February 2019 - Corinthian

22 February 2019

Business travellers with less than 6 months remaining on their passports might face difficulties with a no-deal Brexit:

New rules will apply if the UK leaves the EU with no deal
Official guidance is that people should ensure there are at least six months left on their UK passports from their date of arrival (child and adult)
Passport renewal before 29th March is therefore recommended for all EU business travellers to avoid possible business disruption if a no-deal Brexit occurs, with potentially long application delays otherwise

We hope this reminder is useful – if you require any further information or support please just get in touch.

(Full credit to Cover Magazine www.covermagazine.co.uk for the original content of this bulletin)

13 February 2019

What can employers learn from the world of romance?

As the song goes ‘love is in the air’ – it’s February, the high streets are decked out with Valentine’s day gifts and businesses are being encouraged to ‘love their employees’.

We also often hear the phrase ‘employer / employee relationship’ in HR publications and promotions. It’s true though, having employees is a lot like having a personal relationship so we’ve put together our take on the similarities and what employers can learn from the world of romance.

Here’s three ways being an employer is like being in a relationship:

1. Recruitment is like dating

These days, many people take to the internet to find their next potential partner. But which site do you use? Do you want a short term fling, or a long term relationship? There are so many options.

The same can be said for recruitment – there are a multitude of options available to employers to advertise their jobs – is it a permanent role, a temporary position, or does it require a niche set of skills?

Once your advert is placed, you have to interview your candidates, assess their aptitude with the help of psychometric tests and carry out background screening for the role sometimes too. It’s a lot like going on dates to test whether you’re compatible with your potential new partner!

2. You need to communicate

As anyone who has been in a long term relationship knows, communication is key. Talking to each other, understanding how each other is feeling and adapting your behaviour accordingly is the foundation of a successful relationship.

The same is true between employers and employees – you need regular 1:1’s with staff so you can check in with each other, celebrate successes and share any concerns. The appraisal and performance review process allows for open and honest conversations between managers and employees and a forum to address any concerns before they become relationship-ending.

Sitting alongside the formal performance review process though, you need to take time to check in with how your employees are feeling, provide opportunities for them to give suggestions and ensure they are happy and engaged with work. A simple employee engagement survey tool, lets you know how your employees are feeling, and enables you to take action to ensure they are happy and motivated to stay with you for the long-term.

3. Breaking up is hard

No one starts a relationship wanting it to end – and no-one starts a new job expecting things to go badly.

However, things may change, and you may need to end your employment relationship for a variety of reasons – redundancy or restructuring, performance issues, or the employee might leave for another job elsewhere.

Whatever the reason, and just like in a divorce, it’s best to agree the terms of the breakup. You might have thought ahead and made a pre-nuptial agreement before you marry your partner. Likewise with any employment relationship you should have thought about restrictive covenants in your employment contracts for key employees. It’s always easier to agree these things before the relationship sours.

If your employment relationship hits a rocky patch, you’re not on your own. Just like couples turn to relationship counselling to work through issues, you can turn to specialists too to help with your employment issues.

They can be your matchmaker, helping you find that special someone for your latest vacancy with specialist recruitment and retention services, be your relationship counsellors to help you get the most out of your relationships with your employees, or your legal experts fighting your corner if the relationship breaks down!

So, if you think your employee relationships could do with a bit of TLC this Valentine’s Day, why not get in touch with us and we can introduce you to specialists who can help.

11 February 2019

A recent survey showed that six out of 10 senior managers of SMEs said they would increase the benefits on offer within the next two years.

Around one in five said benefits which specifically address health and wellbeing would be their first choice.

SMEs are increasingly focusing on retaining and recruiting staff and as such recognise the role that a well-designed benefits package can play in addition to salary.

Smaller employers may struggle to attract and retain skilled employees if they cannot offer the benefits that many now expect at work. However, some of these may be much more cost effective than many think. For example, both group life and group income protection can cost as little as 0.2% and 0.5% of salary respectively.

At Corinthian Benefits, we do all the work so that you can concentrate on running your business.

Give us a call today and see how we can help you.

4 February 2019

According to new research, employers are failing to give information to staff on their workplace benefits.

Around one in three of those employees surveyed said they wanted more information on the benefits and perks their employer offered.

Employees need benefits, but so do companies.

Employees may often be a companies biggest asset and the benefits given are not insignificant, therefore it’s important that these don’t become a best kept secret.

Some benefits are forced upon employers by legislation (for example, the pension scheme), but others are not so obvious and they will often provide more than they think.

An effective communications strategy will help any employer:

Stand out from the crowd.
Improve employee engagement and morale.
Achieve a positive return on their employee benefit spend.

At Corinthian Benefits, we do all the work so that you can concentrate on running your business, whilst having engaged and appreciative employees.

Give us a call today and see how we can help you.

1 February 2019

In July 2017, HMRC announced that all businesses and individuals will have to file their accounting information digitally.

So, from April 2019 it will be mandatory for registered businesses to follow the new VAT submission process (if they’re over the current VAT registration threshold of £85,000). This means:

Digital VAT records must be kept
MTD compatible software must be used to submit VAT returns to HMRC
HMRC online portal will no longer be available for businesses to file returns

If you require any further information or support, please get in touch.