Have you Started Planning your Christmas Party?

Make sure it is just that, and not a reward!

Unlike entertaining customers, some of the costs of entertaining employees are generally allowable against business profits.

Generally speaking, as long as the total costs of your parties and other social functions, which you have attended in a tax year, are less than £150 (inclusive of VAT) per person attending, there will be no tax implications.

However, if the event is deemed to be a reward, bonus or incentive then employer would NOT be able to reclaim the VAT, and the employee will be liable for income tax as a benefit in kind.

Beat the tax man, by ensuring that everyone from the office invited to your Christmas party. Keep a good track of all the costs and ensure that they are below the HMRC threshold of £150 including VAT per person attending. This includes all the costs, i.e. room hire, meal, drinks, transport and accommodation.

Our Clarity365 project tracking functionality is perfect for tracking costs for each event. You can allocate all of the party costs and employee expenses, along with electronic copies of the receipts, so that you can demonstrate you are compliant with the HMRC Ruling. Helping you to enjoy the party without the risk of a tax hangover. ​

Its all in the Cloud!

Cloud computing is moving into mainstream businesses

It doesn't seem long since the expected reaction to talking about ‘the cloud’ was a mixture of befuddlement and skepticism.

But this emerging technology, once viewed as niche and a little ‘out there’, is slowly but surely starting to become a normal part of our business world.
This is one of the findings of research carried out by the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) into the adoption of cloud services by companies in the UK.
The cloud is a general term used to describe accessing data, services and applications from external servers – rather than needing to be stored on your PC or handheld device.
The CIF survey, based on interviews with 250 British companies, found that 79% had now ‘formally’ adopted at least one cloud-based service – an increase of 15% on previous figures.
But the figures also indicate the move to the cloud is happening gradually and rather cautiously rather than a dramatic shift – as some analysts had predicted.
Most of the businesses, 45%, said they were currently using just one cloud service, with just 14% saying they were using four or more.
The most popular uses were for web hosting and data backup, followed by collaboration tools, business apps and video conferencing services.
At the moment, therefore, most organisations are adopting a hybrid approach; integrating traditional on-site IT set-ups with these new cloud based services.

Alex Hilton, chief executive of CIF, says that:

“Nine out of 10 companies will continue to invest in on-premise IT alongside and integrated with cloud solutions. In other words, we are in-fact seeing the normalization of cloud in the hybrid IT market.”

The adoption of cloud services allows companies to significantly reduce IT spend with no need for internal servers or software maintenance. Users can access cloud services from any device with an online connection.
Clarity365 is one of a new generation of business tools using the technology to transform the way organisations operate – replacing manual, paper-based expenses with more efficient digital processes.
The growing use of cloud services is allowing companies to explore new mobile working methods with a move away from the traditional reliance on a 9-to-5 office based approach.

Managing Absence in the Workplace

How Clarity365 can improve attendance

Clarity365 collects absence data on individual employees, meaning managers can find out exactly how many days staff are taking off.
Clarity365 gathers information with great accuracy, removing all potential for disputes with staff. If they have an attendance issue, it will simply need to be addressed.
Managers will be able to quickly identify absence trends among their staff.
As a result, all of the time usually spent debating the validity of absence claims is eliminated. Counter-arguments such as "I came in late that day", or "I was at a conference" will no longer work. In the long term this method will ensure that both the staff and employees are structured within the workplace, and importantly won’t cause frustration within the workplace.

Opening up dialogue to tackle absence
Once dialogue is opened between manager and staff, the root issue of absence can be investigated and tackled properly.
It may be the case that employees are encountering personal issues at home, or they have an illness they do not want to disclose to senior members of the team.
A sensitive, diplomatic approach is then necessary from managers. Depending on the severity of the problem, it may be wise to sanction a period of leave for the person in question in order for them to return to work fully motivated.

Confidentiality
If the absence is a result of a personal issue, confidentiality is key. Staff may not want other members of the business to learn about the issue and it is vital to keep the information private.
Thanks to our software, businesses can identify when employees have worrying absence patterns, open up personal dialogue and improve their relationship with staff.

Self-service: more productivity!
In an age where businesses see new technologies constantly emerge, it is easy to dismiss trends as nothing more than novelty gimmicks.
If enterprise owners were to adopt every technology suggested to them, it is likely they would be left with no cash and an office overflowing with hardware and installation disks.
After all, smart glasses were meant to revolutionise all our lives in 2013, but the world seemingly declined the invitation to look like Robocop.
However, Clarity365 is a trend that is here to stay and really could have a positive impact on your workforce and your wallet. Rather than tasking employees with arranging absences, Clarity365 can do it for you, improving productivity and eliminating the tedius job of sorting through spreadsheets.