Employment law and the Cloud – all you need to know

Increasingly HR managers are using Cloud-based HR systems as a cost-effective and efficient way to manage staff and data across the world.  But what employment law considerations should HR managers be aware of when thinking about and operating such a system? To understand this, it is helpful to know why Cloud-based systems differ from more […]

CPS spent £1.1m on two golden goodbyes

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) awarded severance pay of £1.1m to two ex-employees, it was revealed recently. This disclosure, made by investigative website Exaro, will add fuel to the fire of large taxpayer-funded packages being given to departing executives. Earlier this month the BBC's HR Director, Lucy Adams, was criticised for her role in paying […]

How should HRDs protect their position in light of the BBC HR scandal?

The role of the HR Director has been forced into the spot light of accountability with the HR Director for the BBC being called to give evidence in front of the committee of MP’s investigating the scandal of over-generous exit packages.  During this process the HR Director in question has been publically named – and […]

Multitasking. What’s the productivity cost?

Technology has definitely made life easier, for example I can remember getting stuck on the train and being unable to let anyone know. Yes this was the days before mobile phones. There was one person with a phone in the whole carriage, probably the whole train. It was carried around like a brief case and […]

Off-the-record discussions – useful or useless?

The Government recently introduced section 111A of the Employment Rights Act in order to help companies deal with problem employees by ‘protecting’ some conversations from being used in litigation – effectively allowing the two parties to reach a compromise without it coming back to bite them. Are these ‘off-the-record’ discussions a useful tool for employers? […]

UK staff want bosses that can ‘make employees feel comfortable’

Over three-quarters (78%) of UK staff responding to a recent survey said they want bosses that are able to make employees feel comfortable. This trait ranked as most desirable, above admitting when they’ve made mistakes (71%), calm under pressure (69%), giving clear instructions and defined targets (67%) and acknowledging work efforts (66%). The survey also […]

Book review: Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Coaching Room

Title: Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Coaching RoomAuthors: Erik de Haan, Ann Baldwin, Nicola Carew, Stephanie ConwayISBN: 978-1907471773 This book review was written by Nicola Barber, HR Manager Kilwaughter Chemical Company Limited and Regional Ambassador, Engage for Success. I approached this book with a certain degree of weariness; the cover looked like a standard text book. However, […]

The strategic path to supporting staff on their return to work

Employees can often find returning work following long-term sickness absence a difficult and overwhelming experience, with relapses a regular occurrence. Carefully planned return-to-work programmes to support staff are crucial if these relapses are to be avoided. 1/ In order to appropriately support employees, line managers may require training and guidance from Human Resources and Occupational […]

We must move away from parent/child management styles

Some people believe that management and parenting are very closely intertwined. In fact, managers that show compassion, encourage the development of their staff and make an effort to understand the challenges they face might be considered the most popular. Employees often feel they particularly benefit from this typically nurturing approach. Whilst there is always a […]

Using technology to cultivate a culture of learning and development

Why go with self-service? Technology has been one of the great enablers in this era of employee empowerment. Self-service HR systems allow employees to carry out a range of functions that previously they would have been reliant on the HR and payroll departments or their manager to perform. Holidays can be booked, benefits chosen and […]

The rise of the ‘inactive office’ and what HR can do about it

As an employee, you’re often tied to your desk, squinting at a screen for most of the day and counting down the minutes until you can leave. After this you have to force yourself into a strip-lit gym, to burn off the sandwich that you ate for lunch, probably at your desk. As an employer […]

Has BBC HR director Lucy Adams really ‘killed’ off the HR profession?

Louisa Peacock’s biting editorial in the Telegraph today questions whether disgraced BBC HRD Lucy Adams may be a ‘wicked witch’ figure that changes the face of HR forever. The backstory is this: Adams was severely criticised over excessive payments she made to departing BBC executives. When questioned why, she said "the overwhelming focus was to […]

What can we do about the rise of the ‘bleisure’ trip?

There’s a new buzz word in town. Like it or loathe it, but ‘bleisure’ is on the rise among the UK’s employees – following the American trend for rolling business trips and holidays into one. As many of us find ourselves increasingly time poor due to commitments in our personal and working lives, taking ‘bleisure’ […]

A ban on zero hours contracts? Not quite.

There has been much debate recently surrounding the controversial issue of zero hours contracts. Last month it was reported that their use had been grossly under-estimated, and it is now believed that around one million workers work under such contracts. Unite union claims that the number of workers is in fact much higher, at around […]

Financial services workers ‘unhappiest in the UK’

Close to a third (32%) of financial services workers responding to a new survey describe themselves as unhappy at work. Workers in sales, media and marketing were happiest – with 78% self-classifying as happy. Arts and culture came second with over two-thirds (69%) saying they were happy at work. Across the board, the number of […]

The effect of cultural dynamics on profitability

As human beings, we are culturally programmed to view the world from our own national perspective. This makes us blind to our own culture. Just as fish don’t see water, leadership teams from the same nation as the company, or who have worked at the company for a long period, may struggle to see when […]

An analysis of the latest TUPE amendments

TUPE has been a thorn in the side of businesses and lawyers for over 30 years, and there has been on going consultation by the Government in relation to the current TUPE regulations, almost since their implementation in 2006. This is despite the fact that they were implemented with the intention of remedying some of […]

Businesses struggle to accommodate rise in older workers

Companies may be struggling to use older workers to their full potential, according to a new survey of 100 senior HR professionals. Close to two thirds (59%) of respondents to the Towers Watson research said they were not making progress in adapting working environments to the needs of older workers or taking advantage of their […]

47 tips for Corporate Wellbeing Programme success

Most corporate wellbeing programmes have a simple objective. To provide staff with knowledge and motivation to make informed lifestyle choices that result in energy, enthusiasm and engagement in all areas of work and life. A simple objective yes, but sometimes easier said than done, so to help you fast-track the success of wellbeing in your […]

Will leaders or entrepreneurs secure our future?

Whether or not we are now emerging from recession, the shock and anxiety of it all has made armchair economists of us all. Terms such as ‘derivatives’ ‘quantitative easing’, ‘toxic banks’, and ‘sub-prime’, have eased themselves into the vocabulary. We may not know for sure whether we are Keynesians or Monetarists, but we all have […]