“Millions” of public servants to strike in November, warns union
Leaders of the civil servants’ union have agreed to hold a second strike over public sector pensions in November as the TUC warned that it was “prepared and ready” to coordinate national industrial action if government talks failed. Officials said that as many as 10 unions could support the proposed walk-out which, according to Mark […]
Microsoft loses second top US manager amid fresh UK revelations
Microsoft has lost its second high profile US director in as many weeks amid fresh revelations of inappropriate executive behaviour during its UK High Court battle over sexual harassment claims. According to the Daily Telegraph, Linda Zecher, a board member and vice president of the software giant’s worldwide public sector business, shocked colleagues when she […]
Three UK firms win global awards for older worker practices
Three UK companies have won global acclaim for innovative HR and workforce practices that support older employees of 50 plus years. Centrica, Marks & Spencer and The Coop Group were among 15 organisations around the world that were recognised in the 2011 ‘Best Employers for Workers over 50’ awards. The event is sponsored by […]
Employers urged to provide more guidance on acceptable social media usage
Experts are warning that organisations should offer more guidance to staff about social networking policies after a study found that the web sites can pose major risks to both corporate and personal security. One in six UK employees think that social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn threaten corporate security, while a further three […]
Blog: Gamification – silly name, but it could help engagement and innovation
At the end of the 80’s, Action Man was ‘Toy of the Decade’. Before the age of video games millions of kids used Action Man in real games, and the fantasy they created was as vivid and involving as pressing buttons on a Play Station. Our very own Kevin Thomson managed the ‘Action Man’ brand […]
How to select an HR SaaS provider
The impact of the changing economic environment on the HR function has been significant and led to many legislative and regulatory changes. But it has also resulted in a shift in staff expectations and the employee/employer relationship, all of which have necessitated a review of HR business processes. Such a revamp means that it may […]
CEO Insight: Company Shortcuts’ Lara Morgan on the importance of recruiting the right people
I only made it where I am today because of the people I surrounded myself with. I have not always known what exactly I wanted to achieve, but I have known that I did not have all the right skills and expertise, says Lara Morgan, entrepreneur and co-founder of Company Shortcuts, a firm that provides […]
Employers could pay millions in extra VAT recruitment charges for temp staff
Housing associations, charities and financial services companies that rely on temporary staff could pay millions of pounds more in VAT charges to recruitment agencies, after HMRC said it would disregard a tribunal ruling on how much VAT should be applied to the supply of temporary workers. In March, the First-Tier tribunal hearing involving Reed Employment […]
E-rostering helps Leeds NHS Trust manage workforce more efficiently
It’s hard to imagine an organisation with 13,000 staff across six main sites, delivering critical services to over one million patients per year, being totally reliant on paper-based systems. And yet this was the case with Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust until just recently. “Despite being one of the biggest Trusts in the UK, our […]
Blog: Should HR take responsibility for the phone hacking scandal?
The British tabloid News of the World generated headlines recently after its reporters were found to have routinely hacked into the cell phones of celebrities and murder victims. News Corporation, which owned the newspaper, shut it down after other news organizations found a pattern of wrong-doing among journalists and an out-of-control, anything-goes corporate culture. But […]
Talent Spot: Guy Pink, HR director of Addaction
Knowing your company helps saves lives is a pretty good motivator for getting up and going to work each day. Guy Pink, HR director of drug and alcohol treatment charity, Addaction, may not be on the front line providing counselling or advice, but he plays a vital supporting role, ensuring that the charity creates […]
Blog: The internal superinjunction
There has been a lot of talk on the interweb lately about super injunctions, and a certain footballers apparent ability to score more often off the pitch than on it. We talk of these injunctions as if they are new phenomenon, or reserved for the super rich and wealthy when actually, for most employees and […]
Update: Fujitsu contractors to strike over “insultingly low” pay offer
More than 1,000 contract Fujitsu staff working for five central government departments and agencies will strike in 11 days time over what they have branded an “insultingly low” pay offer. The joint action between members of the Public and Commercial Services and Unite unions will take place on Monday 19 September and affect IT outsourcing […]
Colt saves £300,000 on recruitment costs by consolidating systems
Colt Technology Services has saved £300,000 on recruitment costs alone this year by replacing a hotchpotch of recruitment systems with a single Software-as-a-Service-based offering. Telecoms and IT services specialist Colt operates in 13 countries and is expanding rapidly. Because it is currently hiring about 600 new staff a year, the company was keen to apply […]
Virgin Media provides customer service-style Employee Services
Virgin Media has taken a leaf out of customer services’ book by centralising its HR, payroll and benefits units into a single Employee Services division in a bid to provide staff with a more consistent experience. The telecoms supplier brought the three previously separate teams together so that they could pool resources and share expertise […]
Almost half of student internships are still unpaid
Almost half of student internships are unpaid, a survey by Graduate Prospects has revealed. A survey published in the organisation’s annual report entitled ‘Real Prospects: Higher Education’ explored whether 22,000 graduates had gained work experience while studying for their undergraduate degree. More than 70% said they had done so, often by taking on casual paid […]
Outsourcing and shared services will get bobbies back on beat, claims report
A programme of shared services and outsourcing could help the British Police save millions of pounds by moving officers out of back offices and into frontline roles, according to a provocative report. The Home Office should provide incentives for police forces to move to outsourcing, according to the study by the Policy Exchange entitled ‘The […]
Blog: HR must not let uninspiring company cultures set in
Some news that shocked me last week was that which described how over 300,000 children live in homes where no-one had any experience of work. It seems strange to think that so many children could be living in an environment where work is so alien. When this type of culture becomes established it can be […]
Does performance-related pay provide value for money?
While the average new hire’s salary is 3% down on 18 months ago, pay packages for FTSE 350 bosses have soared 700% since 2002 – despite company share prices spectacularly failing to correspond. A report by The High Pay Commission revealed that most of the jump in directors’ renumeration came in the form of annual […]
Simple steps to help women reach the top
Gender equality remains a problem at the top of UK business. While there is a general consensus that Lord Davies’ call for more of it at board level is a good thing to aim at, many people believe the road to that particular promised land will be much longer and far more arduous than first […]
