Holiday entitlement: Use it or lose it – but only if they refuse it? For many employers, the end of the calendar year also marks the end of the holiday year. Some employees may have lots of accrued holiday left to take but not much time in which to take it. There is a scramble for […]

Getting Business Ready for Brexit   For business owners, “Brexit means Brexit” means one thing: uncertainty. With all economic indicators pointing towards a recession, the question isn’t so much ‘if’ the downturn will hit, or even ‘when’. It’s ‘how’ businesses will manage to survive it. Responsible business owners should now be busy making plans to weather

Getting started with an apprentice If you’re interested in getting an apprentice for your business, read below for People Puzzles quick guide on ‘How to get yourself started with getting an apprentice’.

Apprenticeship training – how does it work?   People Puzzles currently works with Dudley College to provide apprenticeship training at Pedigree Wholesale. We asked the college how employers tend to engage with training providers and how much time apprentices need to spend with them.

The pros and cons of taking on an apprentice So what could be some of the pros and cons of taking on an apprentice?

The apprentice’s perspective Michala already had 15 years’ experience before starting a 2½ year apprenticeship at Dudley College. A year into her course, we asked her what an apprenticeship means on a day-to-day level.

Apprenticeships: Are you up to date? Apprenticeships have changed in recent years. The image of a young school leaver learning a trade simply isn’t what modern apprentices look like these days. The fact is, apprentices can be any age and could already be decades into their career.

There are three of us running this business and we don’t agree! If you find yourself saying this or something similar, it may be comforting to know that this problem is not uncommon. It can easily happen, for example, when a company owner exits the business and leaves it in the hands of a new

How do I get my increased wage bill reflected in sales and profits? As businesses grow, so does the need to take on extra staff. But if you’re finding that your profits are not keeping up with your increased wage bill, it’s time for a rethink. Ally Maughan, People Puzzles founder, lists some of the

‘I’ve got too many direct reports!’ If the number of people reporting directly to you is approaching double figures, it might be time to ask other team members to step up. Two HR Directors from People Puzzles advise on how to go about it.