Handling harassment in the workplace

Harassment is on the increase. If you or someone in your office is on the receiving end of such unwanted behaviour, what should you do about it?

How to work better with a PA or office administrator

A good PA like like your right hand - invaluable. But you need to do some planning and establish the ground rules to make the most of their time and yours. Here's how to get the most from a PA.

How to hire for the long-term

Finding and keeping good staff is an ongoing nightmare for any business. Here is an overview of how to define the job, how to assess your business culture and find a cultural fit, the selection process, interviewing, and how to keep them once you've hired them.

How to tackle workplace bullying

If your staff are not performing as they should, there might be a hidden cause - bullying. And it could cost you a great deal of money. Learn how to spot the symptoms, understand the consequences of failing to act, and find out how to deal with it.

Stress could land you in court - how to prevent a claim

A landmark personal injury case could have far-reaching implications for all businesses in the way they deal with staff. Stress in the workplace is a serious matter - and if you fail to deal with it, you could find yourself on the wrong end of a law suit or tribunal. How one employer lost out to the tune of £250,000, plus five steps to preventing a claim. (Based on UK law.)

How to prevent confidential information being given to rival

Anyone with a business employing a sales team has probably experienced the frustration of a key member leaving to work for a competitor. In fact, any member of staff leaving could leave you exposed. How to stop them passing on confidential information to your rivals.

Drugs in the workplace - what can employers do

Mention the word 'drugs' and you conjure up a lurid image of crazed junkies shooting up in dingy tenement basements. However, the problem is far wider. We look at the issue of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

How to manage sick employees

What do you do if you suspect your employee is having a 'sickie'? What should you do if you find you have a persistently sick employee? What happens if you find you need to let someone go who has been off sick for a while? How do you do it? And what are their rights? The guide includes a ten-point guide for employers wanting to handle sick absence at work better. (UK law)

The traps of giving a glowing reference to ex-employees

If you think you can off-load troublesome employees quickly by giving them a glowing reference, think again! It may cost you dear! How to protect yourself from trouble.

How much can you dictate what your staff wear to work?

How much are you allowed to dictate what clothes, hair colour or jewellery your people wear to work? Get it wrong and you could end up in court! Here's how to avoid trouble.

Using appraisals to boost performance

Appraisals are not just for big companies. They work well for small businesses too, especially where people are interdependent. Used properly, they can be one of the most powerful tools for developing and motivating staff, building teams and highlighting problems. Here's how to make appraisals work for your business.

Using virtual teams to grow without the cost of expanding

One benefit of the Internet is the viability of virtual teams. These allow people anywhere in the world to share skills as needed, especially in knowledge-based projects. But how do you set one up in practice? How to make it work; the qualities of ideal virtual workers; 16 tips for setting up a virtual team and the six pitfalls to avoid.

How to deal with difficult people

People are rarely deliberately 'difficult'. However, we all have certain routines to handle situations and we expect everyone to go along with these procedures. If people don't - or won't - we label them difficult. Here's how to handle them better.

How to hold effective recruitment interviews

The key to successful recruitment is selection. A vital part of this process is the interview. Here's how to find out more, how to structure an interview like a pro and get candidates to open up.

How to make the most of your training

Training is essential to get the most our of your people. But it can be expensive both in cost and time. So it is vital to extract the most from the experience, whether yours or an employee's. Six ways to maximise your investment, plus how to keep costs down.

Are you paying your staff enough?

No business is too small to escape the minimum wage law. But how does it effect you? Find out what's included and excluded, and about the situation with homeworkers and company directors.

How to hire a virtual assistant

One of the biggest problems of being a small business is finding the time to do all the admin. But modern technology has brought a new solution. How virtual assistants work. What work they can do. How much it costs. How to find a good one. How to retain control. What to do if things go wrong.

How to dismiss an employee safely

The odds are stacked in employees' favour when it comes to former employers taking you to court for unfair dismissal. How to make sure that you dismiss someone fairly.

Crime and employment

Are you caught up in an employment dispute? Can you fire an employee who has lost their driving licence? Are you afraid that an employee's conduct may harm your business? A top solicitor gives free legal advice!

Hiring your first employee

Sooner or later, you may have to have to hire your employee. Here's how to make sure you attract the right people for the job and then get the most from them when they come on board.

Practical ways to beat workplace stress

Keeping costs down while making your workers happy is one of the many targets of any small business. By trying to reduce stress in the workplace you can do just that, especially as stress is the second most commonly reported reason for work-related sickness and absence. Not only that - you might avoid an expensive day in court! Practical ways to beat workplace stress.

Recruiting your PA the easy way

A recruitment specialist offers her tips on finding the perfect personal assistant for a small office. Includes a sample job spec, interviewing tips, and an overview of how an agency might be able to help you in your search.

Need key staff? How to grow your own

More and more businesses are turning to their staff, rather than physical or financial resources, as the key to their future competitive advantage. This stems from the realisation that most people still have enormous potential lying dormant within them. You might be surprised by the hidden potential of your staff - that shy, unassuming youngster may be a future manager. Discover how to develop hidden talent.

Nurturing staff to get the most out of them

If you want good relations, efficiency and productive practices it makes good sense to make sure your staff are content and working with you, not against you. Here are 36 tried and tested ways to build and empower your team.

Training on a shoestring

Training is not just for big corporations. It is vital for anyone in business who employs staff - and it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Firms left holding the baby

New rules giving longer maternity and paternity leave to employees threaten to bring chaos to thousands of small businesses. We look at what is being proposed and find out what the critics say.

Simple steps to boost team productivity

How you deal with staff can have a big effect on productivity. Here's what the research shows us about boosting productivity.We also show how communication is a two-way process, though as boss, you can sometimes find yourself only in transmit-mode. We show you the AIDA method to ensure your communications result in action. Finally, we show you how to give negative feedback without offence.

Don't spoil your first employee

It's all too easy to treat your first employee like a firstborn child and spoil them. We highlight the dangers of unfairly favouring your first few members of staff and offer advice on how to make sure new recruits are right for your firm. This guide is about SMEs, but lessons apply to departments within larger organisations, too.

Don't turn your back on the disabled

The Rights of Access for Disabled People Act is legally binding on businesses. We look at what you must do to comply with the law.

Turn them all into winners

How would it affect your business if your staff consistently worked harder and smarter? Motivate people properly and you will reap the financial rewards. There is no limit to what your team can achieve if you give your staff the right incentives. Our guide looks at how to get everyone to shine.

Recruiting - how to bring the right people to your door

Someone once said, 'If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.' Recruiting is like marketing and the process is actually quite simple. Here's how to make it work for you.

Beware the age discrimination laws

An important law came into force on 1 October 2006 that affects every business in the land, large or small, employing staff. And it's a minefield for employers. The legislation outlaws age discrimination in any way, shape or form, save for a small number of exceptions dealing with areas such as training or health and safety. Find out more.

Recruiting the right staff for your business

Whether you need a replacement for a staff member who is leaving, or someone to reduce the workload on your existing staff (or yourself!), it is always worth taking the time to define exactly what you want the new person to do and why. This will tell you the sort of person you should be looking for.

Building you team

Good teamwork is critical to business success. We look at what it takes to build a strong and effective team.

Turn that 'attitude' to your favour

An employee with 'bad attitude' is usually regarded as being a major problem - but 'difficult' staff can be the most creative and innovative. We explain how to tap into their hidden skills. Plus, managing officer conflict and making it work for you.

Recruiting? Time to use intuition

Is there a place for intuition in business? We believe there is - especially when it comes to the crucial area of recruitment.

Why you need to trust your staff

Someone wants time off when you are really busy - how do you react? We explain why it's important to look at the big picture.

Get the results you want from difficult people!

Dealing with difficult people can be ... difficult! We explain how to deal with them more effectively - and get the results you want.

Healthy staff mean healthy profits

Your staff are probably the most important - and expensive - asset you have. Spending small amounts on health at work can mean a big boost in the bottom line, as we explain, and offer advice on low-cost solutions.