Update: PM dismisses national day of action as “damp squib”
The Prime Minister dismissed the biggest national walk-out since the 1970s as a “damp squib”, even though the majority of schools across the UK were shut, services were disrupted and demonstrations took place across the country. His statement at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday came only hours before Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, appearing on […]
HRD Insight: Dan Grant on Dell’s ‘Connected Workplace’ scheme
As job roles become increasingly global and Generation Y progressively enters the workforce, Dell’s aim in introducing its ‘Connected Workplace’ initiative was to continue being able to attract and retain staff. The initiative, which was initially piloted in the UK from November 2009 into early 2010, was rolled out across Europe, the Middle East and […]
Blog: Are your hiring managers trained in how to interview?
When you interview people for a job you are asked to make a judgment call on whether the people you interview are good enough and suitable for your company. But what makes you think you are good enough to do the interview and represent your company? Are you suitably trained to conduct a proper interview […]
Appeal Court ruling on equal pay claims could open floodgates
A landmark Court of Appeal decision could now pave the way for a raft of equal pay claims by both private and public sector workers seeking to pursue compensation. Three appeal judges ruled yesterday that claims made by 174 former female employees of Birmingham City Council could be heard in the High Court as well […]
Talent Spot: Ann Pickering, HR director at O2
Ann Pickering, HR director at mobile phone operator, O2, is very clear about her role. “I am a business person first and an HR person second,” she says. It’s a message that she makes sure her almost 100-strong UK HR team understands. Commercial acumen is a vital ingredient to being a top-level HR professional, she […]
What role does HR play in social media usage?
Sift Media’s analyst and research arm, K2 Advisory, has unveiled a significant new survey in order to understand the role that HR plays in shaping the use of social networking tools in today’s workplace. The world of work is changing at a very rapid pace and many of the drivers of this change are technology-based: […]
Staff engagement: Systems versus the human factor
It is only natural that HR professionals are interested in better ways of managing the workforce. As a result, scarcely a week goes by without an advertisement or article on the topic of retention, engagement, motivation and/or talent management appearing somewhere. Systems are recommended to HR departments to help them understand, measure and generate […]
Round-up of Chancellor’s key Autumn Statement pronouncements
Public sector pay rises are to be capped at 1% for two years, the Chancellor announced today in his Autumn Statement. The cap will follow straight on from a two-year-long pay freeze for public sector workers and is only likely to inflame anger over the Coalition Government’s proposed changes to pensions. Among other things, the […]
Social media to revolutionise HR, says study
The introduction of social technologies to the world of business can revolutionise HR, customer service and product development activities by transforming the way that people communicate and collaborate, a study has found. HR departments can enjoy a significant return on investment by both reducing the amount of time that employees need to spend travelling and […]
Blog: A key engagement question: Would you recommend a friend to work here?
One of the most important questions when it comes to employee engagement is, “Would you recommend a friend to work here?” One of my Gen Y mentee’s called me last week. The problem was I was in Boston on business and she knew that. So when she called I knew there was a problem. […]
The value of employee pension education
Auto-enrolment begins next October, with the aim of increasing the retirement income of a large proportion of the 14 million UK employees who do not currently save in a workplace pension scheme. An estimated nine million people will join the Government-sponsored National Employment Savings Trust, but millions more could opt straight out of the system […]
Autumn Statement 2011: Live expert reaction
Chancellor George Osborne will unveil his 2011 Autumn Statement in the House of Commons at 12.30pm on Wednesday, 29 November. Our sister site BusinessZone.co.uk will be providing live and interactive coverage, including instant reaction from experts. Join in below. The experts:Doug Richard, founder, School for Startups and former Dragons’ Den judgeCharlie Mullins, founder, Pimlico PlumbersPaul Webb, […]
Legal Insight: Limiting the cost of a national walk-out
The country is bracing itself for the biggest walk-out since the 1926 General Strike. This Wednesday, up to three million public sector workers are expected to take industrial action against changes to their pension scheme. A wide variety of institutions will be directly affected, including schools and colleges, courts and public offices, hospitals, airports […]
Local government mobile working projects set to triple
The number of large-scale mobile working projects being implemented by local authorities is set to triple over the next three years. While some 17% of such initiatives involved more than 100 users this year, the figure was expected to jump to 56% by 2014. Four out of five of the 160 local authorities and housing associations questioned in a survey of […]
Clegg to fund youth wage subsidy by taxing rich
A new £1bn wage subsidiary scheme for employers hiring jobless youths is likely to be funded by taxing "people with the broadest shoulders", Nick Clegg said today. The Deputy Prime Minister announced that, from April next year, the £1 billion Youth Contract scheme will provide a subsidy worth £2,275 to any business owner taking on an […]
Blog: A two-minute guide to employer branding
So, you’re an employer. You have a Staff Handbook and have made sure that you are complying with basic employment law. You think that you’re an OK employer, and provide an OK place to work. But is OK enough? Why not be a great employer? If you’ve got the basics in place, don’t stop there […]
Christian worker sues after alleged bullying by Muslim colleagues
A Christian airport worker is suing her former employers for unfair dismissal after speaking out against what she claimed was a campaign of “race hate” by Muslim colleagues. According to the Telegraph, Nohad Halawi, who worked at Terminal three in Heathrow Airport, attested that she and other Christian colleagues were subjected to bullying and intimidation […]
Update: Auto-enrolment delayed for small businesses
Small businesses are to be given an extra year before they have to start enrolling their employees into workplace pension schemes. The move will apply to firms employing less than 50 staff and is being portrayed as a boost for business. More than 44% of the entire UK workforce – the equivalent of about four […]
Are we ready for an older workforce?
Up until the middle of the last century, when a worker retired, the expectation was that they would not live for long afterwards. Sadly, this situation is still true in a minority of cases, although most have much longer to enjoy their retirement than in the past. In 2011, people born in 1946 will […]
Ask the Expert: Do internal applicants have any comeback if someone external gets the job?
The question I have recently had a situation at work where an opportunity for promotion arose internally. Three internal candidates applied, but before their interviews took place, rumours began to circulate about the existence of an external candidate. All three candidates were interviewed and subsequently rejected and the external candidate was offered the job. […]