From good to great: how to effect positive workplace change
Most people come to work with a set view of themselves and then proceed to work within those pre-defined boundaries. This behaviour is generally perfectly acceptable and there is even value in its consistency. The problem is, however, that it also betrays a certain mentality and state of being in which employees have ceased to […]
Three tips for managing risky employee behaviour
Risk is back on the agenda, not just from the perspective of how organisations operate, but also in terms of how individual employees behave. High profile events at News International and at Swiss banking giant UBS, following the arrest of suspected rogue trader Kweku Adoboli amid accusations of perpetrating a £1.5 billion banking fraud, are […]
Temporary workers still registering in recruitment plans
One in five employers plan to increase their use of temporary staff between now and the end of the year despite the impending introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations, according to a new report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. The Confederation said a survey of 600 firms also showed that just under two thirds planned […]
Whitehall needs skills revamp or reform will fail, warns report
Whitehall must build up its specialist expertise in outsourcing, contract management and procurement or the coalition Government's hopes of ambitious civil service reform will founder, according to MPs. The recommendation is contained in a new Commons Public Administration Select Committee report entitled 'Change in Government: the agenda for leadership', which accuses the Government of lacking both […]
HP axes second leader in a year
Hewlett-Packard was subject to more top-level upheaval today after announcing that the former head of eBay was to replace incumbent Leo Apotheker as president and chief executive, less than a year after he took the job. The high tech giant has appointed Meg Whitman, who has been a member of its board since January, as […]
Blog: The social recruiting slugfest – who will win?
Everywhere I turn recently I keep hearing that Facebook is the place to recruit. It’s bigger than LinkedIn, has more daily visitors, people stay on it’s pages longer, blah blah blah. But does it have more hires than Linkedin? Even more importantly can it source more great candidates than LinkedIn? Who has more future potential to […]
Case Study: LV= focuses on feedback to become destination employer
LV= has introduced a survey process for new joiners and leavers with the aim of gathering staff feedback as part of its bid to become a destination employer. The organisation, which sells mutual insurance, retirement and investment schemes, is investing heavily in trying to increase the engagement and retention of its 4,500 staff. David […]
Ask the Expert: Are staff due a holiday after sickness and maternity leave?
Question I’m looking for some guidance on accrual of holidays when an employee has been on long-term sick leave, then returns to go on maternity leave. Is she entitled to accrue almost two years’ holiday? Legal Advice Esther Smith, a partner at Thomas Eggar The short answer to this question is […]
Alternative pension proposals could undermine public sector strike case
A local authority lobby group has come up with plans that it claims could save the Government £900 million a year in public sector pensions without immediately increasing employee contributions. According to the BBC, Local Government Employers, which represents the interests of England and Wales’ 375 local Councils, has written to the Communities’ Secretary Eric […]
Legal Insight: Tackling gender pay gap reporting
The recent settlement of the long running saga of Gibson and Others v Sheffield City Council, otherwise known as the ‘dinner ladies’ case, highlights the limitations of the UK’s equal pay legislation. After 40 years of being in force, we are still seeing test cases, where legal issues relating to whether workers are entitled to […]
Blog: Restrictive covenants – fair and enforceable or a waste of time?
Restrictive covenants are a big deal in the City, but are they worth the paper they are written on? Over the summer the High Court was kept busy by a case involving a bunch of investment advisors. Employees at a firm called Edward Jones declined to stay at the business when the firm was taken […]
Top UK employers publish guide to improve workplace mental health
Some of the UK’s largest employers have contributed to a report making a series of recommendations on how to ensure that workplaces are mental health-friendly. Some 16 companies, including Barclays, Deloitte, Marks & Spencer and utilities provider Veolia, got together at a business summit hosted by mental health charity Mind and insurance company AXA earlier […]
How to avert a ‘micro maternity’ trend
Current employment legislation enables women to take up to year off after they have had a baby. But a recent Daily Mail report suggested that there was a growing number of women taking so-called ‘micro maternity’ leave and returning to the office just a few months after the child was born. The trend is apparently […]
Investors demand FTSE 350 go public on female board diversity
HR directors could be getting a knock on the door following letters sent to FTSE 350 chairmen by institutional investors demanding that they disclose their plans for employing more women directors. According to the Telegraph, the seven investment firms, which include Jupiter Asset Management, Insight Investment Management and Co-operative Asset Management, are “keen to understand” […]
Fewer organisations coach, but advocates use it more, says study
Although fewer organisations may be undertaking coaching activity, those that are, are doing more of it, according to a study. The survey among 332 HR professionals undertaken by the Chartered Insitute of Personnel and Development revealed that some 77% were currently using coaching techniques, down from 90% in 2009 when the body last carried out a […]
Blog: Company success entirely depends on your culture
Recognise This! – Company culture is ignored to the peril of the organisation as a whole. Yesterday I wrote about my passion for employee recognition in the workplace. Another topic I’m passionate about is company culture. Too many leaders think company culture is something that “just happens” and is beyond their control. Or perhaps a […]
Sheffield Council settles equal pay claim out-of-court
Just as an equal pay claim made by hundreds of women at Sheffield Council has been settled out of court, Birmingham Council employees have started a one-day strike over new employment contracts. Some 900 female Sheffield City Council staff, who include dinner ladies and care workers, were due to have their case heard at the […]
BT pays this year’s biggest sexual harrassment award to telesales worker
A BT telesales worker who was sexually harassed by a “dangerous” boss has been granted the highest employment tribunal award of the last 12 months at £290,000. Up to 10 women have already sued the telecoms provider for sexual harassment allegedly suffered at the hands of different men while working for its ‘Customer Street’ telesales […]
US White House launches Fellowship scheme to woo top IT talent
The White House is trying to tempt top computer science post-grads away from high-paid jobs in the private sector by creating the special new job role of Technology Fellow. The aim of creating the fresh category of positions that are due to last for two years is to increase the US government's pool of “qualified […]
Case Study: Speedy Services has ‘Big Ideas’ for boosting staff engagement
A ‘Big Ideas’ initiative combined with a complementary scheme to reward innovation has resulted in staff engagement and productivity leaping at Speedy Services. The Merseyside-based company, which provides equipment and support services to the construction, manufacturing, industrial, rail and other related industries, introduced its ‘Big Ideas’ programme towards the end of 2008. The move […]