Talent Spot: John Ainley, group HR director at Aviva
John Ainley, group HR director at Aviva, believes authenticity is crucial for HR leaders. With a career spanning employment law, retail, and insurance, Ainley champions people-focused decision-making and strong employer branding at the UK’s largest insurance provider.
Blog: Does HR belong in finance?
HR departments increasingly report to CFOs at midsize firms, raising questions about HR’s strategic independence. For HR to claim a place on the executive team, it must demonstrate strategic value beyond administrative functions, with collaboration between finance and talent leadership essential for organizational success.
News Analysis: Two thirds of workers suffering high stress levels
A survey of 1,500 workers worldwide shows two-thirds suffer high stress levels, causing significant productivity losses and absenteeism. Workload, interpersonal conflicts, and work-life balance are the leading causes, with over half missing one to two days of work annually due to stress.
Book Review: Corporate confidential by Cynthia Shapiro
Cynthia Shapiro’s “Corporate Confidential” exposes unethical corporate tactics and HR manipulation, but the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of workplace culture may discourage rather than empower readers seeking career advice.
Melody Hossaini’s verdict on the Young Apprentice: Episode two
Melody Hossaini reviews Young Apprentice episode two, where teams design baby products and pitch to retailers. The girls’ “Comfy Curve” sling outsells the boys’ “Harris the Hippo” bottle warmer, with project managers’ glory-hunting undermining team performance.
IT recruitment slows drastically after nine quarters of growth
IT recruitment growth has slowed dramatically to just 1% after nine consecutive quarters of expansion, with outsourcing driving increased demand for contractors. Public sector IT jobs have declined 40% year-on-year, while London and southern England remain the strongest job markets.
Video Interview: HR, execution and the cloud
SuccessFactors president Doug Dennerline discusses bridging the gap between cloud strategy and execution, and shares his predictions for cloud computing’s direction in 2012.
Blog: Rewards and recognition – tips for motivating staff on a small budget
Motivate your staff without overspending using these budget-friendly strategies: offer advancement opportunities, provide written recognition, award certificates, grant extra paid time off, and invite top performers to lunch with management. These non-financial rewards boost employee morale and retention while keeping costs minimal.
Mediation: Part Three – How to prepare participants effectively
Preparing for workplace mediation requires clarity about the process and principles involved. HR professionals can support participants by providing written information about mediation procedures, explaining the confidentiality and impartiality principles mediators follow, and facilitating pre-session conversations to address concerns and build confidence in the process.
UK lags behind rest of OECD in management skills
The UK lags behind other OECD countries in management and leadership skills despite decades of government commitments. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development urges policymakers to help employers develop management capability rather than focusing on dismissing underperforming workers, warning that fragmented policies have failed to address the root cause of workplace underperformance.
Give employers tax breaks to cut youth unemployment, says CBI
The Confederation of British Industry calls for tax breaks to encourage employers to hire unemployed young people, proposing a “Young Britain Credit” worth £1,500 in National Insurance contributions for businesses hiring 16-24 year-olds during their first year of employment.
New global jobs recession could spark social unrest, warns ILO
The International Labour Organization warns that a global jobs recession threatens to trigger social unrest, with advanced economies needing five years to recover employment levels. The agency estimates 80 million new jobs are needed within two years, but current trends suggest only half will materialize.
Blog: A Beecroft in a bonnet – is the leaked report really such a big deal?
A leaked Government report proposes allowing employers to dismiss underperforming employees without explanation. While fair dismissal for poor performance is justified, dismissing workers without explaining why is unnecessarily harsh and impractical.
How to guard against corporate social media discrimination
Employers using social media to research job candidates face legal risks of discrimination based on protected information like age, race, religion, pregnancy, and disability. HR departments must carefully limit what personal data they gather during recruitment to avoid costly legal liability.
NHS staff expose confidential patient data 5 times per week
NHS staff breached patient confidentiality 802 times in one year, with incidents including posting on Facebook, discussing illnesses publicly, and losing medical files. A Freedom of Information request revealed nearly half of surveyed hospitals and trusts experienced at least one privacy breach, though only 102 staff were dismissed.
Too many firms employing Mr and Ms ‘Unknown’, warns HMRC
HMRC has flagged a growing problem with inaccurate payroll records, revealing over 800 employers submitted returns listing employees named “Unknown” in 2009/10. Errors in employee names, dates of birth, and national insurance numbers can result in incorrect tax deductions for workers, with 80% of payroll data mistakes involving straightforward information that employers should easily verify.
Official apprenticeship figures exaggerated, leaked document reveals
A leaked government document reveals that official UK apprenticeship figures were inflated by counting existing workplace trainees as new starts. The 2010/11 figures showed a dramatic increase, but analysis shows most growth came from lower-skilled placements and older workers rather than young people as intended.
Top exec incomes leap 50% while staff struggle with earnings squeeze
Executive pay at FTSE 100 companies surged 50% to £2.7 million, while average workers received pay rises of just 2.6%—half the inflation rate. The disparity has prompted calls for greater shareholder scrutiny and worker representation on pay committees.
Garden centre worker unfairly dismissed for anti-hunting beliefs
A Dorset garden centre worker was unfairly dismissed for his anti-hunting beliefs, an employment tribunal has ruled. Joe Hashman was fired after serving as a witness in hunting prosecutions and writing about them on his blog, with the tribunal finding his animal welfare views legally protected as philosophical beliefs.
Ask the Expert: Can I give a bad reference?
There is no legal obligation to discuss a potentially damaging reference with an employee before sending it, but employers must ensure references are honest, accurate, fair and not misleading. References cannot be discriminatory, retaliatory, or contain false information that disparages an employee’s reputation.
