Blog: Social media for HR – fear, authenticity and learning together
Increasingly I’m being asked about how to implement and manage a more social way of communicating. Sometimes within organisations, sometimes with customers, and when really lucky – sometimes with all stakeholders. I recently gave a talk for the CIPD on Social Media for HR, covering subjects like fear, authenticity, support and learning together. I’ve […]
Workplace alcohol policies should be mandated, says charity
All UK publicly-listed companies should be obliged to assess and manage the risks posed by employees’ drinking behaviour and to introduce specific alcohol-related policies to deal with it, a charity has said. Alcohol Concern has written to Vince Cable, secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, requesting that a greater focus be given to […]
‘Overworked’ HR manager sues for £800,000 in compensation
An HR manager, who claims that her former employer overworked her to such an extent that she became ill, has sued the company for £800,000 in compensation. According to the Metro newspaper, Joanna MacLennan told the High Court that she worked “impossible hours”, which included 12-hour days, while undertaking recruitment activity for insurance firm, Hartford […]
London 2012: Planning for travel disruption
London is less than six months away from hosting the biggest sporting event in the world. During the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the country expects to play host to 90,000 athletes, media representatives and officials, along with hundreds of thousands of spectators who will attend venues across the capital from 27 July to 14 […]
Learning Technologies 2012: Thoughts of the future
There was a definite buzz at this year’s Learning Technologies 2012 exhibition and conference at Kensington Olympia on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Keynote speakers Edward de Bono, Ray Kurzweil and Jaron Lanier brought a philosophical bent to the proceedings as if they had been selected purposely to emphasise the post-technological age in which we […]
Blog: The link between culture, brand and PR
WASP males don’t tend to get too many invitations to be involved in the promotion of diversity management; which is a shame really. I’m a firm believer in the notion that the promotion of diversity should embrace the full range of stakeholders and should truly practice inclusiveness in the way stakeholders are engaged with the […]
Workers more ‘stressed and insecure’ than in Queen’s coronation year
In the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it appears that, despite higher levels of personal prosperity, workers are more stressed and more insecure than they were 60 years ago. According to a special Work Audit report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to explore how the world of work in the […]
Book Review: Assessment centres and global talent management by Nigel Povah and George Thornton
Although an important book, it was the most difficult I have ever had to read for review. It took the format of a collection of articles and papers by some 45 contributors, most of whom are psychologists and who drew from their wide experience of working in assessment centres across five continents. But this […]
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Derek Irvine
Derek Irvine, one of HRzone’s most prolific and respected bloggers, started his career as a marketing and brand man in his home town of Dublin. Currently vice president of strategy and consulting services at rewards and recognition software and services provider, Globoforce, he is still based in Ireland, but spends a good chunk of his […]
Apprenticeships must provide more value for money, warns NAO
While adult apprenticeships provide a good return on public investment overall, value for money could be significantly improved by upping standards in line with other European countries, the government spending watchdog has advised. The report by the National Audit Office, released only days before the start of National Apprenticeship Week next week, revealed that, while […]
CIPD aims to find new CEO by November
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is looking for a new permanent chief executive by November to replace current incumbent Jackie Orme, who is ill. Orme, who is on long-term sick leave as she undergoes treatment for cancer, has asked to step aside from her duties. When her health allows and she returns to […]
Trades require more – not less – recognition, says Wolf report contributor
As the government announced today that it would axe vocational subjects ranging from nail technology to horse care from school league tables, one of the contributors to the Wolf report called for greater recognition of traditional trades. More than 3,100 vocational qualifications, which also include fish husbandry and travel and tourism and are currently regarded […]
Tax workers strike over privatisation fears
In something of a reprieve for those workers struggling to file their income tax self assessments online, HM Revenue & Customs offices were closed today due to strikes over fears that its call centres are in the process of being privatised. The Public and Commercial Services Union dislikes plans to trial the use of private […]
Pension reforms will increase public/private sector gap, warns IFS
A think tank has added to comments made by an independent pension analyst last month that the coalition government’s rationale for changing public sector pensions may have a questionable basis. The Institute for Fiscal Studies is scheduled to release a study as part of its annual ‘Green Budget’ tomorrow, in which it claims that proposed […]
Blog: Employee stress equals financial risk
Recognise This! –If employee retention is important enough to list as a substantial risk factor to meeting financial expectations, then it should be important enough to find ways to reduce employee stress. I just read an interesting story in Forbes, which noted that a common phrase included in the risk factors on 10-Q forms for […]
Uncovering the real agenda behind HMRC’s Real Time Information scheme
HM Revenue & Custom’s introduction of a requirement to support Real Time Information within the PAYE system from October 2013 is likely to have a negative impact on businesses across the UK, Straughans tax director Mike Fleming told our sister site, www.AccountingWeb.co.uk. The government department is presenting the PAYE overhaul as a positive move, implemented for […]
Short on rewards – an HR skills crisis
It would be hard to miss the steady growth in demand for reward professionals. Interest in their skills began with a handful of FTSE 100 businesses back in the 1990s, but the job title of ‘compensation and benefits director’ was a rarity at that time. Today, however, there are a lot more reward roles […]
Woolworths union takes advice over collective redundancy laws
Shop workers’ union Usdaw is taking legal advice on whether to challenge the UK’s implementation of EU collective redundancy legislation after thousands of former Woolworths staff were denied compensation because they worked in stores where less than 20 people lost their jobs. The move came following an employment tribunal ruling that Deloitte, which acted as […]
Legal Insight: Is it discriminatory to sack a depressed tweeter?
A story that hit the headlines last week about a tweeter who was apparently sacked for depression has opened up the important issue of disability discrimination for renewed scrutiny. @badlydrawnroy claimed that he opened up to his employer about his personal situation but was dismissed three hours later. The story circulated quickly on Twitter, where […]
Blog: How to embed a learning culture
I guess many companies have survived over many years without what we’ve started to call a Learning Culture, but without doubt it’s going to be a major help. When Kaplan & Norton first published their balanced score card method in the mid 1990’s it was interesting to note their attention to learning: Customer goals, Finance […]
