Employers getting more relaxed about staff social media usage
Fewer large organizations are blocking employee access to social media, with less than 30% planning restrictions by 2014 compared to 50% in 2010. As corporate attitudes relax, companies must address how social media impacts identity and access management systems.
Cable reveals coalition horse-trading over scrapping 50p tax rate
Business Secretary Vince Cable confirms coalition negotiations are underway to replace the 50p income tax rate with a mansion tax on expensive homes. The Liberal Democrats support replacing the levy with wealth taxation rather than scrapping it outright, though Conservatives debate the proposal’s fairness.
HR too focused on cost when devising policy goals, warns report
HR departments are prioritizing cost reduction over external social and political factors when setting policy goals, according to a survey of European corporate HR leaders. The study found that while learning and development ranked highest as an immediate priority, emerging issues like inequality and ethical standards received limited attention despite their potential business impact.
Remploy factory closures risk jobs of 1,500 disabled workers
Remploy plans to close 36 of its 54 factories due to government funding cuts, risking compulsory redundancies for over 1,500 disabled workers. The employment service, established 66 years ago, will consult with unions about the closures by year-end.
Blog: Creating a company culture post-M&A
Merging company cultures is as critical as merging finances in a successful acquisition. Post-M&A, employees experience immediate anxiety about cultural changes, making it essential to involve staff across both organizations in creating shared values and strategic objectives through transparent communication.
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Ron Thomas
Ron Thomas, principal at New York HR consultancy StrategyFocusedHR, is an influential HR blogger and strategist who credits his success to strategic planning. Named HR Person of the Year by the HR Network of New York City in 2008, Thomas emphasizes that effective HR strategy and placing the right people in the right roles are essential to company success.
Video Interview: Sharron Davies on what it takes to be a winner
Olympic silver medalist Sharron Davies discusses the qualities required to be a winner, her path to sporting success, effective leadership, and the impact of the Olympics on London.
Book Review: Happy Working Relationships by Simon Jones
Simon Jones’s “Happy Working Relationships” offers small business managers a practical, jargon-free guide to HR essentials, covering recruitment, employment law, and staff management. Using a relationship metaphor, the book distills complex HR topics into digestible advice for non-specialists, making employment management accessible and reassuring.
OTS pushes for simplification of employee share schemes
The Office of Tax Simplification recommends merging the Enterprise Management Incentive and Company Share Option Plan into a single employee share scheme to reduce complexity and legislation. The proposal also calls for removing approval processes in favor of a self-certification system, potentially encouraging wider uptake among UK employers.
Somerset Council pulls HR out of Southwest One shared service
Somerset Council is bringing HR and other services back in-house after determining that troubled shared service SouthWest One was underperforming and unlikely to achieve savings targets. The move will affect 160 staff and marks another setback for the joint venture, which recently reported a £31.5m operational loss.
CEO Insight: Briggs Equipment’s Richard Close on staff engagement
Richard Close, CEO of Briggs Equipment, reveals how prioritizing staff engagement transformed the company from a £5 million loss to a £3 million profit over six years. He outlines key strategies including training, approachable management, and autonomous decision-making to boost employee satisfaction and business performance.
Scheme unveiled to cut unemployment among ex-prisoners
The government has launched a new scheme requiring ex-prisoners to join the Work Programme immediately upon release or face benefit cuts. The initiative aims to provide 30,000 former offenders annually with employment support and reduce reoffending rates.
Blog: Appraisals – The menace of ‘soft marker’ managers
Managers who give inflated performance ratings—known as “soft markers”—undermine appraisal effectiveness and create organisational inconsistency. Clear performance standards, objective rating criteria, and manager training are essential to ensure honest assessments that accurately reflect employee performance and drive meaningful business outcomes.
HSBC guarantees parents part-time working options
HSBC becomes the first UK corporate to guarantee all returning parents a part-time working option of at least two and a half days per week at pro rata salary. The move comes as Working Families charity warns that proposed Working Tax Credit changes could push working parents into poverty.
EU proposals for female board quotas a “mistake”
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has proposed mandatory female board quotas across Europe, which UK boardroom diversity champion Lord Davies calls a “mistake.” Davies argues self-regulation remains the better approach, though progress on female executive director appointments has stalled.
Workers making official Olympics sportswear are abused, claims charity
A charity investigation reveals that workers in Bangladeshi factories making official Olympics sportswear for Adidas, Nike, and Puma face exploitation including wages as low as 9p per hour, excessive working hours, and physical and verbal abuse from managers.
Blog: Does HR have the right skills to be in the boardroom?
A pan-European study reveals 70% of organizations are transforming their HR functions as the role becomes increasingly strategic. However, HR directors lack essential boardroom skills including business acumen, project management, and technology deployment, despite 62% now reporting directly to the CEO.
Addressing shared HR service challenges
Public sector organizations often overestimate the challenges of implementing shared HR services while underestimating the benefits. A recent survey found that while two-thirds feared negative job security impacts, over half of organizations already using shared services reported positive effects on employment and career development.
Ask the Expert: Can an employee legally refuse an order to move desks?
Employees can generally be ordered to move desks as part of reasonable management decisions, but employers must consider the context and employee concerns. A desk move intended to cause distress could breach trust and confidence or constitute discrimination; the employee should discuss concerns with their new manager to find a suitable solution.
Unions reject MoD assurances about outsourced HR staff
UK unions reject Ministry of Defence assurances that outsourcing HR and shared services to Serco will protect employee terms and conditions, warning the private contractor’s cost-cutting model will lead to pay and job cuts despite ministerial promises.
