There’s often bad feeling from business leaders and and management towards whistle blowers.

Jes Staley the former CEO of Barclays was famously fined £642,430 by the FCA, and reportedly had to forfeit £500,000 of his bonus, following his attempts to identify an anonymous whistle blower in 2016.

So what happens when the whistle blower’s identity is known? Quite often…

Salary Exchange (also known as Salary Sacrifice) is a feature of many employment packages in the UK. Many employers use it for things like employer pension contributions, cycle to work and childcare vouchers. In effect an employee gives up their contractual right to pay in return for an employer provided benefit, saving tax and national insurance in the process...

How have we got to a situation where Azeem Rafiq, a former professional cricketer, was left close to taking his own life after being subjected to racism during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club?

How did the Club, which launched a formal investigation into Rafiq's allegations in 2020, conclude that Rafiq had been subjected to only "inappropriate behaviour" but not (initially) uphold his allegations of racism?

How should employers tackle sexual harassment at work?

The problems caused by sexual harassment at work are numerous; for the employee who considers that they are being harassed, it can cause significant distress and it can sometimes lead to periods of absence and/or under performance.

What can employers do to attract and retain Black and ethnic minority graduates?

October is Black history month where there is an annual celebration of the history, achievements and contributions of Black people in the UK.

Given the restrictions forced upon all of us during the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home suddenly and rapidly became “the new normal” for many…

We are delighted that Paul Briers has joined our team as Marketing Manager.

A 2019 survey conducted by BUPA and the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that three in five menopausal women (usually aged between 45 and 55) were negatively affected at work and that almost 900,000 women in the U.K. left their jobs over an undefined period of time because of menopausal symptoms.

An interesting week for all things IR35! Two rather large settlements announced – firstly the Department for Work and Pensions have been handed a hefty tax bill of £87.9 million for the incorrect determination of the IR35 tax status between 2017 and 2021. Then hot on the heels, the Home office have also been hit with a £33.5million fine.

Covid-19 is a new virus and the long-term effects of it on individuals are yet to be seen. For those that were infected with the virus, a growing number have reported post Covid conditions which have been named “Long Covid”. Ongoing symptoms can include:

• Lung disease

• Blood clots

• Breathlessness

• Extreme fatigue

• Memory loss

• Brain fog

• Protracted loss of taste and smell

• Skin rashes

The mood in the country feels cautiously optimistic; we are now able to start planning and are looking forward to some semblance of normality following the turbulence of the last 14 months.

That said, we are not yet out of the woods; whilst the current guidance is for those who can work from home to continue to do so, it is hoped that by the 21 June 2021 we will be free from much of the tighter restrictions, including the requirement to work from home where we can.

The interest surrounding hybrid working has been a hot topic during the pandemic. But now HSBC is taking a further step to redesign its working environment post-Covid, by scrapping top floor offices for key executives at its Canary Wharf HQ.

It’s boss Noel Quinn told the FT that the old system was a “waste of real estate” because top execs spent half their time traveling the world, leaving the 42nd floor mostly empty…

Unless you’ve been travelling to Mars for the last 8 months, you will know the new rules around IR35 are almost upon us. The off-payroll working rules apply to those who are deemed an employee, and not truly self-employed…

A recent survey has found that 23% of employers are planning to mandate that their staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. No doubt, these employers are influenced by a concern that they will be breaching their duty of care to their staff…

Amongst all the positive stories about the transition to home working arrangements during lockdown, one constant negative is the impact that home working can have on an employee's mental health…

According to the headline in a recent article in People Management (link below), the majority of young people think that nepotism influences hiring decisions. Take a look at the detail of the article and you'll find that there are also other more nuanced reasons…

Apparently not, according to the government, who are scrapping the training for civil servants and are calling on other public sector bodies to do likewise. Research seems to suggest that there's little evidence of unconscious bias training having a positive impact…

Shoe manufacturer and retailer, Clarks, have found themselves in the middle of a sexism row for calling a girls’ shoe a “Dolly babe” and calling the boys’ equivalent a “Leader”. The Dolly babe range (which has since been removed from Clarks’ website)…

‘If you feel good, eat!’ is the race day fuelling mantra of many experienced Iron Man triathletes. The principle is straightforward: eat little and often while you can stomach it, because if you wait until you’re hungry to give your body the nutrition it needs…