Migrant Worker Checks

26 / 05 / 2015

The issue of migrant workers has become very sensitive in recent years. The right to freedom of movement within the EU is a fundamental plank of the original agreement. Many UK employers want to keep that right because they cannot get UK staff willing or able to take on work. On the other hand, Britain is a small, very overcrowded...

Struggling to motivate? It’s all in the mind

22 / 05 / 2015

Yesterday we were asked about introducing an attendance bonus to encourage employees to attend for work. I am always a bit wary of attendance bonuses because they have a habit of backfiring, but I agree that having a strong motivation to come to work is desirable. Oddly, for most employees (sales people tend to be the exception) money has a...

Pulling a Sickie - Young v Old?

18 / 05 / 2015

It’s Monday. And where I am the weather is wet and miserable. As I write this, all round the UK, sufferers of Chronic Monday-itis will be tucking themselves firmly back into their duvets and casting around for an excuse not to go to work. And very tedious it is for those of us who do pitch up day in, day...

A 20 Year Career on a Two Page CV?

15 / 05 / 2015

Despite all the advice around on “how to get a job” few people actually apply the advice. If it’s not succinct and relevant why would a busy recruiting manger keep ploughing through it? If you have a few years under your belt it can be even harder to reduce the length of the document. But the CV and covering letter...

Are Emails Damaging to Your Workplace Productivity?

11 / 05 / 2015

Last week Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University hit the news by saying that the UK’s compulsion to deal with messages has caused us to become less productive than many of our international counterparts. Of course there are many other factors effecting productivity levels but it does play a part. It caused a wry...