As an employer you’ll most commonly use time off in lieu (TOIL) when you require employees to work extra hours or days. It essentially operates as an incentive where there is the demand for extra hours, giving employees additional time off as compensation for the additional hours worked. TOIL is useful in environments that encourage flexible working as it allows employees and your business to negotiate working hours. What is time in lieu? The meaning of time off in “In lieu”

Learn how to identify and manage stress in your work and personal life, with advice from Health Assured.

Learn how to plan staff holidays and maintain business continuity during the summer months. Tips on cover, communication, and holiday scheduling. Why summer holiday planning matters for small businesses For many small businesses, the summer season brings a familiar juggling act. With staff eager to take annual leave and customer expectations unchanged, it's easy for operations to become stretched. Unlike larger firms, where cover can often be arranged across bigger teams, sma

Work-related stress continues to be one of the biggest operational risks facing UK businesses, with around half of all work-related ill health now linked to stress, depression or anxiety. For small businesses, the impact can be particularly disruptive: reduced productivity, higher absence costs and increased pressure on other employees and team members. Despite this, many small business owners still feel unsure about how to approach a stress risk assessment or assume the proc

The UK Government, via the Employment Rights Act 2025, has reformed Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) effective as of April 2026 by removing the Lower Earnings Limit. This makes Statutory Sick Pay available to all employees regardless of earnings and removes the three-day waiting period, so SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence, with the rate set at the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or the flat rate (currently £123.25 per week). These changes, enforced b

With more people than ever working under non-standard contracts, it can be hard getting payslips right. Croner are here to help.

Do you know what the term ‘pro rata’ means and how to work out pro-rata pay and holidays for your employees? Croner explain.

Gross misconduct allows UK employers to summarily dismiss an employee without notice or pay, but only after following a fair disciplinary process (investigation, hearing, right to appeal) in line with ACAS guidelines. To minimise unfair dismissal risks, clearly define gross misconduct in contracts/handbooks, document everything thoroughly, and send a precise termination letter stating reasons, termination date, and appeal rights. What is gross misconduct? What is the best app

Don't miss a deadline! Stay on top of your annual payroll duties and prepare for the new tax year ahead with our handy checklist of seven payroll tasks for April. Running payroll every month, whether yourself or outsourced to payroll experts, is a weekly or monthly routine. But every April, when a fresh tax year begins, new employment law changes come into force and there are annual payroll duties to carry out. Payroll experts at the Federation of Small Businesses have put to

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Did you know that an unauthorised leave of absence could lead to disciplinary action or a misconduct claim for your employee? So what should you do if you have an employee who has taken an unauthorised leave of absence or an excessive absence from the business? In this article, we will take you through what an unauthorised leave of absence is and some of the common questions we get asked. If you require support in your legal issues and handling unauthorised absences, get in t

If your business has expanded to where you’re thinking about hiring someone, it’s important to do some research about payroll.

When a grievance occurs, a good policy can be the difference between a tribunal and successful resolution.

Perceptions of working routines have changed in recent years, the perception of working routines has changed.

One of the most effective ways of managing sickness absence is by conducting a return to work interview after a period of sickness.