HR & Employment Law Insights

Helping family businesses, start-ups and early stage growth, third sector, professional services, trades and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and other growing or established businesses throughout the UK make sense of HR and employment law challenges.

We hope you enjoy the wide range of blog articles featured. We cover a wide range of topics including HR best practices, employment law updates, recruitment strategies, employee engagement, tips for effective people management, and addressing people challenges to help businesses navigate their HR needs with confidence.

A Practical Guide to Outsourcing your Payroll Operations

Payroll the old way. Whether you're a small, medium-sized or large business, there are benefits to outsourcing the payment of your employees to an external contractor. Many of these benefits can be realised quickly following the negotiation of a contract with a...

HR Consultant for Small Businesses

There’s a perception that HR is all about compliance such as discipline and grievance and if you’re a small business or family business, you probably think you don’t need an HR Consultant. You probably think that because your staff don’t cause you any issues and if...

How to Ensure Your Workforce Engage in Their Own Wellbeing

Happy staff means more productive staff No matter what type of business you run - it could be a family business, a startup or micro business, an established company, SME, or a large organisation, you would find it hard to continue without the help of the people you...

Getting The Most From Your People

Recruitment and Selection 20th February 2014, 7.45am - 10am We are delighted to be running some breakfast workshops for Fife Chamber of Commerce members during 2014 which will focus on ''Getting the Most from Your People'' with topics ranging from the recruitment and...

How to Create a Staff Absence and Sickness Policy

Sickness issues can cause big problems If you need to create a staff absence and sickness policy for your company, then you might like to consider sitting down with your managers to discuss what needs to be set in place and what they believe needs to be included in...

Why Employee Handbooks are so essential in everyday work

You know when you check into a hotel there is usually a folder in your room that tells you all there is to know about being a guest and the way the hotel operates. Want to know what time you can have breakfast, how to contact the concierge, all about the laundry...

Computer and Internet Usage Policies, Protecting Employer and Employee

Making your policy clear will ensure employees know where they stand. Having clear policies and procedures agreed with an employer makes for a much more pleasant and productive workplace. In the modern office, your policies should include a policy for employees...

Industrial Action and Your Rights as an Employer

Employers cannot legally dismiss employees if they take place in official industrial action, providing the trade union has carried out the correct notification and balloting procedures. Many disputes between employees and employers can often be resolved before...

How to handle redundancies in the workplace effectively

Redundancy conversations need to be dealt with sensitively. There are many successful businesses that at one time or another have to face making some redundancies, whether it's through a temporary downturn in business trade or simply because they have opted for a...

How to conduct a fair disciplinary hearing

As your business and team grows it’s likely that from time to time you may experience some unforeseen challenges with your employees that you will have to deal with. We recognise that it’s important to the smooth running of your business to be able to nip these things...

Free HR Health Checks – Fife Business Week

As part of Fife Business Week, The HR Booth are offering businesses a free HR health check in a relaxed environment over a cup of tea or coffee. Appointments are on a 1-1 basis and are aimed at businesses which employ staff. The aim of the health check is to discuss...

What are the New PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) Requirements in the UK?

Balancing the books is an important part of tax regulations. If you run your own business and have staff you employ, you will be only too aware of the need to stay up to date with legislation and make sure you have the right software for the job. PAYE is an integral...

Employee Shareholder Contracts – Update

Following Wednesday's budget, we announced plans that these shareholder contracts would come into force on 1 September 2013. We now have an update, as The House of Lords has voted against clause 27 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, which is the clause introducing...

Budget Announcement – Employee Shareholders

George Osborne announced in today's budget an important development with regard to employee shareholders. Under the scheme, which was thought to come into effect from 6 April 2013 but is now confirmed as 1 September 2013, employers can give staff between £2000 and...

Parental Leave Changes March 2013

The legislation around parental leave changed on 8 March 2013, increasing from 13 weeks to 18 weeks. What does this mean for employers? You will need to update your employee handbooks to reflect these changes and ensure your employees are aware of this. What if I...

Discrimination Training – Don’t Be Caught Cold Like Iceland

Iceland, the frozen food specialist which has stores across the UK, recently lost a tribunal claim where they had to pay £7000 to a former employee who successfully won her claim she was constructively dismissed. Ms Crisp who was employed by Iceland for approximately...

National Minimum Wage

As of April 2024, the UK government has implemented a new increase in the National Living Wage, reflecting ongoing efforts to address inflation and support the cost of living for low-paid workers. In this blog post, we’ll explore what the National Living Wage is, its...

Risk Assessments

More and more companies have asked me recently to review their health and safety practices and produce risk assessments. As an employer, you have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for your employees, customers and visitors. The HR Booth can...

Flexible Working During Major Sports Events

Flexible working has transcended beyond traditional bounds, especially during major sports events. Be it the Football World Cup, the Olympics, or Wimbledon, these events captivate sports enthusiasts' hearts and present unique challenges and opportunities for employers...

Edinburgh Legionnaires’ Outbreak

The number of confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease in Edinburgh has now reached 36, mostly in the south-west of the city. One person has already died and there are another 44 suspected cases. Legionnaire’s disease is not contagious but is a severe pneumonia-like...

Riddor Regulations

Subject to approval by MPs, the RIDDOR regulations will change from 6 April 2012. RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 which all employers must comply with. As the legislation stands, organisations must report...