Britain is failing female leadership
The number of directorships held by women on the FTSE 100 corporate boards has remained at the same level of (12%) as 2008, a report has revealed. The 2009 Female FTSE report from Cranfield School of Management that details the number of women directors in the top 100 FTSE companies has revealed a discouraging […]
Video: Exclusive interview with Ed Sweeney, Acas
Ed Sweeney, chair of Acas, talks to Verity Gough about the issues HR faces when dealing with workplace disputes during a recession.
Rewarding the recession-weary
During these tough times the question around how to keep the troops motivated is on everyone’s mind. The HayGroup’s latest study reveals how rewards can boost engagement. The latest study: World at Work has given some great insights into the reward practices companies are planning in the future. Of the 763 organisations surveyed in 66 […]
New redundancy alternative announced
A controversial move to quell the numbers of redundant workers has this week been proposed by business leaders. The CBI has called for a shake-up in the way companies deal with redundancy by proposing the “Alternative to Redundancy” (ATR) scheme. Workers would receive about £130 a week, paid equally by the government and the employer […]
Royal Mail staff set for three-day strike
Royal Mail workers in London are preparing for a three-day postal strike in an attempt to halt ‘efficiency’ cuts. The row over modernisation of the workforce has prompted strike action and will see delivery workers downing postbags while distribution and logistics staff are preparing to walk-out tomorrow and mail centre staff on Friday. According to […]
Absenteeism rises as swine flu takes hold
Staff absenteeism due to coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms is 66% higher than for the same period last year. The news came as ministers warned that swine flu cases could soon hit 100,000 a day by the end of next month, and a 19-year-old became the fourth victim of the outbreak. The last week in […]
New Look launches job magazine
Fashion brand New Look has announced the launch of a new internal magazine to help bolster employee engagement and motivation. The magazine has been created to promote the company’s overall strategy, branding and thinking to its team with the style, content and language being carefully selected to appeal to New Look’s workforce. Aimed squarely at […]
Grad job slump will last until 2010
The first confirmed graduate recruitment figures published today have revealed the reality of the UK job market, and it makes for grim reading. According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), which published the summer edition of its bi-annual survey today, graduate jobs have been cut by one quarter this year approaching levels not seen […]
Government ‘whistleblowing’ consultation begins
The government today begins a consultation on how employment tribunals can pass on details about whistleblowing cases to appropriate regulators. The measure is being created to help make it easier for regulators to assess whistle blowing claims and decide whether further action needs to be taken. In addition, the consultation aims to create a clear […]
Are they being served?
With HR’s attention well and truly focused on managing redundancies and pay cuts, has it taken its eye of the ball when it comes to employee engagement? HR certainly has its hands full at the moment. If it’s not calming the waters post redundancy it’s pacifying those who may have pay, benefits or training cuts. […]
Report reveals HR is pro social networking
HR professionals are finally embracing social networking to inform important business decisions, a new report has revealed. The survey, conducted by Communications Management, a reputation management agency specialising in workplace issues, found that of the 250 HR decision makers surveyed, eight out of ten use social networking to some extent, while over a quarter have become aware […]
Abercrombie & Fitch accused of ‘lookism’
US clothing firm Abercrombie & Fitch is being taken to an employment tribunal after a sales assistant claimed that she was made to work in the stockroom because her prosthetic arm did not fit the shop’s image. Riam Dean, a 22-year-old law student, is suing for disability discrimination and seeking up to £20,000 in damages […]
Unemployment figures hit a 12-year high
UK unemployment has hit the highest level since 1997, with the numbers of jobless having risen to 2.261 million in the three months to April, the Office for National Statistics has said. The official figures published today show that the UK employment rate has fallen to 73.3 percent, down 0.8 from the previous quarter and […]
HR agenda critical to UK economic success
HR’s role in the effort to keep the UK economy afloat during the recession should not be under estimated, was the key message from the Acas and CIPD ‘Resilience Through Recession’ conference held today in London. Keynote speakers, including Lord Young, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; Ed Sweeney, chair […]
Leaders urged to take their five-a-day in people management
Acas and the CIPD have teamed up to publish a ‘five-a-day’ manual in a bid to encourage business leaders to take a stand against poor people management – a significant factor in the UK’s productivity gap. The joint guidance covers management fundamentals developed from CIPD and Acas research and offers practical experience of management development grouped […]
Recruitment 2.0
With jobseekers turning to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find work, how can HR make the most of social networking and unearth the talent? Verity Gough logs on to find out how best to harness the power of Web 2.0. There is a strange revolution going on in the world of recruitment. What was once […]
Exclusive video: Philippa Hird interview
Former group HR director of ITV Philippa Hird talks exclusively to HRzone.co.uk about HR's role within a recession, how it can prepare for the eventual upturn, the role of leadership in driving engagement, and the challenges of working in HR within the television industry.
Paternity leave plans put on hold
Proposals to let parents share a year of leave to help raise a child have been put on hold by business secretary Lord Mandelson, due to the economic crisis. Despite backing by Equality Minister Harriet Harman, the plans to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months and allow fathers to share up to six months […]
Jaded jobseeker pledges to work 365 jobs in 365 days
A 30-year-old unemployed father of three from Lancashire is attempting a record-breaking challenge by working 365 different jobs, one each day, for an entire year. Jamie Dodd, supported by online recruitment resource Monster.co.uk, decided to set up ‘Project-365’ in an attempt to find his dream career after getting disheartened by the job-seeking process. The project […]
Interview: Cath Bailey, European HR director, Kellogg’s
Cath Bailey has come a long way since she kicked off her HR career as a training manager for Barclays. She tells Verity Gough about her tips on nurturing talent and how she manages cultural change at Kellogg’s within her increasingly global remit. Cultural considerationsDespite the prevailing economic conditions, Kellogg’s is proving that it’s not […]