Blue Tree HR, Author at Blue Tree HR Solutions

Take action against workplace bullying: How can management prevent and intervene?

Posted on May 3, 2023July 18, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

How can expert HR advice for businesses help you?

Workplace bullying is a serious issue that seems to be on the incline in recent years.

The devastating consequences can affect not only the employees involved but the company as a whole. As a manager, it is your responsibility to ensure that your workplace is free from bullying and harassment of any kind.

How do you manage your employees to ensure workplace bullying does not occur, and what are the best courses of action to put an end to already present bullying?

Blue Tree HR Solutions offer expert HR advice for businesses, so we understand the difficult issues management is often faced with. Here’s why taking action against workplace bullying is so important, and how prevention and intervention can be approached.

What is workplace bullying?

Workplace bullying can take many forms. The most common include verbal abuse, intimidation, exclusion, and physical aggression. This type of harassment can create a toxic work environment and often harms the mental health of the employees involved.

According to a study from 2022, 47% of UK workers have observed bullying at work, and one in ten has been the victim of it. How can management make sure their workplace stays clear of becoming a number on these shocking statistics?

How can it affect your business success?

As well as affecting employees, workplace bullying can have a huge impact on your company’s success. Harassment can lead to decreased productivity, low morale, high turnover rates, and a bad reputation – which can cost you money.

Building a safe workplace that fosters employee engagement, loyalty, and productivity can be key to making money, not losing it. Expert HR advice for businesses like yours can help you take proactive steps to promote a culture of respect and inclusivity – ultimately contributing to the success and growth of your company!

Prevention

If you’re struggling to create and implement policies and procedures to prevent workplace bullying, expert HR advice for businesses is critical.

Here are the first steps to take to ensure bullying in your workplace is never an issue:

Communication – Encouraging open communication between employees and management, where employees feel safe speaking up, is key to guaranteeing witnesses or victims feel they can get help.

Zero-tolerance policy – Management should be making it clear to all employees that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace and that these actions can be job-losing. Make sure this is in the employee handbooks, included in training sessions, and that regular reminders are sent out.

Recognition and reporting – All employees should be able to recognise bullying and know the procedures for reporting it. To ensure this, managers should provide training to make sure employees can recognise the signs immediately.

By seeking expert HR advice for businesses you can ensure any policies, procedures and training you introduce are legally compliant and that your employees feel supported throughout the process.

Blue Tree HR Solutions believe in the power of proactive HR. Prevention is always better than reaction, as this means the problem was addressed before it even arose. For more advice and help in implementing pro-active HR, contact Blue Tree HR Solutions and find out why our expert HR advice for businesses is trusted by companies of all sizes and industries.

Intervention

Unfortunately, prevention policies won’t stop workplace bullying in its tracks completely. There is always a small chance that harassment is still occurring, or will occur in the future.

If you, as a manager, witness workplace bullying or you are made aware of a situation, it is your responsibility to intervene and take immediate action.

Your actions are detrimental to the outcome of the problem. If workplace bullying is not dealt with correctly, it can lead to increased and intensified bullying, low morale, high turnover, and even lawsuits.

Here’s how you can begin to address the situation:

Investigate – It’s highly important to conduct a thorough investigation, collect all evidence possible, and gather statements from all those involved.

Support – Providing support to the victim is crucial for their well-being and recovery. However severe the harassment was, dealing with the trauma of being bullied can be difficult.

Managers should be able to create a safe space where victims can express their concerns and experiences, have their feelings validated, and receive resources – such as mental health resources or employee assistance programs – to help them cope and recover.

Take action – Taking disciplinary action against the suspect will not only set an example to other employees but will make sure the bullying does not continue.

Action against the individual may be verbal or written warnings, suspension, demotion, or even termination of employment. The disciplinary action should be scaled to the severity of the incident.

Implement – Taking further steps to prevent future incidents of bullying in the workplace occurring, as well as putting in safety measures for the victim, can help restore faith in your management and the company.

Follow up – Make sure to check in with the victim and perpetrator once resolved. This is to make sure the victim is getting the support they need, and the individual understands the consequences of their actions.

You are not alone – expert HR advice for businesses can help

Navigating workplace bullying and harassment can be complex and difficult – and it’s so important to get every last detail right in these sensitive scenarios. Blue Tree HR Solutions can help you every step of the way. From helping with disciplinary action and making sure the consequence is compliant with your company’s policies, providing the correct support for the victim, to support for your other employees and even yourself during these tense situations – our expert HR advice for businesses can help you provide the best management you can.

Looking for expert HR advice for businesses? Choose Blue Tree HR Solutions

Workplace bullying can have a detrimental impact on both employees and the overall success of your business.

Management should have a clear strategy for preventing and tackling bullying to protect employees and the business. Our expert HR advice for businesses like yours could be instrumental in creating a safe workplace culture.

Stand up to workplace bullying. Contact Blue Tree HR Solutions for expert HR advice for businesses – let’s create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. We offer both retained HR and ad hoc HR packages that are ideal if you are seeking HR advice for small businesses.

5 red flags that could be affecting your retention rates

Posted on March 9, 2023June 19, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

Employee retention issues are a major concern for companies of all sizes. High employee turnover can result in a loss of productivity, reduced morale, increased workloads of remaining employees, and overall cost your company huge amounts of time and money over the years.

With the percentage of people quitting jobs without a backup at an all-time high in the UK, companies need to identify red flags that could be affecting their retention rates.

Blue Tree HR Solutions are experts at diffusing employee retention issues to help save money and time. In this blog, we will discuss five red flags that could be affecting your retention rates and explore how our expert HR solutions can tackle these problems.

Lack of career development

One of the most common reasons why employees leave their jobs is sadly due to a lack of career development opportunities. In a society that holds career development so highly, if staff do not feel they can progress, grow and develop themselves and their career in their current role, they can feel stagnant and stuck. This often leads to these employees seeking career development elsewhere.

To overcome this barrier that employees could be facing at your company, you should be making sure your employees have the opportunity to achieve career goals. This can be done by offering training and development programs, setting up clear career paths, and providing opportunities for advancement and promotion within your company.

If this is an area you do not feel comfortable in or need some extra help implementing these requirements, Blue Tree HR Solutions can help. Make sure to take a look at our expert HR solutions ad-hoc packages to see how we can help sort your employee retention issues.

Man and son enjoying time together while working from home

Poor work-life balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for the well-being and satisfaction of employees. When employees feel overworked and constantly stressed, it can lead to burnout and affect their overall health and happiness. Companies that fail to provide this balance will see a decrease in employee retention rates.

To better take care of your employees, try introducing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options, flexible schedules, and job sharing. This can help your staff fit work and home into their day, instead of having work take over their whole life.

Encouraging employees to take time off when needed is a sure way to guarantee you are taking care of your employee’s mental health. A week off to help an employee de-stress will cost your company a lot less time and money than replacing said employee once they burn out.

Inadequate pay or no raises

Adequate pay is a critical aspect of employee satisfaction and retention. If an employee has been given more work or more responsibilities but is still on the same wage as before, they can feel angry and dissatisfied. Employees that have learned new skills and gained knowledge to perform at a higher level than when they started can also feel they are not being paid fairly for their skills. These employees are likely to feel undervalued and unmotivated to continue working for your business and will seek work elsewhere.

Blue Tree HR Solutions can help business owners experiencing these employee retention issues by helping to implement regular salary reviews. This ensures that their employee’s pay is reflective of their skills, contributions, and responsibilities. Our expert HR solutions offer other great approaches to addressing wage issues. Contact Blue Tree HR Solutions here to start building a loyal and dedicated workforce.

Poor management

Effective management and leadership are key to maintaining a productive and motivated workforce. Employees who do not feel supported or respected by those above them can become frustrated, disengaged and feel forced to leave. If employees’ jobs are being made harder than they need to be through a lack of direction and support by those who are meant to help, employees are sure to leave.

In this situation, improving your management skills will help improve your employee retention issues. Blue Tree HR Solutions offer expert HR solutions such as helping provide management training and coaching to help leaders develop the skills they need to effectively lead their teams. This type of training aims to improve communication skills, conflict resolution, and teamwork – which will help your leaders build a supportive and productive work environment.

Manager leading his team effectively to reduce employee retention issues

Lack of appreciation

Our last red flag to look out for that could be negatively affecting your employee retention issues is a lack of appreciation or recognition towards your employees.

If you are not taking the time to regularly congratulate, thank and show appreciation to your employees working hard to do the best job they can, you are – as a result – making your workers feel unvalued and unimportant. Nobody is going to stay in a workplace where they feel unneeded and unappreciated.

Providing regular feedback and appreciation to employees for their hard work and achievements is necessary and should be simple. If you are finding this difficult within your company (perhaps your team is so large it is hard to recognise achievements amongst your staff) Blue Tree HR Solutions can help. Get in contact here to see how our expert HR solutions can help you give your staff all the appreciation they deserve.

Contact Blue Tree HR Solutions to start addressing your employee retention issues

Employee retention issues can be a plague on your company. The root cause can be hard to identify and finding a fix can be just as difficult. If left untreated, employee retention issues will cost you time and money that should have gone toward the success of your company.

Blue Tree HR Solutions can help you weed out the red flags within your company and offer expert HR solutions that will battle these issues head-on. To improve retention rates, reduce turnover costs, and create a happier workforce, contact Blue Tree HR Solutions today!

Should dogs be allowed in the office?

Posted on February 6, 2023July 18, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

Are dogs in the office a good or bad idea?

The British public adores their dogs, so it’s no surprise that we are seeing more people bringing dogs in the office as the years go on. Taking your dog or dogs in the office seems like a no-brainer for dog lovers. They lower anxiety levels, boost morale and encourage you to take a walk outside.

Whilst bringing your dog or dogs in the office can bring benefits to some, there are also some downsides.

Blue Tree HR Solutions – who offer expert HR support for small businesses – is here to break down the pros and cons of a pet-friendly office and encourage you to ‘paws for thought’ before deciding to allow your dog or dogs in the office.

hr support for small businesses with Blue Tree HR Solutions

We’ll start with the bad news first –

Dogs aren’t for everybody

Whilst it hurts to highlight this, some people simply aren’t dog lovers. What is a gorgeous, fluffy baby with paws for some could be seen as a stinky, hairy, and slobbery mutt to others. Unfortunately, this could mean that a dog in the office could negatively impact the non-dog lovers’ day, ending in them being irritated and less productive.

Some individuals may also have a condition called cynophobia. This is a real and intense fear of dogs, commonly bought on by a bad experience with dogs in childhood. This could result in this individual becoming increasingly stressed out and afraid if in an enclosed space with a dog they do not know or trust. It is in your best interest to protect your staff and not create situations where they feel fear.

Others have allergies! Pet allergies affect 1 in 10 people in the UK. If you’re in a big office, the chances are, somebody is likely allergic. In this case, your worker’s health is at risk and pets should be kept at home.

Is it fair to everybody?

Dogs in the office can sometimes cause inequality and resentment between staff members.

Dogs are hard work and require attention when brought into the office. This means staff who opt to bring their pets into the office will ultimately spend time feeding, watering, walking, and giving attention to their fur babies. There is a very real possibility that these individuals end up doing less work than those without extra canine responsibility, creating inequality and jealousy in the workplace.

Does the dog want to be there?

Welcoming a dog into the office should only be done if it’s in the pet’s best interests.

If your dog is stressed, scared, or worried when in the office, they do not feel comfortable being there and most likely only feels relaxed in its own home. Bringing this dog into the office is not fair on the pooch. A constantly stressed dog can cause health issues to itself down the line, and negatively affect your worker’s day.

However…

While it may seem that the cons of welcoming dogs into the office are very prominent, it’s important to assess or address all of these issues before even considering opening your doors to some four-legged friends. If the correct policies and procedures are addressed and put into place, it’s possible to create a working environment where dogs in the office bring more positives than negatives.

By addressing all of the above issues professionally and correctly, you can begin to create a pet-friendly office suitable for dogs.

There are various ways to begin identifying issues, assessing these, and overcoming them. Blue Tree HR Solutions – offering the best HR services Essex has seen – recommends starting by asking all workers their thoughts and concerns on allowing dogs into the office. This is the best way to present the idea to staff, and start addressing any problems should there be any.

Blue Tree HR Solutions offers quality expert HR solutions to help our clients overcome any problems they will be facing. One of the best approaches to workplace issues is to take a proactive approach to fix a problem before it develops. This is a great way to avoid the problem of staff resentment and inequality in the office due to pets.

Setting up policies from the start where dog owners agree to spend only their free time – breaks and lunches – attending to their dog’s needs will remove the feeling of these individuals doing less work. This makes sure these workers are still maintaining the same level of work as non-dog owners, avoiding the problem of resentment arising altogether. Setting these standards early is the best course of action when making sure your office is pet-friendly.

If you’re worried about setting up policies and procedures, you feel you don’t know enough about the matter or you simply don’t have the time, Blue Tree HR Solutions is here to help. We specialise in HR support for small businesses and believe we can provide some of the best HR services Essex offers.

Blue Tree HR Solutions is here with expert HR solutions and HR support for small businesses

Some policies to start considering to create a pet-friendly environment for all may look something like this –

All dogs should be well-trained.
They might need to be tested or trialled to see how they act in an office environment.
There should be some dog-free areas for workers.
Health and safety hazards should be considered before allowing pets into the workplace.

The health and well-being of your staff come before anything, especially dogs. When you choose Blue Tree HR Solutions for your HR needs, we can help create and implement these policies. This will give you peace of mind that you are covered and protected, giving you the tools to safely convert your office into a dog-friendly space with confidence and start reaping the rewards that office dogs bring!

Dogs are good for mental health

Studies have shown that dogs reduce stress, calm anxiety, and decrease depression.
Those whose mood is uplifted by dogs feel better at work and in everyday life, which is highly important. A better mental state and increased mood also increased work productivity and quality. The positive effect dogs have on low-mood employees also affects those surrounding them. A good atmosphere from everybody in the office has a ripple effect on other staff members, overall boosting productivity and quality of work from everybody!

Dogs build relationships

Dogs are experts at getting people to mingle and talk. If you’ve got an office where teamwork is not a strong element, dogs can fix this.
The perfect hound can help build relationships between staff members and increase social interaction in the office and a workplace that gets along is a more productive one! Teamwork is highly important in most professions, and there’s nothing like a dog to bring people together.

There’s a reason to stay

Unsurprisingly, dogs make going to work every day a little more bearable.

Studies have shown that pet-friendly workplaces have decreased absences and increased employee retention compared to those without an office dog. The Brits just can’t help but fall for those puppy eyes!

Get in touch for expert HR support for small businesses

Whether you need help with policies and procedures, need advice on the best course of action to take, or just want a friendly chat, Blue Tree HR Solutions is here to help with the best HR services Essex has to offer.

Give Blue Tree a call now to see how our expert HR Solutions and HR support for small businesses can help you.

Should you be monitoring your employees who are remote working?

Posted on December 1, 2022July 18, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

As a freelance HR consultant offering expert HR solutions to small to medium-sized businesses throughout Essex and Suffolk, I have seen one issue becoming more prevalent in the last few years. This is the rise of remote working, and how businesses can effectively and ethically monitor employees who are working from home. The huge increase in people working from home began with COVID-19, but although for the most part society has gone back to ‘normal’, remote working is definitely here to stay. To highlight the shift in upper management’s view of remote working, former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, informed employees that they could continue working from home “forever”. Although the official policy on this from Twitter may have changed since the recent acquisition of the company by Elon Musk! But it serves to show just how the perception of remote working has changed dramatically in just a few years.

Pros of remote working

Expert HR solutions, like the professional HR advice for small businesses offered by Blue Tree HR, should always look at every angle of issues like remote working, and offer advice accordingly. So let’s first look at the obvious pros of working from home. One of the main benefits of remote working is workers are no longer forced into stressful commutes, which have been proven to have a negative effect on a worker’s entire day. There is also the time saved in commuting, creating more personal time to spend with their family or friends, so when an employee starts their day they are fresher and more focused than if they had just finished a tedious commute. Remote working also offers flexibility in an employee’s working hours. They are not necessarily stuck to rigid breaks and lunch times, offering more freedom than if they were in the office. This all adds up to a more productive employee, which is the ultimate goal for businesses.

Cons of remote working

As with most things in life that look great on paper, there is often a flip side to any coin (although not with my expert HR solutions!) Whilst there is a lot to be said about the benefits of remote working, you also need to consider the negatives. When employees work from home for a prolonged period, they lose the ability to interact with their coworkers in a face-to-face manner. This sense of isolation can be problematic for some. There is also the fact that it can be difficult for some to separate their home and work life, especially if they live in a busy household. It is easy to get distracted if there is a knock at the door, the phone rings, the family pet wants attention or the kids are running riot! And for a small majority of remote workers, working from home offers the chance to procrastinate at will, which clearly affects their overall work performance and productivity. It is this issue that has led many businesses to implement surveillance and monitoring techniques to ensure remote workers are actually working, and not binge-watching their favourite Netflix show!

This leads us to the topic of whether you should be monitoring employees who work from home, and if so, how?

Monitoring remote workers

When offering my expert HR solutions on topics such as monitoring remote workers, I will always tell my clients that legally, this is entirely at their discretion (so long as they make the employee aware that it is taking place). After all, if the worker was in the office then it would be entirely appropriate to ensure they are actually working and not spending hours of the company’s time scrolling through Facebook! There are some larger companies out there that employ spy software, known as “tattleware”. An example of this would be Sneek, which takes a picture every minute through an employee’s webcam and sends these to management. Whilst these types of software ensure a business’s management can keep constant tabs on remote workers, they do display a lack of trust in the employee, which in itself can be detrimental to their overall performance. My expert HR solutions for monitoring remote workers would suggest using this kind of software as a last resort for those employees whose work productivity significantly drops when working from home. In our opinion when offering my expert HR solutions, the best way to monitor employees working from home is ultimately through their performance. By setting targets and goals, and having regular catch-up meetings, (whether these are face-to-face or remotely), to discuss their work output, you should remove the need for more Orwellian methods. And should you feel that “tattleware” is the only option, ensure you are transparent about the reasons behind such a move.

Expert HR solutions

As shown above, my advice on expert HR solutions would be to give serious thought has to be given when considering monitoring remote workers. If you wish to discuss this further, as a freelance HR consultant I am always on hand for more bespoke advice. And if you have any other query that requires expert HR solutions, contact Blue Tree HR and I will be happy to help.

How to effectively manage sickness absence

Posted on November 14, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

As a freelance HR consultant, I am often asked to give expert HR advice regarding sickness absence and how best to manage this, especially at this time of year. Sickness absence is a serious issue for many companies, in fact, data from the Office of National Statistics show that nearly 150 million days were lost to either sickness or injury in the UK throughout 2021, equating to 4.6 days per person! And whilst covid helped to make these the highest figures ever recorded, it is still businesses that must bear the brunt of the lost hours. The bottom line is, both short and long-term staff absences hit businesses hard.

The cost of regular absence

There are obvious direct costs to sickness absence, such as lost man hours, statutory or occupational sick pay, and paying another person unexpected overtime to cover. But what of the more indirect effects, such as lowered morale among the workforce due to increased workloads? And when workers are having to cover fellow employees’ work there is an increased chance of mistakes being made, as others are becoming overworked. There is also the chance of lower productivity in the office, as constantly absent employees can lead to delayed projects and deadlines being missed, leading to lower motivation from the rest of the team.

Expert HR advice by Blue Tree HR Solutions

The top reasons for sickness absence

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) Health and Wellbeing report published in 2020 showed that both stress and mental ill-health are two of the main causes of long-term absence. The most common reasons for short-term absence are minor illnesses such as colds, flu, stomach bugs, headaches and migraines. The real issues begin when there is suspicion that an employee may not actually be sick at all, but is using sickness as an excuse for being absent from work. This is where managing sickness absence can get tricky and where it pays to have expert HR advice from an experienced team like Blue Tree HR!

So now that we know the main reasons for absence, and how this can affect the business, how can we effectively manage sickness absence? Here is my expert HR advice on how to effectively manage sickness absence in your business.

Use HR software to track all absences

The first piece of expert HR advice I would suggest to any business wanting to effectively manage sickness absence is to invest in HR software that will track all employee absences, whether it be due to sickness, annual holiday or any other reason. I would strongly advise using Breathe HR, which allows you to manage holiday requests, manage absences, expense tracking, document storing, automated reporting and so much more. If your business has less than 10 employees it is just £13 a month, or just £26 a month for up to 20 employees! This really is an amazing piece of HR software, and you can get started right away by following this link https://hr.breathehr.com/signup?hrp=BTHR01

Ensure you have set policies and procedures for absence in place

It is essential that any business has clear policies and procedures in place documenting the exact steps and repercussions for continued absence. By following our expert HR advice we would suggest these should clearly be made aware to all employees, and be available for review by an employee at any time. By having such policies and procedures in place you ensure that there can be no legal fallout should, in the worst-case scenario, you have to let someone go over continued absence.

Reviewing the evidence and identifying the issue

Once you have the correct HR software in place you can review all absences and identify any trends, such as whether there is a particular individual who is always off sick on Mondays, or is there someone who always seems to be missing when there is an important deadline due? Perhaps an employee is regularly off with no real explanation or a series of different excuses? If you start to see a pattern then our expert HR advice would be that it is time to have a formal discussion with the employee. Likewise, it may be that you have evidence that the employee was not sick when they were supposed to be but was actually somewhere else having fun. Should this occur then the employee needs to be led through your official disciplinary procedures.

Holding return-to-work interviews are an excellent way to identify potential issues early on whilst ensuring that employees are aware that their sickness absence is being monitored and will be discussed with them.

For more expert HR advice contact the team

Unfortunately, at this time of year, there is always an increase in sickness absence. But by following our expert HR advice outlined above you will be better placed to decide whether the absence is genuine or may need investigating. We would love to discuss this in more detail, so for further expert HR advice, please contact our team.

Should your company take a public stand on political/social issues?

Posted on October 27, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

As an expert freelance HR consultant who works with clients across a range of industries offering both ad hoc HR and retained HR, one topic that often arises is that of social media and how a business’s views can affect its standing in the eyes of its customers. Ever since social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook exploded in popularity, it has never been easier to openly declare and spread your political beliefs to the world. This has proved to be as true for individuals as it has for businesses, especially those that are very active on social media. But as an expert freelance HR consultant, the question we would suggest you should ask yourself is this: Is taking a stand on political or social issues positive or detrimental to your brand?

Findings from recent research from Sprout Social shows that 66% of consumers say it is important to them that brands take social stands on political and social issues, with 58% of consumers open for brands to make their views clear on social media channels. You can see how some businesses could take statistics like these to mean they almost have to be vocal in some way on any of the current social or political issues that are trending. We have all seen endless brands offering their opinion on a topic that is receiving a lot of coverage, normally one that invites polarisation.

What stance should I take?

But is this the right approach? Business accounts are not the same as personal accounts, so should they be treated the same? Remember, any posts by your business will automatically indicate that these are the official views of your organisation. So, the question you need to ask yourself here is “Should my business be involved in political issues at all?” Whilst it is true that political posts can often get lots of interaction, the chances are very high that there will be people arguing for and against the point made. This is because when it comes to political or social commentary, you can almost guarantee that not everyone will agree with you. As an expert freelance HR consultant I would argue that there is a high chance that a political comment will spark a hostile response from those who have the opposite stance.

You could argue that all press is good press, but in fact, this is not always the case at all. All it takes to lose a long-term and previously loyal customer is just one bad political interaction. Why? Because political beliefs are very personal to a specific person and people are incredibly loyal to their chosen political beliefs and parties. If you are seen to be openly disagreeing with someone’s deeply held personal beliefs, when those beliefs have very little to do with your actual products or services, well then you risk losing that person as a customer forever.

As an experienced freelance HR consultant, I would always advise my clients to consider the bigger picture when thinking about political posts. For example, imagine that you have done research on a particular political issue that you agree with and all data points to 90% of the population having the same opinion. This seems like a very safe bet, doesn’t it? But what of the 10% who do not agree with this opinion? You might have pleased 90% of your customer base, but how will this shared agreement of a specific issue actually relate in terms of increased revenue for the business? Now let’s look at this 10% who did not agree.

As mentioned above, issues such as political stances are much more likely to lose you customers, so you could potentially have lost 10% of your customer base, without increasing revenue from the remaining 90%. So as your local expert freelance HR consultants we would suggest before posting anything politically driven ask yourself this: Do I really want to take that risk?

Of course, there are always exceptions. Some businesses thrive on driving debate amongst their customer base and actually include these strategies in their marketing plans. But for any business that uses social media as a way of showcasing its products or services, interacting with customers and general brand awareness, as a freelance HR consultant I would ask is it really is worth seriously considering the ramifications of political posts before sharing them on business social media channels.

Expert freelance HR consultant

We hope you found this helpful, and if you have any queries relating to HR advice and guidance, feel free to contact our experienced team. We will be happy to offer the very best freelance HR consultant advice on any HR-related subject and offer both ad hoc HR and retained HR packages for all HR requirements.

How the best HR support Essex has to offer can help your small business save money!

Posted on October 7, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

As the best HR support Essex has to offer, which includes both ad hoc HR and retained HR packages, how can Blue Tree HR Solutions help save your business money? The past 3 years have not been easy for anybody, especially small business owners, making quality HR support for small businesses more important than ever. With the pandemic, the impact of Brexit and now the cost of living crisis, many small businesses are reportedly worried about the future of their company and its stability. While keeping on top of every aspect of running a business is already tricky at the best of times, the impact of recent global issues has made a bad situation worse. More than 1 in 10 small businesses in the UK are expected to close shop in 2023 due to revenue-related issues.

Thankfully, there are expert HR services that can offer the constant support and advice you need. From avoiding costly situations to making your business more efficient, there are plenty of ways quality HR support for small businesses can help them cut down on unnecessary spending.

Here’s how Blue Tree HR Solutions can benefit your small business with the best HR support Essex can offer.

We’re here to help you save

As the best provider of HR support Essex can offer, we are aware that the biggest worry of all for small businesses across the UK right now is money. If there’s a way to help save on your costs, then it can only be a positive option.

In the HR world, prevention is better than the cure. By embracing HR as a benefit instead of a cost, you’ll start to see how your business can save money by running more efficiently. One way to do this is by putting in place formal HR systems and processes.

Absence management policy and systems

The average employee uses £570 worth of sick pay every year. If your business has just 5 employees, that’s over £2,500 on sick pay every year. By having formal absence reporting and management systems, employees are less likely to call in an absence for minor reasons. When absences are recorded and kept on file, absence levels decrease. By reducing absence levels, you can minimise the impact absence has on your business earnings.

Blue Tree HR Solutions not only offer the best HR support for small businesses like yours, but we also offer expert HR software that will set up these systems and processes for you so that you can start saving money where it doesn’t need to be lost. Just another reason Blue Tree HR Solutions deliver the best HR support Essex can offer.

Disciplinary / grievance policy

As a business owner and employer, it is your responsibility to demonstrate that a formal disciplinary and grievance procedure has been clearly communicated to all employees. If this is not the case, any employee you take action against can be deemed automatically unfair and you may be ordered to pay a reward, which can result in your business getting hurt.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for small businesses to not have these policies and procedures in place to protect themselves. With our expert HR support Essex businesses can get professional help to set these policies set up and communicate them across your company with all the correct legislation.

Employment law and access to HR

Employee legislation is constantly changing and evolving in order to better protect you, your business and your employees. While this is in your favour, it can be hard to keep up to date with every new or updated detail, especially if you are a small business. Your employees should also have access to an HR representative so that they can check their own rights and laws if they feel they have a problem at work. If you do not have an HR team, they will come to you to find this information out.

If you have employees it is your responsibility to know employment law and HR practices. If you do not know employment law, or you make a minor mistake, it could lead to you losing a claim made against you.

Unfortunately, many business owners simply don’t have the time to keep up to date with this crucial information when trying to run a business. This is where the best HR support Essex offers, Blue Tree HR Solutions, can help.

By gaining this kind of expert HR support for small businesses as early as possible, you can relax knowing the tricky legal part of running your business is taken care of. Blue Tree HR Solutions will not only always be here to offer credible and accurate guidance and advice on any employment law matters, but it is our duty to ensure all internal processes, policies and future paperwork follow the most recent legislation correctly. By opting for the best HR support Essex can offer your small businesse, it could save you thousands of pounds in tribunal rewards and lost productivity.

HR support Essex

Looking for HR support for small businesses can save your business money when it matters most. Blue Tree HR Solutions offer the best HR support Essex has and are equipped with deep industry knowledge, and the latest technology to give you the best results and is highly recommended by many. We have every tool to help you avoid high costs and save you money. If you are looking for the best HR support Essex can offer, get in touch with our friendly team. We are experts at offering quality HR support for small businesses like yours through our ad hoc HR and retained HR packages.

Additional Bank Holiday

Posted on September 12, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

The extra bank holiday next is raising a few questions, so I thought I would email you to clarify the situation.

Sometimes additional public holidays are granted by Royal Proclamation. There is an additional bank holiday on 19 September 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral. There was also another in June 2022 for the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Employers need to decide how they will approach these upcoming additional days off. This will be determined to some extent by the wording in the contract. Where the contract entitles employees to take as paid leave “all bank and public holidays”, the employer will have no choice but to grant the extra day in the usual way or negotiate otherwise.

Where the contract requires workers to work on “all bank holidays”, the employer can require them to work on an additional day. If they are paid a higher rate for working on a bank holiday and the contract does not limit the number of bank holidays to which the higher rate applies, the employer must pay that rate for the additional day.

However, where the contract limits entitlement to a day off work (or to a higher rate of pay where bank holidays are worked) to the “usual eight” bank holidays, or your contract may state the employee is entitled to 28 days of holiday and this is inclusive of bank holidays, the employer will need to decide its policy in relation to the additional day.

Bank Holiday for Queen Elizabeth II funeral — National Bank Holiday Announced for 19th September 2022

Giving Employees the Day Off

If the employer chooses to give its workers the day off as an extra day’s paid holiday (or pay them a higher rate if they work on that day), it should express this as being a non-contractual discretionary measure that applies only during the year in question. Otherwise, workers may, in the future, have grounds to argue that time off (or the higher rate of pay) on additional bank holidays is a contractual right, implied by custom and practice.

If workers will be required to take the additional day off out of their existing holiday entitlement, the employer will need to plan ahead to ensure that it gives them the requisite notice.

If some or all workers will be required to work on the additional public holiday, the employer may wish to consider a one-off discretionary day off in lieu, as a gesture of goodwill. Where workers will be treated differently, for example, one receptionist out of three is required to work but the other two can take the extra holiday days as leave, the employer should have objective criteria for this requirement and the choice of who will work, to minimise the risks of a discrimination claim (for example because of sex or race). In this scenario, the receptionist who works on the bank holiday must be compensated either by being paid or being granted a day off in lieu.

Keeping staff happy with your bank holiday policy

Employees would have heard that there is an extra bank holiday and may assume they are entitled to a paid day off. An alternative would be to ask staff to come in and perhaps allow those that are interested an extended lunch break to watch the proceeding on a screen.

Expert HR advice for small businesses

We hope that you found this blog informative. And remember, if you require expert HR advice for small businesses, or larger concerns, our experienced and professional HR team are always on hand to help. We offer both ad hoc HR and retained HR packages to suit any HR requirements. Contact our friendly team to learn more.

Flexible Working and Managing Flexible Work Requests

Posted on August 18, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

Before the pandemic struck the world by a storm in 2020, flexible working arrangements were a nice-to-have perk. Remote employees were the minority, and most business leaders believed they could only nurture a productive workforce in the office.

But everything changed overnight, and those working on-site were suddenly only essential workers. Even though the COVID-19 crisis is ending in most countries, including the United Kingdom, flexible work isn’t going anywhere.

Employees Prioritize Flexibility

According to Statista, 4.27 million UK employees have employment contracts that allow flexible hours, making it the most common practice in 2022. Contrary to what employers thought, people like the post-pandemic workplace arrangements and wouldn’t return to strict schedules and solely office work.

Another report found that the demand for flexible work is increasing, with 8.7 million full-time workers yearning for flexibility. Moreover, the younger generations would likely decline jobs with rigid working hours.

For instance, 75 per cent of Gen-Z see flexible work as the number one employee benefit. Here’s why this arrangement is also beneficial for companies.

Four-Day Working Week & Flexible Working

Top 3 Benefits of Flexible Work

1. Enhances Employee Retention

Today, flexible schedules are among the most sought-after employee perks and benefits. Many people would choose flexibility over a prestigious title or additional time off.

Meeting employees’ needs and expectations is necessary for cultivating loyalty. Companies can retain workers and attract top talent by offering flexible schedules and remote work.

2. Boosts Productivity

Employers often hold back from introducing flexible working because they fear it would affect productivity as they wouldn’t be able to monitor employees. But according to Gartner, 43% of workers are more productive if allowed flexibility. Moreover, this work arrangement enables people to relax and focus on their assignments without office pressure. Many employees feel less productive on-site due to managerial micromanagement and team competition.

3. Improves Employee Engagement

Empowered employees are more engaged, and what’s a better way of empowering them than responding to their needs and ensuring they can choose a work arrangement that stimulates their creativity? Flexible working also shows companies respect and care about their workers.

People want to know their employers trust them to work outside the office and get the work done just as efficiently. That boosts their engagement and helps them enjoy their tasks.

How to Manage Flexible Work Requests

Acas 2021 survey found over 55 per cent of employers expect an increase in flexible work requests, as people wish to split their time between home and office. Even though companies have the right to decline, they should consider the benefits of flexibility and discuss it with their workers in more depth.

They should be fair and objective, as most employees have reason to ask for flexible working, such as restoring work-life balance or preventing burnout. Employers can ask for a written flexible work request and discuss why the worker would prefer this arrangement.

However, they should be clear about flexibility policies and what flexible work consists of in their companies. If employers have no relevant regulations, they should consider introducing them and providing all employees equal access to flexible working.

Making flexibility a part of the company culture helps attract high-quality candidates and retain employees, especially working parents, students, minorities, and people from diverse groups. Whether you approve the flexible work request or not, it shouldn’t take a long time, and it might alter your employee’s contract.

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Flexible work has numerous advantages for companies and employees, but employers are often reluctant to introduce this work arrangement. Although business leaders often fear flexibility would impact productivity, loyalty, and commitment, people with access to this benefit are more engaged and motivated.

Hence, before declining a flexible work request, consider the benefits. Besides improving employees’ work-life balance, it also helps instill trust and nurture lasting retention.

How HR Consultants at Blue Tree HR Solutions can help with Flexible working

Flexible working requests and considering offering hybrid working and a more flexible working arrangement to staff and new recruits may seem like another headache for employers. At Blue Tree HR Solutions we can help you implement a policy and support you during flexible work requests and help you find ways to make working hours convenient and beneficial for employers and employees.

If you require expert HR advice for small businesses then take a look at our ad hoc HR and retained HR packages. Feel free to contact our friendly team for more information.

Will our expert freelance HR services help your business retain its best employees? The answer is yes!

Posted on August 4, 2022August 17, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

What if freelance HR services Essex could help you retain your star employees?

Employee retention is a fundamental quality of a successful business. It is easier for long-term employees who are familiar with their roles to become specialised and better at their jobs compared to newer, or short-term, employees.

There are many aspects that can impact employee retention and different steps can be taken to reduce your staff turnover. In this blog, we will explain how the expert freelance hr services Essex has available to you can help you retain your best employees!

Communication is key

Like many other things in life, it all comes down to good communication. Communication underpins all strategies for a happy, successful company. Thankfully, here at Blue Tree HR, good communication is our speciality and an important aspect of the expert HR solutions we provide.

Performance management

Effective communication is integral when it comes to successful productivity and performance management. Setting objectives and reviewing performance is important, however, it is equally, if not more, important how these processes are conducted and how the information is used.

Blue Tree HR provides expert HR advice on developing objectives, motivating, and engaging employees in the most effective way – so that you and your managers are able to more successfully manage performance within the company.

But how does this relate to retaining employees?

There can be friction between managers and employees because of how performance reviews are conducted and/or handled. Employees who feel scrutinised, or unchallenged, are likely to seek positions elsewhere. So, by improving performance management, you reduce employee turnover and retain your best employees!

Improve Performance Reviews | HR Services Essex

Disciplinaries, grievances and concerns

Dealing with disciplinaries and grievances is often seen as something to be avoided at all costs. And of course, every company should do their best to reduce the number of grievances and disciplinaries, however, when they do arise, it is important to handle them in the most constructive manner (and not to avoid them).

This is best achieved when you consult the best freelance HR services Essex can offer, like Blue Tree HR, who are able to provide expert HR solutions to any disciplinaries and grievances as an unbiased third party. Contact us today for more information.

Disciplinaries and grievances are signs that something is not working properly- whether for the employer or the employee (and sometimes both). As the best provider of HR services Essex can offer, Blue Tree HR Solutions opens a channel of constructive communication and provides expert HR solutions so that everyone involved is able to move forward in the best way possible.

By providing a clear, open channel for communicating grievances and disciplinary actions, you avoid the build-up of resentment from one party to another. Instead, a constructive environment is created to solve any issues and move forward without bitterness or grudges.

How does this help retain the best employees?

Believe it or not, many employees, even the best ones, have grievances or concerns at some point in their careers. It is how these are handled that determines their future employment status with the company. By consulting the best expert freelance HR services Essex can offer, you can make sure grievances and concerns are handled in the best way possible and hold onto the employees that you value most.

With an open channel of communication, you are also more likely to prevent any official grievances and/or disciplinaries. Employees will feel more comfortable communicating difficulties, giving employers a chance to improve practices before becoming an official grievance. This can help prevent accidental discrimination and encourages company growth by introducing effective strategies and practices into the workplace.

The best expert freelance HR services Essex can offer will give advice on allowing your employees to voice their concerns and see positive changes that make their job more enjoyable. This is the most effective way to make your employees feel valued and remain at your company.

What kind of concerns might some of our best employees have?

Work-life balance

A very common concern for employees is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It can be difficult for employees to go to their boss and discuss their mental/physical health, and how their work-life balance impacts it.

Often this can lead to an employee feeling overwhelmed and eventually feeling the need to leave their role. Having an impartial party to discuss things confidentially makes it easier for people to voice any struggles they may be having and help managers and employers implement better processes and/or practices to solve the problem. Take a look at our previous blog to learn more about ensuring your company supports mental health within the workplace.

The expert HR services Essex has available to you makes all the difference when it comes to retaining your best employees

As you can see, there are a number of ways that the expert HR services Essex has available, like Blue Tree HR, can help you retain your star employees! And if you’re looking for expert HR advice, you’ve come to the right place. Blue Tree HR is proud to offer, professional, impartial and compassionate HR services. We will work alongside you and your team to help your organisation develop a dynamic, professional, and happy workplace

For the best HR services Essex can offer, including both retained HR and ad hoc HR packages, get in touch with the Blue Tree HR team today!