How to ensure there are no legal hangovers after the Christmas party

Christmas music has been played on the radio and in the shops for a number of weeks now which can only mean one thing – the Christmas season is fast approaching along with the anticipation of the associated festivities. Many companies like to put on a Christmas party for their hard working staff, but with […]

Book Review: Be bulletproof – How to achieve success in tough times at work

This book aims to help people cope with the everyday slings and arrows of working life and the debris left by poor management, office politics and difficult people. In the introduction, the authors, James and Simon Brooke, explain the three main pillars of their work, namely:   Mindfulness – Being self-aware, conscious of your thoughts […]

Ask the Expert: How can I keep my job with an undiagnosed disability?

The question I have developed a disability that requires a few reasonable adjustments in the workplace.   Access to Work has agreed to fund an assistant for me, which would be the most expensive.   But at the end of April, I was sent home from work after several meetings between my union and employer, […]

Legal Insight: The compulsory retirement age issue

At first glance, the retirement situation of Hungarian judges might not seem to be the most pertinent of cases for UK employers.  But a recent decision made by the European Court of Justice provides interesting guidance on compulsory retirement ages and age discrimination issues.   Previously in Hungary, judges, prosecutors and notaries were required to […]

How to limit the financial risk of salary sacrifice schemes

As salary sacrifice schemes provide the opportunity to offer cost-neutral employee benefits, it’s no surprise that they are becoming an increasingly popular option for many businesses, especially as a way of funding high-value benefits such as company cars. As appealing as such schemes may seem, however, without a carefully thought through approach to management and […]

Blog: It’s the culture, stupid

“I wanted to let you know that I got the job offer,” she said excitedly. She had two interviews last week — one with a noted brand and the other with a fast growing start-up.   One firm really wants her but they are on a hiring freeze until Q1. This is a dilemma that a […]

Christina’s Counsel: How can I tackle my team’s habitual negativity?

Hello and welcome to this month’s dilemma: The challenge   As a result of an internal transfer, a client recently took over a new team. But he quickly realised that some of its members had a negative and unhelpful attitude.      This negativity manifested itself in a small clique complaining about customer expectations, some of […]

Case Study: How Norfolk Council maintains staff morale despite tough times

During the last few years, Norfolk County Council has experienced a squeeze on resources common to many public sector organisations. It’s been forced to make savings of £135 million over three years and is now halfway there, but hundreds of staff have been axed as a result.   The cuts have arrived in conjunction with […]

Blog: Getting a handle on cross-cultural communication

I’m in Berlin so I guess it’s appropriate that our theme today is cross-cultural communication, how people from different kinds of cultures can get along better.  You know, some cultures are more direct and upfront. People just say what they want to say. And other cultures don’t say no, they don’t say yes, they’re more […]

Case Study: Staff wellbeing measures cut sickness absence at Julia’s House

Julia's House is Dorset’s only hospice for children with life-threatening illnesses. It opened in 2006 and staff numbers have since grown from an initial 40-odd to 125 today. Despite the harrowing nature of the work, its employees are highly-engaged and, last year, it was awarded top slot in the charity and public sector category of […]

Fit for Work: Tackling sickness absence by early intervention

The successful management of sickness absence in the workplace can contribute significantly to overall business productivity. But a balance must be struck between dissuading people who are tempted to ‘play the system’ and providing the best possible support for those with genuine health difficulties who are struggling to avoid being off work long-term.   Long-term […]

In a Nutshell: Four ways to create a motivated workforce

The closer that HR is to the workforce, the more positive the benefit that it can have on the business, believes Carol Carson, HR director at vehicle glass repair and replacement specialist, Autoglass. With this in mind, she outlines her views on how to foster a loyal and motivated workforce:   1. Listen   Being […]

Business Cloud Summit 2012: Live blog and tweets replay

NetSuite‘s chief executive, Zach Nelson, the Guardian‘s Charles Arthur and Home Office IT director Denise McDonagh are among the speakers at the Business Cloud Summit 2012 today in London. So we’re providing live coverage of the business content stream below: And if you want to follow our live tweeting from the event:   cover://v/c09eb41358

News: Industry publishes code of conduct over workplace pension charges

The workplace pensions industry has bowed to political pressure and published a code of conduct relating to the disclosure of schemes’ fees and investment costs, which will come into force next year. The voluntary code, which was launched today, is intended to ensure that such disclosure is consistent in an attempt to make it easier […]

News: Coulson wins legal costs appeal against News Group

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has won his appeal against a High Court ruling that News Group Newspapers does not have to pay his legal costs. Coulson, who is facing trial next year on charges related to his alleged involvement in phone hacking while at the now defunct Sunday paper, sued NGN […]

Blog: Seven ways to ensure your wellness initiatives are sustainable

Many wellness programmes begin with a fanfare, and rightly so.   If you’ve invested time and resources in developing the best wellness programme possible for your business, you’ll want to shout about it from the rooftops when it’s ready to launch.     You can then stand back and enjoy the flurry of activity and […]

Blog: Shared parenting leave – Is it really a win-win?

The latest government proposals in respect to encouraging a ‘family-friendly’ workplace seem to have met with general approval both from business and employee groups. Under the proposals, unveiled last week by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, from 2015, after the first two weeks of a mother’s maternity leave, the remaining 50 weeks can be […]

Talent Spot: Angela Williams, HR director at British Gas

Centrica’s British Gas is celebrating its 200th birthday this year – no mean feat in today’s cut-throat business environment – but its long history means that people have preconceptions about the company. “A lot of people see British Gas as old-fashioned and slow-moving and this is so far from the truth,” says Angela Williams, the […]

Talking Point: Do you know how best to help an employee through divorce?

Unlike death, people experience divorce as a failure.  But the level of compassion and understanding given to someone who is going through the process isn’t always as apparent as it is for someone who is in mourning.   Nonetheless, divorce is one of those ‘crises’ that can completely knock an employee down. Colleagues may try […]

News: Richard Review proposals on apprenticeships widely welcomed

Recommendations that employers should be in the driving seat in relation to apprenticeship design and funding have been widely welcomed. Another proposal put forward by the Richard Review, which was put together for the government by entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star, Doug Richard, was that apprenticeships should last for at least a year and […]