As January is the time for making resolutions and setting goals in our personal lives, it might be an idea to do the same in our professional lives. So many things go to the bottom of a to-do list and can be forgotten easily. So what are your employment and HR New Year resolutions?

We have suggested a few targets which you might wish to set yourself over the coming 12 months:

1. Put in place an effective appraisal system

This is something which can bring an eye-roll to even the most dedicated employee or diligent manager, but the importance of an effective appraisal system can do wonders for your business. A good appraisal system allows everyone to know what the business is trying to achieve and how they are performing within that business. Appraisals also allow employees and employers alike to address any issues before they become major problems.

2. Update employment contracts (or put them in place!)

Updating employment contracts is something that can eternally be on an employer's to-do list. Make this the year when you ensure every member of staff has a contract and that it is up to date with current employment practices.

3. Review polices and procedures

Once your contracts are in place, it is vital that you have suitable polices and procedures for the organisation which dovetail into your organisational practices. If you have no policies in place, some ideas to get you started would be a disciplinary and grievance policy; email and internet use policy; health and safety policy; maternity and paternity leave policy; equal opportunities policy; and sickness absence policy.

4. Improve the health and wellbeing of your employees

Now this does not mean organising lunchtime running clubs or offering free fruit to all staff members (although this would be a great idea!), nor does it solely mean making sure that everyone is working in a safe environment (which they should be). The health and wellbeing of employees can be improved by having effective processes in place for dealing with issues and a high level of trust between employees and managers, for example via the appraisal system or overall communication.

5. Increase attendance

There is no magic wand which can be waved to increase attendance of employees who are absent. However the quality of management, working relationships, job design, employment relations, communication of information and flexible working arrangements can help to reduce absences. In addition, if workers know that absence will be noticed and investigated they are less likely to take time off work without proper cause, therefore increasing overall attendance.