Best Practice: Five pointers to ensure flexible working works
A flexible working project at Wakefield Council has slashed costs and significantly boosted staff productivity since the first phase was introduced two years ago. The Council’s ‘Worksmart’ transformation programme is based on a property rationalisation initiative, introducing citizen-focused service guidelines and enabling all 2,500 employees to work more flexibly. Rationalising office space has saved […]
Blog: Five tips on how best to recruit Generation Y
By 2020, the Millennial generation will account for 50 per cent of the working population and will represent the majority of the workforce. As Millennials consume information in different ways than their Gen X and Boomer counterparts, it’s no longer enough for companies to connect to potential employees via traditional communications channels such as newspapers […]
Multi-national employers standardise HR policies to ‘create united culture’
Multi-national employers are increasingly synchronising their international HR policies to create a single company look-and-feel, according to the organisation behind the annual ‘Britain’s Top Employers’ study. A report in the Daily Telegraph cited the CRF Institute’s chief operating officer, Steven Veenendaal, as saying that, the reason behind the move was that “harmonisation is seen as […]
Blog: What is constructive dismissal?
I receive a lot of enquiries from disgruntled employees looking to take their employers to an employment tribunal for constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is very hard to prove. Employees must show that there was a fundamental breach of contract by the employer that leads to a breakdown in trust and confidence. They must then […]
Ask the Expert: When does continuity of service start for a casual worker turned perm?
The question We have workers employed on zero hours/casual contracts, which means that there is no obligation either to offer or accept work on either side. But one of these workers is moving to a take on a permanent role with us. Do we give them continuity of service from their casual start date […]
Rooting out the “cancer” of employee cynicism
We are living through one of the most, if not the most, challenging, uncertain economic times of our lives. The US economy has been on rocky ground for a number of years and the Euro is under threat as major countries in Europe face potential insolvency. Even the Far East is facing numerous economic […]
Bus driver appeals sacking – for eating a grape
A bus driver has lodged an appeal against being sacked apparently for eating a grape while on duty. Michael Shephard, a 66-year-old granddad from Coventry, claims that he was dismissed by National Express after he was caught on CCTV popping the offending fruit into his mouth two weeks ago. Although he was sitting in […]
Public sector jobs cull will jump to 730,000 by 2017, forecasts OBR
A huge 20,000 more public sector workers than expected will lose their jobs over the next four years, taking the total cull to 730,000, the government’s independent forecasters revealed yesterday. In November, the Office for Budget Responsibility had forecast that the number of public servants being axed would be 310,000 higher than the 400,000 predicted […]
Blog: Lessons on dealing with the unions during times of change
Welcome to this weeks Guest Blogger – Paul Myers is the HR Manager for a local transport company. He has initiated significant change in his organisation and has managed to keep his staff on board. He is a people centric manager who has considered how to increase and harness employee engagement at every opportunity. […]
Video Interview: Aia worldwide’s Steven Ehrlich on driving engagement via social media
Mike Taylor, director of www.web-based-recruitment.com, talks to Steven Ehrlich, global vice president of client development for digital brand agency, aia worldwide, about how to drive engagement through social media. He also talks about the common mistakes that organisations make when going down the social media route and gives his take on what he believes the […]
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 1 – Honesty is the best policy
Blimey time flies. The rutting season for wannabe entrepreneurs is upon us and once again. The Apprentice has dished up a smorgasbord of egos, preposterous suits and girls who all weirdly look alike. Anyone who read my posts last time will know I do not admire Lord Sugar’ management style. He is a leadership […]
Employee wellness programmes: Proving their worth and paying their way
It’s a known fact that happy and engaged employees are more likely to be productive and loyal. Valuable assets to their employer, they can also help to generate a positive environment for their colleagues, time and resource savings for the HR team and positive financial savings for their employer. Several strategies exist to try […]
Budget 2012: Fears over lack of prep time for Olympics Sunday working plans
With the Olympic and Paralympic Games only just over three months away, plans to suspend Sunday trading laws over the eight weekends of the events have sparked concern over the lack of time that employers have to prepare. In his Budget today, Chancellor George Osborne proposed emergency legislation to enable large shops in England and […]
Budget 2012: Local pay deals ‘could expose public sector to discrimination claims’
The public sector will need to tread carefully when negotiating local pay deals or risk opening itself up to discrimination claims, a law firm has warned. As expected, the Chancellor announced in his Budget speech today that he was looking to see whether he could “make public sector pay more responsive to local pay rates”. […]
Budget 2012: Income tax changes branded ‘Robin Hood lite’ at best
Although the Chancellor may have redrawn taxation boundaries, his Budget has done nothing to improve the outlook for growth and jobs, according to an influential HR body. Dubbed by the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, as a ‘Robin Hood Budget”, John Philpott, chief economic adviser at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development was sceptical, however. […]
Budget 2012: Pensioners are today’s “biggest losers”, claims industry body
Pensioners are the “biggest losers” in today’s Budget, an industry body has claimed. Although the National Association of Pension Funds welcomed the Chancellor’s proposals to introduce a single tier state benefit for future pensioners to replace the Basic and second State Pension, it warned that existing claimants stand to lose more than £2 billion in […]
Budget 2012: Five industries singled out for special treatment
The Chancellor picked out the aerospace, energy and pharmaceuticals, creative media and science industries as being crucial in helping the UK reduce its reliance on the financial services sector. George Osborne said in his Budget speech today that he would be “backing” the five industries as part of a “deliberate strategy to create a more […]
Blog: Eight tips to support staff through difficult organisational change
It's not the organisational change – its how you do it! I recently held a workshop which had a section around organisational change and particularly redundancy. It’s obviously a big subject at the minute, and one which is exercising many managers and HR professionals. What struck me about the difference within this workshop to […]
Blog: Three simple ways to spruce up for spring
March is a great time to get employees motivated about their wellness. The clocks change, days are getting longer, and many people find their mood lifts at this time of the year. To help you capitalise on this seasonal optimism, we've written some top tips to help staff make the most of Springtime and get […]
Talent Spot: Jo Webb, talent director at The Marketing Store
“It’s right I’ve ended up in HR. I’ve found my home,” says Jo Webb, talent director at brand consultancy, The Marketing Store. But it took her a lot of travelling and a few career false starts before she found it. Like so many graduates before her, Webb went travelling when she finished her studies. But […]