Gap HR Services

13/10/2026

An employee has been off sick for weeks, then says the original condition has improved but they now have a different illness or injury.

That does NOT automatically start a new period of sickness absence!

If the absence is CONTINUOUS, you don’t go back to self certification just because the reason has changed. If they’ve already been providing fit notes, they continue providing fit notes!

From the sick pay and documentation side, the fact that the condition has changed is largely IRRELEVANT!

Keep treating it as the same continuous absence rather than restarting the process.

12/10/2026

One of the worst things you can be as a manager?

Offended.

An employee goes off sick when you’re already short-staffed. You take it personally.

They complain about something you’ve done. You get defensive.

They don’t follow an instruction. You decide they’re deliberately disrespecting you.

They raise a grievance. Now you’re convinced it’s a personal attack.

Instead of asking, “What actually happened?”, your immediate reaction is, “How dare they?”

But you’re their manager, not their friend.

Your job is to manage the behaviour, rather than your feelings about the behaviour.

Employees are allowed to disagree with you. They’re allowed to raise grievances, request flexible working and challenge decisions. That doesn’t automatically mean they’re disrespecting you.

Sometimes they’ll be wrong. Sometimes you’ll be wrong.

Good management means working out which one it is without turning it into a battle of personalities.

If an employee has done something wrong, deal with it. Get the facts, follow the right process and respond with a level head.

Your job isn’t to win. It’s to manage.

So next time an employee does something that makes your blood boil, resist the angry email and ask yourself:

“What would I do here if I wasn’t offended?”

09/10/2026

Bereavement may not be sickness, but it’s still an absence.

If your absence reporting policy says employees must telephone the duty manager, that PROCEDURE still applies.

That matters because if the employee doesn’t follow the reporting process, you may have more options for dealing with the issue under your policy.

Managers can also ask reasonable questions about the absence. You can’t force somebody to come into work, but you can ask what’s happened, when they expect to return and explain how they’ll be paid under your bereavement policy!

The key is to be COMPASSIONATE while still following the process.

09/10/2026

Before we get into the silly season, let’s answer some of the key questions we get around holiday:

It’s rapidly approaching that time of year again – the skeleton crew is in operation, staff disappear to make merry, and you lose half of December to run your business! Before we get into the silly season, let’s answer some of the key questions we get around holiday:   How much holiday entitl...

06/10/2026

Bereavement is a delicate situation for employers. You want to give someone the space they need, while still making sure the absence is recorded properly.

If your policy says they need to contact the duty manager, that process still applies.

But HOW you approach the conversation matters.

Rather than making it sound like they’re being challenged, you could simply say you need a few details so you can record the absence correctly and make sure they’re PAID in accordance with the bereavement policy.

That way, you’re still following your absence procedure without adding unnecessary pressure at an already difficult time!

It’s about handling the situation with compassion while quietly making sure the correct process is followed.

02/10/2026

From 1 January, anyone with six months’ service will need a different route if you want to part company, such as redundancy, disciplinary action or a settlement agreement.

That means December is the time to review ANYONE currently under two years’ service and ask a simple question: do we actually want them to stay?

Don’t leave that decision until January! Contact us now!

02/10/2026

We’ve recently dealt with two instances of embezzlement; both absolute, bare-faced examples of theft.

One in particular stretches the boundaries of belief, but I promise that it did happen!

The employee in question was an accounts and payroll person who’d been granted a ‘working from home allowance’ during the Covid lockdown.

Yes, six years ago.

We’ve recently dealt with two instances of embezzlement; both absolute, bare-faced examples of theft. One in particular stretches the boundaries of belief, but I promise that it did happen! The employee in question was an accounts and payroll person who’d been granted a ‘working from home allo...

30/09/2026

Too busy for HR because “nothing’s wrong”?

We get it.
There’s never enough time.
And if there are no problems right now, HR can feel optional.

You can wait.
Just like skipping fire insurance until there’s a fire.

But when something does go wrong, it costs more.
More money.
More time.
More stress.

The smarter move is earlier.
Build the relationship before there’s an issue.
Get used to how support works.
So when things go pear shaped, resolution is quicker and calmer.

HR isn’t about creating work.
It’s about saving time when it matters most.

29/09/2026

A new bar manager has been there for a month and the stock take is already down 20 bottles of wine!⁠
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They’ve also been asking members to buy them drinks....!⁠
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The club’s question was whether they could dismiss them because they didn’t think the manager was right for them.⁠
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Errr...the bigger issue? They’d let it carry on for four weeks!⁠
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When serious concerns appear this early, deal with them QUICKLY rather than allowing the situation to drift.⁠
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In this case, the timing mattered. During that first month, dismissal could be immediate with pay to the end of the day. After the month, the NOTICE position changed to one week.