Talking Point: Taming management beasts
Horrible bosses may be driven by ego and a desire for self-promotion. But in my experience, 99% are striving to do their best under enormous pressure to produce results. They genuinely care about staff and take their people management responsibilities seriously. Unfortunately, the pressure that they are under can generate situations where it is […]
Olympus whistleblower demands answers at shareholder meeting
Former Olympus president and chief executive Michael Woodford has demanded answers over his sacking at a shareholder meeting in Tokyo. Around 1,000 investors approved a new board at the Olympus extraordinary general meeting amid calls from Woodford that it was a “mockery” to claim the group was making a fresh start. Shareholders approved five years’ […]
CSC axes 1,100 jobs, 640 go offshore
Only days after CSC workers conducted a national lunchtime walkout over plans to impose compulsory redundancies, they have been told that 640 more posts are to go, bringing the total job losses since February up to 1,100. Unite members from CSC’s Chesterfield, Chorley, Leeds and Solihull offices took part in the walkout last Thursday to […]
SMEs refuse staff extra day’s holiday for Diamond Jubilee weekend
Two thirds of small-and-medium-sized companies are refusing to give employees an extra day’s holiday to honour the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, research has revealed. According to the poll of 700 SMEs by business support services company Elas, 62% intend to either open as usual or force staff to take the extra day on Tuesday 5 June […]
Former press officer sues GCHQ for bullying amid “widespread” racism claims
A former senior press officer is suing GCHQ for allegedly having been a victim of “widespread” race discrimination and constructive dismissal after being victimised for making “public interest disclosures” as a whistleblower. Alfred Bacchus claims that his managers bullied him while he was a senior press officer at the government’s secretive spy base in Cheltenham, […]
Construction sector sets up industry-wide forum to boost inclusion
The construction industry has set up an industry-wide forum to try and improve diversity and boost its employment levels among women, ethnic minorities and disabled people. The Construction Industry Leadership Forum for Fairness, Inclusion and Respect was set up following recommendations by the Employment and Human Rights Commission, after two studies on diversity demonstrated the […]
Legal Insight: How to cope with tube strikes
Passengers are expected to face widespread disruption on the London Underground from tomorrow (24 April) due to a four-day strike by maintenance workers that is likely to affect services. The action looks likely to go ahead as planned because talks to avert it ended yesterday without agreement, according to the conciliation service Acas. The […]
Blog: Company culture according to GE’s Jack Welch
Recognise This! — Jack Welch puts company culture ahead of results. Do you? When you hear the name “Jack Welch,” what do you think of first? “Neutron Jack,” famous for an (often misunderstood) employee differentiation method that resulted in the bottom 10% of performers being let go annually? A powerhouse industry captain who helmed […]
How to avoid 10 common employee communication pitfalls
Finding ways to manage employee communications effectively is essential as it helps shape the organisation’s culture and engage employees. It is also vital to ensure that staff understand and buy into organisational change or take up benefits, for instance. As long as communications are regular, open and tailored to the workforce, they can likewise […]
Ask the Expert: Should car allowances be included in sick pay?
The question I have a case of someone who is taking long-term sickness absence (eight months). They were paid a combination of statutory sick pay and company sick pay for the first six months, which included their monthly car allowance in full. Their manager has now decided to stop paying the car allowance, saying […]
Case Study: Kent Fire and Rescue optimises staffing with time and attendance system
As one of the busiest in the country, Kent Fire and Rescue Service was keen to maximise the number of operational fire crews that it had available to attend incidents, especially during key holiday periods. The Service has 66 fire stations and 120 fire engines as well as 1,700 operational members of staff, who deal […]
Mental ill-health issues cost employers £30 billion per year
Mental ill-health issues cost the UK economy £30 billion each year in lost productivity, half of which results from people taking a total of 91 million days off work, according to a charity. The Centre for Mental Health indicated that the other £15 billion was accounted for by employees turning up for work when they […]
News: Would you sack someone for blogging about your job offer?
A graduate in the US had his first journalism job offer rescinded after posting the good news on a blog. Kristopher Brooks, who had just completed a graduate journalism course at New York University, was reportedly thrilled to receive a job offer from the News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware. As a result, he published […]
Blog: How to hold on to good employees – Part 1
If you want to attract and retain good employees, you need to (1) understand why employees leave a company, and (2) implement employee retention strategies to get them to stay. This article examines the reasons why employees leave their companies. In my next article, I will set out five strategies for keeping hold of your […]
Blog: How to help staff get in better financial shape
Saving more money is the one piece of advice personal financial experts are putting a lot of stock into, especially these days as the economy remains shaky. Likely there are many employees dutifully putting in their hours who are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continually rises. For this reason, it […]
Cultivating emotional intelligence: Lessons from two public resignations
There was a time when the manner and timing of your arrival was the coup de grace moment. But, if two recent articles that are getting considerable attention in online circles are anything to go by, the golden moment might now actually be the method of your departure. It all began when Greg Smith […]
CSC staff protest about proposed NHS Lorenzo deal redundancies
Unite members working for CSC are on the streets today to protest against the company’s plans to make compulsory redundancies among those working on its troubled Lorenzo patient records system with the NHS. Unite members from CSC’s Chesterfield, Chorley, Leeds and Solihull offices took part in a lunch-time walkout. After several weeks of consultation over a reduction […]
Employers must now provide PAYE reference number for liability records
Employers’ tax reference numbers for PAYE will have to be supplied to a national Employers’ Liability Database as a result of an administrative rule change on 1 April 2012. Since last year, ELD has been collecting details of employers’ cover from brokers and insurers to make it easier for those making claims to […]
Blog: What economic impact is ‘gross national happiness’ likely to have?
Happiness is a tangible outcome! Because of my commitment to great people management and engagement, I was heartened to discover that the UN conference on happiness and wellbeing which began in New York City on 2nd April came to the conclusion that good performance on GNP (Gross National Product) didn’t automatically mean that GNH (Gross National […]
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 5 – The value in being a team player
So what delights does The Apprentice – Week 5 bring us? The madness began as the teams were whisked away to York Hall, (in London not Yorkshire), and were tasked with making another quick buck to design and brand a new fitness programme. They were given two days in which to do this. Refreshingly, it […]
