View our latest blogs…

(Click on a blog to read more)

Nov 07

Showing Appreciation

The act of recognising and valuing your employees goes beyond a simple pat on the back – it's a powerful tool that supports organisational success by improving morale, engagement, loyalty and performance and helps to build a strong and positive company culture. It’s also not just down to pay –... read more →
Oct 03

Pregnancy and baby loss

In the UK, it is estimated that there are around 250,000 miscarriages each year and 1 in every 4 pregnancies will end in loss.  When you consider that most people looking to start or grow their family will be of working age, it’s safe to assume that many of these... read more →
Aug 29

Policy Spotlight: Employee Handbook

We get it, HR policies are quite dry subject matter. We don’t often hear our clients excited to add another policy to their collection or telling us how a policy has helped them reach their profit target this year. But boring things are still important! Our Policy Spotlight series will... read more →
Aug 01

Neurodiversity in the workplace

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of differences in the way the human brain interprets the world. Most people are what is known as neurotypical, which means that their brain processes information and interprets the world in a way similar to most other people, or in a... read more →
Jul 11

Contracts of Employment

A contract of employment is a legal document that exists between an employee and an employing organisation that stipulates the terms and conditions upon which the individual is employed.  Contracts are legally binding and are a mix of express and implied terms. Why have a contract in place? A contract... read more →
Jun 22

Policy Spotlight: Disciplinary Policies

We get it, HR policies are quite dry subject matter. We don’t often hear our clients excited to add another policy to their collection or telling us how a policy has helped them reach their profit target this year. But boring things are still important! Our Policy Spotlight series will... read more →
May 30

Job Descriptions

A job description, also known as a JD, job spec or job specification, usually starts as a recruitment tool but its purpose and use continues throughout the employment lifecycle.  When written well, a good job description will be useful for inducting and onboarding new employees, managing performance and expectations and... read more →
May 16

Learning at Work Week

This week is Learning at Work Week which aims to highlight the importance of continued learning and development. The Learning at Work campaign is run by the charity Campaign For Learning whose aim is to promote and advance learning, helping to create a fairer, more inclusive society. This year Learning... read more →
May 02

Policy Spotlight: Grievance Policies

We get it, HR policies are quite dry subject matter. We don’t often hear our clients excited to add another policy to their collection or telling us how a policy has helped them reach their profit target this year. But boring things are still important! Our Policy Spotlight series will... read more →
Apr 19

Managing addiction in the workplace

Addiction occurs when an individual feels compelled to take, use or do something that interferes with their quality of life or causes harm to themselves or those around them. Addiction is often considered a disease because it fundamentally affects the way the brain works and how it deals with reward... read more →
Apr 04

Harassment and Bullying at Work

Shockingly, statistics show that bullying and harassment at work is a common problem with approximately 25% of the UK population saying they have experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace at some point in their lives. But what is harassment and bullying in a work context and what are your... read more →
Mar 23
Mar 06

The Gender Pay Gap

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day, a day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and this year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. This time last year, survey results showed that 15% of Britons think that gender inequality doesn’t exist, and whilst men were more likely to hold... read more →
Feb 28

Exit Interviews

What is an exit interview? An exit interview is an informal meeting arranged with an employee before they leave the business. If conducted well, it can be a valuable way for your business to obtain some honest feedback about what it’s like to work for you and why the employee... read more →
Feb 21

Four Day Working Week: The Results

Following on from our blog in November about the trial of a 4 day working week that was underway, this week a report has been published with the outcomes and results of the trial. We were delighted to hear some really positive results, and think this feels like a step... read more →
Feb 16

Probation Periods

Many organisations include a probation period in their contracts of employment. A probation period is similar to a trial period in employment and is a good way for organisations to assess the overall suitability of a new starter for the post they were recruited for. It also provides an opportunity... read more →
Feb 07

Apprenticeships

National Apprenticeship Week takes place from 6th -12 February 2023 and is a celebration of apprenticeship schemes and the positive impact they have on individuals, business and indeed the wider economy.  But, what is an apprenticeship and what do employers need to know about employing an apprentice? The Basics An... read more →
Feb 02

Incentivising your team

Motivating your teams can feel like a daunting task. You want your teams to work hard, be productive and perform their roles to a high standard, which after all is what you pay them for! But salary alone isn’t usually enough to motivate your people to high performance and productivity... read more →
Jan 25

Supporting grief in the workplace

Sadly, everyone is likely to go through bereavement and loss at some point in their lives.  Research shows that over the last five years, 57% of the population have suffered a bereavement.  Despite this figure, grief remains something of a taboo subject and one that is rarely discussed in the... read more →
Jan 19

New year, new hires

Fresh from the festive break and into a new year, you may well have some recruitment to do, or some new hires about to start. The first few weeks and months of a new role are vital. Not just for making sure your new recruit is getting up to speed... read more →
Jan 12

Changes to Right to Work checks

Did you know that the rules around checking that employees have the right to work in the UK changed with effect from 1st October 2022?  The previous rules which allowed employers to check documents remotely over video calls, emails etc were put in place during the COVID 19 pandemic where... read more →
Dec 13

The Christmas bonus

The HR Overload team had a query from a client last year, and it was one that we thought worth revisiting this year, along with the options for tackling this situation, as a lot of businesses are still finding themselves in a similar position: Every year we pay staff a... read more →
Dec 01

Stress and anxiety at work

World mental health day was marked on 10th October 2022. The day aims to spread awareness about the significance of mental health and the importance of looking after it.  On this day, many organisations will put in place short term events or services to mark the date.  However, for mental... read more →
Nov 24

LGBTQ+

Creating an inclusive workplace is of high priority for many businesses this year – enabling employees to bring their whole selves to work and feel that they belong. Supporting your LGBTQ+ workforce is once piece of this puzzle. What is LGBTQ+? LGBTQ+ is a commonly used acronym which stands for... read more →
Nov 15

Quiet quitting

It’s something of a social media buzz-phrase, but quiet quitting is a phenomenon that may well be taking place in your business. What is it? Despite the name, quiet quitting isn’t actually quitting or resigning from your job. Quiet quitting involves refusal to work beyond contracted hours, take on additional... read more →
Nov 03

A four day working week

Almost a century ago, the UK reduced its working week from 6 days to 5, and there’s now a movement gaining traction to reduce our working week to 4 days. 73 firms recently started a trial of the 4 day working week where employees work 80% of their usual hours,... read more →
Oct 25

So long EU legislation?

In September, the government announced the ‘Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill’, another element of BREXIT rearing its ugly head. As part of BREXIT, it was intended for the UK to do away with the EU law it was obliged to follow as a member, and that’s exactly what... read more →
Oct 13

Supporting religious observance at work

It might only be October, but lots of us are already casting our minds forward to Christmas, whether that’s buying gifts and decorations, planning the final details of the Christmas party or working out a team cover plan for those limbo-like days in between Christmas and New Year. Whilst the... read more →
Oct 06

Menopause at work

Following the government’s response to the ‘Menopause and the Workplace: How to enable fulfilling working lives’ report there have been calls to make Menopause a protected characteristic alongside age, race, sexual orientation, disability etc. Given that around 3.5 million women aged between 15 and 65 years are currently in employment... read more →
Sep 27
Nov 15
How well do you know your colleagues?

How well do you know your colleagues?

The truth is probably not well enough.  Yes, you sit next to your work colleagues Monday to Friday and spend more time with them than your own family. But do you really understand what makes them tick? Our work relationships have a huge impact on our wellbeing. A happy team... read more →
Sep 21
Make a new start when furlough ends Reed

How to make a new start when furlough ends

When furlough ends it will bring some big changes for businesses. But it opens up some good opportunities too.  So how can you use this time positively? Furlough ends next week, on 30th September, more than 18 months since it was first introduced.  Although many will sadly face redundancy, others... read more →
Apr 29

Who’s Next?

With the world returning to some semblance of normality over the next couple of months, a lot of organisations will be moving closer to business as usual. Levels of job satisfaction and appreciation are apparently up, but the return to business as usual may also mean there are more employees... read more →
Apr 16

Mental Health Matters

Recently, Dr Alex George (of Love Island fame) was named Ambassador for Mental Health by the Prime Minister. Although his campaign was primarily focused on mental health support for children in schools, it got us thinking about how we can do better in workplaces at supporting our employees, and our... read more →
Mar 18

How To Support Millennials In Your Workplace

Millennials are set to make up 50% of the workforce, and have very distinct ideas about what they want from a job.  There’s plenty of myths about them too that don’t help their reputation.  That they’re lazy, always on their phone, high maintenance job hoppers, for starters. It’s no wonder... read more →
Mar 11

Save our Managers

Managers often seem to be stuck in the middle, between the demands of their Directors or CEO and the demands of their team, managing people can feel like a thankless task alongside a never ending to do list. Even more so now, with teams spread across multiple locations working from... read more →
Feb 25

Infographic – Top Tips for Managing Remote Workers

We've put together this handy infographic to help you and your Managers focus on what matters when managing remote workers. We hope it's helpful! There's more information on each tip below, and if you need some more detailed advice please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@hroverload.co.uk.  ... read more →
Feb 09

The Remote Future

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, a vast proportion of the workforce have been forced into flexible or remote working – whether they like it or not. For some it’s been a dream come true, no more packing onto a busy train like sardines, or office politics. For others it’s... read more →
Jan 30
HR quiz

Are you putting your company at risk?

Take our Quiz to find out Managing people and managing a business at the same time is far from easy.  We’re frequently faced with new challenges and decisions to make. And then there are the complexities of human nature! Keeping on top of HR regulation is a job in itself... read more →
Nov 15
Help I need to hire someone

Help I need to hire someone!

Suddenly the day has arrived.  You conceived it, given it a name, guided it through difficult times, watched it grow, and let’s face it probably shed a tear or two. And now your business is ready to grow, it’s time to get someone new into the business, whether for the... read more →
Sep 11
Mar 16

GDPR – What’s it all about?

The GDPR, coming into force in May 2018, is one of the hottest topics in the business world at the moment. For small and medium businesses (SMEs), understanding the implications of GDPR compliance and how it affects smaller... read more →
Oct 18