Entries by Brian Warren

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Ho ho … huh?

Dust down your Christmas To Do list and crack on with organising cards, a lunch or party or whatever celebrations you usually have in December …. oh wait. Maybe not. Everyone’s scattered all over the place and you only see their faces on Zoom. Let’s just get to Christmas and forget about the whole thing. […]

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Job Support Scheme: quick FAQs

UPDATE: Honestly, there’s no point reading this. It’s been completely changed and now it’s been abandoned for November. Check here for the latest news about furloughs: https://www.quickhr.biz/furlough-extends-and-lockdown-is-back/   So, no more furloughs and the replacement sounds a bit complicated. Something about thirds and two-thirds, I think. Honestly, thinking through the details made juggling spaghetti sound […]

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Lockdown and vision changes

I went ‘out out’ to the opticians …. a very interesting experience under the current circumstances! We discussed my awesome skills in fixing glasses with Superglue but also, more importantly, signs of digital eye strain. As a result of the switch to home-working for many people, there has been a big increase in consultations about […]

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A quick guide to furloughs

It sounds like a simple idea: don’t fire people and the Government will provide up to 80% of their pay each month instead. Inevitably it’s becoming a little more complicated. The next key date is 10th June and after that new entrants cannot join, because the scheme closes for new applications on 30th June and any […]

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Working in different places and how to adjust

With so many people now working from home, how are you getting on? As a massive experiment, it’s blown up all the previous obstacles and concerns about home-working: the worries that people won’t work or things will fall apart. If work can be done remotely, any glitches are just a matter of making adjustments: equipment, […]

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Don’t panic – but act quickly

Wow. Okay, everyone’s talking about working from home, worrying about Coronavirus and stockpiling toilet rolls. We’re living in interesting times. Don’t panic. But before you get overtaken by events – and the worst case scenarios could mean lots of missing people from your workplace – stop now and come up with a plan, so you […]

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Visa changes and moving to the UK

What happens if firms cannot hire enough people to make goods, look after people and wait on customers? We might find out soon. The Government has outlined plans for a points-based immigration system after the UK leaves the EU. The immediate reactions involve the difficulties ahead with getting “low-skilled” workers to qualify, which might affect […]

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People on medications: Brexit worries

Everybody works with someone who is taking medication of some sort. You just might not know about it. One worry about Brexit is any disruption to the way medications get into the UK and are available to people. More than 60% of medications come into the UK from or through the EU. It’s something we’ve […]

Looooong weekend!

It’s a long weekend: you get 3 days off and then a shorter 4-day week, if you work Monday to Friday. Have a wonderful bank holiday! Have fun and relax.

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Want to see Brian drop 500ft?

I’m abseiling down the i360 tower on Thursday 4th July to raise cash for the brilliant Clock Tower Sanctuary, a charity helping homeless young people. I’m a little bit nervous about this, so please click on the link and hand over any pennies you can…. raising cash for them will help me feel much better […]

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Pay and pension changes from April 2019

In April changes to pension contributions and pay levels come into effect. Pension contributions Minimum pension contributions are increasing to a minimum of 8% of an employee’s salary. The minimum split for contributions is: Employer 3% Employee 5% For more information click on this link. Pay levels If you pay anyone at the compulsory Living […]

Share your views for a great free bag!

We have 5 great bags to give away – just share your thoughts and experiences about working with people. The canvas bags are big and incredibly resilient. I’ve been stuffing my bag with groceries and heavy objects for ages, with no signs of wear and tear. For a chance to win, share your views about […]