Top 10 tips to measuring happiness at work
As the Government sets out to measure levels of happiness across the UK, how happy the nation is at work will no doubt be affecting the figures. With 29.1 million people in employment, how do you measure how happy people are in their working day? There is no HR framework for this unusual measurement, […]
Socially acceptable – enforcing social media policies in the workplace
Consumer services such as Facebook and personal devices such as netbooks, the iPad and the iPhone are increasingly being used within businesses, eroding the line between business and leisure communications. In fact this convergence of business and leisure activity has led social commentators to coin the term, ‘bleisure’, to describe this shift in working patterns. […]
Employee engagement surveys ain’t no fad – there’s too much evidence that proves their worth
Employee engagement has been high on employers’ agendas for a few years now. Last year even the Government got in on the act by publishing the independent MacLeod Review. The HR community has been discussing the review widely ever since. The report was published at a time when private sector companies were addressing the damage […]
The decade that revolutionised learning, performance and talent management
Attitudes and practices regarding people management and development have changed dramatically over the past decade. Vincent Belliveau, EMEA General Manager for Cornerstone OnDemand, examines the most significant advances and outlines the key trends for 2011. If you’re interested in online training don’t miss the free webinar, Getting started in online training on 18 January, 3pm. […]
Employment law leniency won’t help employment stability, says CIPD
Coalition government plans to make it easier for employers to sack staff in their first two years of employment without facing unfair dismissal claims will do little to create hoped-for jobs but may destabilise the labour market, an HR body has warned. Under Prime Minister David Cameron’s new so-called ‘employers’ charter’, workers will also have […]
Cameron to host job-boosting summit
Although 19 mainly retail businesses will pledge to create as many as 40,000 new jobs over the year ahead at a Downing Street jobs summit today, the financial services sector is expected to axe 15,000 posts this quarter. Ahead of the publication of a joint report with management consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, head of economic analysis at […]
Invest in development to reap tourism rewards
A tourism body has warned brands that they will need to invest in customer service training if they are to exploit a potential £2 billion in revenues from visitors to the London 2012 Olympics. People 1st, the sector skills council for the hospitality, leisure, tourism and travel industries, said it was crucial that organisations learn […]
Dinner lady who spoke to parents and press wins tribunal
A school dinner lady, who was dismissed for bringing her employer into disrepute when she went to the press after her suspension following a bullying incident, has won her employment tribunal case. Carol Hill was initially suspended from her £125 per month post at Great Tey primary school in Essex in July 2009 after telling […]
Staff sharing scheme to help public sector retain talent
About 30 local authorities are to start piloting an online staff secondment service as an alternative to making redundancies following deep cuts to their budgets. The pilot scheme was jointly developed by online skills exchange StaffShare and Local Government Employers, a body that represents employers when negotiating on pay, pensions and workforce-related issues. The idea […]
Below inflation wage increases threaten recovery
Although private sector pay settlements could rise to 3% this year, they will remain below inflation for the second year in a row, researchers have warned. Thomson Reuters’ Incomes Data Services, which analyses renumeration data, also forecast a widening gap between public sector workers, who face wage freezes, and private sector staff, where pay rises […]
UK seeks to create jobs and cash in on tourism
British Airways and P&O are among the companies backing a £100 million government fund to promote tourism with the aim of creating 50,000 jobs and bringing in an extra one million overseas visitors to the UK. Cash and payment in kind has also been pledged by the Radisson Edwardian hotel chain, Lastminute.com and ferry operator […]
A paradigm shift in performance management – part one
Performance management has never been more required than right now. With priorities changing constantly and resources under continuous scrutiny, our employees have once again become the key to differentiating our business, brand and services. The degree to which we respect the effectiveness of performance management may have evolved from direct experience – and some of […]
Sealing the black hole in HR and careers advice
There is a looming black hole in HR, careers advice and skills development that could blight a generation. HR professionals, in particular, will be facing some of the most challenging conditions seen in the UK since the 1930s. The UK government wants to help but funds are limited. It wants people to embrace the […]
The workspace is key to engagement
‘If you are not allowed to arrange your desk as you would like to (then) you’ll feel uncomfortable, like an outsider and not part of the team’ (respondent to a workplace survey conducted by psychologists at the University of Exeter). During the recent election campaign, Nick Clegg suggested that cuts in the public sector […]
A decade in HR – 10 years of talent spotting and getting more social
It is fair to say that over the last 10 years the HR landscape has changed considerably, both in terms of processes and the technology used. We have seen economic boom and bust and its resulting impact on recruitment and talent management. We have also seen the unprecedented growth in the internet, and more latterly […]
All change for 2011: change managers, social media and retention
As projects continue to become more complex and teams more virtual over the coming year, developing the leadership skills of project managers will become increasing crucial to success, experts have warned. But according to Informa’s ESI International, a project management training and consultancy house, a key challenge for organisations will be to clearly define what […]
Employment tribunals cost BBC £600k in 2010
The BBC paid out more than £600,000 to deal with employment tribunal claims last year, nearly £400,000 of which went on settlements to aggrieved staff. According to information obtained via a Freedom of Information request, some 33 employees brought cases against the broadcaster in 2010, of which 22 were settled, five withdrawn or dismissed and […]
CIPD outlook for 2011 grim
Continuing job losses and falls in average earnings mean that 2011 is likely to prove another difficult year for HR professionals, with a ‘jobs-light’ recovery the best that can be hoped for, according to an HR body. In its annual employment Barometer report for the year ahead, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) […]
Small businesses not prepared for pension provision
Although only a third of small companies currently offer their employees a pension scheme, a mere one in five has started to consider the financial impact of the government’s new auto-enrolment and NEST rules. According to a survey of 404 small employers with 250 or fewer staff undertaken by the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA), […]
Season’s Greetings: Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year
Wishing all of you and your families a wonderful Christmas, peaceful New Year and a stress-free return to work! Thank you for your support and participation in 2010 – enjoy the festive period with our best wishes on behalf of all of the HRzone.co.uk team. The very best, Charlie Duff, Editor.