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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…
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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…
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Help to pay workers

Government support is available if you put people on unpaid leave (otherwise called furloughs or temporary layoffs) but don't terminate their employment. Employers can apply for up to 80% of pay, up to £2,500 per month (annual equivalent…
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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…
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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…

Pacman and other Halloween pumpkins

Apart from her HR talents, Melissa carves amazing Halloween pumpkins. This year’s model is Pacman!  
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Companions for meetings – but no clowns

We deal with all sorts of quirky goings on in the wonderful world of work and HR - but bringing a clown to a formal meeting is a new one on us! You may have read that a man in New Zealand chose to bring an “emotional support” clown with…
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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…

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…
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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…
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Local, national, international – a Big Debate

All kinds of people came to the latest Big Debate: should local firms push themselves to get customers further away? Maybe outside the UK? Not surprisingly, the consensus was yes - with great tips for how to win work and build global companies.…

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…
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Working at home or everyone in an office?

My colleague Brian recently wrote a blog about the difficulties of hiring locally and thinking about relocating staff to work for you, with some handy tips and food for thought. But, as I sit in my kitchen, working remotely, I question why…
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“We can’t get local candidates”

Some job searches are tougher than others. Advertise for a part-time admin role and you’ll get 20 CVs in a day or so. Start searching for a developer with specialised skills or for a senior role with precise definitions of industry, product…
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Equal pay for players

Why pay women less than men? Apart from that general question, why should gender make a big difference to your pay if you’re playing football?  Lewes FC is the first football club in the world to treat and pay its women’s and men’s…

Have a merry Christmas!

We hope you have a very merry Christmas and a fantastic 2019!
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Giant snails everywhere!

Giant snails around Brighton and Hove popped up over the autumn – and they’ve now been sold. Designed by a wide range of artists and sponsored by local businesses, the colourful snails were auctioned and sold for a total of £231,400 for…