivor Bias? During WWII, the United States Army wanted to protect their airplanes and needed to know where to put additional armour. They looked at their bombers, that were returning from the war riddled with bullet holes, and plotted points on a chart to... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
How to have Conversations about Mental Health in the Workplace Having conversations about mental health can feel difficult. Ali Grady, Director of The Thrive Team and Mental Health First Aid Instructor shares her tips on how to have a conversation with someone who may... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
The Expert’s Tips on How To Prepare for an Online Interview As you can imagine, during lockdown we have seen a lot of things changing in recruitment, so you need to know how to prepare for an online interview – or even just an important meeting. The way things... 
by Kate Underwood | May 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
How Has COVID-19 Affected Training in the Workplace? Covid-19 has had a massive impact on all businesses, from micro-sized through to huge conglomerates. Some of the biggest and most complex questions we have been asked surround training and furlough. Initially, there... 
by Kate Underwood | May 21, 2020 | Uncategorized
Recalling Staff from Furlough With all beginnings, there is an end. Now is the time for you to think about recalling staff from furlough. Businesses that have furloughed members of their team must prepare for bringing them back into the workplace. While there may be... 
by Kate Underwood | May 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
Why Did We Come Up With The HR Academy? Like all businesses, we have had to adapt with the current coronavirus pandemic and we have been trying to adapt how we work to ensure our customers still receive the very best service. Over the last 6 weeks we have: Supported... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
Coronavirus Business Support Summary – Last updated 29th May 2020 There is so much for Businesses at the moment with regards to what kind of support is available to them as employers and also to them as a business that I thought I would just put it all into one... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Introducing Our New Team Member! Hello! I’m Becca. I am the new team member and the new Office Coordinator here at Kate Underwood HR and Training. My main role as the new team member is to assist with the smooth running of the office and support the team however they... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
Furlough and Holidays First thing’s first, if you are still unsure of what being on furlough means, or as an employer have not heard of the Government Job Retention Scheme, you should check out links to our own and the government’s content on these subjects. It seems... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
Answering Your Coronavirus and Furlough Questions Coronavirus and furloughing have had – and will continue to have – a massive financial impact on both SMEs and large business as well as your employees; who may have to have be furloughed. More than nine million... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
Guide to Working From Home As a small business owner, you may be used to working from home already, and so may your team, but these are very different circumstances that we find ourselves into the normal working from home routine. Over the past few weeks as the threat... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Job Retention Scheme For SMEs – Updated 12th May 2020 With the Coronavirus pandemic, there’s so much information floating around, so I wanted to summarise it in one HR Update that we call Job Retention Scheme for SMEs. Having had time to review what the... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Coronavirus Support for Small Business and Self-Employed On the 17th March 2020, the Government announced further coronavirus support for individuals and businesses alike – to see the full video click here. The UK Government is Supporting Small Businesses In... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
Coronavirus and Tax: Can I Get Help Paying My Tax? Further to my blogs on Coronavirus and the Budget, below is some further information on support for Small Businesses surrounding coronavirus and tax. Let’s begin with TTP. What is a Time to Pay (TTP)... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
Latest updates What To Do About Coronavirus and Small Business What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
March 2020 Budget and Small Businesses Today, Southampton boy and New Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak released his 2020 Budget. Unveiled were some great support available to Businesses, many ainmed at Small Businesses in particular with the current... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
April 2020 Employment Law Changes for Small Businesses Just to make sure you are all up to date on all the Employment law changes for small businesses from April 2020, please see all the changes below. National Living Wage / National Minimum Wage National Living Wage... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
What Is (And Isn’t) Acceptable Office Etiquette? The workplace has changed almost beyond recognition over recent years. Technology, open plan working spaces and flexible work patterns are just a few factors that have had a radical impact on how our staff work... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 30, 2020 | Uncategorized
What Does Veganism At Work Mean For Your Business? The month of January is becoming more commonly recognised as ‘Veganuary’ which sees people trial a vegan diet or lifestyle as part of their New Year’s resolutions. While such a spontaneous change in... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
Presenteeism Is Already Negatively Affecting Your Business Happy New Year! We all made it through Christmas and New Year unscathed but now midwinter; the season of presenteeism is upon us. Today, we’ll be learning what the term means and making a New Year’s resolution... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Rise of Napping at Work Did you know that 85% of mammal species are polyphasic sleepers? Humans are part of the minority that have just one period of sleep and one period of wakefulness during the day. Interestingly, it’s also disputable whether this is our... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 13, 2019 | Uncategorized
Emotional Intelligence: What Is It And Why Does It Matter? Do you know someone who always seems to know just the right thing to say, at the right time, even in the most challenging situation? Have you ever worked for a manager who can deliver highly critical feedback... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 28, 2019 | Uncategorized
What happens when annual leave and staff sickness absences collide? It’s an all too familiar situation, you have an employee about to start a period of annual leave and they fall ill. They come to you with the question: “Can I reclaim my holiday entitlement because... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 22, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Right To Work: What Do You Need? Your friendly Government Website is very clear on the implications of employing an illegal worker. A cool 5 years of jail time and an unlimited fine could be imposed upon an individual found guilty of employing someone for which... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 31, 2019 | Uncategorized
Is It OK To Monitor Employees’ Social Media? Whether it is legal to monitor employees’ social media is a question employers often ask me, and it always brings two thoughts to my mind. Do you have good policies in place to define the use and monitoring... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 20, 2019 | Uncategorized
How To Offer Employee Benefits On A Budget Running a business of any size is hard work. If you’re running a reasonably small business, it can be even harder because very often everything is down to you – the owner. You need a team behind you to lighten the load and... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 3, 2019 | Uncategorized
Take Part In Our 2019 Benefits Survey And Win Tea For Two! As a Small Business, deciding on what benefits to give to your teams, if any, is hard. Unlike large corporate companies, small businesses do have a little more flexibility in what they can offer their teams in... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 27, 2019 | Uncategorized
How Can You Help Improve Your Employee’s Mental Health? Employee’s mental health is reflected in the way they think, feel and behave. Given how hard it is to quantify, compare and authenticate subjective mental states, the topic of mental health is often... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 17, 2019 | Uncategorized
Who Can Accompany An Employee To A Disciplinary Meeting? Who can accompany an employee to a disciplinary meeting is a question I get asked a lot! During a recent case in New Zealand, the employer advised their worker to bring a companion with him to his disciplinary... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 22, 2019 | Uncategorized
We’ll Save You Time And Money With BreatheHR Set Up And Go! As a small business, anything that saves you admin time money and lets you get stuck into what you love doing is a godsend. As we’re sure you’re already aware, dozens of helpful... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
Silence Can Be Golden… If You Have The Right Policies In Place Towards the end of 2017, Sainsbury’s found themselves on the wrong side of a tribunal after dismissing an employee for wearing headphones to listen to music while working. The employee worked in a... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 29, 2019 | Uncategorized
Check Out These 10 Free TED Talks On Leadership As bosses, we understand just how often employees, colleagues, and partners turn to you when they have questions, concerns, or need advice. Remember; advice usually has consequences, so it’s important to give a... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
Working Out Holiday Pay Is Easy… Right? Everyone knows that getting your employee’s Holiday Pay correct is very important. Yet it seems employees frequently feel like their bosses are getting it wrong. The lack of clarity on the subject is highlighted by the... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 27, 2019 | Uncategorized
A Quick Guide To Occupational Health First things first. Occupational Health Physicians are doctors – let’s get that out of the way for starters! I admit, the fact that I have to say that may just be me showing my naivety. However, I remember when I was first... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 25, 2019 | Uncategorized
What Are The Pros & Cons Of Occupational Sick Pay Schemes? All businesses experience staff absence due to ill-health from time to time. For some, it can be an occasional inconvenience. For others, it can become a headache that compromises the businesses’ ability... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
Mental Health Awareness Training In this day and age, employers have a duty of care to look after their employees Mental Health as well as their physical safety. With new statistics being thrust into the spotlight every day, it is more important than ever to think... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
These 6 Apps For Small Business Owners Can Help Save Time & Reduce Stress! Welcome! If you caught last week’s blog, you may remember I shared my top 6 ‘Go To’ technologies for small businesses to help with HR. This week, I’m delighted to share my top 6... by Kate Underwood | Jun 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
As promised we have launched a new website which includes a client area allowing us to share documents with you. Blah blah Blah 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 3, 2019 | Uncategorized
Today, I Celebrate My 4th Business Birthday! As I sit on the 7.08 am train to London at the start of my 4th business Birthday, I have some time to reflect and to ask the eternal question – what do I want to achieve in the next 4 years? But first, here’s a... 
by Kate Underwood | May 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
6 HR Tech For Small Businesses: For Your Human Resource Needs Here are my top six ‘go-to’ pieces of HR tech for small businesses which will help with all your Human Resource needs. Of course, number one has to be an HR System… Breathe This is the HR... 
by Kate Underwood | May 23, 2019 | Uncategorized
I’d Like To Share 2019’s Best Workplace Technology Trends With You The development of workplace technology continues apace in 2019 and as we approach the close of the second decade of the twenty-first century, it shows no sign of slowing down! In this... 
by Kate Underwood | May 9, 2019 | Uncategorized
Remote Working Can Be Hugely Beneficial For Your Business The benefits to employees of remote working are often obvious. But what about the benefits to you as the business owner? Broadly speaking, there are four main areas of your business that will benefit when you... by Kate Underwood | Apr 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
April 2019 Employment Law Update: Are You Meeting Minimum Requirements? The April 2019 Employment Law Update means that as another year passes, another set of statutory pay increases take effect. So, if you employ staff or are an employee affected by one of the... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 28, 2019 | Uncategorized
Mindfulness Will Help You Become The Best Version Of Yourself! This is week as part of KUHR’s Wellbeing month, we thought we’d highlight something that is becoming more popular to incorporate in our everyday lives, not just at home, but at work too –... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 21, 2019 | Uncategorized
Learn To Let Your Staff Switch Off And Reap The Rewards! The majority of people feel the pressure of our ‘always-on’ culture and don’t recognise the importance of learning to switch off. Perhaps you’re a business owner who is feeling stuck in an unavoidable... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
How Physical Exercise Helps Small Business Owners Reap Huge Rewards As part of Kate Underwood HR’s Wellbeing Month, we couldn’t really let the importance of physical exercise for small business owners pass by unmentioned. We all know that looking after... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 6, 2019 | Uncategorized
What Are Your Responsibilities Surrounding Food Allergies? Here at Kate Underwood HR, we’ve decided that March is Wellbeing month in the office. Naturally, one of the things we’ve been thinking about is allergies and allergens in the workplace. In particular (with... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 21, 2019 | Uncategorized
How To Improve Your Job Descriptions Job descriptions often don’t get the love and attention they deserve. When it comes to hiring a new member, job descriptions are still largely ignored by smaller organisations. In my experience, many small and medium-sized... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
How To Avoid Costly Recruitment Mistakes Once you’ve decided now’s the right time to recruit new people into your business, how can you make sure you make the right decision? Well, you need to think carefully about how to go about it. Eliminating Recruitment Mistakes... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 31, 2019 | Uncategorized
Want Your Company To Succeed? Connect Your Business Plans And Appraisals! Business plans are a critical part of every business to ensure that every activity you undertake moves you closer to achieving your goals. But how well do you align your Business Plans And... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
Get With E-Learning… Or Get Left Behind! E-Learning is fast becoming the most effective way to onboard, train and develop staff. There are e-learning platforms available for just about every sector and every role within those sectors. Even where practical skills... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 29, 2018 | Uncategorized
A Quick Guide To Self-Employment & Training I thought I’d ask a self-employed friend to be this month’s guest blogger so they could share their story about their journey from redundancy into self-employment and their advice for people in the same boat. ... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 22, 2018 | Uncategorized
The BreatheHR Payroll Export Tool Revolutionises Payroll Here at Kate Underwood HR & Training, I know what it feels like to be the boss of a growing small business. When it comes to the most important commodity of all – time, it often feels like sand... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 14, 2018 | Uncategorized
Kate’s Guide To Celebrating Christmas And Religious Festivals Religious belief has been a protected characteristic in the workplace for a very long time. However, many businesses are still struggling to fully understand how to recognise this when it comes to... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 8, 2018 | Uncategorized
What Are the Rules Surrounding Small Businesses Enforcing Training Agreements? Training Agreements can be hugely beneficial. As a small business, it is essential to keep employee turnover as low as possible as the cost to replace can be a lot more than you think.... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 31, 2018 | Uncategorized
Why You Should Already Be Using BreatheHR Software If you’re a regular to my blog posts, I realise I might sound a bit like a broken record on the topic of HR Systems, but I really do believe they are one of the most valuable tools for any small businesses with... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
Do You Always Carry Out Return To Work Interviews? Cards on the table time. Do you ALWAYS carry out a Return to Work Interview when an employee comes back from a period of sickness? Or, like many business leaders, are you too busy? Maybe you see it as just another... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
Here Are My Five Top Tips For Using BreatheHR I recommend that all of my clients use an HR system, and I especially recommend BreatheHR. For those using currently using this brilliant and easy-to-use UK-based HR system, I’d like to share these five sensational tips... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 4, 2018 | Uncategorized
The Many, Surprising Benefits of Hiring An Intern This summer, I was very fortunate to have a lovely intern called Sean to join the KUHR team. I would highly recommend taking on an intern if you are a small business and ever get the chance. Not only did I gain great... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
BreatheHR System – The UK’s Number One HR Software I very much advocate the use of an HR system to all my clients, and number one for me is the BreatheHR System for helping small business owners to escape the admin of managing employees. BreatheHR System... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
Is Your Business At Risk From Presenteeism? Mental Health in the workplace is big news right now – and rightly so. As a responsible employer, you care about the physical and mental wellbeing of your staff, right? For example, if you were asked ‘How are your company... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
Your Back To School Policy Could Be Good For Your Business The Summer holidays are over, the leaves are turning beautiful golden brown colours, children have started back to school and the peak leave period is over. Surely then, it’s now safe to say that business, as... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
Hurry! Time Is Running Out To Take Advantage Of The Childcare Voucher Scheme in April 2018, the Government Childcare Voucher Scheme extended its joining-date deadline for new members by another six months. The initiative, which allows parents to save up to £933 a year... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 30, 2018 | Uncategorized
Managing Annual Leave In Your Business Running a business comes with many challenges, perhaps none more so than managing annual leave, especially balancing the demands of your business against the needs of your staff to take time off! Inevitably there will be peaks... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
Need An HR System? Check Out BreatheHR! If you’re already a client of mine, you’ll know I love a sound HR system, and you’ll also know that I highly recommend BreatheHR. If you’re thinking about implementing up an HR System, or you’re not sure why you’d want one for... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 15, 2018 | Uncategorized
Chillax! It’s National Relaxation Day I know, I know – there’s a ‘National Day’ for everything these days! Though National Donut Day may sound heaven-sent, thank goodness all these celebrations are not all Bank Holidays or nothing would get done! The History Of... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
Dining Report: Food Safety & The FSA Survey Here at Kate Underwood HR, we now have quite a few clients on our books who are in the ‘food trade’. So, to go hand in hand her blog on food allergies, I thought I’d ask our friend Ruth from Simply Safer to be this... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 2, 2018 | Uncategorized
What To Look For When Choosing A Cloud Based HR System I believe a cloud based HR system is a must for all of my clients, and all small businesses with employees. Not only do they save time, but in the new GDPR world we live in, you need to make sure your... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
Breathe HR Just Got Even Better! Ask any of my clients and colleagues, family friends or nerdy neighbours how much I adore technology, and they will undoubtedly tell you that I have a reputation as THE geek of all HR geeks! The thing is, I fully admit being a... 
by Kate Underwood | May 22, 2018 | Uncategorized
How To Recognise & Deal With An Employee’s Poor Performance It can seem easier to ignore poor performance from an employee. Dealing with the situation can seem daunting to managers and sometimes it’s uncomfortable to deal with things you would rather avoid.... 
by Kate Underwood | May 8, 2018 | Uncategorized
Important Working Time Regulations Update In March this year, I featured a guest blog ‘5 things employers should know about working time regulations and holiday’. However, a recent case in the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has prompted me to add some... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
Employee Experience: 4 Brilliant Ways To Improve Engagement “Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that.” Richard Branson. We don’t hear many negative views of working for Virgin, so it’s safe to say they have... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
Exit Interviews: Useful Information Or Too Little, Too Late? To say the HR world is divided over the value of exit interviews is an understatement. A quick internet search soon returns countless articles both extolling the benefits of gathering constructive feedback... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 28, 2018 | Uncategorized
What Are Your Options If An Employee Makes A Flexible Working Request? When it comes to flexible working, once known as “flexi-time”, the modern workplace has undergone momentous changes over recent years. Technological advances mean that more and more... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
Recent surveys have shown that some business leaders in the UK are lacking key management skills essential for businesses to develop in the way they want to. Whilst leaders appear competent in technical skills, budgeting and financial management, they can sometimes... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
How To Overcome Weather Disruptions To Your Business As Small Business owners, many unplanned events can affect your business. One of them being your staff not attending work, and this week, this might be because of adverse weather disruptions. My inbox is full of... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
Eight Ways To Avoid Wasting Time & Money When Hiring Employees When it comes to hiring employees, according to a CIPD study, it costs about £2,000 to recruit a new member of staff. Bear in mind, that’s just the recruitment process, the overall cost is a lot... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
The Future Of Work: Workplace Trend Predictions For 2018 Here at Kate Underwood HR & Training, we’re obsessed with tech and business culture. Speaking personally, I find workplace trend predictions a fascinating part of Human Resources. This article... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 16, 2018 | Uncategorized
5 Simple Ways Small Businesses Should Prepare For GDPR Over the last week, the main topic of HR conversation has been about how small businesses need to prepare for GDPR. Some discussions have been very proactive, but there are many that believe they do not need to... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
The 2017 Venus Small Business Awards, Hampshire After a near six month-long battle, the final of the Venus Small Business Awards, Hampshire’s finest small business competition took place on Saturday 11th November 2017 at the beautiful Spark Building at... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 5, 2017 | Uncategorized
Contractor Or Worker? Ask These Three Questions To Find Out! In the last couple of weeks, I have performed quite a few HR Health Checks where I have had to determine whether a team member is a contractor or worker. As part of the health check, I must ascertain if the... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 28, 2017 | Uncategorized
How To Stay Productive At Work In Our Always-On World If any one person had a cure-all answer to how to stay productive at work, then they’d be a millionaire. The National Office for Statistics recently calculated that productivity in Britain has lately been... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
How To Calculate Annual Leave For Part-Time Employees One of the most commonly asked questions, when I am doing my HR Health Check, is “How to calculate annual leave for part-time employees?” Although employers are giving their employees holidays there are... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Step Into The Pink Room I’m tickled pink to announce that the last Small Business Award semifinalist in the Hampshire 2017 Venus Awards is Verity Evans from The Pink Room. How Does One Describe The Pink Room? “Modern and Comforting Salon based in the Heart... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
Say Hello To Sarah Lowe Credit Management! Credit where it’s due! The next semifinalist for the Small Business Award in the Hampshire 2017 Venus Awards is Sarah Lowe, owner of Sarah Lowe Credit Management. Tell ’em What You Do, Sarah! “Sarah Lowe... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 11, 2017 | Uncategorized
Ladies & Gentlemen, It’s Laura Skilton, from Baby Paddlers! So it’s in at the deep end as I announce the next finalist for the Small Business Award in the Hampshire 2017 Venus Awards is Laura Skilton from Baby Paddlers. Tell Us About Baby Paddlers... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
Happy Hounds Make A Happy Home! My first Finalist for the Small Business Award in the Hampshire 2017 Venus Awards is Emily Walden from Happy Hounds. Tell Us About Happy Hounds, Emily! “Happy Hounds was founded by Emily Walden who grew up in Yorkshire and moved... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
Introducing Danielle Rolfe & Penton Park After much deliberation, the finalists for the small business award in the Hampshire 2017 Venus Awards have fnally been decided upon. And I’m delighted to announce that, starting proceedings off is Danielle Rolfe from... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
Do You Have A Pets At Work Policy? We all know that Britain is known for its love of pets but what are the practicalities of having a Pets at Work Policy in your workplace? You might have seen a few pictures of my cat (and IT Manager), Jess helping me out. Days like... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
Employment Tribunal Fees Deemed Unlawful: What Now For Small Businesses? Yesterday it was announced that Employment Tribunals Fees were unlawful and are to be abolished. What Does This Mean For The Government? In an unprecedented move, and a two year investigation,... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 5, 2017 | Uncategorized
Making Tough Redundancy Decisions In today’s working life as an employee, people will have an average of 10 jobs in their lifetime. Therefore, working in HR is not always pink and fluffy. Unfortunately, sometimes, you have to be confident and ruthless enough to... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
What Steps Should You Take To Keep Your Employees Cool? English weather is joked about all around the world and perhaps deservedly so. However, we do experience the occasional heatwave, and with climate change, just like sea-levels, their frequency is on the rise. So,... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
Happy 2nd Business Birthday To Me! Today is the 2nd Business Birthday of Kate Underwood HR! 730 days and counting and I’m thinking “Wow; how did that happen? Does this mean I am in my terrible 2’s now?” I spent a little time yesterday basking in the glorious English... 
by Kate Underwood | May 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
Maternity Leave: Your Options As An Employer When small businesses on an employee, bosses accept there will be challenging times ahead. You must change your way whole way of thinking, prepare for short-term absences and cover holidays; but nothing will prepare for the... 
by Kate Underwood | May 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
The Hampshire Venus Awards 2017 Just Got Bigger! Last year I was honoured to be nominated for Southampton’s Venus Awards and managed to become one of the Semi-Finalists for Influential Woman and Finalist for New Business. So now, as the competition brings... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
These Benefits Of E-Learning Will Keep Your Small Business Compliant One of the common issues that I often come across with small businesses is trying to find a cost-effective way to ensure that their team is compliant in statutory training. To combat this, I have... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
How Will April’s Statutory Payment Increases 2017 Affect Your Payroll? As of April, 1st, the government’s Statutory Payment Increases 2017 will increase. It has been a few years since Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Statutory Sick Pay were increased, so... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
What Is A Virtual HR Director? And Why Do You Need One Today? As a small business owner, you’re probably under the impression that you don’t need an HR department or even a Virtual HR Director. If you head up a newly-formed Startup or only have a few... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
How Do You The Best Out Of Your Probationary Period? I often get asked how long a probationary period should be. Recruiting the right candidate is usually a tricky task but employees do have tools to make sure you have made the right decision. If you have a constant... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 17, 2017 | Uncategorized
Are You Paying Your Employees The National Living Wage? This week, the news has highlighted some well-known companies not paying their employees the legal minimum. Companies as large as Debenhams, Subway and Lloyds Pharmacy have not been paying their employees the... 
by Kate Underwood | Jan 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
How To Support An Employee Going Through Divorce Employees from time to time will have some personal issues that will affect them. As an employer, you need to decide how much support you want to give to them. Today, we’re going to be looking at an all too common... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 31, 2016 | Uncategorized
How Do You Achieve Perfect Work-Life Balance? How to achieve the best work-life balance is, of course, one of the eternal questions and one that may remain elusive for decades to come. As 2016 draws to a close, I started to consider starting my own business and found... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
How To Prepare For Your First-Ever Employee A few weeks ago, CharlieHR tweeted asking for guest bloggers and, since I’m trying to do more blogging, I thought I would give it a try. It was tough choosing a topic but finally found one that would be useful, so... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 7, 2016 | Uncategorized
All Yule Need To Know About Surviving Christmas At The Office! Christmas at the office can be almost as bad as going home to visit the family. For some, it’s a time of spreading joy, love and peace to all men, for others it’s filled with useless gifts, bad... 
by Kate Underwood | Dec 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
A Refreshing Alternative To Going To Court by Sarah French Working within the Human Resources industry means no day or case is ever the same. In this way, HR can be a little bit like family law lawyers. As HR professionals, we often become the confidant to our... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 28, 2016 | Uncategorized
4 Ways Small Businesses Can Manage Employee Holidays Over the last few years, new events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become popular in the UK as employee holidays. From a business perspective, you need to make sure you can deal with holiday requests on... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
Are Verbal Offers Of Employment Contractual Or Not?”Verbal offers are not worth the paper they’re not written on!”In today’s blog, we’re going to be asking whether verbal offers of employment are legal. Due to the internet, the amount of... 
by Kate Underwood | Nov 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
The 2017 Legislation Update: Changes To The Childcare Voucher Scheme As you may or may not be aware, there are quite a lot of legislation changes coming in 2017. The one we’re going to be taking a look at today is the Childcare Voucher Scheme. I’ll begin... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 25, 2016 | Uncategorized
The Workplace Pension: 4 Important Things You Don’t Get Told Have you seen the workplace pension advert on TV? The one with the big fluffy purple monster talking about how employers have to follow new pension regulations and the new workplace pension scheme?... 
by Kate Underwood | Oct 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
How To Offer Benefits To Stay Competitive (Without Breaking The Bank) National Minimum Wage increased on the 1st of October, and in April 2017, the National Living wage will also rise again. So, how does a small business remain competitive and keep their talent... 
by Kate Underwood | Sep 30, 2016 | Uncategorized
Do You Have Fair Process & Procedures? When it comes to fair process and procedures, I’m quite often asked: “Is that really necessary?” My response is always something along the lines of “Well, if you were in that situation, how would you... 
by Kate Underwood | Aug 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
5 Steps To Check Your Job Applicant’s Right To Work In The UK As a small business, deciding to employ someone is a huge step and huge responsibility, and as we all know from Spiderman’s Uncle Ben: “With great power, comes great responsibility!”... 
by Kate Underwood | Jun 1, 2016 | Uncategorized
One Year Older, One Year Wiser! My first year in business has come and gone, and I’m asking how on earth have 365 days passed already? Some of those days brought smiles, some brought tears, but most of all, they brought a sense of achievement. Reflecting now on... 
by Kate Underwood | May 2, 2016 | Uncategorized
Harness HR Technologies Now… Or Get Left Behind Just because you’re a small business does not mean you can’t harness the same HR Technologies as the large corporates. Just to let you into a secret, you don’t have to have deal with Excel... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 22, 2016 | Uncategorized
One Week On From The Small Business Awards… It’s hard to think that it was only this time last week that I attended the Small Business Awards. The guest list read like a veritable Who’s Who of regional business gurus, clients, mentors and friends and a... 
by Kate Underwood | Apr 6, 2016 | Uncategorized
There are Only Nine Days Until The Venus Awards 2016 Finals Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin, because today, boys and girls we’re going on a little adventure! Once upon a time. Nope; let me start that again. It was a dark and stormy... 
by Kate Underwood | Mar 6, 2016 | Uncategorized
Get Involved With The Entrepreneur Event! In 2015, I sponsored and entered an event run by the Countess Mountbatten Hospice called The Entrepreneur, the main sponsor being Complete Vehicle Management based in Fareham. Little did I know I would be in the centre pages... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 28, 2016 | Uncategorized
What Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? Corporate responsibility is sometimes known as corporate social responsibility, or CSR for short. It is defined as “the responsibility of an organisation for the impacts of its decisions on society and the... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
Do You Need To Issue A Contract Of Employment? I wish there were an easy, yes or no answer to this question, but like everything in life, the devil is in the details. With all the red tape nowadays it can get very confusing whether someone is an employee or a... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
Important Announcement About The Venus Awards Finalists! On Thursday 11th February 2016, Tara Howard, Founder of the Venus Awards, announced the Finalists of this years Southampton Venus Awards. I am very honoured to have been included in the Top 3 and as a Finalist... 
by Kate Underwood | Feb 7, 2016 | Uncategorized
Why A Social Media Policy Is A Must For Your Small Business Hands up who has a smartphone! Of course you do – it’s the twenty-first century! We live in a world where a whopping “77% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand they... 
by Kate Underwood | Jul 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
How To Deal With Employee Sickness I have just spent some time reading a few great articles around employee sickness and how much it costs small businesses. During my time, I have heard a multitude of excuses as for why someone cannot come into work, some obviously... 