Free Resources

Time to be more mindful of your team's mental health?

Mental health affects one in six British workers. It’s the leading cause of sickness absence and cost UK employers over £33 billion last year.

Improving your employees’ mental health is no longer a warm sentiment, it’s business critical.

The UK Government has recognised this and commissioned an independent review called “Thriving at Work” to address the issue. We have summarised the key 'take aways' from the recent Report as we feel that this will provide you with a great starting point to improve your employees’ mental health.

Want a free copy?

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

How can you STOP your best employees from leaving? 

Imagine if one of your best employees handed in their resignation today? 

It would be a nightmare, wouldn’t it?!

You’ve not only lost one of your most valuable assets, but you’re also faced with the arduous task of finding, attracting and then onboarding new talent.

This costs time, money and probably a lot of stress. 

That’s why it’s important for you to take action now and stop your best employees from even thinking about leaving.

To help you know how, we have created a fabulous new Guide 'How to STOP your best employees from leaving'.

Want a free copy?

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.  

We’d love to hear from you.

Are you spending too much time on HR admin? 

Imagine a world where HR tasks are completed with lightning speed and you have immediate access to your data and insights that’ll help you make great decisions…

Well, there’s a solution.

It’s HR software.

And it will no doubt revolutionise the way you manage your employees and organisation forever. And the secret .. it doesn't have to cost the earth.

We at Cinnamon HR partner with Breathe HR and we have written an introductory guide to HR software. It will tell you everything you need to know to get started and shares some great hints and tips.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Intrigued about how analysing your HR data can help you make GREAT business decisions? 

Keep on reading .....

Take a minute to think about how you make some of your everyday decisions.

When you’re deciding what to do, you’ll check the weather forecast.  When you’re planning a journey, you’ll check maps to see what’s the fastest route.  And when you go out to eat, you’ll probably look at the restaurant’s reviews to decide where’s best.

What do all these things have in common?

Analysing data helps you make a good decision.  So how can you make GREAT business decisions?  

The answer: using HR analytics. 

Our latest guide gives you some great hints and tips.  

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Are you guilty of offering your employees benefits as a bit of a knee jerk reaction? 

You know what I mean... you've read an article, seen an advert, think a bonus scheme that rewards something like 2% of their salary if they hit some very hard-to-reach goals in a ridiculous timeframe is a good idea

Then realise it’s not working... being ignored or not used.

If anything, these type of initiatives can be demotivating, and quite frankly not really worth having.

When you haven’t got the big bucks available to offer a financial rewards - and let’s face it, not many of us have right now - you need to look elsewhere.

We have the secret: there are far more effective ways of rewarding your staff than offering a bonus. These methods work on people’s intrinsic motivations. 

Our latest guide gives you some great hints and tips.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Are your managers shying away from managing conflict?

Don't worry - so many people do. The thought of addressing something or confronting someone usually causes worry, so it sometimes gets brushed under the proverbial carpet.

And no surprise, if people don't pluck up the courage to address things the situation rarely goes away naturally.

Great news… conflict doesn’t have to be stressful. Using the right techniques, you can address any sort of conflict calmly and get it resolved quickly, without any upset, so that everyone can crack on with what they do best.

That’s what we can help you with… by taking a proactive approach to conflict resolution and mediation, we have some tips to help you address issues before they escalate and become even more challenging to manage. Our handy Guide details everything you need to know to help you manage conflict at work.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Do you know that employing parents comes with enhanced rights and entitlements?

It’s now more common than ever for both parents in a family to work full or part time.

As an employer there are loads of benefits to employing parents and developing a family-friendly culture. Many parents have buckets of energy, are multi-tasking extraordinaires, as well as having a finely honed sense of patience and understanding!

However, there are some things you’ll need to be aware of, including the laws and benefits specific to working parents, as well as adjustments and considerations you’ll need to make, too.

It may sound like a minefield, so we have created this new guide that details everything you need to know to create a family-positive, productive, happy organisiation.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Do you know the difference between diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

It seems like not enough employers do.

And while many organisations are working hard to create a far more diverse environment, many are forgetting how important it is that everyone - regardless of their background or circumstance - feels valued and accepted for who they are.

And importantly, that everyone has access to the same opportunities at work.

It is a win win for your organisation to be as inclusive as it can be.

A great start is to find out how inclusive your people really think your organisation is at the moment. We have some other great hints and tips in this latest guide.

Want a free copy?

Simply fill out your the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Probationary periods are there to protect you.

When you hire a new employee, you also take on a new risk. 

Will they be everything they said they would be?

Do they have the right skills for the job?

And will they get along with the team?

A probationary period can help mitigate some of this risk, but it is important that it is a two-way process and that you manage it the right way.

Our latest guide tells you everything you need to know about probationary periods, and how to give new joiners the best chance of success.

Want a free copy?

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Are bad managers harming your organisation?

Great leadership can help keep employees engaged, motivated, and happy. 

The result of this is that they are more successful, productive, and in turn so is your organisation.

Simple?

Maybe not so?

Bad leadership has the opposite effect, which can in turn mean there is an impact on your organisation.

So, how can you spot the signs of a bad leader, and stop the behaviour before it’s 

too late?

We have written a new guide that can help you. It lists the 5 traits that bad leaders have, and explains what you can do to make sure they don’t damage your organisation.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

How to stop bullying in the workplace

It happens more than you’d expect. But by taking a firm stance on bullying and reacting in the right way when an incident is reported, you can stamp bullying out of your organisation for good.

We have written a new guide that tells you exactly how to do it.

There is a common sense approach; it explains what bullying is, how it may come about in an organisation, and the things you can do to prevent it. It also details the process you should follow if you do receive a report of bullying.

Want a free copy?

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

It’s 2023. It’s now time to get your HR sorted

You know how important HR is, but as busy business owners it keeps getting pushed to the bottom of your priority list; it happens! 2023 is the year you get this sorted and have peace of mind knowing you, your business and your employees are protected in the correct way.  That’s why we have created this 2023 HR checklist.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• The essential documents you need to keep up to date
• How to stay legally compliant
• How a great people plan can help you achieve business goals
• Why training for you and your managers is an awesome idea
• How to fix things that are causing problems
• And how to get expert support when you need it

So are you ready for 2023 to be your best year yet? Download the FREE GUIDE and let's chat further. Discover how our qualified, attentive, and sensible talking Cinnamon HR Consultants can support you in 2023.

Simply fill out your the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Regular reviews - it really is a no brainer! 

If your organisiation conducts regular reviews - big tick - you will be realising the many benefits.

If not - they could be #1 on your New Year's Resolution List!

Reviews or appraisals are an awesome way to provide your employees with positive or constructive feedback.

Providing feedback in this way is really important…

Employees feel more valued, listened to, and they get to see where there’s room to progress and grow within your organisation.

And for you, you can reward good work, discuss any performance issues, talk about learning + development and the future. In turn you can reap the benefits of increased engagement and loyalty from your employees.

Whether you’re already doing appraisals or would like to start – we’ve created a new guide that talks you through how to conduct the perfect meeting.

Luckily for you…. It’s totally free!

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Concerned that you might need to take disciplinary action? 

If you employ people, chances are there will be occasions where a situation arises that is unacceptable. If the situation is serious, or if an informal route has been exhausted, it is likely you’ll need to follow a disciplinary procedure.

It may sound dramatic and for some managers maybe pretty daunting but done the right way disciplinary action can be transformational.

And not doing things the right way, failing to follow both your own policy, as well as ACAS guidance and employment law could land you in hot water. That’s because if you don’t act fairly and take the relevant steps, your employee could take you to an employment tribunal.

And you don’t need me to remind you just how much time and money, not to mention stress, that could involve!

So, before you start a disciplinary procedure, we recommend that you should take the time to understand exactly how things need to work. Make sure that you plan your course of action, look back to find out if you’ve dealt with similar issues before, and ideally, consulted an HR expert to help guide you through or handle the process for you.

To help you understand how things should work, we’ve created a new Quick Guide. It details every step of a disciplinary procedure, and the considerations you as the employer must make.

Luckily for you…. It’s totally free!

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page to get your free guide emailed today.  

We’d love to hear from you.

Is your company culture benefiting everyone?

Organisations with a strong company culture know where they are going. It has goals that everyone understands and a plan for how to reach them. Their people are engaged and are being led by managers that have the same values and truly want their people to succeed.

This makes for engaged, happy and productive teams.

In turn, that means your organisation is more successful. 

In addition, a great culture is not only good for staff retention.  When you create a company culture that people identify with and that aligns with their own core values and beliefs, you’ll also attract the right people when you’re hiring.  

So, with all these benefits, why don’t more organisations prioritise working on their culture?

Because it’s not always easy. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Once you understand where you are at the moment, and where you want to be, it’s a relatively simple process to drive in the right direction. And when you get there, your culture should maintain itself (with the right people on board, of course), and be so strong that it simply can’t be influenced any other way.

Sound a little too good to be true? It’s not. But you will need to put in some work initially.

Luckily for you, we’ve created a new guide that explains it all. 

Better still…. It’s totally free!

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

5 ways to stop your business from losing money

The cost of living crisis is real. And your business may need to take action before it’s too late.

People are drastically cutting back on their spending and costs are dramatically rising, so both B2B and B2C businesses are being affected.

Believe it or not, good HR can save your business a lot of money. Which is why we’ve written a new guide, outlining 5 areas you could be making some real savings right now.

Better still…. It’s totally free!

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Interviewing soon… what questions should you NOT ask

Many of you have been there- that cringe moment – a candidate squirming at being asked a certain question at interview.

Are you confident what questions you should ask at interview?

And what questions you shouldn’t ask?

Look no further….. here’s our simple guide to help you.

And of course, it’s free.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Happiness really is the key to success for your business 

It’s been a rocky couple of years. The pandemic quite simply put pressure on every area of our lives.

As business owners and managers, we’ve had to make quick changes to the way our organisations run and operate. It’s been tricky for many of us. The impact on our families, colleagues and personal mental health has been huge. 

Fortunately, there are several things you can implement in your workplace that will help you support and be there for all of your colleagues and improve the overall wellness of your people. Many initiatives don’t have to cost the earth either.

We’ve created a new guide to help you. In fact, it’s more than a guide. It’s a checklist that sets out the exact actions you could take to improve your focus on mental health and wellbeing in all areas of your business. And of course, it’s free.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Recruiting the wrong person can cost you thousands of £££

Download this free guide and make the right hire the first time around!

As a business owner, you’ll already know what a headache recruitment can be. But it is an essential part of running a successful business.

The recent influx of candidates in the job market has actually made things harder too. That’s because they can afford to be choosier about which jobs they apply for, what they interview for, and ultimately, which roles they accept.

You can’t afford to get the recruitment process wrong right now. Because if you make the wrong hire, it can literally cost your business thousands of pounds.

Don’t worry.. We're here to help.... we have written a new guide to effective recruitment. It details the 7 steps you simply must follow when you’re recruiting, to give you the best chance of finding the right people at the right time, and getting them off to the very best start with your company. All while keeping costs as low as possible.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Free Employment Law Checklist

We all know that employment law is constantly changing, and it’s really important that you keep these documents up to date. They are there to protect you and your business should anything go wrong.

How confident are you that you are legally compliant?

We've created a new checklist that is designed to help you understand the most

important things to implement in your business. 

Better still, it’s free and you can get your own copy today! 

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Will ‘The Great Resignation’ affect your business this year? 

How to attract and retain a talented workforce in 2022

Hopefully, as a business owner, you already know that if you’re not careful, you risk losing some of your best people this year.  Job vacancies are at a high and that means candidates can afford to be choosier about which roles they take on. It also means is a low-risk time for people to leave their jobs if they’re not fully satisfied with the business they’re working for.

What does that mean for your business? Will you see a number of your employees jumping ship, or have you cultivated a company culture that leaves you pretty secure in the knowledge that your people are happy where they are?

If you’re really not sure, it’s probable that your employer brand could use a little work.   Your employer brand is the image of your business - or working for your business - that you project out to the world.   If you get it right, you should not only hang on to your best talent in times like these, but you should also be able to attract the right people into any new roles that become available, and retain those people, too.

But get it wrong and you could be looking at trouble ahead. Where do you start if you’ve never consciously considered your employee brand before?

Don’t worry, we can help. We’ve written a new guide that tells you everything you need to know to not only create a great employee brand, but to really make your organization stand out from your competitors.

Better still, it’s free and you can get your own copy today!  

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Absence management guide 

If you don’t take action now, sick leave could cost your business thousands. Our handy guide walks you through managing absence the easy way.

Doctors have reported that requests for sick notes have shot up 78% in 2021. And a whopping 52% of sick leave is attributed to stress, anxiety and depression. 

But as an employer, you have the opportunity to make a big difference to these figures. By taking some relatively straightforward steps, you can help to improve the wellbeing of your people, and reduce the stress and anxiety that work can create.  In addition, by offering a more supportive environment, you can even have a positive effect on the stresses outside of work too. 

In turn, this all works to minimise the amount of unplanned absence taken. And it will save you money too, because it’s not just the sick pay you have to consider. Sick leave also affects so much more.

Knowing where to start can be tricky, so we’ve written a guide to absence management. It tells you all about the best ways to manage absence, but also details 5 simple actions you can take to nurture a happy, healthy team in your business. 

You can’t afford to miss this one! 

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Grievances are rising dramatically 

The most common complaints employers are seeing lately are regarding employee disputes, employee benefits, and denial of time off/ work from home issues. And it’s leading to a huge rise in grievances being filed. If you find yourself dealing with a complaint, it’s vital that the correct procedure is followed. If it isn’t, you’re putting your business at risk. If not handled correctly, complaints could eventually end up as tribunals, costing you lots of time and money - not to mention the stress it can bring to all involved. 

As an employer, it’s your duty to ensure you’re protecting both your employees and your business. We’ve written a new guide to explain exactly how to deal with a grievance in your workplace. 

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you. 

And this is something that you don’t want to get wrong!

Here’s some useful tips.

The ultimate guide to managing your team - whether they’re in the office or not - these top tips will help you engage your team: 

We’ve all had a lot of change to deal with since March 2020.

In fact, your workforce is now probably made up of a mixture of people on site, remote and hybrid workers. So how you manage them all has probably adapted a great deal, hasn’t it?

No? Well, it really needs to. Otherwise you risk a dissatisfied and unhappy workforce, but it also means that you could struggle to attract the right candidates when it’s time to replace employees or grow your business. 

Fortunately, you only need to make a few changes to keep your team happy, motivated, and productive. And we all know that makes for a better, more profitable business.

We’ve created this guide to share everything you need to know about keeping your team engaged, no matter where they’re working from. 

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

End of Furlough: 

Worried you won’t be able to pay your staff? 

You have options…

As an employer, you probably already know that the furlough scheme is due to end on the 30th September 2021.  The scheme has been a real blessing for many of you.  However, regrettably, it means that many organisations are facing financial difficulty. The pain is really going to hit when staff are due to return to work.... next month! It will leave countless leaders asking “How am I going to pay my staff? What next?''

If you now find yourself in this position, rest assured that there are a number of options available to you.

We’ve created this guide to help you decide the best course of action for you and your business over the coming months.

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.

Returning to the office with a hybrid team? 

Here are 5 things you don’t want to get wrong 

It goes without saying that the pandemic has created the greatest workplace transformation of our lifetime, quickly changing the way you and your team work. 

Now that the world is slowly returning to normal, you’re going to go back to how you were working in the office like you did pre-Covid. Right?

Maybe not. 

You’re probably reading this because your business is considering, or has decided to give your employees the choice to continue working from home, in the office, or a mixture of both and so creating a new type of hybrid workforce. 

The benefits of a hybrid  workforce can be huge, but it can also have downsides that, if you get wrong, can cost a lot of time and money. We all know that employment tribunals are not cheap! 

That’s why I’ve created this guide to help you.  

Fill in the form at the bottom of the page

to get your free guide emailed today.

We’d love to hear from you.