July 2012
- Make sure you keep your eye on your holiday allocations, ensuring that all staff are taking their entitlements, whilst making sure you have enough cover!
- Keep in mind those employees who have children and plan early on how you will manage their workload and holidays over the summer period.
- Make sure you take time mid-year to review targets and objectives to ensure you are on track, or need to refocus on team, or individual objectives.
- Keep healthy – the lighter nights are a perfect time for employees to de-stress and take part in exercise in the summer months. Encourage this type of activity.
- The Olympics, Wimbledon, Euros 2012 are all happening this summer – are you going to put provisions in place to allow staff to watch big events?
August 2012
- Festivals, Festivals, Festivals. Across the UK there is a festival to suit every taste and by way of a thank you to your staff, why not host a corporate event?
- Watch out for people’s timekeeping and attendance – keep a track and an early word in someone’s ear may prevent this turning into a bigger issue.
- With children starting or returning to school, parents may need to rethink working hours and working arrangements, you may need to manage these through flexible working requests.
- Refocus staff when they return from holiday onto objectives and targets to motivate and encourage.
September 2012
- Review any flexible working arrangements that you used during the summer holidays and consider the advantages and disadvantages this afforded the business – learn from the experience and share the learning.
- Start thinking about your Christmas plans for the business and book your Christmas party night soon.
- Countdown to end of year for the business – do you need a team briefing to put life back into the business plan and a push towards the end of the year?
- Do you need to start planning your vision and plans for 2013? Or revise your budgets for the rest of the calendar year?
October 2012
- Auto enrolment into qualifying pension schemes comes into force. For most SMEs, this won’t trigger until 2014, but it’s worthwhile planning for this cost now.
- The national minimum wage will increase to £6.19 per hour, for the top band.
- Time to think about end of year appraisals and reviews. Have you got a process that works for you in place, do you need to revise or update?
- Will you pay out bonuses at the end of the year? If so, is everyone on board with targets or could you refresh these and their commitment towards achieving target?
November 2012
- Make sure that staff have taken all of their holiday entitlement for the year, so that you minimise the number of holidays being carried forward.
- Review the training budget and consider whether all the training plans have been met or not. Is it time to consider different or more training to boost skills and morale during the dark months?
- Consider offering flu jabs to employees or at least promoting the benefits of flu jabs to your team to help reduce absence through the winter.
December 2012
- The festive season is upon us, and remembering those who don’t celebrate the Christian festivities and who may have their own religious requirements is important.
- This is usually a joyful time to celebrate, however for some it can be difficult personal time, so get to know your staff and bear this in mind.
- We all like to celebrate with a drink at the office party, but remember to take care of employees, make sure they get home safely and remember you need to set a good example.
- Thinking ahead for next year, you may need to consider salary reviews for 2013 and the benefits package that you can offer your team.
- Some benefits, although a benefit in kind, can be cost effective to the business. For example private medical care, dental care or gym membership will also benefit the business by minimising disruption through absence and by promoting healthy lifestyles.
- There are also salary sacrifice schemes, for example childcare vouchers or bike-to-work schemes, which can offer tax efficient benefits to employees.
