Stonechat HR Consulting

03/03/2022

Calling all qualified pool lifeguards!
We are currently recruiting a team of responsible, trained individuals to carry out lifeguard duties and associated tasks at Portishead Open Air Pool for the 2022 summer season (April to October).

You must have the IQL NPLQ Level 2 award in pool lifeguarding, intervention, supervision and rescue, or an equivalent qualification.

For further details go to our website and to apply please email [email protected]

https://www.portisheadopenairpool.org.uk/vacancies/

03/03/2022

We are planning to open up on more days soon and we need your help! We need more volunteers to join our dedicated team - no previous experience required and you don't have to sign up for a regular shift - any time you can give us will be greatly appreciated and you will receive a warm welcome at Café Lido.

Contact us on [email protected] or call in and pick up a volunteer application form.

23/02/2022

Closure of SSP Rebate Scheme - Covid

The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will close on 17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022. Employers will no longer be able to claim back Statutory Sick Pay for their employees’ coronavirus-related absences or self-isolation that occur after ‌17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022.

Employers have until 24‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022 to submit any new claims for absence periods up to 17‌‌‌ ‌March‌‌‌ ‌2022, or to amend claims they have already submitted.

After then, there is a return to the normal SSP rules, which means employers should revert to paying SSP from the fourth qualifying day their employee is off work regardless of the reason for their sickness absence.

18/02/2022

There is some good news as we wait for Storm Eunice to blow on by…. Today is National Wine Day! Suddenly this very wet and windy day got a whole new outlook at Stonechat HR!

It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere! Cheers 🥂

05/01/2022

Digital right-to-work checks are to be made permanent, the government has announced, following widespread calls to make the temporary measure a longer-term feature.

The change was initially deployed as a temporary measure to aid with remote working in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and was set to end on 5 April this year, following a number of extensions on the initial end date.

For all your HR needs please contact us via: [email protected]

Government extends temporary measures indefinitely following months of campaigning by the recruitment sector

18/12/2021

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fit-note-guidance-for-employers-and-line-managers

Temporary change to fit notes
For Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), where employees go off sick on or after 10 December 2021, employers can only ask employees for proof of sickness (such as a fit note) after 28 days of sickness (including non-working days). Proof of sickness cannot be requested earlier than 28 days.

Fit notes do not have to be provided for DWP benefit claims until 27 January. This will not affect claims to benefit.

These changes are to give GP’s more time to work on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) booster programme.

Explains what to do if an employee gives you a fit note and how you can use it most effectively to help your organisation.

26/10/2021

Minimum and living wage increases are coming from 1 April as follows:

-National Living Wage for over-23s: From £8.91 to £9.50 an hour
-National Minimum Wage for those aged 21-22: From £8.36 to £9.18
-National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds: From £6.56 to £6.83
-National Minimum Wage for under-18s: From £4.62 to £4.81
-The Apprentice Rate: From £4.30 to £4.81

The 6.6% increase in the minimum pay rate for those aged over 23 - known as the National Living Wage - is more than twice the current 3.1% rise in the cost of living.

The rise means a full-time worker will get £1,074 extra a year before tax.

Sounds like a sizeable increase and one that will be welcomed by many including employees on these rates but not everyone will be happy.

Will it be as welcomed by all employers?

Hospitality and Retail to name a couple, won’t welcome this increase. They are still struggling to recruit and recover from the pandemic as it is.

Will it be welcomed by consumers?

As salary bills go up the costs are often passed onto consumers leading to higher prices.

What’s your thoughts?

Do the increases go far enough?

Do they go too far?

A full-time minimum wage worker aged over 23 will get £1,074 extra a year before tax from April.

17/09/2021

Covid is responsible for many things, not too many of them positive but the flexible working revolution was definitely one very positive outcome.

Not only have we seen more people work from home and in a more flexible way during the pandemic and since the restrictions have been lifted but we may be about to see the introduction of the right to request to work flexibly from day 1, instead of after 26 weeks introduced.

Employers need to get prepared if this is introduced as new starters won’t have to wait 26 weeks, they can make a request from day 1.

So, how about more job adverts feature flexible working options and we start to have more discussions during the recruitment process about flexible working?

Millions of workers will be given a 'day one' right to request that their employer allows them to work flexibly under government proposals to be published within days, Sky News learns.

10/08/2021

A Level results day….brings back memories albeit it pretty distant ones!

Good luck to everyone collecting these today.

No matter what the results are, there will be a door to the next chapter for you.

It might be a different door to the one you thought you’d go through regardless of your results but the next adventure will be on the other side of whatever door you walk through.

03/08/2021

This made me chuckle! Don’t under estimate the importance of listening and communication skills when building any type of relationships!

We’ve recently been helping organisations hear disciplinary, grievance and appeal meetings and hold consultation meeting with employees ahead of TUPE transfer processes. All these processes rely on active listening and strong communication skills. If we can help you then please don’t hesitate to contact us, no need for an ongoing contract, we do a lot of adhoc work:

[email protected] for all your HR needs