HR · PEOPLE PRACTICES
What should an employee handbook include?
An employee handbook can help explain how a business works, what employees can expect and where to find guidance. It should be tailored to the organisation rather than copied wholesale from a generic template.
Start with the essentials
Consider including the organisation's values and ways of working, working time arrangements, holiday processes, sickness reporting, conduct and performance procedures, grievance routes, equality and dignity at work, health and safety responsibilities, data protection and relevant family leave policies. The precise content depends on the workforce, contractual arrangements and applicable law.
Keep it usable and current
Use plain language, identify who employees should contact, assign responsibility for reviewing each policy and make sure managers understand how the procedures operate in practice. Check that handbook wording is consistent with contracts and other documents. Seek appropriate specialist advice where a situation is complex.
Practical takeaway: a handbook is useful when people can find the right information and managers apply the processes consistently.
FINANCE · PRACTICAL TIPS
How to improve cash flow in a small business
Cash flow visibility starts with knowing when money is expected to arrive and when payments are due. A simple rolling forecast can help owners spot tight periods early, question assumptions and make better-informed decisions.
- Update your forecast regularly using realistic collection and payment dates.
- Review overdue customer invoices and agree a consistent follow-up process.
- Understand recurring commitments and upcoming tax or supplier payments.
- Compare forecast with actual results and investigate meaningful differences.
- Use clear management information to support decisions, not just year-end reporting.
These are general process suggestions, not individual financial advice. The right approach depends on the business's circumstances.
OPERATIONS · PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Streamlining business processes for greater efficiency
Before buying new software or adding another form, map the process as it actually works. Identify repeated data entry, unclear handovers, approvals that regularly stall and steps that do not add value.
Choose one improvement at a time, agree who owns it and decide how to measure whether it helped. Useful measures might include processing time, avoidable errors, customer response time or the number of tasks that need rework. Make sure any change is workable for the people who use the process every day.