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All employers! Be sure that you have made relevant changes, in line with the statutory payment increases effective April 2019.

From 7^thApril the following statutory rates apply:

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)	90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, followed by £148.68 per week (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)	£148.68 per week (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).
Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)	90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, followed by £148.68 per week (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).
Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)	£148.68 per week (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)	£94.25 per week.

 

To be eligible for these statutory payments, the employee’s average earnings must be equal to or more than the lower earnings limit (LEL). Effective April 2019, the LEL will increase from £116 to £118.

For further advice and support on the above, please contact us.

 

Reminder!!

National Living Wage to increase almost 5% from 1^stApril 2019.

From the 1^stApril 2019 the National Living Wage (statutory national minimum wage for over 25 years of age) will increase from £7.83 to £8.21 – a 4.9% increase.

With the increase in effect, it is estimated that approximately 2.4 million workers will benefit; with a full-time worker gaining a £690 annual increase. It is thought that next year’s increase will be a higher percentage rise again.

Good news for workers, but potential difficulties for smaller businesses….

National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates below:

Year	25 and over	21 to 24	18 to 20	Under 18	Apprentice
April 2018 (current rate)	£7.83	£7.38	£5.90	£4.20	£3.70
April 2019	£8.21	£7.70	£6.15	£4.35	£3.90

 

For more info visit https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

It has been recently publicised that sadly, the Love Island 2017 contestant, Mike Thalassitis took his own life in the park he used to play in as a child, in London on Saturday morning, according to a police report. There are many people reaching out to him and his family on social media and it made me think; could he have been helped? What were the signs? Did people pick up on it but believe he was coping with things in his own way? Did people feel too embarrassed to ask him if he needed help? There really is no way to tell.

It goes to show, that, unfortunately, we do not know what people are going through in their lives and we definitely don’t know what is happening behind closed doors, let alone what is going on in their minds. So how does this translate into the workplace?

If you work in an office with the same people day in, day out, it is probable that you may spend more time with them than you do with your loved ones. But how much do you know them? Probably better than you think. Even if you don’t speak to all of your colleagues daily, their attitudes and demeanour is hard to ignore. If you notice any changes in your colleagues’ behaviours, don’t be embarrassed to ask them if they are okay.

But whatever you do, don’t ignore it.

If you feel that you aren’t equipped to speak with your colleagues about how they are doing, speak with your HR team or line manager about having a team-member trained on dealing with mental health in the workplace.

Mental health is a serious subject and shouldn’t be swept under the carpet just because it may make people feel uncomfortable. We need to erase the perceptions of mental health equalling weakness and instead, replace it with awareness, education and openness.

It is just such a shame that it takes this extreme for it to be publicised and spoken about in the media. Let’s help stop the stigma.

The 29^thMarch is looming – are you and your business prepared for Brexit?? Of course not; is anyone? I mean REALLY prepared!? The answer is almost definitely no. Why? Well it is difficult to be prepared when there are still no real answers.

Change is coming and employers will need to deal with the consequences of Brexit and what it may mean for their workforce.

One thing that is clear, is that the free movement for UK and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals in the UK will be a thing of the past after 29^thMarch 2019. To be able to make informed workplace planning decisions employers will need to understand how this will affect their EEA nationals in the UK and what those individuals will need to do to protect their right to stay. Employers should ensure that they communicate with those affected employees and ensure that where applications for status are required, they are made in good time.

Under the withdrawal agreement all EU nationals (except Irish nationals) exercising a Treaty right in the UK will need to apply for settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme before the end of the transitional period (31 December 2020); including those individuals who already hold a registration certificate or permanent residence card.

The deadline for applications is 30 June 2021, providing that there is a deal.

With a no-deal scenario still on the cards, employers should plan for this also. In the event of a no-deal scenario the transitional period will not apply and so the settlement scheme will only be available to EU nationals already as resident in the UK by 29^thMarch 2019 and all EU nationals arriving after this date will not qualify for settled status.

It is important to start planning today to protect you and your employees.

 

Contact Harwood for advice and guidance.

Do you hear business jargon thrown around the office daily and wonder if it really is necessary to take note of what it truly means? This might be because your colleagues are trying to make themselves feel important by baffling everyone with bull**** or it might just be that its more entertaining to say the initials of a phrase and watch the blank faces stare back at you around the room. Regardless, jargon seems to be an important factor of working life.

Ready for some more jargon? The psychological contract. What is it? Where did it come from? Who invented more jargon? Do we need to write a jargon dictionary to keep track of it all? It isn’t always on the top of the list when it comes to things to consider in the workplace, this may be due to its intangibility or the fact that people don’t know what this particularly refers to.

The psychological contract involves everyone… even you. Yes, you.

You might know it as something else, like an unspoken agreement between you and your team or even between you and your line management. It lies in the culture and work ethic of every organisation and within its people. It is the expectation you have of your team and their expectation of you.

It sounds simple but this is where it gets tricky.

Having a solid, understood psychological contract can be difficult to attain for many reasons. A sound psychological contract will be an agreement that aligns the needs of the business and of the individual. Easy right? Not really. The psychological contract is ever changing. It is all of the extra bits and bobs that employees are expected to do at work but that aren’t in the employee contract. For example, you work overtime as it’s an expectation of your line manager? Psychological contract. You expect your team to come in early when there’s a big project due? Psychological contract. If your employees feel their side of the bargain is looking a little slim; they could feel they have been taken advantage of and this leads to low morale and high turnover.

How do you manage this?

In simple terms, have regular meetings with your team to let them know your expectations and asking their expectations in return is best practice, this way, there is never any misalignment between what you and your employees think. And if you want to be a great manager… reward your team for going above and beyond in their work so their side of the psychological contract is more than accounted for.

All in all…

Reward + good morale + employee voice = high productivity!

Happy Friday!!!!

If you had an extra 17 hours per month, what would you want to do with them?

For most of you, the last thing you will be thinking is, “sitting at my desk catching up on emails”, and yet from a report released by Maxis Global Benefits Network (GBN) today, that is exactly what we are doing.

According to the study, 79% of us in the UK are working in an office environment where the expectation is that we are glued to our desks all day and lunch breaks are a thing of the past. Because of this, we are working on average 17 hours overtime each month.

So, why are we giving our time away for free?

Culture.

Getting the culture right in your organisation is key and as this study reports, 80% of people take into account the culture of a workplace when applying for jobs. This could mean that if you have a poor culture, you are losing potential talent before it even comes through the door!

If your office culture is for employees to be seen at their desks, take note! It may not make them more productive. There is a misconception that more office hours = more work, this however may not be the case. ‘Desk-time culture’ may be making your employees ‘spread’ their work to fit the hours they are in the office which means they are not utilising time efficiently. It can also increase stress, anxiety, and the amount of sick-days staff take which will impact overall productivity.

The Maxis GBN research shows that 50% of employees look for a new job if the workplace culture is poor. ‘Desk-time culture’ ostracises employees who may not be able to work overtime, even if they are completing their assigned tasks and excelling in their work. A common, misguided, perception of these employees is that they are less dedicated and less productive, this is often not the case. Whilst these employees may have talent, the culture of the organisation may lead them to take this talent elsewhere by seeking alternative employment.

If you need any organisational culture advice or help with your overtime policies, get in touch with us.

If you are interested in this study, read more about it here!

https://www.maxis-gbn.com/getdoc/610a783e-a23d-4e67-8682-8a20c6b6ad16/press-release-desk-time-culture-new-norm-for-of/

A traditional approach to managing your team may consist of ensuring everyone is “clocking in and out” of the office every day. For some businesses to function, there may be a requirement for all staff to be working in a centralised office. However, if your business allows for remote working, it could be an option to consider.

Due to the rise of awareness regarding flexible-working, many employees are increasingly eager to work remotely and feel able to put the requests in to their employer. There can be many benefits depending on your business model for having a remote workforce; saving on office costs, retaining talent and saving on travel time. Remote working does not have to mean that you are disconnected from your team and thanks to skype, internal intranet business forums, and ease of access to conference calls keeping in touch with your team is easier than ever.

So, you’ve decided your business model can support remote working and you see the benefits? How can you make this work for your business and your team?

The most important factor is trust. A trusting relationship between you and your employees is essential for a remote workforce.

If there is a question of productivity, does being glued to your desk all day really ensure high-levels of productivity? For some, this is a definite yes, but others it is a case of work ethic and commitment. If your team have the autonomy to ensure their working hours are completed, it can actually make them more productive.

Here are a few things to consider if you have remote working in your business;

• Carry out a lone worker assessment; It is essential to establish a safe working environment for lone workers even if they are working from their own home. It will often be safe to work alone but before an employee is allowed to work alone, the risks must be assessed which include but are not limited to; ensuring the working environment is safe, how the individual will deal with a health and safety issue whilst working and how remote the location is that they will be working from.
• Involve home-workers in face-to-face meetings; as I suggested earlier, the ease of conference calling may encourage you to overlook the importance of having face-to-face meetings, but don’t let it! Remote workers should be as involved with team meetings and PDR’s as office workers are, this creates autonomy in the workplace and ensures you can treat all staff equally and fairly.

If you need any help with ensuring you are complying with remote-working regulations or if you need assistance with the transition of an employee’s work conditions, get in touch on 020 3936 9171 or alternatively email, info@harwoodhrsolutions.co.uk

Early for a client visit one September morning, I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks while I waited. Whilst sat enjoying my coffee and a danish, I flicked through my Facebook feed, spotting an ad from Helen & Douglas House asking for applicants to run the London Marathon for their charity – and in a moment of madness I had completed the application and hit submit!

I didn’t give it another thought until I received a call late November, from a lovely lady at the hospice telling me that they would love to offer me a place! I put down the phone in shock…. only £2,500 to raise oh, and 26.2 miles to run!!!!

I am by no means a runner and have never ran a marathon before, yet I am really enjoying the challenge so far – even getting up for an 8am, 10 mile run on a Sunday when it’s -7 (!) outside.

So… why did I decide to do this again…?? Oh yes; because Helen & Douglas House are a truly deserving charity who daily change lives and because without the support of us all, they would not be able to afford the £3 million per year that it costs to run the hospice.

At Harwood, we understand the importance of giving something back to our local communities and will strive to help make a difference. It’s not just the charity that benefit from the partnership we have with them; our employees do too. Taking part in an event or holding a fundraiser is a real morale booster and a great way to enjoy some team building.

The training is not easy and it is taking more commitment than I ever imagined; but all I need to do is focus on is the children and families that I will be helping and it will get me across the finish line I’m sure!!

If you would like to know more about Helen & Douglas House, please visit their website – https://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

Or, if you would like to sponsor me, and help make a difference, you can do so via my Just Giving page – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/zoe-lidster82Thank you in advance.

Author: Zoe Lidster

Living in the UK, we aren’t subject to extreme weather conditions – thankfully! But that means that when the little white specs of frozen rain start floating down from the sky – the country is at standstill!
SNOW!

How do we deal with suddenly having to child-mind a group of adults peering through the windows hoping that they get a half day to go and play in the snow? How do we maintain focus when it won’t stop snowing and people are much more interested in what is going on outside? How do we cope with people phoning in asking to work from home because they can’t open their front door due to the 0.9mm deep snow blizzard outside?

Firstly, snow is exciting, and I believe you should let people get excited – it’s a free morale booster and generally will put everyone in a better mood. Harness the power of snow and maybe let your staff go outside and have their five minutes of fun – they’ll soon be back in with frozen fingers and icicles on their noses with it all out of their system! It’s all about a balance of trust and if you can’t trust your employees – you might want to think about the culture in your workplace. When it comes to your staff calling in saying they can’t make it to work – this is a tricky one and really a topic in which your HR advisors should step in. It’s all dependent on your team, your business, their job role and its flexibility… and how much snow is really outside.

Remember! The work environment must be reasonable and cannot be lower than 16°C in normal working conditions and 13°C if the work involves demanding physical exertion.
If you need any advice on snow-day policies, call or get in touch with us via our website!

I am often asked “what’s better, working for somebody else or working for yourself”?  In truth it really does depend on what day / week it is but I have had this conversation so many times now that I almost have a prepared answer.  From my perspective:

Benefits of Corporate world (in no particular order).

You are guaranteed a payment at the end of each month.

Employee benefits are available for you.

Your workload and day is decided for you (albeit this depends on your position, and I suppose you may not see this as a benefit).

You have consistency of work pattern (you typically work Monday to Friday and leave / return home at consistent times).

You don’t necessarily have to be that good to earn great money.  Some people are just great at climbing the slippery pole by being a great magpie or by getting cherry blossom poisoning (from kissing too many shoes – quote from grandad off Only Fools and Horses).

You can go on holiday or be sick without your workplace falling apart.

You can just concentrate on what you are good at.  For example, if you work in HR, you haven’t also got to be head of Sales, Marketing, Accounts and PR.

Benefits of Working for yourself (again in no particular order).

You set your own agenda and earning targets that deliver your view on what is considered a success.

You are not judged by corporate colleagues by what your perceived salary is, company car level or whether you have an exec car park space.

You are not overlooked for promotion, because you refuse to tell people what they want to hear or play the macho game of “look how many hours I’m working”.

You don’t have to invite management consultants into your business so that you can be interviewed about your role and the company and then watch open mouthed as they present “their” findings that you have presented countless times before, but have been over embellished with unachievable targets, that you are now expected to deliver.

You have flexibility to decide your own work pattern and work-life balance (If you can get your head around it and stay disciplined).

You can choose who you want to work with and do business with.   No more putting up with Mr. / Mrs. Knob Head.  You shouldn’t need to “watch your back” constantly just in case a so-called work colleague is preparing to “throw you under a bus”.

Contrary to popular belief, as long as you are patient, you work hard and offer a first-class service you will never have better job security.  After all you are not going to sack yourself!  Gone are the days of corporate comfort and coasting into retirement without any fear of being made redundant, or forced out as your face now doesn’t fit with the new boss.

Oh and then there’s not having to fear the dreaded Private Equity acquisition where you get sold the standard “we will invest in the business and support its growth” and then on day 2 (despite you knowing it is going to happen) you are left surprised by the fact that they don’t  actually know what they have bought ,or the standard and brutal cost cutting exercise commences where they don’t simply slice off the fat, they start to remove the bones.

Lastly, you have the chance to make your fortune!  Whether it’s building a business for the long term handing it through your family or building a business to sell it and set you and your family up for life that fact is it’s in your hands!

The effort you put in has a direct correlation to what you take out! (oh, and you also need a bit of luck along the way).

Author: Duncan Turner