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HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 116
13 September 2005
http://www.hrzone.co.uk
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SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS ****
1. Dyslexia – should allowances be made?
2. HR Practitioner’s Diary: Cliffhangers
3. News in Brief: Unions make giant ‘equality’ steps
4. The Couch?! Any volunteers?
5. Any Answers: time off for IVF, L&D ROI, HR confidentiality
SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS ****

Editor’s note
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Academic, Julian Elliott, Professor of Education at Durham
University cast doubt on the condition, dyslexia last week.
Calling it a ‘construct’, he said it had gained currency largely
for emotional, rather than scientific reasons.

Government figures suggest that around 10% of people in the UK
have dyslexia. The issue has been left in the doldrums, with
employers, including member Alec Thomas, questioning whether
special allowances for employees and candidates with the
condition should still apply. Add your thoughts at:
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145279

Regards,

Annie Hayes MCIPD
Editor
mailto:editor@hrzone.co.uk

Managing Absenteeism Fairly and the Law
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‘Managing Absenteeism Fairly and the Law’ will address
employment legislation, resourcing strategies, training and
development issues. With soaring absence rates costing
businesses millions of pounds can you afford to miss it?
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/masterclass.html
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Welcome new members
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This week, HR Zone welcomes members from the following
organisations, among others, to the site:

MaST International; ING Car Lease; Oakwood International
Limited; GoodCorporation Limited; RBS; National AIDS Trust;
Proactive Employment Lawyers; Slee & Associates; Bold
Recruitment; Hammonds; BCA; Telewest Broadband; Mercer Delta;
Cheshire Constabulary; Friends Provident; DRS Consulting

Updated H&S Guide to Vehicle Legislation from Hitachi Capital
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Just like your fleet, the government’s health and safety
legislation is always on the move. So even when you think you’re
ahead, you could be falling behind. So to keep you in front,
and out of trouble, Hitachi Capital have produced a new, fully
updated, Health and Safety Guide to Vehicle Legislation.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/hitachi3.html
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Any Answers Answered
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Catch up on the latest answers supplied by members at ‘Any
Answers’ and reflect on the issues at hand:

Is time off for IVF sick leave?
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Should elective surgery and treatment count? Members’ discuss
the implications of discrimination laws.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145087

Dyslexia
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Recent academic claims that the condition doesn’t exist hasn’t
helped recruiter, Alec Thomas decide whether allowances should
be made for sufferers.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145279

HR confidentiality
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How can you ensure a discussion remains off-the-record?
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145311

Draft Age Discrimination Regulations
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The draft age Regulations have finally been published. This set
of Regulations provide probably the biggest challenge in
relation to discrimination for 30 years. However, the
legislation does not go as far as it might. As Michael
Rubenstein explains, in EOR’s comprehensive guide to the
Regulations, it represents the minimum necessary to comply with
the EU Employment Framework Directive if, indeed, it does.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/lexisnexis4.html
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Share your views
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Catch-up with the latest questions being asked by the community
and add your answers at:

Donna is looking for some pointers on how to measure the output
of their learning and development activities.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145199

Are recruitment consultants value for money? Asks Ian Mackenzie.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145214

Ry would like to know whether it is acceptable to ask an
employee the reason for their sickness absence.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145160

It’s a last chance saloon for those wishing to have their
say in our site survey, so please do spare a couple of minutes
to share your thoughts.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/survey/2005.html

Read all the latest questions and add your own:
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/anyanswers

Members’ corner
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HR Practitioner’s Diary: Cliffhangers
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Deceit and deception are the ugly hallmarks of an illicit love
affair; this week Sue Kingston picks up the pieces of an office
romance that results in a broken marriage and some unhelpful
office gossip.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145133

News in Brief: Unions make giant ‘equality’ steps
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See our at-a-glance news round up including the giant ‘equality’
steps made by the Unions, the ‘honest Jims’ that are UK workers,
why e-learners need greater information and support and the
pension myths that have been exploded.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145211

The Couch?! Any volunteers?
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Fortune magazine recently reported the off-the-wall case of a
US-based start-up, SeaCode who plan to literally house their
computer programmers in an ocean liner just off the coast of Los
Angeles.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/145215

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