News: Chancellor’s shares-for-employment-rights scheme ‘open to abuse’
Employment law experts have warned that the Chancellor’s proposed scheme allowing employees to trade traditional workplace rights for company shares could be vulnerable to abuse by employers. The plan would exempt staff from paying capital gains tax on shares worth £2,000-£50,000 but require them to forfeit protections including unfair dismissal claims, redundancy pay, and flexible working rights.
News: Sheila Lawlor – Scrap “family-unfriendly” maternity leave
Sheila Lawlor, director of the Politeia think tank, argues the UK should replace paid maternity leave with unpaid career breaks, claiming current maternity policies create perverse incentives and harm women’s long-term earnings and career prospects.
Ask the Expert: What to do about a serious staff/manager rift?
A serious staff and manager relationship breakdown requires careful handling when neither party has committed a disciplinary offense. Expert legal advice explores your options, from dismissing the newer employee to allowing the situation to naturally resolve itself.
Blog: Are your staff getting enough shuteye?
Sleep deprivation affects 1 in 3 British workers, significantly impacting workplace productivity and performance. Research shows only 38.5% of UK workers get the recommended 7-8 hours nightly, with chronic sleep loss linked to reduced focus, concentration, and job satisfaction among employees.
Blog: Five reasons for bullying – or being bullied
Workplace bullying affects both perpetrators and targets, often stemming from power dynamics and lack of awareness. Bullying behavior frequently results from fear and superiority issues, while targets may unintentionally enable it by accepting mistreatment, yet many bullies don’t consciously intend harm.
Dragon’s Den’s Dupsy Abiola on internships
Dupsy Abiola, founder of InternAvenue.com and Dragon’s Den success story, discusses internships and best practices for hiring interns. She explains how internships differ from apprenticeships and work shadowing, and why employers across finance, technology, and professional services sectors increasingly use them to develop talent.
News: Extent of ‘off payroll’ deals in public sector “shocking”
An MP committee has condemned widespread “off payroll” payments to thousands of public sector workers as “shocking,” citing potential tax avoidance. The BBC paid 25,000 employees through company accounts rather than standard payroll, while over 2,400 civil servants earning more than £58,000 annually used similar arrangements.
News: Workmates more important than bosses for job satisfaction
A UK survey of 1,000 workers found that relationships with colleagues are far more important than connections with bosses for job satisfaction and productivity. Two-thirds of respondents would even reject a higher-paying job to stay with coworkers they liked and respected.
Blog: Punk Rock HR – HR strategies unplugged
Explore four core HR strategies: best fit alignment with organizational capability, best practice implementation, leveraging core competencies, and building adaptive learning companies. These approaches help organizations develop sustainable competitive advantages in talent management.
In a Nutshell: Five tips when recruiting for a start-up
Recruiting the right team is critical for hospitality start-ups. Hilton’s HR director shares five key strategies: define your brand personality, attract people who embody your values, hire for passion and commitment, invest in employee culture and facilities, and ensure management alignment with company values.
Working prisons: A new source of affordable labour?
The UK government’s “working prisons, working people” campaign aims to increase employment opportunities for offenders, helping them gain skills and earn money for restitution. While companies like Marks & Spencer and Timpson have successfully established prison workshops, many employers remain hesitant due to reputational concerns and setup costs despite research showing ex-prisoners are reliable workers.
News: Lack of HR support means 1/3 senior hires consider quitting in first 3 months
A new survey reveals that one-third of senior hires consider quitting within their first three months due to inadequate HR support and poor onboarding. The research found that weak manager-HR collaboration leads to 50% lower productivity and misaligned expectations about the role and company culture.
News: Fear of fitness-to-work test driving disabled to suicide
A UK survey of over 1,000 GPs reveals that the Work Capability Assessment is causing severe mental health issues among disabled people, with one in five doctors reporting patients experiencing suicidal thoughts due to the test. Charities and medical professionals are urging the government to overhaul the assessment system immediately.
Book Review: 90 days 90 ways: Onboard young professionals to peak performance
This book review examines “90 Days 90 Ways,” a comprehensive guide by Alexia Vernon for onboarding young professionals. The author, a millennial herself, provides nine strategies and 90 techniques to help managers engage Generation Y employees during their critical first 90 days and develop an effective leadership approach.
Blog: Are British workers really the most idle in the world?
A book by Tory MPs claims British workers are among the world’s most idle, citing low productivity and working hours. However, critics argue poor workplace engagement and lack of employee recognition, rather than laziness, better explain Britain’s productivity gap with other G7 nations.
Legal Insight: How to deal with social media defamation
Learn how employers can address social media defamation risks, including reputational damage from employee posts. Understand libel defenses, vicarious liability, and why social media’s permanent nature requires clear organizational policies and employee awareness to mitigate legal exposure.
News: Staff play with fire bringing hair straighteners to work
A UK survey reveals that two in five employees bring unchecked personal electrical items like hair straighteners and heaters to work, creating fire and injury risks. Over half admit their devices haven’t been safety-checked, while 8% report workplace fires and 9% have suffered burns or electric shocks.
News: Govt plans to post mandarin’s performance goals online “damaging”
The UK government plans to publish permanent secretaries’ performance targets online to increase accountability, but a civil service union warns the move could damage trust between ministers and their top officials and harm staff morale.
Blog: Five ways to move on from a mistake
Learn five practical strategies for moving past workplace mistakes productively. Managers can turn errors into learning opportunities by making cheap mistakes, staying flexible, avoiding dwelling on the past, distinguishing between mistakes and systemic problems, and being honest about failures.
Blog: Five tips for plucking up the courage to pick up the phone
Overcome phone anxiety with five practical strategies, including identifying your fears, using social media for conversation starters, preparing talking points, and setting call expectations. These tips help HR professionals and business developers maintain valuable client relationships through regular, purposeful contact.
