How to… Set up a Health at Work programme
Whether you are already running health initiatives in your workplace or just getting started, the British Heart Foundation’s Health at Work experts suggest these practical steps for a successful health and wellbeing programme. Create a support group made up of representatives from all levels and across the organisation to help plan and promote initiatives. Gain […]
On-shoring is the new off-shoring as call centres come back to UK
Santander’s decision to transfer its Indian call centre operations to the UK in a bid to boost customer satisfaction would appear to indicate that the offshore model is “increasingly past its sell-by-date”, according to experts. The move comes less than a week after New Call Telecom announced that it was moving its call centre operations […]
No ‘time to train’ in SMEs, say Government
The coalition government has ruled out extending the right to request time for training to employees in small to medium businesses until at least 2015. Under proposals made by the last government, staff in companies with less than 250 personnel would have been entitled to the same rights as those in larger organisations by April […]
The only way is TUPE for Southern Cross employees
Southern Cross Healthcare has pledged that all 44,000 of its employees are to be transferred to new care home operators under their existing terms and conditions after confirming that the group is to be broken up. The organisation’s biggest landlords, including Four Seasons, NHP and London & Regional, have been in crisis talks with Southern […]
News of the World – employment lawyers reaction
Employment lawyers have reacted to the News of the world news. The uncertainty surrounding newsroom staff at the paper, based at News International, and rumours regarding their treatment have alarmed some in the field. Although the allegations against the paper and it’s management and behavious has been shocking it was still surprising when the closure […]
AA accused of ‘corporate bullying’
The Automobile Association is indulging in “corporate bullying” by attempting to ‘performance manage’ 450 staff out of their jobs in a bid to replace them with cheaper, lower skilled workers, the GMB union has claimed. Patrollers across the country have allegedly been called into meetings and given a “take it or leave it” offer of […]
Murdoch’s employees pay the price of News of the World scandal with no consultation
Some 200 NoW journalists have lost their jobs after the last edition of the newspaper went out on Sunday 10 July 2011. Sub-editors at sister tabloid The Sun walked out last week in protest. Affected journalists have been told they will receive a 90-day payment to cover the legally-required consultation period of job cuts. But […]
BBC announces cuts to tackle criticism
The BBC will axe two thirds of its senior managers, curb the pay and perks of those remaining and introduce a cap on the director-general’s salary, its new chairman has announced. Lord Patten, chairman of the BBC Trust and a former chairman of the Conservative Party, promised to take action over the “toxic” issue of […]
Difference in earnings between public and private sector widens in poor job market
Although public sector workers are now paid an average of 7.8% more than their private sector counterparts, the number of people finding work in either area has slowed to a 22-month low. According to the Office for National Statistics, by April 2010 the difference in average earnings between public and private sector staff has widened […]
Two councils to sack entire payroll in order to meet cuts
Two local councils plan to sack their entire workforces in drastic moves they say are the only way to meet cuts targets. Shropshire County Council has already P45-ed its entire workforce to try and force through a salary cut of 5.4% and reductions in sick pay, while Southampton City Council says it will do the […]
Mind the British skills gap
British jobs for British workers, we were told last week. Well, yes… if they’re the most competitive in the market and the most qualified to do the job. What are we banging on about? Works and Pension Secretary Ian Duncan Smith lambasted the previous government’s job creation record last week, arguing that too many […]
How to improve compliance in organisations
When people don’t comply with legal requirements organisations can face penalties and fines running into the thousands. To take just a few recent examples: In November last year a Greater London pizza manufacturer was fined £15,000 after failing to respond to warnings about an unsafe doorway. Also in November Hertfordshire County Council accidentally faxed […]
Call centre jobs league: Burnley 1: Bombay 0
A telecoms company has transferred its call centre operations from Bombay to Burnley because costs are now at “absolute parity”, but it considers UK employees to be more loyal and efficient. New Call Telecom, which provides home telephone services, broadband and low-cost international calls, is opening the contact centre in Lancashire after being attracted by […]
First Default Retirement Age test launched
In what may prove a test case on new laws abolishing the default retirement age, a principal at a Scottish university has started tribunal proceedings after rejecting claims made by his employer that he had retired. Abertay University reportedly circulated an email to staff in error a couple of weeks ago ahead of an official […]
Employees have too much holiday, say 25% of SMEs
Around a quarter of small-to-medium employers believe that workers get too much holiday and would like to prune their entitlement by about four days in a bid to cut costs. According to a survey among 403 SMEs undertaken by BDRC Continental Research on behalf of insurance company MetLife, some 27% believe they are too generous […]
Wanted: HR mentors to support SMEs
The coalition government is hoping to create an “informal” nationwide network of 40,000 business mentors over the year ahead to support small-to-medium enterprises in areas such as HR, marketing and finance. The initial plank of the scheme, launched by the British Banking Association yesterday, is expected to see 1,000 current and retired employees from Barclays, […]
Ask the expert: Employee sent to prison. What do we do?
This time the experts, Esther Smith and Martin Brewer give their advice on what to do when an employee goes to prison… The question: Employee sent to prison. What do we do? We have an employee who has just been sent to prison for four to six years. The MD spoke to him beforehand and […]
Recruitment to go
Everything today points to the mobile channel playing a leading role in recruitment. The technology, phones and uncompromising demands of Generation Y have aligned to create the ideal conditions. All that’s needed now is for the recruitment industry to broaden its vision of what’s possible, says Helen Griffiths, Business Development Manager, Oxygen8 Communications. For all […]
Book review: Flourish by Martin Seligman
Professor Seligman opens Flourish by stating that he is abandoning his lifelong caution and scepticism in favour of the extravagant claim that his book will indeed help the reader to flourish. The book is a fun read and, if the exercises are carried out, may well help the reader. But it might have been quite […]
Salaries flatline desipte more vacancies
Although the number of job vacancies rebounded last month, particularly in the professional services and engineering sectors, salaries have remained flat. Employment web site Reed.co.uk said that its Job Index stood at 125 in June, which is four points or 3% higher than May, indicating that the number of available posts has returned to April’s […]
