Stability, stimulus and solidarity key to employment and growth, says Cable
Business Secretary Vince Cable argues that stability, stimulus, and solidarity are essential to boost UK employment and economic growth. Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference, Cable emphasized addressing home-grown economic problems and called for banks to increase lending to productive businesses.
Agency Worker Regs to remain unchanged
The UK government has confirmed that Agency Worker Regulations will take effect unchanged on October 1, entitling temporary workers to equal pay and benefits as permanent staff after 12 weeks. This comes after reports that Prime Minister David Cameron sought legal advice on potentially weakening the legislation, which could cost employers £1.8 billion annually to comply with.
Blog: It’s not just about the money
Employee retention during economic downturns depends on more than salary increases. While a recent survey shows workers increasingly prioritize pay and benefits, effective reward communication and promoting existing benefits can maintain staff loyalty and job satisfaction without requiring additional spending.
HRD Insight: Paul Duncan on managing change at Swissport
Paul Duncan shares how he managed organizational change at Swissport International during a 2008 turnaround, implementing cost reductions, upskilling managers through business simulations, and rebuilding employee trust through improved communication and leadership coaching.
Barnardo’s wins e-learning award for staff dedication and support
Barnardo’s has won the best overall e-learning programme award at the Charity Learning Awards for its innovative approach to staff training. A five-person team supported 7,500 staff and volunteers across 400 UK sites using virtual classrooms, videos, wikis, and online resources, increasing learner engagement by 54% since 2007.
Blog: Bullying, politics and manipulation – is it happening in your company?
Corporate politics, hidden agendas and workplace manipulation can severely impact your business, often disguised as normal workplace behavior. Learn to recognize symptoms like declining morale, staff turnover, poor sales and communication breakdowns that signal deeper organizational problems.
Vince Cable wages war on spiralling executive pay
Vince Cable proposes changes to company laws to control executive pay, which has risen fourfold since 1998 while share values lagged behind. Measures include giving shareholders binding votes on pay awards and placing employees on remuneration committees to promote transparency and prevent “rewards for failure”.
Agency Worker Regs lead to cut-price perm contracts, claim temps
Temporary workers at a Jaguar Land Rover supplier claim a recruitment agency is pressuring them into low-paid permanent contracts to avoid paying higher wages under new Agency Worker Regulations taking effect October 1st. The offered permanent positions would provide only minimal pay increases compared to the £200 weekly boost the regulations would guarantee.
Five tips for dealing with auto-enrolment
Auto-enrolment requires UK employers to automatically enrol eligible employees into pension schemes. This guide outlines five practical steps employers can take now to prepare, starting with establishing their staging date and categorising employees by eligibility requirements.
PCS calls off Fujitsu strike, but Unite goes ahead
The Public and Commercial Services union called off its Fujitsu strike after reaching a pay agreement that includes an 11% raise for lowest-paid workers, but Unite members plan to continue their walk-outs over unresolved disputes regarding union recognition, benefits, and redundancy terms.
Ask the Expert: Can employers make staff speak English at work?
Employers may legally require staff to speak English at work if it can be justified by business needs, such as customer-facing roles or colleague communication. However, applying this rule to employees on breaks or off-duty may constitute indirect discrimination under the Equality Act and potentially violate human rights protections.
Richard Branson’s ex-PA on the art of delegation
Richard Branson’s former executive assistant Penni Pike shares practical strategies for effective delegation, including getting to know your delegate, setting clear priorities, and maintaining regular communication to free up time for important business tasks.
L&D teams’ poor skills hold back learning technology adoption
L&D teams’ lack of knowledge, skills, and confidence are the primary obstacles to adopting learning technologies, despite 72% of organizations believing these tools could improve their response to business changes, according to a Towards Maturity survey of 600 organizations.
Blog: IT can be HR’s best friend
IT and HR departments can become powerful allies by collaborating on talent retention and security strategies. By partnering with IT, HR can implement defensive measures like blocking recruiter emails, restricting access to employee directories, and monitoring competitor recruitment activities to protect key talent and intellectual property.
ECJ holiday pay ruling could cost airlines £50 million
An ECJ ruling could force UK airlines to pay up to £50 million in holiday pay to pilots and cabin crew, with the case now heading to the UK Supreme Court for final determination. The decision affects approximately 12,000 aviation workers and could result in backdated payments spanning six years.
Acas called in after foreign language ban at Waterstones’ distribution depot
Unions at Waterstones’ Burton-on-Trent distribution center have contacted Acas after Unipart, the warehouse operator, banned foreign staff from speaking their native languages during work hours. Workers, mainly from Poland and Latvia, claim discrimination and human rights breaches, while management cited health and safety concerns.
Stress management supplier register launched to weed out cowboys
A new register of accredited stress management service providers has launched to help HR directors identify qualified professionals and avoid unregulated practitioners. The initiative, based on a new British Standards Institute standard, aims to bring professional standards to an unregulated industry and address the UK’s £100 billion annual economic cost from workplace stress.
PAYE changes: everything you need to know
The Government introduced a new real-time PAYE reporting scheme in 2013, requiring employers to report employee pay, tax, and National Insurance deductions to HMRC during each pay period. This major change to the 1944 system aims to improve HMRC’s ability to monitor tax compliance and detect payment failures more quickly.
Analysis: First three UK employers accredited for inclusive recruitment practices
Only 48% of disabled people are employed compared to 78% of non-disabled people. Three UK employers have been accredited for inclusive recruitment practices, with a new framework helping organizations identify and overcome unconscious bias that limits disabled talent from accessing job opportunities.
Blog: Lessons from Yahoo – where was HR?
Yahoo’s CEO was fired over the phone by the board chairman, then publicly criticized the company in emotionally charged language. The incident highlighted how poor executive conduct affects employee morale and trust, demonstrating that leaders at all levels serve as role models for organizational culture.
