Coronavirus Archives - Blue Tree HR Solutions

Common Employer Headaches at Christmas and How to Manage These

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Blue Tree HR

Christmas is a time when we all look forward to some much-needed rest and recuperation, as well as the inevitable overindulgence. For employers, Christmas can bring a lot of additional headaches that aren’t usually present throughout the year. These are some of the most common Christmas issues in the workplace faced by employers, and how you can avoid them.

Holiday Clashes

It is common for the festive period to be the most problematic time of the year in terms of holidays. Most people want to be off work during the Christmas holidays, and this might be an issue if your business doesn’t stop. For instance, if you are in the retail sector. You can try to compromise with your employees or offer holidays on a ‘first come first served’ basis. If all else fails, it might be better to put the names in a hat and select that way, so you can deal with Christmas issues in the workplace efficiently.

Festive Hangovers

Socialising is much more prevalent throughout December, with people catching up with each other and getting into the festive spirit. This means more hangovers for employees to suffer, and for employers to deal with the fallout. It is a good idea to communicate with your employees and advise them to take holidays the next day if they plan on a big night out. That way you can plan ahead, instead of leaving yourself short-staffed if they call in sick.

Low Productivity

Productivity levels are often at an all-time low in the lead up to Christmas, as people start to kick back and look forward to their breaks. However, the world of work must go on and this ‘relaxed’ attitude can cause Christmas issues in the workplace for employers. A good way to combat this is to offer incentives. For instance, early finishes in the lead up to Christmas when targets are achieved. That way, employees will be more motivated, and will get extra time to relax but will still be doing the necessary work.

Different Cultures

Employers often forget that not everyone celebrates Christmas, or they celebrate it at different times. Jews and Muslims for instance, do not celebrate Christmas but have their own celebration, Eid and Hanukkah. When you have different cultures in your organisation, you should learn what they celebrate and when. Employees often feel that they must take part in Christmas related events, even though it may not be part of their beliefs. Always take this into consideration or it could lead to Christmas issues in the workplace.

Christmas Parties

When alcohol is flowing and colleagues get together, things can often get out of hand. If you’re organising a Christmas party, make sure you inform your employees of your expectations. HR can be extremely busy with complaints and allegations following from Christmas parties. Loose lips sink ships as they say! Always ensure you make it known to employees that you still expect them to act professionally and to be a good representative for the company.

Travel Changes

The Christmas period often leads to changes in public transport, which can be disruptive to your business, if you have employees based in the office. You may want to consider allowing employees to work from home where possible in the lead up to Christmas or at least have a plan b in place, if employees are struggling to get to work. Car shares or taxis are alternative options.

Covid Concerns

Although we do not hasten to mention Covid, as we are all sick and tired of hearing about it, we can’t ignore it. Covid can cause staff to isolate and can lead to shortages. You may even have employees that don’t feel comfortable coming to work. The virus is unpredictable, so it is difficult to prepare but you may want to consider having a temporary recruitment agency on hand, in case you need staff at the last minute. Always do your best to protect your employees and to make the office as safe as possible for them, otherwise, you could end up with more than Christmas issues in the workplace!

If you are having issues with employees in the run-up to Christmas, or you’d like to share any other concerns or have any other issues requiring expert HR advice and guidance, you can contact us , and we will be happy to offer advice and assistance

The Pandemic – How Do You Really Feel – Part One

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Blue Tree HR

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused complete upheaval in all our lives. Not only have most of us been confined to the home for months, but many have also not even been able to work or have been working from home.

We recently carried out a survey at Blue Tree HR Solutions to find out more about how people feel about the pandemic and returning to work after lockdown. We wanted to get a better understanding of the concern’s employees have and whether they feel their employers have done enough to support them. We will discuss the responses, as well as any helpful tips we can offer as experienced HR professionals.

Returning to Work

According to our survey, 95% of respondents were not on furlough, suggesting that most were working from home. There was a very mixed response to the prospect of returning to the workplace, with an equal proportion (35%) stating that they were either dreading it or weren’t bothered either way, and 30% stating that they ‘couldn’t wait to return to the workplace.’

We get a lot of questions from both employees and employers about returning to work after covid and returning to work after furlough. Employers are concerned with how they should approach it and employees want to know what their rights are if they do not want to return. Many feel anxious about the possibility of being subjected to the virus or are just used to their ‘bubble’ and don’t particularly want to come out it. We hope this advice can give you some reassurance.

Advice for Employees

Firstly, the government guidelines, according to returning to work after covid, are to work from home until at least June 21^st, so according to the law, your employer cannot force you to return before this date. If you are on furlough and are concerned about childcare or other concerns about returning in June, the scheme has been extended until September, so you should speak to your employer and request an extension.

If you are being asked to return to the office as your job cannot be undertaken at home and it is after June 21^st, your employer has the right to expect you to return to your place of work, and disciplinary action may be taken if you refuse. If you simply don’t want to work from the office as you are enjoying working from home, and your work can be undertaken at home, we suggest speaking to your employer and reaching a mutual agreement. Talk to them about how you’re feeling and try to reach an arrangement, such as working from the office two days a week with the remainder at home or only attending meetings, as required.

Advice for Employers

You must not force employees to go into the office until after June 21^st. The government messaging remains to work from home. After this period, we would suggest doing your upmost to try and be flexible with your employees, as it is extremely difficult to return to work full time after getting used to working from home. If they can work from home, our advice would be to offer them some flexibility, even if they must attend the office a couple of days a week. You must ensure that precautions are taken and that your employees are safe. Take a look at the government advice on making your workplace covid safe when your employees are returning to work after lockdown.

If you need some advice on this, whether as a concerned employee or employer, get in touch with us on info@bluetreehr.uk or 01787 695084. We will be happy to take through your options.

Next week we will be discussing the general feeling about lockdown and we will offer some tips on how to deal with your mental and physical wellbeing.

Furlough – FAQs

Posted on March 30, 2020April 28, 2023 by Blue Tree HR

The Job Retention Scheme, recently proposed by the government is great news for employers. Business owners were wondering how they were going to cope during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The Job Retention Scheme

Image of graphic person with a speech bubble — What is the Job Retention Scheme?

With the Job Retention Scheme, employers can put their employees on furlough. This is a temporary lay-off, meaning as soon as there is work available again staff can be asked to return to work as before.

The Government has confirmed it will provide grants to businesses. This will cover 80% of wage costs to a maximum of £2,500 per person per month.

So if you are wondering if this Job Retention Scheme could help you, I have answered a few of the frequently asked questions below:

Can I furlough part-time workers?

Yes. In fact, you can furlough all types of workers part-time, full time, employed agency, zero hours, variable hours. They will all be entitled to the Job Retention Scheme grant.

What is someone is on sick leave?

When someone is on sick leave they will continue to receive sick pay in accordance with their employment terms and conditions. If they are due to return, you can initiate a period of furlough on their return date.

Can I have rotate staff on furlough leave?

You can, but the minimum period for qualifying is three weeks, so you will need to rotate on a three-week cycle, any less and you will not receive the grant.

Can staff do a small amount of work for me whilst on a furlough period?

The government guidance stipulates that anyone on furlough is not permitted to carry out work for their employer or anyone else.

What if my employee has more than one job?

Employees who currently have more than one employer can be put on furlough by one employer and continue to work for the other. If they are put on furlough by more than one employer, they’ll receive separate payments from each employer. The 80% of their normal wage up to a £2,500 monthly cap applies to each job.

What if someone is on maternity leave?

An employee on maternity leave will continue to receive their maternity pay as before, no change. If they are due to start their maternity leave soon, they can be put on furlough, until the maternity leave starts. NOTE: If their earnings have reduced due to a period on furlough their Maternity Leave starting this may affect their Statutory Maternity Pay.

If someone is due to come back to work following maternity leave, you can initiate a period of furlough instead of returning to work.

I had a new recruit who started on during March, do they qualify?

Employers can only claim for staff who were employed on the 28th February and new starters since then do not qualify for the grant.

What about National Minimum wage?

Pay on furlough does not have to meet the national minimum wage because they are not being paid to work.

How is the 80% payment calculated?

For full time and part-time salaried employees, the employee’s actual salary before tax, as of 28 February should be used to calculate the 80%. Fees, commission and bonuses should not be included.

In the case of employees with variable pay, who have been employed for a full year, employers will claim for the higher of either: the amount the employee earned in the same month last year, or an average of their monthly earnings from the last year.

For staff on variable pay, who’ve been employed for less than a year, employers will claim an average of their monthly earnings since they started work.

Is the payment subject the tax and national insurance and pension?

Wages of furloughed employees will be subject to Income Tax and National Insurance as usual. Employees will also pay automatic enrolment contributions on qualifying earnings, as usual.

Employers will be liable to pay Employer National Insurance contributions on wages paid as well as the usual pension contributions.

For full details on government scheme.

These are difficult times for employers and we are here to help employers. If you have any questions about the Job Retention Scheme or any other employment issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Contact me at melanie@bluetreehr.uk

Tag: Coronavirus