Ask the expert: Gross misconduct and dismissal procedure
Question: Dismissal My client wants to get rid of a worker. However, I feel there is only one credible written warning on this persons’ file. There have been a series of verbal warnings throughout this employee’s two year career but the previous HR officer did not follow these through professionally, i.e. kept official notes on […]
Book Review: The Board Game – survival and success as a company board member
‘THE BOARD GAME – survival and success as a company board member’ by Brian Scanlon and Stephen Schneider ISBN 9 781907 794032 – LIDpublishing.com £15.99 Most ambitious managers will rightly look forward to the happy day when they are first invited to join their organisation’s board as a director. Yet all too many may […]
The ‘Cadbury law’ and what it means for HR in takeovers
For those taken aback by the behaviours seen in the Kraft takeover of Cadbury, the current draft of the amendments to the Takeover Code suggests that some of the lessons have been learned. Clearly the introduction of these amendments won’t prevent takeovers – hostile or otherwise – and possible job losses in the acquired company, […]
Book review: You can manage people
Title: You can manage peopleAuthor: Kieran Maloney & Paul StanfordISBN: 978-1-905823-88-8Price: I read the reviews on the back cover and was pleased at the prospect of reviewing a “straightforward” book and “a very easy read, light and none of the fluffy stuff.” The only problem was that I am a manager with 18 years […]
Consultation on modern workplaces
The “Consultation on Modern Workplaces” launched by the Government in May 2011 proposes radical changes for 2015 to maternity and parental leave, which could create a huge administrative burden on employers, and shifts the focus of diversity measures away from women, toward equal treatment for both parents, plus additional paid leave. Employers don’t need to […]
HR’s Olympic victory
It's exactly one year to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Employers should not underestimate the impact the Games will have on their business but those who plan well will earn some easy employee relations points and save management time otherwise spent in disciplinary meetings or even at the employment tribunal! Start planning Early […]
HR needs to dive in for Olympic gold
One year from today and you might find that office productivity drops for a fortnight as the staff decamp to the pub to watch Tom Daley and Team GB chase gold. With exactly one year to go until The London Olympic Games 2012, HR professionals are being urged to have plans in place governing staff […]
You need to insulate your car scheme from supply chain risks
Experts are warning that businesses face greater risks from complex service supply arrangements than they may realise. The issue isn’t confined to manufacturing: these days, almost everything from payroll processing to company cars reaches the end-user business at the end of an intricate supply chain. Everyone wants last-minute ordering and delivery because minimising slack means […]
Lifting the lid on the reality of the workplace for graduates
Dr. Carina Paine Schofield, Research Fellow, Ashridge Business School explains their latest research on the gap between graduate expectations and the modern workplace. Ashridge Business School and the Institute of Leadership & Management have undertaken research into Generation Y graduates and their managers, which reveals a clear and compelling picture of the similarities and differences […]
Birmingham City Council’s Martini employment contract in flux
Birmingham's City Council's 'Martini' contract – so called because it allegedly permits managers to demand staff work anytime, any place, anywhere – has been signed up to by less than half of the city's staff even as a row continues over planned offshoring of IT jobs. With effect from 1 November, all staff working for the […]
McDonald’s David Fairhurst appointed to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills
The Chief People Officer of McDonald’s Europe, David Fairhurst has been appointed to act as a Commissioner for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills by Business Secretary Vince Cable. He is already visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School and a Teaching Fellow at Lancaster University alongside his 'McJob' and his appointment is […]
Caroline Waters: The Equality Act and HR
As the Red Tape Challenge website focuses on equality, Caroline Waters, BT’s director of people and policies, talks about the impact the Equality Act has had on business. I have worked in this space for many years now and have seen many changes for the better. There is no doubt that we have come a […]
Book review: Screw Work – Let’s Play by John Williams
Screw Work – Let’s Play John Williams Reviewed by Simon Jones Morrissey once sang “The music you constantly play says nothing to me about my life” and my first impression of this book was that the tone and style of it said nothing to me. In fact, half way through the first chapter, with its […]
Apprentice Helen offered £100,000 job – but sticks with Greggs
Although our favourite for the Apprentice win ended up missing out on running a business with Lord Sugar, Helen Milligan has been offered a position with the type of company she pitched to the peer, but decided to stick with her employers, Greggs, where she is said to have accepted a ‘very senior role’ with […]
Ask the expert: Restrictive covenants
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether a company can cancel any unpaid salary or bonus if a restrictive covenant is breached. The question: Restrictive covenants Does anyone know if a company can state that they will cancel any unpaid salary or bonus if a restrictive covenant is […]
Book review: Managing 4 Good By John Fagan
Book title: Managing 4 Good By John Fagan Reviewer: Amanda E Heaton This book is not lightweight in either content or volume, although the text is well written and uses plain speaking English without reliance on jargon or acronyms making it easy to read and digest. The book opens with an explanation of what sustainable […]
Will the office still exist in 2021?
A decade ago businesses in the UK looked very different to how they do today – just look at the BBC’s ‘The Office’, which first aired in July 2001. Many of us had big, bulky desktop PCs, an agonisingly slow internet connection and a desk phone that looked like something out of the 80s. Move […]
Sports Direct pays out biggest employee share windfall in history
Sport Direct’s 2,200 permanent staff will receive a share bonus averaging £44,000 each after the sports retailer hit its profit targets for the second year in a row. The chain, which was founded and is still controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, reported underlying profits of £200.4 million for the year to 24 April, […]
EHRC attempts at clarity muddy the religious waters
A bid by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to clarify the law surrounding religious discrimination in the workplace has sparked a huge row. The Commission has applied to intervene in four cases of alleged religious discrimination in the workplace, which are already before the European Court of Human Rights. The cases are expected to […]
What a performance! Talent and technology
As the competition for talent hots up, companies must get the link between performance and reward spot on, says Stuart Hearn, Commercial Director at Vaado Software. Rewarding employees correctly based on how they perform is a tricky area for companies, but if they get it wrong then productivity and motivation levels can nose-dive. Nothing is […]
