The HR Dept, Durham & Newcastle South

The start of a new academic year brings flux to many households up and down the country. Some families may be sending their children to school for the first time, whilst others are well into the annual routine of it.

As an employer, you may find it is a time of year when you are more likely to get requests for flexible working, as kids need to be in new places at new times. The law on flexible working has changed in recent years and is likely to change further under the new Labour government. For that matter, societal expectations have changed significantly too, especially since the pandemic.

Learn more in our latest blog:

Managing flexible working requests from parents - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW The start of a new academic year brings flux to many households up and down the country. Some families may be sending their children to school for the first time, whilst others are well into the annual routine of it. As an employer, you may find it is a time of year when you are …

Do you know how disciplinary procedures should be carried out?
They are a complicated and less pleasant aspect of employment law but vital. While we recommend seeking professional advice, it is smart to be aware of the framework, preparing yourself best:

Managing the disciplinary process within an SME - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Your staff can be one of the most positive parts of your business, your key to growth, part of a vibrant, happy culture. But sometimes, inevitably, behaviour or performance will go amiss. You might need to instigate disciplinary proceedings. Depending on what they did, it could be hurtful as there h...

Your staff can be one of the most positive parts of your business, your key to growth, part of a vibrant, happy culture. But sometimes, inevitably, behaviour or performance will go amiss. You might need to instigate disciplinary proceedings.

Depending on what they did, it could be hurtful as there has been a breakdown of trust, frustrating if it could have been avoided, sometimes embarrassing! It will almost always be distracting and lead to some drop in productivity.

For complete guidance on conducting a fair and effective disciplinary procedure, read our latest blog:

Managing the disciplinary process within an SME - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Your staff can be one of the most positive parts of your business, your key to growth, part of a vibrant, happy culture. But sometimes, inevitably, behaviour or performance will go amiss. You might need to instigate disciplinary proceedings. Depending on what they did, it could be hurtful as there h...

Grief and bereavement are challenging topics to navigate in the workplace. As an employer, offering the right level of support and managing compassionate leave requires thoughtful consideration.

In our latest blog, we dive into these important issues and provide actionable steps to help you support your employees during difficult times.

Read more here:

Supporting staff through grief and bereavement - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Despite Benjamin Franklin’s centuries-old observation that: “the only two certainties in life are death and taxes”, how we talk about death is often marred by uncertainty, clumsiness or, for some people, silence. This can be a problem in any setting, and the employer/employee relationship is n...

Margaret Thatcher was renowned for breaking the unions – in 1979 the UK lost 29.5 million working days to strike action. In 2015 this had fallen to just 170,000. But fast forward to 2022 and this figure had swelled again to 2.5 million – as you may be well aware from the news at the time, or personal experience.

The previous Conservative administration sought to limit the power of the trade unions further, and now the current Labour government are busy repealing all that they did. So where do SME employers stand today?

Read our latest blog to find out:

Managing trade union members in your workplace - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Margaret Thatcher was renowned for breaking the unions – in 1979 the UK lost 29.5 million working days to strike action. In 2015 this had fallen to just 170,000. But fast forward to 2022 and this figure had swelled again to 2.5 million – as you may be well aware from the news at the …

Amidst the flurry of employment law changes forewarned in May, and then set in motion by the King’s Speech in July, was a separate draft bill.

While the Employment Rights Bill deals with the bulk of the promised changes, the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill is more targeted, directly addressing issues of disability and race pay gaps.

To learn more about this bill, check out our latest blog:

What does the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill mean for you? - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Amidst the flurry of employment law changes forewarned in May, and then set in motion by the King’s Speech in July, was a separate draft bill. While the Employment Rights Bill deals with the bulk of the promised changes, the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill is more targeted, directly addressing...

It is not a thing many employers like to dwell upon, and for employees who face the chop it is even less pleasant. Bills to pay, the pride in one’s work, severing of relationships with colleagues… there is potentially a lot for them to lose.

Many SME employers, for whom redundancies may feel much more personal, aren’t aware that there are rules to follow in order to compliantly make someone redundant. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself paying out more after an employment tribunal.

To learn more about managing redundancies, check out our latest blog:

Managing redundancies in your SME business - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Let’s talk about redundancy. It is not a thing many employers like to dwell upon, and for employees who face the chop it is even less pleasant. Bills to pay, the pride in one’s work, severing of relationships with colleagues… there is potentially a lot for them to lose. Some, though, may have ...

Employee engagement is one of the drivers of productivity. As a business owner, this should be all the incentive you need to maximise engagement. A great starting point is to gather feedback through an employee survey.

Read our full blog to learn more:

Employee surveys: what, why and how? - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW If eight out of ten cats prefer Whiskas (at least according to advertising lore), what proportion of your employees enjoy working for you? Employee engagement is one of the key drivers of productivity. A major Gallup study into employee engagement in 2020 found when comparing top and bottom quartile...

Hiring apprentices can be highly beneficial for many employers. From filling skill gaps to contributing to business growth, the advantages are numerous.

It's important to stay informed about potential changes to apprenticeships under the new Government:

Hiring apprentices in 2024 - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Since 2017, it has been full steam ahead for apprenticeships in the UK. For SMEs with a turnover below £3 million, pick the right people, and it is win-win – because thanks to the Apprenticeship Levy at least 95% of the training costs will be paid for you, and you are likely to receive a …

Labour has a landslide victory meaning a busy to-do list for SME employers.

From national minimum wage rises to more power for the unions, far greater tribunal rights to statutory sick pay from day one, we have all the policy detail covered for you:

What now? Five things that should be on every SME employer’s to-do list now that Labour have power - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW The polls were right. Labour has a landslide victory and that means a busy, and largely unwelcome to-do list for SME employers. Labour’s intentions are no secret, their manifesto told us what was in store, much of it promised within the first 100 days of power. That gives them until October at the...

Are you ready to update your company hand book?

Read below on the importance of keeping your company handbook up to date and for more read our blog:

Are you ready to update your company handbook? - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW In any given year, it is important to review your company handbook containing your HR policies and procedures. Sudden case law pronouncements, the drip feed of legislation and even societal and technological changes (like the advent of AI) all ensure that policies will get left behind if they are no...

Due to the expected change in government following this election, it will be essential for your company to update its handbook.

For guidance on how to do this, click here:

Are you ready to update your company handbook? - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW In any given year, it is important to review your company handbook containing your HR policies and procedures. Sudden case law pronouncements, the drip feed of legislation and even societal and technological changes (like the advent of AI) all ensure that policies will get left behind if they are no...

With the Euros starting people can get very invested, which may lead to problems but here are our top tips to navigate Euro 2024 as an employer:

Read our blog for more:

Navigating Euro 2024… for employers - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Okay, with the hopes of nations weighing on their shoulders, football managers have a tough job this summer trying to bring home the silverware. But managers everywhere may have to perform some skilful people management too as their staff get caught up in the excitement of the tournament – hopeful...

With the hopes of nations weighing on shoulders, managers everywhere may have to perform skilful people management too as their staff get caught up in the excitement of the tournament.

Read more:

Navigating Euro 2024… for employers - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW Okay, with the hopes of nations weighing on their shoulders, football managers have a tough job this summer trying to bring home the silverware. But managers everywhere may have to perform some skilful people management too as their staff get caught up in the excitement of the tournament – hopeful...

Conversation in the work place holds your team together but what about when the conversation veers towards politics. It can certainly be a complex field to navigate, here are our top tips:

For more read our blog:

Politics in the workplace - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW After no fewer than three general elections plus the Brexit referendum in the four years between 2015 and 2019, we have had to wait another five or so years for the next election this July. While politics never goes away, the intensity of an election brings the debate into much sharper focus. It is....

Conversation is inevitable and part of workplace culture that binds the team together. Despite many preferring not to talk about politics in work, it could be brought up in conversation.

It's important to stay in control to prevent lasting damage:

Politics in the workplace - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW After no fewer than three general elections plus the Brexit referendum in the four years between 2015 and 2019, we have had to wait another five or so years for the next election this July. While politics never goes away, the intensity of an election brings the debate into much sharper focus. It is....

So, the starting pistol has been fired for the general election which will be held on 4th July. The outcome of the election will be of huge significance to employment law. There are many factors for SME business owners to consider during this period. :

What the general election may mean for SME employers - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW So, the starting pistol has been fired for the six-week sprint to a general election which will be held on 4th July. Issues like small boats, the NHS and the economy may dominate much of the headlines, but the outcome of the election will be of huge significance to employment law too, and therefore....

How much do you know about managing different cultures in your workplace?
Here are our top HR points:
For more read our blog:

Managing different cultures in the workplace: Do’s and Don’ts - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development was celebrated on the 21st May. It is a day marked by UNESCO recognising both the richness of the world’s cultures and the benefits of intercultural development. In our interconnected world, most workplaces will employ a multicultur...

Summer, like Christmas, is one of those crunch periods when many employees are competing for limited blocks of time away. So now is a good time to share some of our best ideas for managing your staff through the summer holidays.

Read our blog:

Managing staff through the summer holidays - HR Dept Durham and Newcastle South DH1 1TW After we were treated to a rare few days of warm sunshine in 2024 last week, it got us thinking (and hoping) for warmer times ahead for our summer holidays! Of course, with our HR hat on we have to consider annual leave management too, in addition to enjoying that cold drink on a hot …