Research from the professional body for HR professionals, the CIPD reveals the majority of employers now intend to offer flexible working on a regular basis.  I think that’s good news all round and long overdue.  It took a global pandemic but it really does feel like there has been a step change in our attitudes to work, both for employees and employers.
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It may sound obvious but it’s worth stating the benefits of flexible working:

​As more and more employers change their stance on flexile or remote working on a permanent basis I thought it would be useful to provide a quick guide on the best way to make these changes, for both employers and employees.
During the pandemic most employers have complied with government requirements for employees to work from home, where possible.  Now that the lockdown has eased many employers find themselves with a dilemma – what do they do about remote or flexible working on a more permanent basis?  Has their attitude to remote working changed?  Can their business support it on a longer-term basis?  What would be the most motivational approach for employees?
Before your business decides how it will move forward, here are a few considerations:

​Another day, another big employer changes its stance - permanently - on remote working.  Along with the likes of Unilever, Natwest, Google, RBS, Credit Suisse - and the list goes on... Siemens have given their employees the opportunity to work remotely for two or three days a week.

​During the month of June I seemed to spend most of my time advising clients about restructures and redundancies.  Lots of businesses were anxious about how to reduce their overheads safely and in line with employment law and they wanted help with managing the redundancy consultation processes.  I know there are other companies that are waiting, hoping they can avoid redundancies and that business will have picked up by the time the furlough scheme ends in October.
At the same time, most organisations are also planning how, when and who they get back into the workplace.  Employers are anxious to ensure the return to work is safe and they want to reassure employees who are often worried about coming out of the lockdown bubble.  So, how should you approach a return to the workplace?  

​At time of writing it’s the end of week 11 of lockdown for my family.  It feels like our world has changed forever but there are some signs of normality - my youngest returns to primary school next week and - even more exciting - my cleaner is coming back!  Is it just me, or does everyone feel like they have been simultaneously running a café, cleaning, gardening and home-schooling – all whilst trying to work full-time too?! 
For my clients, talk is now turning to right-sizing and restructuring.  I’ve been pleased to hear that some businesses have continued to operate and have maintained revenues, indeed some of my clients have seen a huge increase in their online sales and are thriving.  However, for some there are drastic decisions to be made against a backdrop of increasing uncertainty as to what the economy will look like post Coronavirus.
In these very uncertain times there are several important aspects to consider when contemplating right-sizing your business and potentially reducing your workforce.  Here are my top tips:

​As I write my article this month it’s the end of week six of lockdown for my family.  I’m amazed to have survived this long!  On a professional note, it seems the dialogue I’m having with clients is shifting.  Companies are talking more and more about the eventual return to work so I’m sharing here my hints and tips on what you need to consider.
The 3 most common ways organisations have been operating are:

• Business not trading at all (all staff furloughed)
• Business trading on a limited basis (some staff furloughed, some working from home or in company premises) or where only ‘essential’ workers are currently in work
• Business trading fully but all staff working from home.

Whichever category fits your business, there will be some common issues to address:

Unsurprisingly, my article this month is about the Corona Virus.  I have summarised below some of the most common questions clients have asked me over the last few weeks:

• Do employees get full pay or sick pay if they contract coronavirus? 

Treated it in the same way as any other sickness absence: if you normally only pay statutory sick pay (SSP), then this is what the employee should receive.  Pay contractual sick pay if you operate it.

• What if an employee has been told to self-isolate?

​The employee journey and employee engagement are something we’re all going to be hearing more about over the coming months and years.  That’s because of the ‘war on talent,’ as it’s often known.  Otherwise known to us in the Hertfordshire area as #how-on-earth-do-I-fill-my-vacancies-when-there-is-such-low-unemployment-and-no-one-is-applying!
Difficulty with recruitment must be the number one bug-bear for companies in the Dacorum area.  And even if you can find someone and fill your vacancy, how do you ensure they stay with you?  There are several answers to the recruitment conundrum and the one I want to focus on this month, is employee engagement.
Companies with more than 250 UK based employees now have to include a statement about employee engagement in their annual reports.  If you’re interested in the legal bit, this is covered under the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018.  The Regulations specify that the directors’ report must have a statement summarising how directors have engaged with employees and taken account of their interests during the year. It must also describe the action by the company taken during the financial year to introduce, maintain or develop arrangements aimed at:

​If you haven’t heard of The Good Work Plan yet, you will be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months.  It’s set to affect almost every business in the country when its policies come into force on 6 April 2020.
Dubbed ‘one of the biggest shake ups of employment law in a generation’ The Good Work Plan came about as a result of an independent review, known as the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices in July 2017.
Most of the 53 recommendations put forward in the Taylor review were accepted in principle by the government. This resulted in a number of consultations on how these proposals could be successfully implemented and the government’s Good Work Plan is, they claim, their ‘vision for the future of the UK labour market.’

​Happy New Year!  And happy new career???  It’s the beginning of a new decade and for many of us a new job, a change of direction or even a completely new career is something we might be contemplating.  I recently read the first Emerging Jobs Report from LinkedIn.  Produced for the UK, it shines a spotlight on jobs experiencing tremendous growth - it makes for fascinating reading.  Here are some of the highlights: