How to Learn to Love Those Millennials!

04 / 03 / 2016

Millennials - those born between 1980 and 2000 – are completely different from all other employees. They’ve been referred to as “lazy” and “the most high-maintenance workforce in the history of work”. They have their own ideas about workplaces and aren't shy about expressing them. All that in-your-face “aren’t I great?” and “know it all” attitude can be trying for...

When Should the Formal Discipline Process Start?

28 / 02 / 2016

If this seems a slightly odd question, please be patient with me. It’s a very common one, perhaps surprisingly so. The truth is many employers are not really sure when to roll their sleeves up and get stuck into the management of employees who are not consistently meeting standards. Let’s be clear. Employers should start disciplinary action as soon as...

Going AWOL, Spanish Style

26 / 02 / 2016

If someone went absent without permission, they used to call it “French leave”. Perhaps it should be re-named “Spanish leave” after a story emerged recently that a Spanish civil servant had not attended work for six years. The really Alice-Through-The –Looking-Glass element to this is that nobody actually asked where he was or what was happening to the work he...

How to Choose a Winter Coat

24 / 02 / 2016

We’ve had an unusually warm winter, but a recent cold snap has made me ferret out my favourite fuschia pink winter coat! If you’re thinking about buying a new coat, House of Colour tells us what to look for. A winter coat is a serious investment, you'll be wearing it more than anything else in your wardrobe as the weather...

Shall We Have a Quiet Word?

22 / 02 / 2016

Q - One of my employees has raised an issue about another colleague. Can I deal with this informally? A- Yes. A quiet word to explore the issues and decide on a way forward may be all that is needed to resolve the issue and is often the best way to achieve the desired results. Make sure that you keep...