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HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 91
22 March 2005
http://www.hrzone.co.uk
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SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS ****
1. Editor’s Comment: Budget 2005 – High fives from HR?
2. Running scared of an Equal Pay Review?
3. How Did I Get Here? Joe Espana, MD of Performance Equations
4. The Couch!? guide to golden sitcoms
5. Any Answers: gender discrimination, relocation, holiday trading
SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS ****
******************* Featured sponsors **********************
Electronic Childcare Vouchers
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/accor3.html
Your company and the new pensions legislation
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/towrylaw.html
Do you find it difficult recruiting quality staff?
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/careerzone.html
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Editor’s note
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To help alleviate the red-tape burden, the government now
introduces new regulations which arise in the UK at only two
points in the year, April and October. HRZone members agree,
with 58% of the vote that the common commencement dates are
helping to ease the problem.
But are you of the same opinion? Alison Wallace, head of
employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson solicitors isn’t – see
what she has to say and add your own thoughts at:
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138612
*Coming Soon* This Wednesday, HRZone will distribute its special
company car supplement, looking at the payroll, best practice
and risk management issues.
Regards,
Annie Hayes
Editor
mailto:editor@hrzone.co.uk
Electronic Childcare Vouchers
/————————————————————–
Many organisations and working parents prefer on-line benefits
that offer reduced levels of administration and greater access
and transparency.
Childcare Vouchers Direct is an electronic voucher scheme that
is free of tax and NI for GBP 50 per week. It offers employers and
employees a way of making substantial savings whilst providing
an efficient 24/7 service.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/accor3.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:
A J Doyle; LLoyds TSB autolease; Towry Law Financial Services
Limited; Alternative HR Ltd; Aaron Clarke Group; Bircham Dyson Bell;
SMConsult Ltd; Associated Newspapers Ltd; Reed Consulting;
BuildStore; Focus EAP Limited; Coors Brewers Ltd; Advo Group Ltd;
Adecco UK Ltd; RAC; Dept For Education & Skills; RNID; Tempur UK; St
Martin-in-the-Fields Ltd; Yale Security Products Uk Ltd; Paperchase;
Devon County Council; Capita Symonds; Vision Express UK Ltd
Your company and the new pensions legislation
/————————————————————–
The Pensions Act 2004 will have an impact on your business
pension and you as an individual. The new legislation, due to
come into effect on 6 April 2006 (A-Day) is intended to simplify
the hugely complex area of pensions. In practice it is likely to
have a significant and potentially costly implication for your
business, making it essential for you to review your current
pension arrangements.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/towrylaw.html
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Editor’s Choice
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Editor’s Comment: Budget 2005 – High fives from HR?
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For just short of an hour, Chancellor Gordon Brown delivered his
Budget address, wooing, sweetening and balancing the books between
keeping business opinion on side and luring ‘vulnerable’ sectors of
the electorate; Editor’s Comment looks at what the Budget 2005 means
for HR and workers.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138650
Running scared of an Equal Pay Review?
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An Equal Pay Review need not be scary – and might save you money down
the line. The interim findings of the Women and Work Commission were
that, despite the Equal Pay Act, measures are needed to plug a pay
gap which is more than 40% for part-time workers and 18% for full-
time employees; Tom Blass Editor of sister site BusinessZone looks at
the issues.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138633
Do you find it difficult recruiting quality staff?
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HRZone has teamed up with AccountingWeb & TrainingZone to offer
HRZone members 30% discount on recruitment advertising rates.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/careerzone.html
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Top news stories
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HR Directors differ in coaching approach
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Recent research claims that HR directors evaluate coaches and their
programmes in very diverse ways.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138615
TUC court support for bank holiday bonus
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The TUC are gathering support for an additional October bank holiday.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138599
‘Binge-working’ damages health
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Half of parents are unhappy with their work life balance and
according to charity and report authors; Working Families long hours
are damaging our health.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138736
E-learning strategy gathers pace
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The government’s new e-learning strategy pledges to target socially-
excluded groups, provide a personalised online learning space and e-
portfolio for every learner and embed e-learning in work-based
learning.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138527
Workers lament poor diet
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Ninety-six per cent of workers say they tend to eat lunch at their
desks at least once a week, while a huge 42% say they are desk bound
every day.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138674
Community
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How Did I Get Here? Joe Espana, MD of Performance Equations
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“If you had asked me in 1983 what I would be doing in 2005 I would
have said teaching history. What a roller coaster career. Looking
back, however, I think I’ve got a few words of career caution to
offer and a few words about our profession.”
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138311
The Couch!? guide to golden sitcoms
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The Couch?! harks back to TV’s golden age when the likes of Terry
Scott, Richard Briers and Penelope Keith were giants of the small
screen as we bring you our guide to sitcoms.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138682
Poll
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What are the best measures of HR effectiveness? Levels of absence?
Staff turnover figures? Cast your vote in our latest poll to have
your say.
http://www.hrzone.co.uk
Any Answers
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Any Answers is the place to go to share your professional
experiences with others. A selection of new Any Answers
questions posted this week:
Discrimination against gender? Lisa Webster wonders whether she has a
case …
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138687
Does relocation fall under the remit of HR?
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138627
Holiday trading – Brian Moore invites you to share your experiences
http://www.hrzone.co.uk/item/138787
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