Welcome to the HR Blast!
The "go-to" library for HR, Employment Law & Business Updates.
Our fortnightly "HR Blasts" brings you a two-minute update on:
- Current HR, employment and business related topics based on the real issues that come through to our HR help desk.
- Pointers that can be passed on to line managers in order to minimise common mistakes.
- A pragmatic and commercial approach using plain English and straight-talking (no jargon!)
- Regular features including blog posts and exclusive special reader offers on our services and products.
We guarantee to avoid unnecessary scare mongering and over-complication of HR matters!
"Jaluch provide a clear and straightforward interpretation of the law! These are the only articles that make sense of it all for me!"
Sandra Smith, Discovery Education
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Adaptability - the new gold dust competence
Our CEO at Jaluch has long been preaching that adaptability should be included in all sets of leadership competencies and that adaptability is a critical ingredient in today’s workplace. But it occurred to us that we have never written about this somewhat n...
Struggling to recruit your recruiter? You are not alone!
In this Blast we wanted to take a look at the various challenges around recruiting recruiters including the changing focus from straightforward ‘recruiter’ to specialist in ‘talent acquisition’.
A shortage of recruiters?
Whilst the whole world is look...
Working with and Managing Introverts in the Workplace
Welcome to this HR Blast on understanding introversion. The Pandemic and home working has given prominence to a number of issues around introverts in the workplace that were previously noticed, but never a priority to manage or really understand.
ED&I...
Employment issues and employment law – what’s happening in 2022
HR has been largely in reactive mode across the past two years and this year seems to be more of the same, however, with a little understanding and planning we can take back some control to alleviate some of the stresses and strains. Here is our (easy...
Ukraine Conflict: What’s the Impact on HR?
Welcome to this HR Blast reflecting on the potential impact of the Ukraine crisis on HR teams and our wider businesses. If we can do some thinking and planning now, then we will be better positioned for the future.
In the UK, we might feel somewhat...
Is HR continually solving the wrong problems? Self-managed teams may be the answer!
During a recent discussion of all things HR with a humanitarian worker who spends her life on the front line in war zones and natural disaster areas, we were reminded of how many of the issues we deal with in today’s modern workplaces are in fact developed w...
Emotionally Charged Dismissals: Employment Law/Case Round-Up (Part 2)
Employees who feel fairly treated, heard and informed are far less likely to raise claims against their employer. This is why dismissing staff can’t be just about process and procedure. Equally important is understanding the employee relations – and pot...
Facts Without the Fear: Employment Law/Case Round Up
As many of you will be aware, there are increasing numbers of businesses in the UK seemingly offering all HR and H&S support for free - employee handbooks, policies, HR support, H&S support, even Tribunal support. But of course, there is always...
Could the Grinch who stole Christmas lose you staff?
Managing the challenges of a 'Covid' Christmas
Crazy chaotic times for businesses and all of us in HR, and just when so many of us thought that things were easing and life was getting more predictable, along comes another variant. Never before has ...
Mind the Gender Pay Gap
One issue that we often still hear about in the media is the Gender Pay Gap … but what does this really mean? How can it impact your business? And what can you do about it? Let's take a look at how you can "mind the gap" in your organisation.
Gender P...
6 Steps to Change a Toxic Work Culture
It’s been a difficult time for many these past few years and for several reasons this has resulted in some work cultures being lost to ‘toxicity’. Perhaps the leaders have been less present due to distractions and remote working, perhaps the business has b...
Managing and Supporting Younger Workers
Use these rules of the road to help younger employees succeed in the workplace
It’s a tough work environment for many at present, but never more so than for many young people who were just beginning their career journeys. Those who have left education t...
Mental Health First Aiders in the Workplace - The Pros and Cons
Welcome to this HR Blast from Jaluch. Mental health and mental wellbeing are hot topics in today’s world, both within and outside the workplace, with many organisations considering appointing mental health first aiders. If this is on your agenda, here a...
"No Jab, No Job" - Human Rights Issue or Discrimination on grounds of Philosophical Belief?
Although the UK Government has not legislated mandatory vaccinations in the workplace ( apart from in care homes ) some organisations are still considering introducing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, and/or a ‘no jab, no job’ contractual req...
Is it time to step away from unconscious bias training?
This past year some organisations have been bringing unconscious bias training up the priority list, whilst others have been dropping it like a stone. What do you believe is the right approach?
In our view, this shift in focus has been driven by two...
Mandatory Care Home Vaccinations... And The Impact On Other Sectors
The deadline for all care home workers to be vaccinated is fast approaching and whilst, obviously, this inactivate is going to impact the care home sector the most... if your business provides services into care homes this is also going to affect you....
End of Furlough – Are your staff willing or unwilling to return?
In June about 2 million people were still on furlough, with some 28% of employers still furloughing staff. This month we are already seeing lots of staff returning to the office, resuming duties and getting back to 'normal'. Business it would appear...
New right to work checks in the UK – are you clear about the rules?
Welcome to this HR Blast from Jaluch. Pandemic or not, legislation continues to evolve and a key piece of knowledge for employers, recruiters and managers is around Right to Work.
Essentially, employers must carry out checks to make sure that the people...
Rethinking how to manage coughs and colds in the workplace
As the UK population looks towards the complete lifting of restrictions, it seems sensible to begin thinking about how we are going to manage minor illnesses in the workplace before the first winter hits us, after a year and a half of regular lockdowns...
Taking the first steps into management
It’s a tough job stepping away from your familiar role into that of team lead, team supervisor or even team manager. Perhaps you have even gone from the status of ‘employee’ to ‘employer’ as a result of setting up your own business and now find yourself ...
Managing Mental Health in the Workplace
It’s a roller coaster time emotionally for many in today’s workforce, so let’s take a few minutes to explore mental health in the workplace. The key questions we are being asked are:
Should we have a mental health policy?
What is the differ...
Managing post-lockdown dismissals fairly
As we are starting to emerge from lock-down, employers are inevitably having to manage issues which may have been placed on the back-burner until now.
This month already, nearly 2000 people have read the five fair reasons for dismissals article on...
Building the Credibility of HR
… 'but I thought HR was about Tea and Tissues'?
For more than three decades far too many of us in HR have been battling the low regard in which so many hold HR. We have never really shared our thoughts about how to raise the credibility of the function, s...
Employment Law Update
As Spring blooms and we head (fingers crossed) out of lockdown here’s a handy update with upcoming dates for changes and updates to key employment practices.
Changes to National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
6 April 2021
The hourly r...
How to Manage Underperforming Homeworkers
Across the past year, one theme that has emerged is how powerless managers feel when it comes to managing someone remotely who they believe is underperforming. In this article, we will look at how to quickly recognise the employees that are underperforming...
Return to the Workplace: How and When Businesses Can Get Back to ‘Normal’
Do Businesses need to wait until 21 June 2021 to get back to ‘Normal’?
With vaccinations rolling out across the UK population and the announcement of the government’s 4-step roadmap which outlines an end of social distancing measures by June 21, t...
Employment Status Guide: Employed, Self Employed or Worker?
Given the recent press over Uber, we thought it would be apt to explore the distinctions between the status of different staff - this is critical to understanding the rights they have and your responsibilities towards them as an employer.
Who do you...
Avoiding Employment Litigation in 2021
A tough old year last year is fast becoming a tough new year this year, with plenty going on, lots of stresses and strains and a truckload of workplace conflict too. When people are unhappy or feeling out of sorts, we always see more workplace conflict....
App ideas for HR departments
We have chosen a variety of HR and training themed apps and learning tools to help HR departments boost employees’ personal development and productivity, covering a range of topics from project planning and online training to some more light-hearted g...
Wellbeing troubleshooting and strategies for HR
As a result of the continuing lockdowns, economic uncertainties, home working challenges etc. at Jaluch we feel employers and HR teams are on a wellbeing precipice. And a precipice is a dangerous place to be!
Many people survived previous lockdowns...
HR perspective: six ‘clangers’ to avoid in 2021
Businesses and HR departments have been reacting to the unexpected throughout 2020 – and whilst 2021 isn’t showing signs of that stopping, there is an opportunity to plan for some of the known challenges in the coming year to ensure you steer clear of ...
The 2021 workplace: Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future
AULD LANG SYNE – Reflecting on the Past and Looking to The Future!
What a year we have had! And as we head towards the new year, the phrase ‘Auld Lang Syne’ springs to mind, which roughly translates as ‘for old times sake’. The song is all about...
The new immigration rules for 2021 that UK employers need to know about
The immigration rules are changing on the 31st December 2020, which will impact your EU workforce as a consequence of the UK leaving the European Union and the ‘transitional period’ ending. Continue reading to find out what employers need to look at ...
The current issues managers are facing and how to deal with them
In this Blast, we wanted to share a few ideas on how to deal with the things that seem to be currently causing the most worry and concern for managers.
The current issues managers are facing:
Historic and Current Grievances
Without prejudice...
Pay Review or Pay Cut?
Welcome to this HR Blast on all things related to Pay and Benefits. We will look at:
Should remote workers be paid more or should their pay be cut
What benefits need rethinking in the light of increased remote working
New jobs, new organisational...
Beware the Profit Vampires
In business, you have to be aware of the profit vampires. If you aren't looking out for them, these 'vampires' will prey on your business and have the potential to wreck everything.
The good news is that you don’t have to remain oblivious to their m...
UK Employment Law Update - October 2020
With so much change happening all around us, we wanted to provide a quick round-up of developments in UK employment law which business owners, managers and HR departments need to be aware of. Including:
Pay cuts
New jobs support scheme
...
It’s the Final Straw - Disciplining Long Serving Staff
Disciplining your staff is never an easy task, but when it's a well established or long serving employee it can make employers and managers feel even more uncomfortable. We have previously looked at how you can manage under performing staff with very...
Five TUPE Myths
Welcome to this HR Blast that aims to ‘blast’ away some of the myths around TUPE. As an employer with staff about to transfer in, perhaps you have more options than you thought? At Jaluch we have seen a considerable upswing in the numbers of mergers and...
5 tell-tale signs professional etiquette has left the building
Today I wanted to talk about online meetings. It strikes me that it's been six months since everyone went home and meetings went online but still very few organisations have been explicit about online meeting etiquette.
3 top tips for HR to avoid fines and penalties
As always, we are here to support and advise and, in this case, warn you about keeping your organisation safe.
Does your HR team (or those with responsibility for HR) really understand the various penalties for non-compliance? We worry that sometimes...
Professional Management of Remote Workers
Are the right things on your agenda?
In March businesses and their managers were thrust into remote working with no planning, no procedures and not much experience - for the most part. We can all live for a while with crisis management but our time...
During these exceptional times, how happy and engaged is your workforce?
Perhaps you are wondering whether this is utterly irrelevant given that you are just trying to stay afloat, pivot your business, educate or appease your children, care for relatives and/or worry about those who you are having to let go?
But neglect...
Diversity, Racism, Unconscious Bias ... Where Do We Go From Here?
2020 has been a year of surprises – and challenges – for everyone. No one could have predicted that just when businesses were working out how to get back on their feet, amid ongoing large scale redundancies and business reorganisations, we would be ...
3 Common Mistakes When Moving From Face-to-Face to Online Training
Welcome to this HR Blast. Not surprisingly given that 50% of our revenue at Jaluch comes from delivering training, we have had a lot of enquiries about virtual training. If you’re considering moving from face-to-face to virtual learning, there are some p...
HR updates
Latest updates: furlough, redundancy, short-time working, staff representatives & RIDDOR
Furlough
URGENT! Don’t believe all you read! There has been much in the press in recent days about the fact that if you want to continue to take adv...
Important Reminders for HR and Business Owners
In recent months, we have all been preoccupied so we thought it would be helpful to provide a few important reminders and insights, which might have been missed.
New Immigration Plans Post Brexit
Plans to replace EU freedom of movement with a new...
Effectively managing your remote workers – different approaches for different people!
Remote and home working, was a massively underutilised way of operating pre-COVID-19. Often rejected on grounds of trust, complexity, technological difficulty, productivity etc. but all those concerns were rapidly pushed aside earlier this year, given...
Performance or Misconduct?
A challenge for many managers is identifying and differentiating between misconduct and poor performance issues. Some don’t know how to, others choose not to.
Clients often come to us about an employee who has potential but who is, in fact, bone i...
Managing workplace social distancing & return to work challenges
Whilst most businesses still have their employees working from home or on furlough, many are thinking to the future and working out how to get their employees back to work. We know that workplace social distancing measures are likely to still be recommended...
Managing employee consultation and representation during COVID-19
Consultation is a legal requirement if you intend to change contracts of employment, make redundancies, lay staff off, sell your business or acquire another one (TUPE). There are other times too when consultation is a legal requirement.
The current ...
Urgent Employment Law Changes from 6th April 2020
Don’t get caught out: Contracts of employment need to be changed, the processes for the issuing of contracts need to be change. Please read this important update.
Despite all the chaos caused by COVID-19, the world and businesses are still moving f...
Flexible thinking around flexibility
Not surprisingly people tend to think in straight lines but in times of crisis become a bit more innovative and creative in their thinking. This is what every UK business needs right now. We’re here to help where we can so here are some of our thoughts a...
A practical guide to conducting sensitive HR meetings remotely
Overview
You do not need to delay holding formal HR meetings just because you cannot get the relevant parties into the room.
For commercial and legal reasons it often makes sense to push ahead with meetings. Disciplinary action should not...
COVID-19 FAQs for businesses managing staff (May/June)
As coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread the UK, it has massively impacted businesses and the management of employees. We’ve been in business since 2002 so have a fair few clients we work with and we thought it would be helpful to share the typical questions w...
Top Tips for Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Welcome to our latest edition of HR Blast! This week we discuss the topic of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace, challenging ways of thinking to break down stigma and raise awareness on how neurodivergent employees are a hidden talent pool that...
The Do’s and Don’ts When Managing Discipline and Grievances
At Jaluch we often find that those newly appointed as supervisors or managers feel somewhat out of their depth when it comes to dealing with a disciplinary or grievance situation. Perhaps your managers were trained up a few years ago, but where does ...
Is your HR function sufficiently informed to manage ‘woke’ behaviours?
Managing the rise of the 'woke' workplace ...
A few months ago we wrote about the role of HR in environmental sustainability , urging HR departments to take time to fully understand their role in relation to environmental issues. Now we thought...
Driving for work - are your employees driving you into a pothole?
Whilst driving for work is one of the most dangerous activities your employees do, driving can be equally hazardous for those flying desks back at base … if you don’t get the insurance, policies and procedures right you might be in for a big fine or ...
Christmas is all about – limiting those January resignations….
As you’re building up to Christmas, let's help you dispel that sinking feeling that, come the New Year, you might be dealing with some unwanted resignations. New Year is often a time of change on the job front 'new year, new me' and while change is o...
Managing under performance in your team
Under performance is often like paint that has faded in the sun…when the colours just aren’t as bright as they used to be. Under performance is not always obvious, until you take a step back and look at the whole scene to see where the sharpness, bri...
How to prevent age discrimination in the workplace
The saying goes that “age is just a number”, or so we like to think as another year passes by! But age can have a whole host of other meanings and implications, thanks to the prejudices, preconceived ideas and unconscious biases that each one of us hol...
10 top tips on how to make flexible working 'work' in your business
Let’s explore the challenges that businesses face when accommodating part time and remote working. If you read on you can see our 10 top tips, great ideas if you are in a business that is reluctant, or struggling, to engage in flexible working practices.
What d...
Are your staff running rings around your managers? 6 top tips to take back control!
At Jaluch it is to our constant frustration that we see the stress, irritation and angst that comes from having one ore more employees running rings around their Manager. So here are six top tips to stop people messing you around and wasting valuable...
How to Deal with Data Subject Access Requests FAQs (SAR or DSAR)
We are seeing increasing numbers of employees and ex-employees submitting subject access requests to their employers. On some occasions they genuinely need to understand what is held on file about them. On other occasions it appears to us to be no more...
IR35 changes - will this affect you?
IR35 rules are changing in April 2021 - if you run a business using associates and contractors this will this affect you. And, perhaps more importantly, this will affect various departmental budgets in relation to staffing - or even legal - costs.
There ...
What is a Settlement Agreement? In a Nutshell ...
How confident are you using settlement agreements?
Settlement Agreements are the legal tool at your disposal for parting company with an employee in such a way that leaves the organisation protected from tribunal claims. This HR Blast should bring you...
5 cost and time efficiencies you are missing out on
Our clients often get frustrated by the amount of time and money that goes into managing various processes, that with a little bit of hindsight could have been avoided. So here are a few pointers from us to minimise time and effort – and a fair degree o...
Digital literacy: Is your workplace full of digi stars or digi dinosaurs?
Digital literacy, what is it? How does it affect you? How does it affect your staff? What do you need to do about it? And where do you even begin?
There are so many questions being asked about digital literacy and the ever-evolving technological...
An employer's guide to managing pregnancy and maternity
In this article we take a look at some FAQs around managing pregnancy and maternity. So why not up your knowledge or check your facts with our guidance which is followed by a few relevant case law examples.
My employee has just announced she’s p...
Holding employees accountable: embedding a culture of accountability in the workplace
How important is accountability in your workplace? Do your employees take sufficient personal responsibility on a day to day basis? Do you have specific legislation or regulations that you are bound by or Governing bodies or inspectors that you want...
Workplace Investigations – HELP! (Discipline, Grievance and Performance)
Managing discipline, grievance and performance investigations are always a hot topic that we see our clients dealing with, lots of which absorbing too much time adding to the pressures of every day duties.
So, in this week’s HR Blast, see our FAQ’s on ...
Discrimination in the workplace: what you need to be aware of
A longer HR Blast than normal but Discrimination claims are rife and it’s a complex subject…
Do you keep up to date with the changes in the news? With so much going on, both in the UK and Internationally, it’s hard to know which bits are the m...
HR as a cyber security champion
Another policy has been issued from the depths of the IT function about encryption, security upgrades and phishing. So what?
If a policy has no obvious WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) or if its content is designed to make eyes glaze over, then it’s goi...
The role of HR in environmental sustainability
For many years environmental issues have been passed off to departments such as production/manufacturing, PR, logistics etc. but no longer can HR keep itself distant from such issues.
Aside from, or perhaps in spite of Brexit, environmental issues...
Preventing Illegal Working in the UK - Are you up to date with the changes?
There have been some recent changes in respect of preventing illegal working in the UK– are you up to date with these changes? Do you really know what the law says and what you actually need to do to protect your business? Please do read on as we h...
How to avoid historic grievance claims (they are more common than you might think)
Welcome to this week’s HR Blast for employers. Can employees raise grievances about stuff that happened years ago? Is there any protection for employers with respect to historical claims? Can you side step a disgruntled or hostile employee wanting to c...
Flexible working trends: innovative ways to be a 'flexible' employer
Welcome to this HR Blast from Jaluch about flexibility in the workplace. Are you waking up to the demands to be a more flexible employer? Does the standard 9-5pm routine even work anymore? Is flexible working embedded in your business? If not, what...
Health & wellbeing - helplines and useful articles for staff
Interested in the wellbeing of your staff? Why not issue them with some helpline information? Perhaps they are struggling caring for an elderly or sick relative, have a teenager self harming or threatening suicide, have a sibling dealing with the aftermath...
