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A manager’s guide to homeworking
Written by John Berry on 28th April 2020. Revised 10th April 2021.
13 min read
Home working is where the firm extends its business activities from its premises to an employee’s home. A small part of the employee’s home is taken over by the firm for its benefit and the employer must acknowledge this. That simple paragraph needs careful consideration, case by case, home worker by home worker, to ensure that the scenario is lawful, controlled and beneficial to both parties.
Should computers select employees?
Written by John Berry on 28th March 2021. Revised 30th March 2021.
6 min read
Often, job applicants are aggrieved when computers make unfavourable personnel selection decisions. Some managers think computers are objective, impartial and somehow perfect in the decisions they make - the perfect personnel selection tool. We argue computers alone should never make hiring decisions.
Paying fair across the world
Written by John Berry on 16th March 2021. Revised 18th March 2021.
5 min read
As the firm expands across the UK and internationally, the number of spot values of pay grows. Local expectations vary considerably, pay variance expands too until there’s a discrete spot for every person worldwide. And the variance between high and low salary for the same job can be huge. What started simple is quickly a mess.
IR35 – When does it apply to your firm and your suppliers?
Written by Sue Berry on 19th February 2021. Revised 10th March 2021.
7 min read
IR35 is legislation designed to stop tax avoidance by workers and by firms using workers’ services. It was rolled out to all public sector organisations in 2017. Rebranded ‘Off-Payroll Tax’, it was due to be rolled out to the private sector in April 2020. It’s now due to be extended to the private sector in April 2021. This blog sets out the issues associated with IR35.
Bias and how to train to overcome it
Written by John Berry on 26th January 2021. Revised 26th February 2021.
7 min read
Most managers make decisions using a mix of gut feel and repetition from experience, based on evidence from hearsay. The result is that managers’ decisions are open to the effects of bias. The problem with bias and the countering of biases is that there are simply too many identifiable biases to remember. Ultimately it's better to learn how to make objective decisions in the first place.
Leading remote teams
Written by John Berry on 15th February 2021. Revised 25th February 2021.
6 min read
Commentators suggest that leading remote teams during lockdown is new. It's not - it’s just that a whole new cohort of managers is being challenged to perform in this new environment. We argue that managers must engineer opportunities for exchange, ensure that organisational goals are widely understood and support the hell out of their people. Here's how.
