Racism claim upheld after pub manager calls black worker “Sooty”
An employment tribunal upheld racism claims against a pub manager who repeatedly called a black employee “Sooty” and made other derogatory comments. Greene King was found guilty of racial harassment and discrimination after the worker was suspended and later fired following his complaint.
Analysis: Oracle unveils plans for its Taleo acquisition
Oracle plans to integrate Taleo, a cloud-based talent management platform it acquired for $1.9 billion, with its Fusion human capital management software while continuing to offer both as standalone products. The integration aims to enhance recruitment, onboarding, and performance management capabilities within Oracle’s cloud offerings.
Blog: Diversity is good for business
Diversity drives business success by bringing untapped talent from unexpected sources. Companies that hire solely from elite institutions miss capable candidates from other schools, while those embracing broader recruitment—like Google’s shift in hiring practices—gain motivated employees less bound by rigid thinking patterns.
Anywhere Working Week: Helping employees switch off in an ‘always on’ world
The ‘always-on’ workplace culture leaves employees constantly connected to work, even during vacations. HR professionals must establish clear guidelines about acceptable communication practices and help managers and staff distinguish between urgent and non-urgent matters to promote better work-life balance.
Ask the Expert: Can we buy back chunks of carried-over annual leave?
A company can generally buy back carried-over annual leave in the following leave year, but only if employees haven’t developed a “reasonable expectation” that the leave will be carried forward based on past practice. If the unenforced policy has continued for several years, employees may have acquired contractual rights to the leave.
Legal Insight: Can UK staff be sued for stealing Twitter followers?
A US lawsuit over Twitter account ownership highlights important lessons for UK businesses about social media rights. In the UK, ownership depends on whether an account was created for business purposes and company policies; employees who set up accounts personally may retain control unless restrictive covenants exist. UK organizations should clarify ownership of social media accounts and implement clear policies to protect their digital assets.
New employers liable for prior unfair dismissal claims under TUPE
Under TUPE legislation, new employers are automatically liable for unfair dismissal claims arising from dismissals before a transfer, even if they were unknown at the time, the Court of Appeal has ruled. This makes businesses that dismiss staff pre-transfer less attractive to potential buyers and requires claims be brought within three months.
Change programmes: Asking the awkward questions
As organizations face economic pressures, change programmes often require cost-cutting and restructuring. HR directors must ask critical questions about staff impact, redundancies, and consultation to ensure changes are implemented effectively while managing the human and organizational consequences fairly across all levels.
Blog: Spotting hidden talent
Every organization has hidden talent that goes undiscovered until the right opportunity emerges. A strategic employee recognition program generates performance data across your workforce, helping you identify and develop rising stars before they’re lost to competitors.
CEO Insight: Salesforce’s Marc Benioff – ‘The HCM software old guard can’t keep up’
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff argues that SAP and Oracle’s acquisitions of SuccessFactors and Taleo won’t help them compete in HCM software, claiming the legacy vendors lack organic growth and can’t keep pace with cloud-based competitors like Salesforce.
Unpaid overtime saves employers £29.2bn each year
One in five UK workers regularly perform unpaid overtime, costing employers £29.2 billion annually. Research shows 5.3 million people work an average of 7.2 hours per week without pay, with older workers and long-serving employees most likely to do so.
Cloud becomes the default for SAP’s HR applications
SAP has made cloud-based Software-as-a-Service the default delivery method for its HR applications following the SuccessFactors acquisition. The company plans to transition talent management to maintenance mode by 2020 and stop selling on-premise HCM packages except in select geographies and heavily-regulated industries.
HR ‘out of touch’ with workforce realities, claims report
A survey of senior HR professionals reveals a significant gap between their perceived priorities and workplace realities. The report finds HR teams are failing to predict employee grievances, cutting engagement initiatives despite low morale, and misallocating resources—risking discrimination claims as legislation evolves.
Blog: Will your staff be called up during the Olympics?
Reservists will be mobilized for Olympic security, with most serving one to three months. Employers will receive 60 days’ notice and financial assistance up to £110 daily, while the Safeguard of Employment Act 1985 protects Reservists’ jobs.
Seven secrets to managing change effectively
Successful organizational change requires clear vision, visible leadership alignment, employee engagement, and honest communication. These seven principles help manage transitions smoothly and transform potential fear into positive organizational outcomes when properly implemented.
Analysis: Are women being hit hardest by public sector cuts?
Women in temporary public sector roles fell by 28.3% over two years due to cuts in social care, catering, and administrative positions. However, the CIPD argues women aren’t being hit harder overall in the UK jobs market, citing ONS data showing female employment actually rose slightly while male employment declined.
CEO Insight: SuccessFactors’ Lars Dalgaard on new owner, SAP
SuccessFactors CEO Lars Dalgaard discusses SAP’s acquisition of his company, explaining how the merger accelerates the firm’s growth trajectory and positions cloud-based human capital management at the center of enterprise software competition.
Leadership development is top L&D priority in bid to “sort wheat from chaff”
Leadership development has become the top L&D priority for employers in 2012, with 47% ranking it first or second priority compared to 35% the previous year. Organizations aim to identify and develop true leaders while using training to drive business growth, maintain engagement, and manage change.
Lincolnshire to see biggest ever transfer of police staff to private sector
Lincolnshire Police is outsourcing 540 civilian staff to G4S in the UK’s largest single transfer of police employees to the private sector. The £200 million, 10-year contract will handle back-office functions and include two newly built custody suites, potentially saving the force £20 million.
Whistleblower alleges former A4e staff are being made “scapegoats”
Four A4e workers arrested on suspicion of fraud are being made “scapegoats,” according to a whistleblower. The employment agency’s staff faced dawn raids last month, with the company claiming the alleged fraud dates back to 2010. A whistleblower suggests managers pressured workers to falsely claim job placements to earn bonuses and government fees.
