Vocational training scheme to help jobless
At the same time as the coalition government revealed that Jobseekers who fail to take up compulsory training will lose their benefits, the business community has warned against sidelining vocational education in favour of more academic subjects. As part of the government’s new ‘claimant contract’, Employment Minister Chris Grayling indicated that people who were unable […]
Delayed Bribery act to be enforced despite scarce resources
Although the UK’s anti-corruption watchdog has branded official guidance to the Bribery Act as a “deplorable” handbook for evasion, the head of the Serious Fraud Office has pledged to take a tough stance on enforcement. The Act, which passed into law last April, is now due to come into force in July. The delay of […]
Paternity leave additions explained
Parents of children born on or after 3 April this year will have more flexibility in relation to their childcare arrangements as the father will be able to take more time off work as additional paternity leave. This will give fathers more opportunity to share the responsibility of childcare with mothers. The new right to […]
Bonus and salary review season
…is upon us and it’s time to consider retention, as well as the cost – where does HR stand and what should we do? Charlie Waters offers this advice. Old news!In the turmoil of the past three years, financial markets chaos has made employees more cautious and therefore less likely to leave their current employer. […]
Taskforce set up to increase employee engagement
A government-sponsored taskforce has been set up to try and tackle the staff engagement issues identified in the MacLeod Review in order to boost the productivity and competitiveness of UK organisations. The taskforce, which includes representatives from both the public and private sector, will be chaired by David MacLeod himself, who wrote […]
Skills Active funding cut despite employer satisfaction
The sport and active leisure Skills Sector Council has reacted angrily to the coalition government’s decision to axe its apprenticeship funding despite pledges to create 100,000 new on-the-job training places over the next two years. The Young Apprenticeship scheme in Sports Management, Leadership and Coaching, which is led by Skills Active, the […]
‘Mansion tax’ to return?
The Deputy Prime Minister has intimated that plans to axe the 50p rate of income tax will be funded by a modified version of the Liberal Democrats’ controversial ‘mansion tax’. Chancellor George Osborne had already made it clear that he intends to scrap the 50p top rate of income tax, which is […]
Ask the expert: Pay grade – has this employee got a case?
This time the experts, Esther Smith and Adam Partington advise on whether an employee could take action against the employer for effectively down-grading them. The question: Pay grade – has this employee got a case? Last year (May 2010) we went into consultation where the role was split into two roles where the current employee […]
Mediation and wellbeing: An all-weather strategy
Conflict in the workplace is as common as a rainy day in the UK. And, like a miserable wet day, workplace disputes have a negative effect on our wellbeing in the workplace. Whilst we can prepare for rain, with stylish wellies and colourful umbrellas, most HR professionals and line managers feel ill-equipped and lack the […]
How will EMA cuts affect the nation’s workforce?
The coalition government has slashed the £560m Education Maintenance Allowance to £180m, while backing a ‘StartUp Britain’ initiative that some industry experts are skeptical will make the necessary impact. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary announced yesterday that EMA, which provided 650,000 16- to 19-year-olds with grants of between £10-30 per week to […]
Gender issues: Effective workplace communication
Gender is one of the most obvious differences in any group of employees, and an undeniable one: men and women aren’t just physically different, but grow up influenced by (and largely endure) different social conditioning. But while each of us has a gender, we also have a nationality and/or race, a set of personal beliefs, […]
Will the new paternity leave rights benefit you?
Two out of five new fathers will not take advantage of new paternity leave rights because they cannot afford it, they fear that their career will suffer or they are afraid of losing their jobs. The coalition government introduced new regulations yesterday enabling new fathers to take up to six months paternity […]
Report: Average take-home pay is lower than in 2004
The average UK worker has seen their salary drop in real-terms by an average of 5% compared to less than two years ago, with staff in the financial services and construction sectors hardest hit. According to research for the BBC’s Panorama programme, which is due to be screened on BBC1 tonight, the […]
Encouragement from managers increases staff engagement
There is a direct correlation between staff engagement and the amount of guidance, feedback and autonomy that managers are willing to provide workers, according to research. In general terms, employees feel more supported if their bosses focus on what they do, feel good about themselves in their role and act in a way that demonstrates commitment […]
Chancellor’s windfall tax will cause tens of thousands to lose their jobs
Tens of thousands of oil workers will lose their jobs over the next few years as a result of the Chancellor’s £2bn windfall tax on North Sea producers, the industry has warned. The surprise levy, which was announced by George Osborne in Wednesday’s Budget, was designed to fund a fuel duty cut of one pence for […]
UK business not ready for a crisis
Although awareness of the need for crisis planning is high following a series of extreme weather conditions, the flu epidemic and transport disruptions, only just over half of UK organisations have any contingency plans in place. These are the findings of a report entitled ‘Managing Threats in a Dangerous World’ published by the Chartered Management […]
Lecturers strike over pay and pensions
Tens of thousands of lecturers will today take part in their first nationwide strike for five years as part of a worsening row over changes to pay and pensions. Members of the University and College Union will walk out of 500 further education colleges, older universities and former polytechnics across the country and mount picket […]
Budget 2011: Cars and fleets update
The Budget 2011 announced further changes which will affect businesses and their employees who use a car for business. There are changes for both employees provided with a company car, and for those using their own car for business journeys. Clearly, changes to fuel duty will affect all motorists so those are not dealt with […]
Want wellbeing? Time to be flexible
According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), companies looking to make sure staff aren’t under too much pressure, should consider implementing flexible working policies, such as remote working. In fact, it claims that employees who work for organisations that offer flexible working practices are the happiest of all. The Office of National Statistics reveals […]
Book review: Brilliant Business Writing by Neil Taylor
Title: Brilliant Business Writing (2nd Edition)Author: Neil Taylor ISBN: 9780273744580 Brilliant Business Writing (2nd Edition, Neil Taylor, Pearson Books, 2011) is absolutely jam-packed with straightforward, realistic and unpretentious advice. It is an easy read that is well structured and written in an un-patronising and uncomplicated tone. Don’t be put off by expecting a 150 page […]
