How the Summer Months Can Cause Issues for

Meet our Transactional Temps and Interim Specialists

Why is it that so many people and businesses in Yorkshire trust and rely on Sharp Consultancy to support their temporary and interim financial recruitment strategies? Sharp Consultancy is Yorkshire’s largest, most experienced and best-connected independent company committed exclusively to financial recruitment. We’re the true specialists. Unlike so many other firms, financial recruitment is all we do - so we’re probably the most focused and knowledgeable company in the region. And in Yorkshire, no other specialist Temporary and Interim Finance Recruitment team enjoy as many years of combined finance sector experience. Therefore, both our Transactional Temps and Interim Specialists divisions are the most knowledgeable in the region. Karen PitchforthKaren Pitchforth has over two decades of recruitment experience, dedicating more than half of that to Sharp Consultancy and is pivotal to our Interim Specialist division. Dedicated to South Yorkshire businesses, Karen has a vast network of part-qualified, fully qualified, or qualified by experience interim finance specialists in the region.Karen's Company ProfileKaren's LinkedIn ProfileColin MolyneuxColin Molyneux’s career spans almost 25 years and now in his second stint with Sharp Consultancy has been a key component in our Interim Specialist division. His expert focus on sourcing and placing Qualified Interim professionals across West Yorkshire and has a concrete commitment: whether it’s days or hours, he’ll meet your deadlines. Colin's Company ProfileColin's LinkedIn ProfileStuart DouglassStuart Douglass has been an integral part of our Interim Specialist division since 2016, building on a career spanning over 25 years. He focuses exclusively on senior interim roles within West and North Yorkshire and covers Part Qualified, Qualified by Experience and Qualified requirements. His deep understanding of the finance market means he is a trusted advisor to many clients. Stuart's Company ProfileStuart's LinkedIn ProfileDeanna CrosbyDeanna Crosby has established herself as a leading Transactional Temps expert in South Yorkshire. She focuses predominantly on the Barnsley, Doncaster, and Rotherham areas supplying variety of Transactional Temps including, Finance/Accounts Assistants, Credit Controllers, Sales and Purchase Ledger Clerks and Payroll. Dee provides a rapid response to meet her clients’ needs. Deanna's Company Profile Deanna's LinkedIn ProfileLiam O'FlahertyLiam O'Flaherty has over 20 years of finance recruitment experience. Now in his fifth year with us, Liam specialises in Transactional Temp recruitment throughout West Yorkshire. His deep understanding of the local market, combined with his consultative approach, ensures that both clients and candidates receive unparalleled service and support. Liam's Company ProfileLiam's LinkedIn ProfileTom TurnerTom Turner is now in his sixth year in recruitment, and entering his 3rd year with Sharp Consultancy, where he has quickly established himself as the go-to transactional temp specialist in the Sheffield market. Covering all aspects of transactional finance, Tom is the person to find the right fit when it comes to temp Finance Assistants, Accounts Payable Clerks, Accounts Receivable staff and payrollers. With shrewd judgement, he makes precise recommendations.Tom's Company Profile Tom's LinkedIn ProfileSo, with circa 100 years of combined Transactional Temps and Interim Specialist recruitment experience, and more than a third of that within Sharp Consultancy itself, the real question is not why is it that so many people and businesses in Yorkshire trust and rely on Sharp Consultancy to support their temporary and interim financial recruitment strategies? But more why would you choose to go anywhere else? Our aim is to earn your trust by providing a superior experience. To discuss how Sharp Consultancy assist you and your business speak to one of these leading experts in their field on 0113 236 6300 or 0114 261 1700.

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Summer is fast approaching and whilst long, hot sunny days may still seem some way off, the coming months can present employers with some seasonally related staff scenarios to handle. We take a look at a few of the most common situations employers are likely to face as the temperatures (hopefully) rise.

Handling holiday requests

Check your holiday policy – or if you don’t have one in place now is a good time to adopt one – and make sure that all staff are aware of the procedure for requesting and authorising time off. Certain times of the year are more popular for holiday requests – particularly if employees need to fall in line with school holiday times – so make sure that you adopt a fair and consistent approach. Also consider if you will need any additional seasonal staff to cover holidays or peak business periods and start the recruitment process early.

Late return from holiday

There can be a number of reasons why an employee may not to return to work after a holiday; some of these may be outside of their control due to illness or transport delays. And whilst foreign travel is currently prohibited announcements are expected in the coming weeks. As witnessed last year, the situation can be very fast moving, and if travel abroad is allowed, there is the possibility of added considerations surrounding quarantine measures upon return. Ensure that all staff are made aware of what they should do if they find themselves unable to return to work following a holiday.

The heat is on...

When the sun is rising, places of work can become hot and stuffy – and whilst there is no maximum temperature stated, it is important to ensure that the conditions are ‘reasonable’. This can vary for different workplaces and the work that employees are being asked to carry out. As well as added ventilation measures in line with COVID-19 recommendations, take steps to monitor the temperature throughout the day and consider whether air conditioning systems or fans etc will be beneficial.

Dress for success...

Employers may adopt a more relaxed dress code during the warmer months however staff should still dress appropriately for the role that they perform. Customer facing roles may still require employees to uphold particular standards at times – such as wearing a tie – and employers should be clear on situations when it may be possible for these to be relaxed. Consideration must also be given to protective clothing which is required for health and safety purposes. For those employees working from home, a more relaxed approach is possible however, be sure to reiterate expectations for meetings and video calls which are being conducted remotely.

‘Long’ weekends

As well as an increased number of requests for annual leave, May sees two bank holiday weekends and many employers also find that the summer months can lead to a spate of last-minute or even unauthorised days off as employees want to take advantage of the nice weather. Employers need to monitor absenteeism and ensure that the reasons for not coming to work are indeed genuine. Ensure that you have in place a disciplinary procedure which you may need to follow if an employee has taken unauthorised time off without a satisfactory explanation.

Summer sporting calendar

Whilst we are still awaiting confirmation, this summer could be a bumper one for sport with the rearranged Olympics and European Football Championships set to take place alongside annual events including Wimbledon. A packed sporting calendar can present several issues including requests to time off, distracted employees trying to keep up with the latest scores whilst at their desk and allowances being made to watch key games and matches during work time.

Even where timings for sporting events don’t clash with working hours, a busy social life can result in tired, hungover or late employees the next day. If you are going to make allowances for staff to watch particular games or adjust their working hours make sure this is communicated in advance and is fair to other employees who may not be interested in participating.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to find out more.

TURN UP THE HEAT