Official apprenticeship figures exaggerated, leaked document reveals
A leaked document from Vince Cable’s department has revealed that official apprenticeship figures have been exaggerated. Data released yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills appeared to indicate that 442,700 people started apprenticeships in the academic year 2010/11 compared with 279,700 the previous year. But an internal BIS document leaked to The Guardian admitted that […]
Top exec incomes leap 50% while staff struggle with earnings squeeze
Although renumeration for top executives at large public companies jumped 50% in the last year to £2.7 million, pay deals for the rest of the workforce languished at about half current inflation rates of 5.2%. A report by Incomes Data Services indicated that the huge leap in earnings for directors of FTSE 100 companies meant […]
Garden centre worker unfairly dismissed for anti-hunting beliefs
A Dorset man was unfairly dismissed from his job at a garden centre because of his anti-hunting beliefs, an employment tribunal has ruled. Joe Hashman was fired from Orchard Park in Gillingham after acting as a witness in two hunting prosecutions. He took his claim for unfair dismissal to a tribunal after a judge […]
Ask the Expert: Can I give a bad reference?
The question Does a referee need to discuss a potentially damaging reference with the employee concerned before it is sent to a new employer? What is the legal position on references generally in terms of what can and can’t be said? The legal verdict Martin Brewer, a partner at Mills & Reeve […]
A question of ethics: Candidate profile-building using social media
The internet has, and will continue to, change the way we do things. ‘Business web sites’ such as LinkedIn and other social media web sites such as Facebook and Twitter are increasingly being used to meet people and sustain friendships and business relationships online. More and more organisations are also using social media to […]
PAYE pooling proposals could cut costs – and lead to more tax probes
A proposal by HM Revenue & Customs to allow “connected” employers to pool employee PAYE returns may cut costs for some but could also create “bigger targets” for the taxman, an accountancy firm has warned. Many organisations such as corporate groups of companies, professional partnerships, charities and public bodies, are made up of a number of […]
News Analysis: Jobs market shows mixed picture
The state of the labour market appeared mixed this week, with the number of City and retail jobs plummeting amid predictions of increasing numbers of opportunities elsewhere. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a huge 30,000 jobs will have been lost in London’s Square Mile by the end of the year – […]
Blog: High-performance HR – it’s about technology AND social media
“I only have 90 connections, I know but I was only connected to LinkedIn about a year ago.” “Yes, I did look her up on LinkedIn and I thought: ‘how you could be the head of HR and only have 32 connections?’” These statements came from people I spoke with last week concerning the […]
Small businesses call for tax relief to help with sickness absence costs
The Federation of Small Businesses has called for the introduction of tax relief to help employers cope with the high cost and administrative burden of sickness absence. Ahead of the publication of findings from an independant review of the sickness absence system later this autumn, the FSB’s ‘Voice of Small Business’ survey revealed sickness absence […]
Tube drivers to start industrial action on Friday
Tube train drivers are to begin industrial action on Friday morning in a move likely to cause delays and disruption to the capital’s underground network. The action was agreed by a margin of four to one by members of the UK’s largest transport union, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, in a row with London […]
Legal Insight: The Bribery Act revisited
That the Bribery Act has claimed its first victim less than four months after coming into force serves as a timely reminder to employers to be aware of their responsibilities. Munir Patel, who worked at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court in east London, pleaded guilty to accepting £500 to ‘get rid’ of someone’s speeding charge, which amounted […]
The pros and cons of social recruitment
Employers are starting to recognise the benefits of using social media to source and engage talent. Facebook has opened up recruiters’ doors to just under 20% of the global population. LinkedIn is providing access to more than 125 million workers throughout the world and Google’s Google+ social networking site is gaining traction at a breath-taking […]
Cloud HCM market set for a big shake-up next year
“Marriages don’t last that long!” So said Dave Duffield, joint founder of HR Software-as-a-Service provider Workday and former PeopleSoft chief executive, of the time he’s worked with his co-CEO Aneel Bhusri this week. Duffield’s comment came on the opening day of the supplier’s ‘Rising’ user event in Las Vegas, a gathering that took place […]
Blog: 10 top tips to build an engaged workforce
An engaged employee is someone who will go that extra mile for your company. Companies with high employee engagement levels grow on average 4.5 times faster than those with low levels, according to a 2010 study by Hays. Engaged employees means lower staff turnover & higher productivity. However, engagement takes work – here are […]
Book Review: The why of work by Ulrich & Ulrich
The initial response many people will have to the Ulrichs’ book title will be to focus on the ‘why’ and ‘work’ words. They will then contrast them with the increasing pressure they probably feel at the moment to simply keep the show on the road, before reaching for the ‘Ten Minute Manager’ or some […]
Axing unfair dismissal rights “not beneficial” for employers or staff, warn experts
Radical proposals to allow employers to sack unproductive workers without explanation would “not be beneficial” to themselves, their staff or the economy, experts have warned. A leaked final draft report, commissioned by the Prime Minister and written by Adrian Beecroft, a venture capitalist and Conservative Party donor, suggests that UK workers should be banned from […]
Employers lose top talent due to neglect not pay, says study
Low trust levels in senior management, job dissatisfaction and excessive amounts of daily stress are the key reasons why employers lose top talent. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s quarterly Employee Outlook survey, staff are, unsurprisingly, much more likely to position themselves among the 22% currently looking for a new job if […]
Talent Spot: John Hardman, HR director at HSS Hire
The various jobs and responsibilities may have changed over the years, but for John Hardman, HR director at HSS Hire, one thing has remained constant. “Dealing with people is what I do, and what I love,” he says. His natural people skills were noticed early on by his first employer, NatWest. Hardman had started on […]
Melody Hossaini’s verdict on the Young Apprentice: Episode one
Melody Hossaini, a candidate in the last series of BBC TV’s The Apprentice, social entrepreneur and founder of InspirEngage International blogs about the first episode in the new season of Young Apprentice: Week 1 task: Make frozen treats and sell to the public for the highest profit We’re off! Twelve 16 and 17 year-olds battle it […]
Blog: What HR can learn from Hannibal the Great
In 216 BC Hannibal crossed the Alps in terrible conditions to attack Italy. His generals pleaded with him not to attempt it saying it would be impossible to cross the Alps with elephants. On hearing this Hannibal said “Aut viam inveniam aut faciam” or translated from Latin, I will either find a way, or make […]