Legal Insight: How to avoid getting sued when making redundancies
Protect your company from redundancy lawsuits by documenting your rationale, selecting a fair pool of candidates, and applying objective selection criteria. Employment tribunals scrutinize redundancy dismissals closely, making proper procedures and transparent decision-making essential to avoid claims of unfairness or discrimination.
UK unemployment continues ‘steady crawl’ to 9% by year end
UK unemployment rose to 8.4% in December, the highest level in 17 years, with experts warning joblessness will continue climbing toward 9% by year’s end as the labor market experiences slow contraction rather than recovery.
Talent Spot: David Kast, head of HR at Hogg Robinson Group
David Kast spent 39 years at Hogg Robinson Group, starting as a branch employee in 1973 and eventually becoming head of HR. His career evolved from branch manager to training specialist, helping drive the company’s expansion through the 1980s and navigating major business transformation in the 1990s.
Blog: Why is coaching still an elitist sport?
Workplace coaching demonstrates significant benefits for employees and organizations, yet remains limited primarily to middle managers and senior staff. While smaller companies successfully integrate coaching across all levels, larger organizations often restrict it to higher-ranking positions due to cost and resource constraints.
Talking Point: Is the fit note fit-for-purpose?
The fit note, introduced in 2010, replaced the binary “fit or unfit” classification with a “may be fit for work” option to support phased returns. While 52% of employers find it useful for prompting health discussions, research shows it has yet to reduce absence levels significantly, suggesting the system requires ongoing culture change to reach its full potential.
Training budgets first to be cut due to unclear business value
Training budgets are frequently cut first during downturns because organizations struggle to measure training’s business value and return on investment. A survey found 79% of L&D managers agree that improving how training is evaluated could help protect budgets by demonstrating clear alignment with business goals.
HRD Insight: Enterprise-Rent-A-Car’s Donna Miller on graduate recruitment
Enterprise-Rent-A-Car prioritizes graduate recruitment and internal promotion to develop talent and foster company loyalty. Graduates begin in retail operations to understand core business values before advancing through various roles, creating clear career pathways and strong team camaraderie.
Blog: The necessity of developing management resilience
UK middle managers face excessive pressure, with nearly half reporting daily or weekly stress according to recent CIPD survey data. Developing management resilience is essential to prevent disengagement from filtering through organizations and impacting overall workforce motivation and performance.
UK unemployment is double official figures at 6.3m, reveals study
A UK study reveals true unemployment is 6.3 million—more than double official figures—when using US metrics that include underemployed and economically inactive workers. The analysis shows underemployment has reached historic highs at 1.9 million people, highlighting a jobs crisis extending beyond joblessness to inadequate employment.
Indirect age discrimination legit when making voluntary redundancies, rules EAT
The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that employers can use voluntary redundancy schemes that indirectly discriminate against certain age groups if the selection criteria are justified and proportionate. In HM Land Registry v Benson, the tribunal upheld the use of cost as a selection criterion, overturning the original decision.
Valentines Day: Two out of five employees look for love at work
Two out of five UK employees actively seek romance at work despite employers traditionally discouraging workplace relationships, according to a Jobsite.co.uk survey. While half of workers reported already dating colleagues, most employers lack clear policies on workplace relationships, with only 2% actively banning them.
Unions launch year-long ‘treat interns fairly’ campaign
The TUC and National Union of Students have launched a year-long campaign to stop the exploitation of unpaid interns, arguing that many employers breach minimum wage laws. The initiative aims to raise awareness of intern rights and tackle growing concerns that graduates are being used as free labor in competitive fields like journalism and media.
Redundancies expected to hit highest levels since spring 2009
Private sector redundancies are expected to hit their highest levels since spring 2009, with nearly a third of employers planning to cut headcount this quarter. The net employment balance has fallen to -8, reflecting worsening economic conditions and declining business confidence across the UK.
Blog: Does taking an inventory approach to human capital work?
An inventory management approach to human capital suggests organizational success depends disproportionately on specific employee types. Using McDonald’s as a case study, this method reveals that optimal performance peaks with a strategic mix of workers—not simply hiring more of one demographic—and requires different retention and recruitment strategies accordingly.
CEO Insight: LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner on the site’s recruitment ambitions
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner outlines the platform’s ambitious recruitment strategy, highlighting its 150 million members and plans to expand into a full talent management software platform. The company aims to become the dominant recruiting tool for enterprises by introducing products like Talent Pipeline, which helps recruiters manage active and passive candidates at scale.
Ask the Expert: What is the notice period for a perm gone freelance?
When a permanent employee transitions to freelance work with no break in service, their legal status depends on actual working conditions, not job labels. If they retain employee characteristics like mandatory work acceptance and personal performance requirements, they retain employee rights including the original notice period; if genuinely self-employed with flexibility and independence, previous notice terms don’t automatically apply.
Shaping future strategy: Workforce analytics
Workforce analytics helps organizations understand how their employees drive revenue and profit. By using accurate data to deploy the right talent in the right roles, companies can boost shareholder value and avoid costly mistakes from viewing headcount as expense alone.
National Apprenticeship Week: ‘Schemes cut hiring costs’
Four out of five employers with apprenticeship schemes say they reduce hiring costs and plan to expand their programs. A survey of 349 recruitment leaders found three quarters believe apprenticeships have kept costs down while making on-the-job training more valuable to their businesses.
Fee hikes for skilled migrant worker visas a “bitter blow”, says CBI
The CBI has criticized the government’s decision to dramatically increase visa fees for skilled migrant workers, with costs for employers jumping 20-60% from April. The fee hikes represent a “bitter blow” to UK businesses already frustrated by previous price increases without promised service improvements.
Unilever scientist jumps to death following redundancy
A senior Unilever food scientist died by suicide the day after his redundancy, an inquest heard. Dr Clive Blackburn, who developed drinks for brands including Slimfast and Lipton Tea, developed severe depression following notice of job loss and returned to the laboratory where he died from a fall from height.
