management

How to Manage Stress in the Workplace

How to Manage Stress in the Workplace

October 19, 2015 People

Erroneously considered by some to be part and parcel of modern life, workplace stress is no joke as a business owner; affecting employers and employees alike, stress can lead to poor productivity, bad decisions and a lowering of morale generally. Learning how to recognise and deal with stress and its causes can bring myriad benefits as an employer, so it is important to know how to recognise the tell-tale signs of stress, common causes of it and how to manage it effectively. How important is managing stress? Dealing with stress and its causes effectively is an absolutely crucial skill as an employer, as the consequences of ignoring it can be severe. A 2012 survey carried out by CIPD found that a quarter of employers in the UK said that stress was one of the top five causes of employee abse... »

Grey Fleet Management

June 12, 2012 General Advice

Organisations that allow their employees to drive their own vehicles on business are walking a health and safety tightrope. Too many SMEs believe that if they allow staff to drive privately-owned cars or vans on work-related journeys then health and safety and duty of care regulations can be ignored. Wrong! Legally, any vehicle driven on company business – no matter who owns it – responsibility rests with the employer. Employee-owned vehicles driven on business are known as the ‘grey fleet’ – but the law is very black and white over where responsbility for the vehicle and driver lies in terms of occupational road risk management. Therefore, it is incumbent on all employers to have in place a robust ‘grey fleet’ management policy that will satisfy l... »

Leadership & Management Under Fire

June 8, 2011 News

Leadership? What leadership? Lack of management communication is holding back UK Plc, claims European Leaders 68% of respondents can’t relate to their company’s overall plan 64% of respondents would work much more efficiently if they were motivated Just 36% of the UK working to its full potential Lack of communication between senior management and the wider business is responsible for the low motivation in the British workforce according to a recent survey by people development company, European Leaders. Over two thirds (68%) of respondents fail to understand their company’s vision, leading to a lack of motivation and reduced productivity. Sixty four per cent of those questioned claimed they could and would work much more efficiently with better motivation. These findings give context to a... »

Cashflow is King

May 10, 2011 Finance

Andy Craven, product & marketing lead, risk management solutions, Dun & Bradstreet UK, argues that a collaborative, cloud-based approach can help businesses to manage their credit risk and ensure healthy cashflow Through boom and bust, it’s a well-known saying that “cash is king,” and in times of macroeconomic uncertainty the emphasis on this only grows. Even more important than cash in the bank is the need to ensure consistent flow of cash from your customers. This article will look at the main credit risk challenges faced by businesses today, and will look at how a new approach to credit risk management can help to ensure that cashflow, just as much as cash, remains king. The new normal The current market context makes this even more of a concern for business leaders, with credit... »

Management, Leadership and Tech Skills Shortage Shackles Firms

December 16, 2010 News

In its latest skills survey, the Institute of Directors (IoD) reveals that the growth of nearly 60% of businesses is being held back by a lack of skills in the wider workforce and among existing employees. The IoD calls on the Government to improve the overall business environment by scaling back business taxes and employment regulations, including the misguided Time to Train policy, so that firms have more resources to invest in training. Commenting on the survey results (full details below), Miles Templeman, Director-General of the IoD, said: “It is disturbing that at a time of economic weakness, the growth of the private sector is being held back by skills shortages. Businesses want to invest in training and are doing so on a large scale already, but they would invest even more if... »

Green Issues Less Important in the Recession

Green Issues Less Important in the Recession

August 26, 2009 News

Small firms are choosing to cut back on measures to help the environment during the recession, research from the Government’s environmental guidance website Netregs has revealed. A Netregs survey of 7,000 small firms found that there had been a 75 per cent drop in those with a formal environmental management system (EMS) in place since 2007. An EMS is a set of processes and practices that enable a business to monitor and manage its environmental position. The research also found that just 23 per cent of small businesses now have an environmental policy, compared with 39 per cent in 2007. “Our survey has unearthed a level of denial among some small businesses who still don’t acknowledge the harm that they can do to the environment nor recognise the business opportunity it ... »