HR Dept Clapham

19/05/2026

A reminder that our FREE HR How To webinar on staying productive this summer is TOMORROW.

We'll be covering how to handle holiday clashes, maintain productivity and keep your team on track during the busiest absence period of the year. Practical, actionable HR guidance you can use straight away. If you haven't registered yet, there's still time.

12/05/2026

Most managers spend the summer reacting, by chasing approvals or filling gaps. It can become more like firefighting…

The ones that don’t have usually done one thing differently: planned for absence before it becomes a problem. That means knowing who's critical, when, and what breaks if they're not there. It sounds simple. But most businesses don't do it until something goes wrong.

If you want a practical framework for getting ahead of it this summer, we've got a free webinar coming up. Book your place by following the link in the comments below.

05/05/2026

The summer holiday clash conversation is one of the most common HR headaches we hear about.

Two people want the same week off. A third hands in their notice mid-July. And suddenly the team covering for everyone is running on empty. But it’s not always a clear cut organisational problem, it's a productivity and culture problem.

A few things that help:
Set clear holiday approval processes before the requests land on your desk
Plan for minimum staffing levels by department, not just headcount
Check in with the people doing the covering, not just the ones on holiday

28/04/2026

Summer's coming, and so are the holiday requests.

Join us for a FREE practical HR How To webinar where we'll cover everything you need to keep your business running smoothly when your team is out of office, including:
• Maintaining productivity during peak holiday periods
• Managing absence and holiday clashes with confidence
• Keeping teams engaged without risking burnout
• Flexible solutions that don't increase your risk

Plus, time at the end for your questions.
20th May 2026, 10-10.30AM
Perfect for business owners and managers who want a calm, compliant and productive summer.

24/04/2026

Exit interviews are often seen as a tick‑box exercise, but when done well, they can offer real value to your business, especially when supported by clear objectives.

23/04/2026

Happy St George’s Day from The HR Dept!

22/04/2026

“Never waste a good crisis”, attributed supposedly to Winston Churchill, could be modified to “never waste an exit interview”, for an SME business like yours.

By no means will every exit be a crisis, however in most cases, you will be able to extract useful information that will help you improve an aspect of your business – whether that is team dynamics, operations, remuneration, training or maybe something unrelated to HR like customer service.

There are other potential benefits too. If you really don’t want them to leave, it may be a final opportunity to turn it around, although it may be too late by this stage. It is also a platform to ensure you go your separate ways in good standing

Our latest blog explains how to make the most of every exit interview in your business:

“Never waste a good crisis”, attributed supposedly to Winston Churchill, could be modified to “never waste an exit interview”, for an SME business like…

17/04/2026

AI has many advantages, but when it comes to writing employment contracts, getting it wrong could be costly for your business.

15/04/2026

Ever since satnav was introduced, there have been tales of cars, or particularly larger vehicles like lorries, being sent en masse via bizarre routes that end in traffic chaos.

Just last year Lullington, a tiny village in Somerset, was overwhelmed with enormous lorries blocking its single track lanes, damaging the bridge and getting wedged in. It was reported that Google Maps had suddenly started recommending the route in July 2025.

On paper, or rather a computer screen, a route may look to make perfect sense. But without understanding the context of the roads and vehicles, it is completely inappropriate.

This is a very visual analogy to what happens when you use AI to write employment contracts.

Our latest blog takes a closer look at the risks of using AI to draft your contracts. Read the full version on our website here:

Ever since satnav was introduced, there have been tales of cars, or particularly larger vehicles like lorries, being sent en masse via bizarre routes that…

10/04/2026

April’s changes to Statutory Sick Pay could lead to some unintended consequences for SME businesses.

Our latest infographic explains what these are, and the steps you can take to protect your business.

08/04/2026

Unintended consequences, the bane of government policy. Like when they introduce a specific tax to raise revenue, and the introduction of the tax changes behaviour and revenue falls.

With the introduction of day one statutory sick pay (SSP), we are predicting some unintended consequences of extra sick leave being taken in scenarios where it shouldn’t be.

And the pressure it puts on SMEs in particular, both financial and through strained resources, could be very challenging unless it is managed well.

Here are a few scenarios that you may see:

Unintended consequences, the bane of government policy. Like when they introduce a specific tax to raise revenue, and the introduction of the tax changes…