It’s time to get back to the office – well almost!

· by Emma Browning
We all thought that as of the 19th July we would be getting back to some form of normality as lockdown restrictions were easing!  However,  as the government seem to be back tracking on their recent advice about getting back to the office, and are now saying that we should “continue to work from home” if we can, and we are being “encouraged” to continue to wear masks, we wanted to send you our thoughts on how you approach getting back to work! Talk to your staff. Employers should be…

Key HR lessons from Matt Hancock’s recent resignation

· by Emma Browning
A few weekends ago, we saw Matt Hancock resign from his position as Health Secretary over the breaking of COVID-19 social distancing rules while having an affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo. Whilst the world of political reporting and the mainstream broadcasters will focus on the implications of his resignation in the world of politics – anyone in an HR role like we are was sat at home thinking; Did Matt Hancock know there was CCTV in his office? How did the CCTV footage of him and an aide get…

How to get your staff back on track as Lockdown eases

· by Emma Browning
Is your business at sixes and sevens as people have worked from home for the last 15 months and perhaps felt disengaged from the business?It’s worth taking a little time out to assess how you can get things back on track. Here’s how to get it back on track and firing on all cylinders as we return to a sense of normality and perhaps go back to the office. Get your team re-engaged with your Vision and Values Many things have changed over the last 15 months and as a…

How Healthy is your HR?

· by Emma Browning
Now is the time to make sure your HR policies and procedures are up to scratch and legally compliant (did you know there is a raft of new employment legislation that came into force on the 6th April?) You need to know whether the documentation you have in place is legally compliant and will support any important business decisions you need to make in the next financial year. For example, this includes people working from home on an ongoing basis, as your policies and employment contracts need to reflect any…

Employment Law – the 5 key elements for 2021 that any ambitious business needs to know!

· by Emma Browning
The last 12 months has presented us with many challenges for our businesses, and as a result of these challenges, a lot of Employment Law has changed, or been updated to help us address the challenges that Covid19 has presented us with. If you have an HR team, then they should be on top of this for you, but if you haven’t, then here’s where we can help! Employment law is constantly on the move and we keep track of the latest employment law changes so you don’t have to.…

Why do you want to work in HR?

· by Emma Browning
Over the years, I have had people asking me to mentor them because they want to work in Human Resources. I love to mentor, but I like to do it for the right reasons. So, in response to being asked to be a Mentor for someone, I have usually asked the question: “Why do you want to work in HR?” More often than not the answer goes something along the lines of “I love working with people, developing them and helping them”. To which I usually respond: “If that’s what…

Want to join our HR Influencers Club?

· by Emma Browning
The HR function has been evolving since the 1990s and is now firmly established and well understood.  What is perhaps less well understood is what it takes to be an exceptional, high performing HR Business Partner. What are the skills, knowledge and attributes of the best? In our experience many organisations find that there is still a way to go before the role of HR Business Partner is operating as they would like. These are some of the key challenges we hear from our clients about the challenges they believe…

The 10 most common HR Issues facing businesses today

· by Emma Browning
Last year will go down as one of the most infamous years of our lifetime. But we know that when there are tremendous challenges, there is tremendous learning to take from these challenges. In Meraki HR fashion, we set out to understand the biggest learnings from 2020 that will impact HR and Business owners or leaders in 2021 and help them prepare for what’s next. Maintain flexible work  Before, offices played a crucial role in company culture, and for many, productivity was partly measured by how often you were seated…

It’s the year of the Ox, so make sure your business is as strong as an Ox!

· by Emma Browning
Chinese New Year on the 12th of February and this year it’s the year of the Ox. The Ox symbolises diligence, dependability, strength and determination, something which we will need in abundance this year. You need to make sure your employee policies and procedures are in order to make sure your business is as strong as an Ox! Employee Policies and Procedures don’t need to be complicated and you don’t need to find yourself knee deep in piles of paperwork! With our expertise and advice, we can help you create…

COVID-19: returning to the workplace

· by Emma Browning
This guide will help you plan your organisation’s next steps as lockdown measures ease or following a period of furlough for an employee. The CIPD is urging businesses to ensure they can meet three key tests before bringing their people back to the workplace and Meraki HR would encourage its clients to follow these 3 same principles; Is it essential? If people can continue to work from home employers should at least consider continuing to do that for the foreseeable future. If they cannot work from home, is their work…