Education

How to Share an eLearning Course on Your Intranet

Posted on by Donald

Sharing learning resources through an intranet can feel like a simple task, but it’s often the small decisions that determine whether people actually use the course or just scroll past, and that’s why it’s worth thinking about how it appears and how easy it is to access.

Make It Easy To Find

The first step is placement. If the link is buried deep in menus or hidden within a long list of updates, it’s less likely to be noticed – adding it to a clear training section or highlighting it on the homepage can make a big difference.

Add Context Around The Course

Rather than just uploading a link, include a short explanation of what the course covers and why it matters. For example, if the course relates to elearning compliance training, a brief description can help employees understand its purpose and relevance. Specialists like //www.adempi.co.uk/compliance-training/elearning-courses explain the key elements.

Keep Access Simple

Complicated login steps or multiple redirects can discourage people from starting. Where possible, link directly to the course or provide straightforward instructions – the easier it is to open, the more likely people are to complete it.

Encourage Engagement

You might also consider adding reminders, short announcements, or even a quick message from management explaining why the course is being shared, which can help create visibility without overwhelming staff.

Final Thoughts

Sharing a course on your intranet works best when it’s clear, visible, and easy to access, because it makes it much more likely that people will actually take part.

Business and Management

HMRC issues tax alert to Brits

Posted on by Donald

A recent alert from HMRC is prompting Brits to check whether they might be owed money. It is thought that about one million people may be missing a refund, with the average amount being £500.

Why might I be due a refund?

As the tax office carries out annual checks, it may identify that an individual may have paid too much tax that year. The reasons for this might be a change in job, income, or tax code. If this applies to you, you should receive a P800 tax calculation letter explaining how to claim the refund. You can also check this through your Government Gateway account, the HMRC mobile app, or by checking your tax code on pension statements or pay slips.

If you are unsure about this or any other aspect of tax, it is worth consulting an accountant. It is straightforward to find accountants in your area with a relevant internet search. For example, a search for Cheltenham accountants will give you results like https://www.randall-payne.co.uk/services/accountancy/cheltenham-accountants/.

Making a claim

If you are due a refund, you can do this online. Usually, the money you are owed is sent to your bank account within a few days of being processed. You can claim refunds owed dating back to four years, meaning that some people could be owed thousands of pounds.

Is it a scam?

Although this alert is genuine, there are many scams around tax refunds. If you receive a text, phone call, or email that requires upfront payment or sensitive information to issue a refund, it will not be genuine.

House and Home

Plywood vs OSB vs MDF: What Is The Best For Floors?

Posted on by Donald

Three names crop up again and again when it comes to DIY or ordering sheet materials from a timber merchant: plywood, OSB and MDF. They look similar in a stack but will behave worlds apart when you start cutting, fixing and exposing them to Great British weather. For advice from Timber Merchants Bournemouth, consider //www.timbco.co.uk/timber-merchants-bournemouth/

Your go-to guide on picking the best one for floors

Cheat Sheet: The Best of Each Board

Plywood is constructed from thin sheets of wood veneer joined together with the grain at adjacent layers running in perpendicular directions. It is lightweight and yet it has a great strength to weight ratio making simple fixings easy.

OSB (Oriented Strand Board) is a compressed wood strand. It is durable, inexpensive and the material of choice for post frame buildings.

MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) High quality fine wood fibres and resin. Smooth to work with and perfect for inside joinery, but is water-hating.

Best for floors

For most flooring jobs (subfloors, loft boarding, shed floors) you are looking for strength and stability.

Plywood is a good solid board and perfect for where you need to fix it or want it not to sag.

OSB is the second most popular material; it’s great for subfloors and structural flooring because of its durability, strength, and sense to your wallet.

You should never be using MDF for floors, especially in places where there is the possibility of dampness. This will cause it to swell and weaken.

Best for walls

Whether a wall is structural, part of the decor or intended for certain damp areas.

OSB is perfect for structured wall sheathing (e.g. in timber frame builds or as an internal layer of a new shed/garage). Strong, well taken to nails/screws.

You can also use plywood for wall linings if you do not require textured finish but want to have quality screw holding.

MDF works well for paint ready smooth finishes (great for most interior walls and panels or larger areas, featurewalls, boxing-in etc). Keep it away from moisture.

Best for sheds

Sheds are also subjected to humidity and there can be temperature fluctuations, so you require moisture resistance.

Cheap and tough, OSB is the material of choice for flat-packed sheds.

Plywood is the go to choice for shed floors and roofs when you need extra strength.

MDF is always a no-no for sheds unless fully contained indoors!

OSB is a good choice when you want structural strength for an excellent price. If you desire higher screw-holding as well as a far more robust board, plywood is the way to go. For a finish of glory smoothness, this stuff is perfect, assuming it stays dry.

House and Home

Sustainable Commercial Kitchen: energy conservation, water savings and waste reduction

Posted on by Donald

Sustainability can be more cost-effective than the immediate alternative for a number of reasons, but it is at least partially about upgrading to greener systems and tracking those results. The best plan is to incorporate sustainability into the layout and spec from day one. For Commercial Kitchen Design, consider targetcatering.co.uk/commercial-kitchen-designers

Save energy (without delaying service)

Begin with the largest energy users: cooking, refrigeration and ventilation.

Appropriate equipment size: Oversizing of the kit occupies energy and space. Pick volume based on your menu and peak number of covers.

Refrigeration: Position fridges away from hot lines, use good door seals and leave space for airflow around the units.

Smart ventilation: attenuated extraction; assists during cooking and non-cooking.

Save water where it matters

Saving water is essential.

Install low-flow pre-rinse spray valves and taps.

Select low litres-per-rack dishwashers.

Potwash staff constantly moving pots between stations (or storing them in the dishwasher) won’t be faffing about trying to run hot water from one tap while juggling a boiling pan; they can empty immediately using cold running water.

Layout and storage are ways to reduce waste

Food waste is typically a systems issue.

Store plans to be visible and rotated (FIFO).

Space for separated bins (food, recycling, glass, cardboard, oil).

Set up a path free of waste traversing across prep areas.

Practical, sustainable kitchens work the best. Just make sure that if it slows staff down, then nobody uses the solution – so start from speed and work backwards to find out how you can design a better way of doing things.