We now have the Government’s cautious, 4-step Roadmap out of lockdown. Schools will return from 8th March although little else is changing at that time and the stay at home message continues until the end of March. Despite this, businesses at least have a framework around which they can formulate a plan to resume some semblance of normality.

It’s likely to be some months yet before we see businesses fully returning all employees to the workplace, if indeed that is their goal. Some of our own clients, in consultation with their employees, have already made the decision to do away with their offices entirely; if not immediately then as soon as a break in their leases allow. Whilst others have strongly confirmed their intentions to retain their work premises.

The Chancellor has promised that furlough will last until the end of April but the suspicion is that it will be extended again for those industries that continue to have restrictive trading terms imposed, such as hospitality and leisure. For others, the end of furlough will force those difficult decisions regarding employees that the furlough scheme has enabled them to delay.

The details of the Government’s continuing financial support package for the economy won’t be fully revealed until the Chancellor’s budget next week. However, the coming weeks and months is a time for organisations to formulate and implement their plans to return. This must involve strategies for re-engaging employees back to a working environment.

Remember that some employees may not have done any work for months. And whilst working from home has been adopted by many, the old workplace may still seem like a new or alien environment. As we plan our returns, we need to adopt a structured and consistent approach to ensure employees are treated equally and fairly. You might want to consider some of the following:

• Give employees as much notice as possible: This should go without saying but don’t fall into the trap of keeping your return to work plan a big secret that only senior managers have access to. Keep everyone informed and even celebrate your plan so that everyone has plenty of time to get used to the idea of coming back to work and the positives that it will bring.
  
  
• Hold return to work interviews: We recommend a return to work interview for every return from absence anyway. Working from home and furlough should be no different. Use the meeting to check the employee’s physical health, mental health along with any concerns they have about returning. You could arrange this prior to your official start date, virtually on Teams or Zoom if necessary but in person would be better. Staging onsite meetings over a period of time will enable you to maintain social distancing amongst employees.
  
  
• Offer re-familiarisation days: Give employees the chance to come in and have a look around so they can acquaint themselves again with the workplace and understand any changes you have made to keep people safe. You may have had to redesign workplace layout or introduce work pods or one-way systems. Pre-acclimatising will void any of the confusion we usually associate with “first day at big-school”.
• Plan and communicate any rotas or shifts: If you’re bringing people back on a rota or shift basis to keep them socially distanced, make sure you’ve worked out who is working with who and clearly communicate when people will be required for work. For business efficacy you’ll need to ensure that people who rely on each other are working together. Also make sure that staff understand the importance of any “air locks” in between shifts and don’t turn up to work too early or leave too late.
  
  
• If you’re one of the businesses that will be consolidating working from home options as part of your ongoing practices and employee engagement strategy, make sure your contracts and handbooks reflect any changes, keep you compliant and work in your favour when you need it. You may need to include right of access to an employee’s home to retrieve company equipment if and when they leave, for example.
• You may still have employees who don’t want to return to work. You’ll need a plan to manage these people. Consider I advance the process you are going to follow to ensure consistency across the company and how to resolve issues including AWOL employees and those who don’t want to return.
  
  
• If redundancies seem inevitable, don’t delay. It’s only fair that your staff get as much opportunity as possible to look for new jobs. It would be far worse to tell them on the day that they are expecting to return that there is no position for them to come back to. You can still consult with employees about potential redundancy during furlough. If you do need to action redundancies then notice can be issued whilst staff are furloughed. However you can’t use furlough remuneration to cover pay during the notice period, which needs to be at 100%.
  
  
• Don’t forget your basic Health & Safety. If buildings or work spaces have been empty for a while you may need to test that everything is working to standard and is safe. Fire alarm systems checks are obvious but consider a report that the rat population increased by 25% last year. Check for vermin infestation and also that that telephone and electrical cables haven’t been gnawed through by rodents.

For any help or support with any of the above from planning your return, communicating it with staff or making redundancies, we’re available on 01452 331331 or e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Employee mental health and wellbeing continues to be one of the main topics of discussion that has arisen as a side-effect of the coronavirus crisis; or more accurately, that has arisen as a side effect of the restrictions that have been imposed in order to stop the spread of the virus.

The Government is holding its cards very close to its chest regarding any potential relaxation of lockdown restrictions, insisting that it will abide by the science. The First Minister for Wales has expressed some optimism that the end of the stay-at-home rule is in sight. Northern Ireland on the other hand has already said that lockdown there will continue until at least 1st April. We should expect Mental Health issues to continue to be a cause for concern.

As an HR and Training consultancy we’re doing our utmost to practice what we preach regarding employee mental health. So here, we share some of the actions and measures we have taken to support our own team members. Most of them are relatively inexpensive and can be implemented quickly and easily:

• Our team expressed how much they wanted to come into work as it gives them a sense of routine and normality. We therefore introduced an office rota to give everyone who wanted it, the opportunity to come into the office to work. Just 2 or 3 people a day and social distancing and a cleaning regime are strictly enforced.
• A catch-up on Zoom or Microsoft Teams every morning at 8.30am for 20 minutes. We take turns between team members to lead the meeting and choose the theme. It’s an opportunity to share any pressing work issues but it’s also fun. This morning we had show and tell but we’ve also had “name your favourite song, film and meal and explain why.”
• Our own Mental Health training sessions on Monday mornings. An extended one-hour session covering Mental Resilience and last week, Managing Change.
• This Monday we had a trainer running a Mindfulness session.
• Next Monday we have a Meditation practitioner running a session.
• Friday mornings on Zoom we celebrate what’s gone well and say what our following week’s priorities are. The team expressed a need for support in keeping focussed. This is also an opportunity to ask for help.
• Friday afternoons before we close for the weekend we have a 15 minute social to just grab a cuppa and share plans for the weekend
• We bought the business version of the “Calm” app so all members of staff who asked for it can use it for free.
• We’ve made sure that all available support services are shared with the team. For example our company life insurance provider has an employee assistant programme that includes a counselling helpline and online access to a doctor.
• Physical wellbeing contributes to mental wellbeing so we had a physiotherapist take a “Descathalon” session where we were given 10 exercises to do at our desks.
• We’ve also adopted the Government cycle to work scheme to subsidise staff buying a new bike so they can get more exercise
• The associated Techscheme makes it easier for staff to buy IT equipment; especially useful where there’s a home-schooling need
• We have introduced a “sustainability champion” and everyone has shared their own green practices and ideas as a way of creating activity to keep staff active and engaged on a project. Our chosen charity for the year is Ecologi which plants trees and staff can follow our progress
• 80% of the team have undergone our own Mental Health First Aider training so that they can signpost other team members, family and friends to support where they feel it’s appropriate
• Where no conflict allows, team members can bring their pet dogs into the office
• We have implemented an informal “buddy” scheme where team members telephone or online-chat one another, to replicate coffee-breaks or water cooler encounters.

We’re always open to further suggestions of course and our morning catch-ups are a perfect opportunity to share any further ideas.

Further information about our Mental Health courses and workshops for individuals and teams is available at HR Champions - Mental health and because it’s live online training it’s available to anyone. And remember that furloughed workers are allowed to undertake training.

We’ve included hyperlinks where appropriate in the above tips but if you have any questions or would like some support implementing your own wellbeing plan then you can contact us on 01452 331331 or drop an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There was an interesting ruling in a case held at the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) last week in the case of Allay vs Gehlen which debated a claim for race discrimination. The case bought into question whether an employer could rely on the defence that “all reasonable steps” had been taken where training was provided to an employee who discriminated against another member of staff.

In the original Tribunal case, an employee had won a discrimination claim against his employer when a fellow employee had persistently made racists remarks toward him. The employer’s claim that he had taken all reasonable steps relied on the fact that the perpetrator of the offensive comments had previously undergone Equality and Diversity training along with other employees; including some managers who were aware of the racist comments.

The EAT upheld the original Tribunal’s decision that the employer was vicariously liable for the actions of its employee because the E & D training had been delivered over a year prior to the harassment and had therefore gone “stale”. Reasonable steps, it was judged, would have been to refresh the training.

Whilst this ruling may throw some organisations’ strategies for complying with equality laws into disarray. It shouldn’t really come as any great surprise. Prejudices and consequential discriminatory behaviour often stems from deep within an individual and is moulded and shaped by their experiences and role models.

Equality and Diversity training may lay out the facts of what does and what doesn’t constitute discriminatory behaviour. It may even alleviate such behaviour it in the workplace for a time because it brings it to the surface of peoples consciousness, however, on it’s own it’s unlikely to be a permanent fix.

We have written before how it is not enough to simply have policies in existence and arrange tick-box style training in order to avoid any blame for wrongdoing falling on the organisation’s shoulders. A business needs to demonstrate that they have created a non-discriminative organisational culture that is “lived and breathed” by everyone.

Let’s remember that equality extends further than race as in this case and that under the Equalities Act 2010 there are nine protected characteristics, namely:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender Reassignment
• Marriage and Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy and Maternity
• Race
• Religion or Belief
• Sex

More recently we are seeing a new wave of potential discrimination brought about by the effects of Covid. Figures show for example that women have been disproportionality affected owing to childcare and home-schooling responsibilities whilst the schools remain closed over lockdown. And we must be cautious that our judgment for future decisions does not become jaundiced following the well documented rise in mental health issues amongst those now working from home or in isolation.

Equality and Diversity training is essential to continually remind and update us of the causes of discrimination and the behaviours that demonstrate it. But it will only be truly effective when there exists an organisational culture that is truly inclusive.

For a review of your Equal Opportunities strategy we’re available to talk to on 01452 331331 or drop an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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During a radio programme this week on BBC Radio 5, there was a report that maternity units around the UK are seeing a rise in the number of admissions and new births to above the usual average for the time of year. The story went on to suggest that the rise in births were potentially as a result of the first lockdown last March when people found themselves at home with, well… not much to do.

Historically we know that certain months are busier than others in maternity units following nine months on from periods such as Christmas and New Year. There are also reports of spikes in pregnancy and birth-rates as a result of certain events such as World Cup wins and widespread power cuts. Should we then be poised to see an increase in the UK birth rate over coming months as a result of lockdown? And will it follow that business see an increase in applications for Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental leave?

Remember, even in male dominated businesses and industries, Shared Parental Leave means that there is a potential impact for all organisations. Line managers should be aware of anyone who’s partner is expecting, including those same sex relationships.

Managing personnel to take account of staff who take their statutory time off when they become parents is a matter of fact that businesses simply have to deal with. However, it would be wise to be prepared for potential absences, especially as the effects of the Covid crisis will not only increase potential absences but spin a new dynamic on how individuals might take their leave.

One of the effects of lockdown will be that the normal support network that many mothers rely upon to return to work will not be available. Parents, grandparents and siblings may be outside an individual’s immediate bubble, or live a distance away that makes it unjustifiable to travel to under lockdown rules for babysitting duties. Instead, parents will potentially need more time off to care for their new children themselves.

How the holiday entitlement of furloughed staff has been managed may also have an effect. If staff have been allowed to carry over the holiday entitlement they accrued whilst furloughed, they could potentially take an extra full year’s holiday allowance at the end of their maternity leave. Thus extending the time they are absent from work and their position requires cover for.

Remember also that currently, being on maternity affords certain rights and protection against dismissal. That’s not to say that a person on maternity leave cannot be made redundant should a business find itself in the position where redundancies are necessary, but care should be taken to treat staff fairly.

Furthermore, a recent consultation on the extension of maternity protection has concluded and states:

Government is determined to take action to address pregnancy and maternity discrimination. Following the consultation, we now commit to:

• ensure the redundancy protection period applies from the point the employee informs the employer that she is pregnant, whether orally or in writing;
• extend the redundancy protection period for six months once a new mother has returned to work. We expect that this period will start immediately once maternity leave is finished

This commitment also extends to shared parental and adoption leave, and whilst there is yet not timescale for its implementation into UK Law, we should be prepared for implementation in the foreseeable future.

If you think you might be affected by staff taking parental leave, now might be a good time to check that your family friendly policies are in good order and to make sure you are conversant with the workers’ rights. We can help with all of this of course and we’re just a phone call away on 01452 331331 or by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The position we find ourselves pressed into because of Covid-19 has of course been entirely unpredictable. There have been threats of global pandemics over recent years such as swine flu or avian flu, but they haven’t amounted to much and life has pretty much carried on as normal.

Essentially, we haven’t had a dress rehearsal for the situation we find ourselves in now.

We hope to be able to return to something pretty close to what life was like before Covid at some stage. It’s probably fair to say however that we’re all expecting changes in one way or another.

We should recognise that unlike our current position, we will have the opportunity to influence what those changes will be. We have been there before and we should be preparing to make our return to “normal” play to our advantage; taking the best bits from how things were and merging them with the best from how things are now to create the best possible state of how things will be.

There are plenty of commentators on the Internet who are making HR and business management predictions for 2021. We’ve looked over a few of them and have come up with a short list of the trends and concepts that we think are most likely to come to fruition. It could be a good idea to give some thought to these now and probably take some action. When some form of normality eventually returns, you’ll want to be prepared and ready to hit the ground running.

• The Flexible Office: We’re learning that a lot of employees like the opportunity of working from home. There’s no commute, no office distractions and you don’t have to change out of your PJs. We also know that the office and workplace interaction is important. So perhaps the future office is a place where start and finish times, and even work days, are not prescribed. Hot-desks and lockers replace allocated workstations and different zones are allocated and designed for different types of task. It’s a futuristic view that now seems like an obvious step-change.
  
  
• Skills Mapping: A quick Internet search reveals a surprising number of vacancies. Our clients have been telling us for a while that they have struggled to find suitably trained talent to fill their jobs and Brexit may exacerbate the issue. The future solution might be to identify the next best thing; someone with skills that are close to or contiguous to what we need and develop and nurture that individual to be able to fulfil the role we really need doing.
  
  
• Remote Management: We should expect employees to demand more flexibility. If you don’t offer it your competitors will and you’ll experience a potentially damaging exodus of talent. But with remote workers comes remote management and it cuts both ways. Managers as well as workers are entitled to flexibility so be prepared to manage those at home and be managed from a boss who’s at home; or even abroad. It’s happening already but there will likely be more formalisation and with greater deployment of remote productivity monitoring software.
  
  
• Ethical Management: We’re experiencing better air quality because there are less cars on the road right now but the whole ethical argument is set to play a bigger part in how businesses are run; influenced by both employees and customers. Green policies and commitments to the environment already play a part but as the BLM movement has found a voice, the Me Too movement before that and with early signs that older workers have been indirectly disadvantaged through furlough, expect diversity and equality to play a bigger role in how businesses recruit and how consumers spend.

The winners in the not-too-distant future will be those who can see the changes coming and act before the competition. Some of it might be a leap of faith but a lot is being able to see the trends and being open-minded enough to embrace them.

Of course, such dynamic change will need robust policies to be developed and people strategies to be implemented. We’re here to support with all areas of your HR and People Management needs. Call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As we start 2021 back in lockdown, we might be forgiven for taking a “here we go again” attitude. But that would be missing a huge opportunity to learn from our experiences of Covid-19 and to take appropriate measures that will help us to continue to move forward both as businesses and individuals.

Businesses have certainly learned over the past ten months that they need HR. Good HR is agile and adapts quickly. Flexibility in policy application and people management is what enables organisations to continue to operate in extraordinary times; maximising potential for long-term success.

As we now endure Lockdown 3, the furlough scheme will be a lifeline for many businesses, but for others and some public organisations, there is still a need or obligation to be productive and if you have work for employees to do then furlough isn’t really a solution. Below we have listed some concepts learned from the last 10 months that can be applied to keep businesses operational and productive:

• Flexi-time at home: Many workers will once again be working from home; that’s if homeworking ever truly ended. With schools closed, the burden of childcare will be intensified by the requirement for home-schooling. The pressure can be taken off employees with a simple agreement that whilst in lockdown they can work their hours whenever it suits, provided this still meets the needs of the business. There may be times when presence on an online meeting is required for example, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to weave this into the day. We can offer support with time-management.
  
  
• Hours vs Output: There are long-standing studies that home-workers become significantly more productive once they are removed from the daily interruptions of working in the average office environment. Ultimately, employee performance is about getting the job done in an acceptable amount of time so rather than worry about staff clocking in and out and putting in the hours, focus on output and productivity. Tracking this requires effective leadership to set tasks or goals rather than hours worked. Setting SMART objectives features in many of our training courses.
• Empower workers to formulate a time plan: Childcare is a significant disrupter of employees’ ability to do their jobs whilst at home. Depending on their tasks and role you could allow staff to propose their own plans of how they intend to manage their time that merges their childcare needs and the needs of the business. Reduced working days that are either made up later, taken as holiday or unpaid leave. For example, two hours less work per day which might only equate to one day per week of holiday.
  
  
• Office vs home based teams: We’ve learned that whilst output soars for some employees, home working isn’t for everyone. You need to balance productivity with the wellbeing of your team. Issues surrounding mental health and domestic abuse have been widely reported in previous lockdowns. Without disadvantaging anyone and with complete agreement from all concerned, establish if there is an option to have some workers always at home during lockdown and some always in the workplace. Alternating teams, a week about perhaps, might also be an option.

Finally, don’t forget the quick wins. Regular updates, a solid communication plan or even a “Team 5” over Zoom at the start and close of each day. Staying engaged with colleagues will help to maintain engagement, accountability and morale.

For help, support and advice with implementing any of the points raised here, are phones and e-mail remain covered. Call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Whilst the Covid pandemic has obviously been, and continues to be, a very difficult experience for very many businesses and employees, two issues that it has particularly highlighted over the last ten months have been individuals’ Mental Health and Domestic Abuse.

We’ve published separate posts about both of these topics during the course of the pandemic, and as we approach Christmas it’s a good time to highlight them again; not least to remind ourselves of the employer’s duty of care. The Government argues that stricter restrictions now means we’ll all be able to enjoy Christmas in a few weeks, but not everyone will be looking forward to the festive break with equal fervour.

What Covid has taught us is that work and being at work is a good thing for more reasons than we might have previously associated with it. There are a high proportion of workers who have relished and thrived at the opportunity to work from home, but it doesn’t suit everybody. Even those who say they prefer to work from home admit to missing the social interaction that being physically present in the workplace brings.

A lot of people rely on their routine of physically going to work and fulfilling their day in the office environment. Routine can be a big contributor to successfully managing our mental health, and that’s before we even consider the effect that the loneliness and isolation of working from home can have on people.

Being required to work from home, or furloughed for that matter, creates its own brand of stress and anxiety for many people. For them, the extra time away from work during the Christmas period may not be something to look forward to.

As much as going to work is seen as way to manage routine and purpose for many, for others the workplace is viewed as a safe haven. The rise in cases and reports of domestic abuse during the Covid crisis as partners and families are forced to spend more time in one another’s company, has been a truly shocking revelation. Extra time at home where the atmosphere could be volatile and fuelled by the readiness of alcohol may be something of a nightmare scenario for some.

Employers are not expected to take responsibility to resolve cases of domestic abuse but they should, in looking out for the welfare of their employees, recognise the signs that it might be happening and support any affected members of staff.

We have a number of training courses that can help businesses to manage their employees’ wellbeing. From our Mental Health First Aider course which equips members of an organisations with the skills and know-how to recognise the signs of mental health issues in individuals and take appropriate action, to our Mental Health Awareness course for groups of co-workers. See our Mental Health Page for more information and course dates.

Our Holding Difficult Conversations workshop isn’t just for disciplinary issues. Sometimes broaching the subjects of mental health or domestic abuse can create a very prickly atmosphere and this course provides methods and tactics to handle tough conversations of all types.

As usual we’re here to help with all you HR and Employment Law issues and have training solutions for the full spectrum of business management. Call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Whilst the looming festive season is likely to be somewhat less festive than usual this year due to Coronavirus restrictions, employers still need to be mindful of the implications of staff holidays during this period, particularly if any employees are furloughed.

Because taking time as leave doesn’t “break furlough”, the usual Christmas break won’t necessarily effect employers’ ability to claim the grant. However we would advise against claiming just for the period that employees are on leave as a way to save costs or subsidise pay on both legal and moral grounds.

You’ll know that across the Christmas and New Year break we have three public or bank holidays for which most businesses close; Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. A lot of businesses, ourselves included, also close for the three working days in between the public holidays to make a longer break. Staff are either told to hold back holiday to cover these three days or they are gifted as additional time off.

With flexible furlough available until March next year, it is theoretically possible to furlough staff just for this period of holiday, however we think that is unadvisable and potentially fraudulent. The HMRC would likely take a dim view if an investigation revealed that your staff were at work either side of the furloughed period, and historically your organisation takes the Christmas period as holiday. We should also respect and follow the moral standpoint of many of the high street supermarkets who are paying back grants for rate relief during the lockdown period as there trading figures were not affected.

Notwithstanding, there are some other key points that we should remind ourselves of regarding leave taken during furlough as we commence the run-up to Christmas.

We maintain our advice that furloughed workers should be advised that any holiday time accrued during furlough is deemed as being taken during furlough. This will prevent the need for employees to take or carry over any accrued holiday when furlough comes to an end. For this to be effective however, employers must pay the for leave days at the employees’ correct holiday pay rate, ie their normal rate of pay.

If you haven’t already done so, we also recommend that furloughed staff are informed that Christmas holidays will be taken as scheduled; especially if you are amongst the organisations that ask employees to hold leave days back for this period. Also be aware that because there is no statutory right to take bank holidays as leave, failure to confirm it could leave you open to an argument that the leave wasn’t taken and should therefore be carried forward.

Remembering to pay the employees their full rate of pay for any holiday days will strengthen your case but a written communication will put your intentions beyond doubt. When instructing staff to take holiday you need to give notice of twice the length of the leave. For one week’s holiday, two week’s notice is required, so time is running out if you haven’t already done it.

And finally, a special change in the law earlier in the year now allows staff to carry untaken statutory leave over to the following holiday year. This was designed for key workers and businesses who became so busy during the pandemic that taking holiday was practically or financially unviable. However, if you are paying furloughed staff at the 80% level and are financially unable to top-up their pay to their normal rate for holiday days, then this will be deemed as one of those financially unviable events and staff will be entitled to carry their leave forward, meaning you’ll have to pay for holiday at a later stage at 100% anyway.

We recommend that even if it’s a struggle, you pay the holiday top-up now so that at least you’re getting a grant for 80% of it.

If this post has thrown up any questions or if you think some HR advice would be a good idea, call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Next course dates: To be announced shortly 

Who should attend this course four day course?

This course is designed for senior managers who have a strategic responsibility for the business. Those that need to act as mentors to drive innovation and lead the team to achieve organisational goals. 

Why should you attend this course?

Our Level 5 Leadership and Management Programme delivers a senior management development plan that enables delegates to achieve at either Award or Certificate standard. This is a comprehensive programme designed to support practising and aspiring middle to senior managers to improve their performance and strategic awareness in the delivery of their senior management responsibilities. Line manager to senior manager is a big step up. Senior managers still have people management responsibility however, they also need to provide direction, facilitate innovation and manage the effectiveness of the wider business. Senior managers need technical knowledge, strategic insight and practical expertise which is not something a senior manager gains over night. Our course, accredited by the ILM, will provide an in-depth understanding of the nuances of people management, leadership and business best practice whilst also analysing the aspiring senior manager’s ability to take on the role of people management and strategic responsibility. 

Get in touch to find out more or book now