News: Child benefit cuts will ‘incentivise parents to work less’
Child benefit cuts beginning Monday could discourage work and incentivize pension contributions, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Households earning over £50,000 annually will face marginal tax rates exceeding 50%, affecting 1.2 million families primarily in London and the South East.
Blog: How not to have to make a New Year’s resolution ever again
Skip New Year’s resolutions and make lasting changes any time of year. Real transformation requires deep desire, mental preparation, and a clear vision of your goal, not arbitrary January deadlines.
Book Review: From complexity to simplicity – Unleash your organisation’s potential!
This book review examines how organizational simplicity drives wealth creation while complexity inhibits it. The authors argue that overly complex companies lose up to 10.2% of EBITDA compared to simpler competitors, using case studies to show how unnecessary complexity—stemming from strategic, operational, and organizational decisions—impacts performance.
Talent management in a post-recession world
Employers face workforce instability as economic recovery strengthens, with a third of HR professionals concerned about talent retention. Effective talent management strategies, including training, development, and innovative reward packages, are essential to keep talented staff from leaving.
Ask the Expert: Should we allow a sick employee to return to work?
A doctor has certified your employee as unfit to work following ankle surgery. Allowing them to return despite this certification could breach your duty of care, invalidate insurance coverage, and create liability if further injury occurs. Seek GP clearance or an occupational health assessment before permitting return.
News: Bribery Act awareness suffers north-south divide
Nearly half of UK employers are unaware of the Bribery Act, with particularly low awareness in northern England’s manufacturing and automotive sectors. A survey revealed that while 76% of large companies know about the legislation, only 56% of firms overall have heard of it since its 2011 introduction.
News: Employadam campaign garners mixed response
Graduate Adam Pacitti’s self-promotional “Employ Adam” campaign, featuring a Central London billboard and dedicated website, has sparked mixed reactions on social media. While some praised his initiative and creativity in job hunting, others questioned whether the expensive self-promotion strategy was counterproductive or demonstrated poor judgment.
Blog: Boosting employee energy for 2013
Employee fatigue and poor sleep are the greatest hidden productivity costs affecting organizations, yet most workplace wellness programs ignore energy management. Research shows fatigue causes significant loss of work hours, reduced engagement, and health issues, making targeted energy-boosting initiatives essential for business performance.
In a Nutshell: Four considerations when holding a tricky conversation
HR professionals can handle sensitive conversations more effectively by setting the right tone, presenting issues with evidence, listening to employee explanations, and agreeing on clear next steps. Following these four key considerations helps prevent conversations from damaging team dynamics and actually resolves underlying problems.
Legal Insight: The potential impact of employee shareholder schemes
The government’s proposed employee-owner scheme would grant workers shares worth £2,000-£50,000 in exchange for waiving unfair dismissal rights and redundancy pay. Despite the initiative’s inclusion in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, a consultation revealed 92% of respondents viewed the plans negatively, citing low expected uptake and administrative burdens for businesses.
News: Cost of commuting continues to outstrip wage rises
Commuting costs are rising faster than wages and inflation, with train fares consuming up to 8% of the median UK salary and fuel costs taking 5%. Workers face an increasing salary squeeze despite recent wage growth, prompting employers to consider flexible working and season ticket loans.
News: Top 10 talent trends for 2013
Discover the top 10 talent management trends reshaping HR in 2013, from workforce outsourcing decisions and global talent planning to employer branding and emerging recruitment battlefields amid economic challenges.
Blog: Five ways to fire up your team for 2013
Help your team start 2013 energized with these five manager engagement strategies. From team bonding activities to inspiring vision-sharing conversations, learn how to reconnect staff after the holidays and keep them motivated through January.
Blog: 2013 – A new HR business model emerges
In 2013, HR leaders are adopting a new business model centered on creating a “people P&L” that measures human capital metrics alongside financial performance. Leading HR executives recognize that workforce skills directly impact business growth, elevating HR’s strategic importance in executive decision-making.
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Will Mitchell
Will Mitchell, director of consulting at talent management firm A&DC, is a passionate advocate for experiential learning and leadership development. After a transformative gap year with the Outward Bound Trust, he built a career helping organizations and individuals develop learning agility and adaptive leadership skills in today’s volatile business environment.
Talking Point: Why put all your eggs in one talent management basket?
Traditional talent management focuses on developing individual high-performers, but this approach is risky and inefficient. Instead, organizations should adopt a “whole team” strategy that builds capability across all employees, ensuring stronger overall performance and reducing vulnerability when star performers leave or underperform.
Infographic: UK HR twitter trends for 2012
Discover the top 30 HR influencers on Twitter in the UK for 2012. This infographic reveals the most influential voices shaping HR conversations and trends during this period.
How new technologies are changing the behaviour of people in the workplace.
Technology is reshaping how employees work and engage with businesses across industries. Organizations are shifting from rigid hierarchical structures to more agile, fluid models, while younger generations entering the workforce bring different expectations and motivations that require new approaches to management and collaboration.
Blog: Hiring migrant workers is now a boardroom issue…
Immigration compliance has become a critical boardroom issue after the UK Border Agency increased focus on employer sponsor licence compliance. HR leaders must ensure senior management understands that modern immigration compliance extends beyond visas to include strict record-keeping requirements, recruitment standards, and third-party oversight, with failure to comply resulting in severe financial and criminal penalties.
Case Study: Inchcape Shipping Services standardises global HR to boost efficiency
Inchcape Shipping Services deployed Workday’s cloud-based HR system across 67 countries to standardize processes and improve workforce visibility. The implementation enables clearer goal-setting, performance tracking, and succession planning while reducing administrative tasks like absence reporting from 72 hours to real-time automation.
