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. […]
Government explores new “defined ambition” pension schemes
The coalition government is exploring whether to introduce new kinds of schemes to replace final salary pensions, which have become too expensive for many private sector employers to run. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, minister for pensions, Steve Webb, said that he had been speaking to a number of companies […]
NHS Academy set up to train next generation of leaders
A national centre has been set up to train new generations of NHS, public health and social care leaders in a bid to improve patient care. Plans for the NHS Leadership Academy were unveiled by the secretary of state for health, Andrew Lansley, in July last year, and its aim is to train doctors, nurses, […]
Chancellor ‘shocked’ by millionaires’ tax avoidance schemes
The chancellor has expressed shock after looking at the tax returns of multi-millionaires who have exploited loopholes to legally cut their bills with HM Revenue & Customs. Although the move could be considered political posturing after a couple of tough weeks for the coalition government over the ‘granny’ and ‘pasty’ tax furores, it does prepare the ground for the […]
Do UK workers get too many bank holidays?
The two Easter bank holidays just gone cost the UK economy £4.7 billion, with the figure rising to a huge £19 billion if all eight annual breaks are taken into consideration. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, if the country’s regular bank holidays were axed, annual GDP would rise by 1.3% as […]
Blog: Do you recognise your “plumbers” as well as your “poets”?
Recognise This! – Your star performers can’t shine without the daily efforts of your middle tier. Who gets recognised in your organisation? Just the superstars – the top 10% high performers? Or do you acknowledge those who grind out the work day after day – the middle 80% who make it possible for your […]
Talking Point: Why are there still so few women in the workplace?
Once upon a time, real work was for men and women were expected to stay at home and look after the wellbeing of their families. If anything, they were regarded as the ‘silent reserve’ of the labour market. In the 21st century, however, policy makers and businesses no longer need the devastating impact of the […]
Blog: Crappy performance management rule 2 – Never attempt to motivate staff
In my previous blog I articulated rule 1 of crappy performance management: Don’t tell anyone about the vision. In this article we step up a gear and think about the 2nd most important of rules when designing a ‘wet lettuce’ performance management mindset. Crappy Performance Management Rule 2: Never attempt to motivate staff – […]
A day in the life of…an HR professional
Twenty years ago, most office workers arrived for work for 9am, took an hour’s break for lunch and clocked off at five. Fast forward two decades, and the average UK worker now spends an extra 73 minutes at work and takes 31 minutes and 29 seconds less time for lunch – and HR professionals are […]
Legal Insight: How will changes to apprenticeship laws affect you?
As of 6 April 2012, the law concerning apprenticeships will change, which means that employers must be wary of apprentices’ protected status and how it could impact upon their ability to manage and/or dismiss them. What is changing? Under the new regulations, which are set to come into force tomorrow, if an apprenticeship agreement […]
Charities increasingly look to private sector for HR skills
As traditional sources of funding dry up and levels of professionalism continue to rise, charities are increasingly looking to the private sector for the HR skills that they need to manage change. Although third sector organisations have in the past been reluctant to hire people from other industries over fears of too strong a commercial […]
Jealous HR staff ‘bin CVs with pics of pretty rivals’
It appears that internet sensation Samantha Brick may have a point – research has revealed that women should beware of attaching photos of themselves to their CVs because jealous HR staff have a habit of binning them. Brick, a former TV presenter, who has widely been accused of being an internet troll – or someone […]
Legal Insight: The verdict on April’s employment law changes
April sees a number of changes to employment law coming into force in the UK. But the aim here is to sift through some of the coalition government’s rhetoric to provide an easy-to-read summary of the top five changes coming into force this April and exactly what they will mean for employers. 1. Increase […]
Blog: How well would you do if ranked by former employees?
I saw and interesting article this week about a Glassdoor survey which shows that the highest rated CEO is Tim Cook of Apple. His approval rating was a whopping 97 percent. That rating even beat out his former boss, Steve Jobs. And as so many have reported, Jobs was pretty challenging to work for. That […]