Businesses of any size will know full well that unscheduled employee absences are just something they’ll have to deal with, but there are ways to manage the situations effectively. Absences can lower morale, create mistakes, increase stress, and reduce productivity. There are definitely certain actions to take that don’t overstep employees’ rights, yet will decrease the inconvenience that sick days can bring.
Offer duvet days
This idea has been trending in recent years, whereby an employer will offer around 4-5 days every year for employees to take when they are either hungover, …

Your Name and Age: Suzannah Butcher, 46
Tell us about your family: I have two lovely children who I finally conceived after 8 years of fertility treatments. My son is 14 and my daughter is 12. I’ve been married to my husband Colin for 18 years. In addition to this, we have border collie named Skylar (my fur baby) and 2 cats.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
Over the years I’ve tried a few different businesses. I started out with …

New research among more than 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Fountech.ai has revealed why so many people are giving up on their ambitions to learn something new. It found:

58% of UK adults wanted to learn a new skill over the past 12 months – equivalent to 30 million people across the country

However, of those, only 46% actually acted on their desire to learn a new skill, and a further 26% never reached the level they wanted

So, what is preventing Britons from picking up new skills? Fountech’s research revealed:

63% feel it is too …

  Your Name and Age: Lucy Werner 36 and Hadrien Chatelet 34
Tell us about your family: We are parents to Rafael nearly 23 months and boy bump
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
I used to work in some of London’s top PR agencies but left to create an affordable PR service for entrepreneurs. In the beginning I had a three-year growth plan but had a baby in year two which changed things somewhat. With our first child we took shared parental leave and I …

Small business owners are easily some of the busiest people out there. As a small business owner, there is a whole lot on your plate. You don’t tend to have lots of employees working for you, which means you almost need to be the jack of all trades, taking on many roles within your company. Not only that but often there are no such things as set hours Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm and you tend to work pretty much whenever needed.
Part of owning your own company is getting out there …

Open plan office environments are more popular than ever. Without walls and cubicles to get in the way, creativity and collaboration are made effortless and business culture can thrive, which is why employers opt for a modern, open-plan layout when designing their offices.
But the increase in volume that is common in open spaces isn’t helping our productivity. From barks of laughter, loud chewers and out-of-tune renditions of your former favourite songs, offices can quickly become a place where focus is the forgotten concept.
Diamond Interiors recently conducted a survey that found …

I am Natalie Trice I’m 45  and live by the sea in Devon with my husband, two sons (10 and 12) and our dog, Dotty.
What did you do before coming up with your business idea and how was it making the transition?
After teaching English in Japan, I forged a successful PR career in London working on local, regional, UK, EMEA and global levels, managing Pan European teams, mentoring staff and exceeding board level expectations time and again.
From media parties on Red Square to animal antics at London Zoo, I worked …

Earlier this year, the Alison Rose Review identified the three biggest opportunities to help female entrepreneurs, which included “…relatable and accessible mentors and networks”.  Since 2003 the NatWest everywoman Awards has been providing exactly this by building a community of the UK’s leading female business owners and connecting them with peers, advisors and investors.
Today the Awards invite nominations from a new intake of businesswomen whose vision and industry have seen their companies grow from fledgling startups into profitable organisations.  Renowned as one of the most prestigious business awards, previous …

By Aldous Hicks, CEO and Co-founder of ReCircle Recycling Ltd
Despite our attempts to take responsibility for recycling, the true value of recyclable materials is not being realised. Cross-contamination of plastics and dirty packaging means that over half of the items going into the recycling bin aren’t recycled.
Recyclable materials are very valuable in their pure state but the cost and difficulty of separating mixed recycling make it uneconomical. With mounting public and government pressure, something needs to change in order to stem the tide of used packaging and products going to …

Everyone wants quick weight loss without any hard work and diet, but it is not easy. Lots of weight loss pills and creams are available in the market, but these medications will provide temporary benefits with lots of side effects. If you want permanent and healthy weight loss, you have to follow some healthy and safest tips for it.
It is essential to eat healthy food instead of quitting everything. In this way, you can look beautiful in your wedding dress. To buy the best wedding dress, check the collection …