Flex your muscles in April
On 6 April 2009, the right to request flexible working is being extended to parents of children aged 16 or under. In the current economic climate some employers see this as the last thing they need, whilst others embrace this change as an opportunity to improve their organisation, says Tim Holden. Requesting flexible working Last […]
Legislation update: Unfair dismissal compensation
In a recent case, a tribunal found that the claimant’s resignation from her job with the employer amounted to an unfair constructive dismissal. However, when assessing compensation, the tribunal did not reduce the amount by what the claimant had earned from other sources during her notice period. Richard White considers this case further. Stuart Peters […]
Managing the bereaved employee
Managing the bereaved in the workplace is an area in which there has been little change over the years and for which few organisations have formal policies. Yet it is vital that the employer handles the situation correctly and with sensitivity, says Caroline Attwood. When an employee is bereaved, in general we provide a fixed […]
What are candidates saying about your organisation?
When a zoo needs to fill 150 seasonal posts and ends up attracting over 3000 people to a recruitment day, you just know that things are a little tough in the job market at present. Whilst this has perhaps been the most widely publicised example of ‘recruitment-gone-mad’, in recent weeks there have been many other […]
Ask the expert: Refusing a medical investigation
An employee, who has many health problems that could be affecting his performance, has refused any medical investigations, and his employer is concerned about his fitness to work. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise on the next course of action. The question: I have a member of staff who, in the past 24 months, has […]
A week in HR: Job losses, consultant’s pay and holiday increases
This week, Lucie Mitchell reports on yet more job losses, a hike in consultant fee rates, the removal of the VAT staff hire concession, and the increase in holiday entitlement. More job losses were announced this week, this time at the Daily Mail, with 1,000 jobs to go at its regional newspapers. This number is […]
HR blogosphere bulletin: Beatty’s memo to CFOs (don’t trust HR)
Jon Ingham trawls the net to provide his round-up of the great and the good of the HR blogs so you don’t have to. This week he tracks down blogs posted in response to a memo which told CFOs not to trust HR. During the last couple of weeks, I’ve been tracking the development of […]
Leading HR Experts Advise How to Manage Talent in a Downturn
With the economy in tatters and unemployment at its highest since 1997, human resource (HR) professionals are faced with what could be the biggest challenge of their careers – successfully managing and motivating staff that are likely to be feeling dejected and extremely vulnerable. To help HR professionals succeed in this challenge, they are being […]
Is the Public Sector ‘recession proof’?
I have just read a CIPD article claiming that the public sector is at present an entirely ‘recession free zone’. The report continues “While private sector employers are shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs and freezing or cutting the pay of millions of employees, their public sector counterparts are mostly maintaining staffing levels and presiding […]
Beyond stress: Why employers must try harder
With many British companies facing financial meltdown, mental health at work might not seem like a high priority, but there are some simple and inexpensive steps that employers can take to address this growing problem, says Williams Johnson. There is a strong correlation between economic downturn, and substance abuse, depression and even suicide, say mental […]
HR tip: Selection for redundancy
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "What is the fairest method of selecting employees for redundancy?" HR tip: By assessing each employee affected in some objective way against the needs of the business. I suggest that you identify […]
Why a mixed fleet will make your CEO smile
The company car scheme, though often overlooked, is a highly emotive part of any benefits package – it is also hugely costly and complex in nature. Peter Eldon recommends implementing a mixed fleet strategy when budgets are being slashed. The cost alone of running a car scheme ought to mean that when the CEO issues […]
Is temporary labour the answer during a recession?
By utilising temporary workers, organisations can maximise their labour spend whilst keeping outgoings low. Alison Harter examines how businesses can make the most of a more flexible and cost-effective workforce. As with most things in business, temporary labour is not a one-size-fits-all. Temporary labour can be more or less effective depending on the organisation, the […]
A week in HR: Has business gone back to the dark ages?
This week, Verity Gough reports on how sexual discrimination appears to have reared its ugly head again, the latest unemployment figures, how old-fashioned management styles are driving staff to resign, and how the recession is forcing companies to be more ‘creative’. So much for a modern attitude to women – if the shock report commissioned […]
Caption competition: And the winner is….
This month’s competition was in honour of Mother’s Day on Sunday 22 March. There really were some funny entries this month – it would seem that our beloved Royal family brings out the comedian in some of you! But there could only be one winner, and that was Rob Falconer. His caption was: Her Majesty […]
Trouble brewing: The new Acas Code and mediation
The new Acas Code will, from April 2009, probably mean that mediation is adopted more widely, so Duncan Bain examines the role HR plays in this and how it will be developed with the new code. It has always been thought possible that mediation in the workplace might be used to resolve a personality clash […]
Managing change in difficult times
The recession means that organisations can’t get away from the fact that there will be changes. Yet many are badly planned and implemented, so it is not surprising that staff do not embrace it. John Pope offers his advice on how to successfully manage change in the current climate. There will be changesThere are going […]
Ask the expert: Gross misconduct for bullying
A bullied employee has resigned and informed management as to the reasons for the resignation. Can the employer then dismiss the bully on the grounds of gross misconduct? Esther Smith and Matthew Whelan advise. The question:If one staff is constantly bullying another one and the bullied staff resigns suddenly, but advises the management about this […]
Development times – appraisal times
I have a fledgling thought about the merits of separating the annual performance appraisal process from any personal development work that comes out of a competency based feedback process – such as 360 degree feedback.The thoughts come from the different mindset that I have seen in people when they are being assessed – particularly with […]
Additional paternity leave: Sleepless nights for businesses?
If Lord Mandelson is overruled and the government’s proposed additional paternity leave and pay legislation does eventually come into force, what will it mean for businesses? Christiana Tollast spoke to the experts and found this is a subject of much-heated debate. The lawIn 2007, the government drew up a consultation document on its proposed additional […]