Small Business Guide

Protecting your investment in good people makes business sense.   If you're not confident about how you handle maternity returns or want help with creating a process that works for everyone, get in touch.   Losing employees after maternity leave is frustrating and expensive.   And when it costs you around £30,000 to replace each employee, every loss matters.   1 in 4 mothers leave their job within a year of returning from maternity leave.   This contributes to £650 million in

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Growing your business feels amazing. More customers, more revenue, more people wanting to join your team. You're finally getting somewhere. But growth brings some unexpected legal challenges along with it that weren't even on your radar when you started. Those casual ways of doing things that worked perfectly with 3 people can cause real problems once you hit 10 or 15 employees.

You can do everything you think is right and still get hit with a massive fine. That's exactly what happened to a fish and chip shop owner in Surrey. They thought they'd covered all the bases. The person they hired had a National Insurance number, benefit paperwork and was already on PAYE with another employer. Everything looked legitimate. But the Home Office disagreed and the business was fined £40,000.

Interviews can feel awkward, especially when you're trying to build rapport with a candidate. A bit of small talk to break the ice is natural. But some casual questions can land you in hot water, even when you don't mean any harm. Here are 5 topics to avoid completely during interviews. These aren't just HR best practice, they're legal requirements that could expose your business to discrimination claims.

More adults are getting ADHD diagnoses than ever before. That means someone in your business might have ADHD right now, whether you know it or not. As a small business owner, understanding ADHD isn't just about being supportive. It's about unlocking potential you might not even realise exists in your team.

Menopause is a normal life change and a natural part of our ageing process. Yet, for some individuals it can be a hugely challenging time; one that significantly impacts their health, wellbeing and professional life. Many women feel blindsided by their menopausal symptoms at work; it can disrupt their work and overall performance, and shatter their confidence. Failing to adequately support your employees with their menopausal symptoms by refusing to make reasonable

Workplace problems in small businesses don't stay small for long.   In small businesses, these problems hit harder and spread faster than in larger companies.   The relaxed atmosphere that makes small businesses great can also be their downfall. Everyone knows each other's business, banter flows freely and boundaries get blurry.   What starts as harmless jokes can quickly become something more sinister:   Someone gets excluded from conversations Comments about appearance, per