• The Elephant in the Room: The Smelly Employee – Cigarettes

    The Elephant in the Room: The Smelly Employee – Cigarettes

    In my opinion, there is nothing worse than a colleague who comes into a meeting stinking of cigarettes! I remember a time when people used to smoke in offices, it was completely normal. Just like smoking on an aeroplane – smokers on the left, non-smokers on the right‼! Something my kids cannot believe was ever…

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  • The Elephant in the Room

    The Elephant in the Room

    This is the first in a series of blogs to mark our 14th birthday on 1st May 2021. The background to my thinking here is a little odd, but the theme of these blogs is based on ‘The Elephant in the Room’. All the things which employers do not want to talk about or deal…

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  • You need to plan for your business until June AT THE EARLIEST

    You need to plan for your business until June AT THE EARLIEST

    I’m sure you have seen or heard the latest announcements regarding our plans out of lockdown. Finding the key dates was not particularly easy, but then this whole situation is not particularly easy. My focus for today is what happens between now and June (what happens beyond June is another whole discussion to be saved…

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  • Added Value

    Added Value

    Today is Valentine’s Day. The origins of the day vary, but it is believed that Valentine’s Day dates back to Pagen times with the holiday of Lupercalia celebrating fertility. In 3rd century AD Emperor Claudius II executed 2 men, both named Valentine on different Lupercalia holidays. They were martyred and honoured by the Catholic Church…

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  • Medical

    Medical

    Benefits are often seen by small businesses as being an expense they can’t afford and Private Medical Insurance is certainly in that bucket. But, it is a benefit which is of huge value to both the employer and their employees and really shows your staff that you care and that you value them. The waiting…

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  • Fit

    Fit

    Valentine’s Day is approaching, and we are encouraging all employers to show their staff some love. We don’t want any sexual harassment claims! We are not encouraging any inappropriate fraternisation! But we are asking employers to think about how they show their staff that they care. That they care about their physical and mental health…

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  • Seeds

    Seeds

    Plants in the office Plants / flowers in hospitals Playgrounds and fields at schools Open green spaces For years, we have known about the benefits of having natural living plants around us. The joy of seeing things grow and the satisfaction of eating what we have grown. Many employers will have plants in the office…

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  • Self-Care

    Self-Care

    In 2020, the government took the unusual stop of allowing employers to change their policy on annual leave so that employees could roll over annual leave they had been unable to take due to the pandemic. Some of our clients took advantage of this relaxation because their staff were needed at work as a result…

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  • Sugar

    Sugar

    I’m going to let you into a little secret…… NOT EVERYONE WANTS CHOCOLATES A box of chocolates, a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers are often seen as nice presents to give an employee, but done wrong, they can be truly offensive. Don’t believe me? Should you send chocolates to a diabetic or…

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  • Growth

    Growth

    It’s Valentine’s day on Sunday and this week we are talking love! STOP!  DONT PANIC! I’m not talking about your ‘love life’. Honestly, I’m just not interested. I’m talking about your staff, your team, those people who work for you and help make your business what it is. The chances are they are having a…

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