Lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease and slowly but surely things are set to return to ‘the new normal’. With dates now in place for the reopening of the hospitality and caravan parks, more and more employees will be unfurloughed as they return to work. Given that social distancing is still very much a part […]
The Northern Ireland Executive recently revealed its five-step plan for easing lockdown. While no guidance has been offered on when exactly each step will be introduced, the general consensus is that there will be a gentle easing of the lockdown rules. In fact, some businesses are already re-opening, albeit with strict plans in place, which […]
The hashtag #wfh (working from home) is currently trending online, which isn’t surprising, considering that millions of us are working remotely due to the coronavirus crisis. With lockdown expected to last for another few weeks yet, it’s likely that for some, the novelty of working from home will wear off soon enough. If you find […]
Here, we share the latest advice on how to introduce appropriate measures in your workplace to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. Recently, employers have been heavily criticised by the First and Deputy Minister for failing to introduce appropriate measures into the workplace to protect employees from the spread of Covid-19. Employers and employees have […]
With so much contradictory information surrounding the coronavirus and the guidance that businesses should follow, here, Consult HR’s Julie Pollock answers the most commonly asked questions. What should the company do about business travel? Seriously consider suspending unnecessary business travel overseas or certainly areas that are regarded as a ‘risk’ (travel to some countries will […]
Novel Coronavirus, or Covid-19 as it is officially known, has dominated headlines since the first case was diagnosed in December 2019, and it isn’t surprising. Since then, and at the time of writing, cases have been diagnosed in 32 countries around the world, including the UK. In Northern Ireland alone, there are 12 confirmed cases […]
It might surprise you to learn that in the UK, employee sickness rates are at an all-time low. This, no doubt, will be welcome news for employers, but the truth is, this doesn’t show the whole picture. While sickness levels are at a record low, what is on the rise is presenteeism, which is when […]
A new year has arrived and as a business owner or manager, you are probably keen to get the year off to a perfect start! If you’re tired of hearing excuses from employees such as “I didn’t get to it today”, “Something else came up” or “There just aren’t enough hours in the day”, read […]
In an ideal world everyone would get along. However, society is made up of many different personalities, which can cause clashes. Never has this been truer than in a working environment. When you think about it, we can spend upwards of 8-hours a day with colleagues, which is often more time than we spend with […]
Over the past few years, the term ‘flexible working’ or ‘flexi-time’ has definitely become more prevalent. However, the latest HR buzz word is more than just that – there has been a rise in the number of companies now offering employees the option of flexible working hours. As an employer, you may have overheard remarks […]
