Weymouth businesses flocked to a breakfast event to hear how to encourage a positive work environment and avoid any employment related pitfalls.

Rely Ltd HR & Training managing director Nicky Cooksley was delighted to give a talk at the latest Granby Business Breakfast, hosted at the Dorset Echo’s office on the Granby Industrial Estate.

More than 20 businesses from the area attended the event and were treated to a lively talk from Mrs Cooksley on how to avoid the top ten employment pitfalls.

As winner of the Dorset Echo’s Industry Award 2017 for Best Woman in Business Mrs Cooksley gave an entertaining talk, but with a serious message.

Speaking at the breakfast she said: “Don’t leave it until it’s too late to have put good HR practices in place.”

Mrs Cooksley had the assembled business owners and employees both laughing and contemplating at times during the talk, which covered the top ten employment pitfalls.

These included: poor recruitment practices, dodgy contracts, apathy towards poor performance, altering terms and conditions, ignoring statutory rights, no policies or procedures in place, dodgy dismissals, ignoring complaints, bad language and not getting HR advice sooner.

Mrs Cooksley said that having good HR practices in place created a great working environment from the outset.

Rely Ltd HR & Training provides a free HR health check for businesses, which can find areas of strength and weakness and provide a report on urgent actions and best practice changes that are needed. The company also provides a free 30-minute consultation on HR issues to new clients.

The next Granby Business Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, October 18 where Andrew Knowles from the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce will be giving a talk.

Businesses in and around the Granby are welcome to come along, with the breakfast running from 8am to 9.30am at the Echo offices. Contact cheryl.barrett@dorsetecho.co.uk