Does affirmative action in recruitment work?
Affirmative action in the jobs market, while illegal in the UK, has been key to helping cut US unemployment rates among African-Americans, research has revealed. According to a paper presented at the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in Leeds today, one in 12 black Britons is currently unemployed compared with just one in 16 over […]
Mini workers threaten strikes after claims of being denied loo breaks
Thousands of Mini workers are threatening to strike over a “strings attached” pay deal as it also emerged that they were facing shorter breaks and had to “ask permission” to go to the toilet. Unions have already balloted almost 2,000 of their members who work at the BMW-owned plant in Oxford over what the car […]
Living Leader Learnings: Why saying ‘well done’ just isn’t enough
The challenge A sales team leader at a mobile technology company asks: “I am constantly telling people at work that they have done a good job. I say ‘well done’ all the time, but it doesn’t really seem to make a difference. I do sometimes feel a bit like a broken record. How can […]
Blog: Ten top tips for taking control of your career
It goes without saying that the number one thing you need to do to manage your career within in an organisation is to work hard and do a really good job, exceeding expectations wherever possible. But that in itself is not enough to actually take control of your career and achieve your aspirations. Here […]
Blog: Why I rate The Apprentice US more highly than its UK counterpart
I watch The Apprentice – the UK version with Lord Sugar and when I spot it in the TV listings, the US version with Donald Trump. Four programmes into the new series in the UK and I have to say I’m watching it for negative rather than positive reasons. None of the candidates seem to be covering […]
Ask the Expert: How legal are contract clauses to work overtime for no pay?
The question I’ve just downloaded an Employment Contract T&C’s template from an online provider and it contains the following condition: 5. Hours of work Your normal hours of work are between [TIME] and [TIME], [Mondays] to [Fridays] inclusive, with a lunch break of one hour. You may be required to work such additional hours […]
How to overcome six employee engagement challenges
Employee engagement should not be seen as a goal in and of itself. It should instead be treated as a vehicle to help fulfil the corporate vision and achieve business success. As such, it is essential to translate the concept into what this specifically means for your organisation. So what would the experience of […]
Health and safety investigations panel branded of “limited use”
A panel set up to try and end the inappropriate use of UK health and safety legislation in the workplace and elsewhere has been branded as of only “limited use” by one legal expert. The Health and Safety Executive has set up a ‘Myth Busters Challenge Panel’ to look into complaints about decisions made by […]
Breakthrough reached in Unilever pension dispute
Two out of three unions have broken the deadlock in a long-running pension dispute at Unilever by accepting what they described as a “significantly improved” offer. Members of the Unite and Usdaw unions have accepted improvements made to a career average pension scheme that had been put on the table to replace a more lucrative […]
Blog: Are annual performance reviews strictly necessary?
Recognise This! – Yes, getting rid of the annual review can be done successfully. Do we really need annual performance reviews? I’ve written before that there is a balance between ongoing feedback from multiple sources and annual feedback from one source. I’ve also written about what it would look like if you scrap the […]
Blog: LivePerson – A culture-based approach to recruitment
This is my tweet (see below) from Thursday afternoon after I got a glimpse of LivePerson’s campaign to find a new CTO. “A CTO with heart” does not quite fit into my mind when I think of a CTO. I know numerous Chief Technical Officers, but I would be hard pressed to figure out which […]
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 4 – Quality over quantity
After another saucy (sorry!) episode last week, I was looking forward to seeing what Lord Sugar and his trusty aides had in store for our 13 remaining hopefuls this week. Once again they did not disappoint. First of all, Lord Sugar injected a breath of fresh air into the proceedings by springing this week’s task […]
Legal Insight: Compromise agreements
On Friday 6 April, changes to The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Order 2012 confirmed that an employee’s lawyer could act as an independent adviser for the purposes of preparing a compromise agreement. But while this is all very well and good, what actually is a compromise agreement and why do employers use them so frequently […]
Tower Hamlets demands Apprenticeship Institute as part of outsourcing deal
London’s Tower Hamlets Council has outsourced its ICT operations to Agilisys on condition that the vendor sets up a new Apprenticeships Institute to provide young people with opportunities in the deprived borough. The seven-year deal, which is worth £70 million, was signed in a bid to help the local authority make £100 million-worth of cuts […]
Training is ‘key to boosting staff morale’ – study
The main objective in providing staff with training at the moment is to enhance the capabilities of the business as well as improve employee morale, a study has found. The ‘Digital Learning for Business’ report published by training provider, the ILX Group, after conducting a survey of 100 HR decision-makers from some of the UK’s […]
Prior work placements boost apprenticeship success rates
Although about a quarter of young people who start apprenticeships currently drop out, they are much less likely to do so if they have had previous work experience, a report has found. According to a study of 15 of the UK’s best apprenticeship schemes conducted by schools inspection body, Ofsted, to pinpoint best practice, vocational […]
Blog: The power of trust
The bloodshed and killing in Syria goes on unabated. Yesterday the news was full of stories casting doubt on whether the peace plan will be respected and hostilities suspended. And as the deadline for the withdrawal of government troops and weaponry from population centres approaches, the government and the opposition forces continue to trade demands […]
Employers shun temps in wake of Agency Worker Regs
Just over six months after the Agency Worker Regulations first appeared, initial findings seem to indicate that they are bringing about three key shifts in the employment market. While the legislation, which came into force on 1 October 2011, is pushing some employers towards taking staff on permanently, it is encouraging others to hire excluded […]
Blog: Attendance bonus schemes – money wasted or money well spent?
For small and medium size companies workforce costs are one of the largest expenditures. It’s no wonder why, in the current challenging economic climate, so many business owners get increasingly frustrated if the attendance of their employees is poor. Employee absenteeism costs UK businesses £32 billion per year and therefore forward-thinking companies are proactively […]
Talent Spot: Leisa Docherty, people services director at Sage UK
One of the key aims of Leisa Docherty, people services director at Sage UK, is to help staff move “from good to great”. She believes that career development and encouraging innovation are key to the business applications company’s success and is proud to play her part in creating an environment where staff can flourish. […]
