Avon LMC’s blog page

Welcome to Avon LMC’s blog page. The LMC has been providing advice and support to Practices for many years. However, we realise that not all of our Practices are aware of what we provide. As well as contract advice we offer HR support, DBS checks and training courses, to name a few. Therefore, we have set up this blog in order to discuss subjects relevant to Practices and practice staff.

Have anything you wish us to write about or have any questions? Please feel free to contact the office on 0117 9702755 or info@almc.co.uk.

How to Manage Long Term Absences

Any length of absence can be disruptive to employers, but there are particular extra considerations that need to be taken into account with long term absences, ranging from how to liaise with the employee whilst they are off to how to bring them back to work if this is even possible. Long term absence is usually referred to as any continuous absence that lasts longer than 4 weeks and may be due to an illness, either unexpected or a chronic condition; an accident; or a...

By: Admin Account | June 18, 2021 | blog

Vaccination

COVID-19 Vaccination The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination has happened at such a rapid rate, which, with all the will in the world, will offer us a return to some sort of normality. Overall, there has been a high uptake of the vaccine, however there is a group of individuals who are reluctant to be vaccinated. The reasons could be many and varied, including individuals who can’t have the vaccine (for example, on medical grounds), those who can have the vaccine but refuse (for...

By: Admin Account | June 11, 2021 | blog

What does the future hold

As it was National HR Day on 20th May, we thought it might be interesting to reflect on how HR in General Practice has changed over the past year and what issues employers may be facing in the coming months. Practices have had to battle with huge staff resourcing issues in light of the pandemic. With some staff having to shield following government guidance and many employees having to self isolate due to COVID symptoms and not to mention the challenges faced with resourcing the...

By: Admin Account | May 24, 2021 | blog

Health & Safety and HR

As you are probably well aware, as an employer, it is your responsibility to protect the health and safety of your employees. Many of the actions taken are probably done without a second thought, such as ensuring that the workplace and equipment used are safe and risks are mitigated. However, there are some aspects that might not be as obvious, and many that might appear to be HR tasks rather than health and safety, but it is still just as important to ensure these are...

By: Admin Account | May 7, 2021 | blog

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship combines working with studying to gain a qualification. Anyone who is over 16 and not in full time education can apply to be an apprentice. As well as taking on someone new, apprenticeships can be offered to existing staff so that they can upskill. There are different levels of apprenticeships ranging from intermediate to degree level. An apprentice must be offered a minimum of 30 hours per week and be paid the minimum wage apprentice rate. Apprentices aged over 19 who have completed...

By: Admin Account | April 30, 2021 | blog

Now Shielding Has Come to an End

It was announced last month that Shielding was to cease on 31st March 2021. As an employer, what does this mean for you and your staff who were shielding. How to bring an employee back to work With shielding coming to an end, this may mean you can bring employees back to work who were shielding. But how do you bring someone back into the workplace safely and with the employee’s agreement? Contact the employee Make contact with the employee and discuss their return to...

By: Admin Account | April 22, 2021 | blog

HR Changes for 2021

The new tax year is often when HR changes are brought in and this year is no exception. Whilst there are fewer changes than normal this year, there are a few crucial updates, particularly around payroll that you don't want to miss. Payroll Changes · Increase to the National Living Wage and national minimum wage - from 1st April the rate of pay for all employees increased as shown below, and the National Living Wage became applicable to all those aged 23 and over (previously...

By: Admin Account | April 8, 2021 | blog

Staff Development

There are various benefits to training and developing staff for both employers and employees. For an organisation these benefits can include increased performance, efficiency and better staff morale. It can also lead to increased staff retention which can save costs due to lower staff turnover. Also by developing staff you might be able to promote from within rather than having to recruit outside of the organisation. For an employee an effective training culture can keep them motivated, build loyalty towards their employer and provide them...

By: Admin Account | April 1, 2021 | blog

Flexible Working

Flexible working describes a type of working arrangement which gives a degree of flexibility and level of choice on how employees work. It can cover various types of working such as: · Part time working · Compressed working – working full time hours but over fewer days · Flexitime - The employee chooses when to start and end work · Term time working · Job sharing · Working remotely – e.g. from home As well as having benefits for employees, flexible working can help an organisation enhance their recruitment, engagement and...

By: Admin Account | March 25, 2021 | blog

How to Keep Your Employees Happy at Work

Employee happiness and engagement is difficult at all times, none more so than in times where there are extra restrictions and lack of ability for involvement in the more ‘fun’ or social side of work. However, ensuring that your employees are happy is just as important as ever. Happier employees are more likely to be engaged in the company, so will work harder and be more productive. They are also less likely to leave, saving you on the time and expenses of recruiting and training...

By: Admin Account | March 19, 2021 | blog