This past week I was fortunate to attend one of my favorite events – the SHRM Volunteer Leader Summit. It’s a great event for many reasons, but the main draw for me is being with other HR volunteers. We have a common bond. It doesn’t matter if you are attending for the first time or have been attending for several years. The sessions are great. One quick side note on this  .  . MORE

How can we make the HR department, as a unit, more cohesive and effective? Sometimes it helps to look at what is happening in other fields, and this article looks into a promising model currently being used in some American schools to optimise the performance of head teachers/principals. This book looks into the reasons behind this and, most importantly, provides solutions. Staff effectiveness. MORE

It is nearly that time of year again. When we in HR have to start worrying about whether our employees will be able to behave themselves, once the Christmas spirit takes hold (or is consumed). So I thought I would … Continue reading → Just for Fun Christmas Party HR Guidance Christmas Party Policy MORE

As we have mentioned  here before, the new Fit for Work service is now available right across England and Wales. The aims and objectives of this important new service can be best summed up by the below from the Fit for Work  website : “Fit for Work is a Government-funded initiative. Fit for Work is designed to support people in work with health conditions and help with sickness absence. Being in work is an important contributor to good health. The longer someone is off sick, the harder it is for them to get back to work. Yet the service may be facing something of an image problem. Steve. MORE

I’m a big believer in accountability. also believe that, in teams, responsibility and authority go hand in hand. If you’re responsible for a task or project, then you should have the authority to make things happen. You are going to be held accountable for the results. At this year’s Tucana HR Change and Transformation conference, I learned the acronym RACI. It could come in handy. MORE

The hectic holiday season is fast approaching, and soon your business will be busy dealing with the end-of-year chaos that comes with it. It can be easy to overlook preparing for HR and other internal issues when your business is caught in what is typically a super busy time. Determine Your Minimum Staffing Requirements. Establish a Contingency Plan. Post a Holiday Schedule. MORE

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Only spouses and significant others are allowed at holiday dinner. Is it typical for office holiday dinners to restrict an employee’s guest to include only a spouse or significant other? I’ve worked as a doctor for more than a decade in a very successful privately owned clinic with fewer than 30 employees. The clinic recently changed hands, making this year its first holiday under new ownership. Is this a common practice? Yes, extremely common. Probably more common than not, actually. ” 2. Can you do that?”. short answers MORE