HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued an urgent alert to employers in Scotland – important PAYE changes are coming this spring, so make sure you’re prepared for them.

HMRC is writing to all employers in the region this month to remind then that, from this year, they must file their Employer Annual Returns online by the 19 May deadline – there is no longer a paper filing option for small employers with fewer than 50 staff. So, if you file your return on paper, even if it’s before 19 May, you could receive a penalty.

The rise of cloud-based computing is widely predicted to have a significant impact on organisations of all sizes in the next few years; it's something that those responsible for people management and HR strategies need to be aware of and plan for.

Cloud-based services are already beginning to have an impact on HR (even if they may not recognise the term). A 2009 survey of large enterprises found that 44% were using cloud services in some part of their HR processes, most commonly in recruitment management.

The term 'cloud-based computing', (sometimes referred to as ‘Software-as-a-Service' or ‘on-demand') refers to the use of computing resources (i.e. software, storage, hardware) that are based out in the internet (‘the cloud') and accessed by users on a subscription or ‘pay-as-you-go' basis. This is a change from the traditional computing model where companies pay big upfront sums to buy all of the hardware, software and networks themselves and then have all the associated costs and hassle of owning, managing and supporting that infrastructure.

The final days of January re-ignited the maternity-paternity debate once again as the Government unveiled further plans to change fathers’ entitlement to paternity leave.

The proposal, which followed Gordon Brown’s original announcement last September to give “…children more time with the two people who love them most”, would allow fathers up to six months’ paternity leave with three months paid. Intended to provide couples with greater flexibility, it has also been said that fathers may be given the right to take time off during the second half of a baby’s first year if the mother decides to return to work.

The winter months are truly upon us - it's not too late to think about what you could do to ensure your business copes well during what is likely to continue to be a particularly testing time of year for us all.

It is vitally important that organisations take the time to consider how they may fare over the winter and if their current HR systems are up to the challenge.  Will they help you cope with the possible high absence levels due to illness, employees being unable to get to work, and ensuring that managers are compliant with company policies and procedures? At times like this having the right management systems and processes in place can make a massive difference to allow you to minimise the negative effects of winter.