Help your boss manage – by managing them
Employees must be encouraged to proactively ‘manage upwards’ if they are to support their bosses in performing more effectively, research has revealed. According to a survey undertaken by management and sales training consultancy Krauthammer, some 36% of workers feel that their bosses act in a penalising or dismissive fashion. Although 95% would like their managers […]
‘Enterprise zones’ could make unwelcome return
The coalition government’s widely anticipated plans to revive enterprise zones in a bid to regenerate local economies and boost employment will prove costly and “ineffective”, two leading think-tanks have warned. The return of the zones, which were widely used by the last Conservative administration between 1981 and 1996, is expected to be announced in the […]
A step change in benefits delivery: the future for flex
How did we get here? The road to flex was paved with good intentions, explains George Farrow, from the paternalistic Victorian idea to today’s austerity. Flexible benefits were born in the mid 90s out of the necessity to take a fresh look at core benefits. The paternalistic industrialists of the Victorian era built homes and […]
TrainingZone Live returns
On 16 May, TrainingZone takes over the modernist confines of Dexter House in the nation’s capital to usher TrainingZone Live into its sophomore year. Here in Bristol’s medialand that is Siftmedia, a thought ocurred to us. The events team, editors and salespeople attend a lot of conferences and events over the course of a […]
Immigration cap is hindering UK business
As demand for non-EU migrant workers increases despite rising levels of unemployment, the coalition government’s temporary migration cap is hindering employers’ ability to fill key positions, an HR body has cautioned. The warning came as the Office for National Statistics revealed that the level of net migration into the UK increased by 36% last year, […]
Women in boardroom targets get mixed reaction
Recommendations that FTSE 100 companies set voluntary targets for women to make up a minimum of 25% of their boards by 2015 rather than being subject to quotas have met with a mixed response. Further proposals included in Lord Davies of Abersoch’s ‘Independent Review into Women on Boards’ were that heads of all FTSE 350 […]
23 minutes on a conference call – that’s your limit
Concentration starts to wane after workers have spent an average of 23 minutes on a telephone conference call, with many resorting to doodling and checking or writing emails while others simply fall asleep. A survey, undertaken among 4,800 individuals in the UK, India, Spain, Germany and Singapore by telecoms provider Cable & Wireless, revealed that […]
Tackling tribunals – coping with the changes
The Government’s consultation document ‘Resolving workplace disputes’, published at the end of January, proposes a number of changes to the way in which the employment tribunal system currently operates with a view to ensuring that the process is as swift, user-friendly and effective as possible. The consultation, which closes on 20 April, also seeks […]
Sickness absence rates back at pre-recession levels
Absence rates due to sickness had returned to pre-recession levels by the end of last year, but in overall terms have fallen over the last decade, official figures have revealed. ____________________________________________________________ Download a free guide to absence management from Access here to discover ways to record and analyse absence___________________________________________________________ The Office for National Statistics found […]
How to: support dyslexic employees – spot the signs
Sharon Goldie, consultant at iansyst Ltd (www.re-adjust.co.uk), looks at how to recognise the signs of dyslexia and offers simple strategies which Human Resources can utilise to ensure they create a dyslexia-friendly workplace. What do Richard Branson and Steve Jobs have in common with Walt Disney, Salma Hayek, John Lennon and Pablo Picasso? In addition to […]
Creating a resilient workforce: management hold the key
Robertson Cooper’s research has shown that the amount of support provided by managers is related to how resilient people perceive their organisations to be. Of all working respondents, just over half (55%) felt that their manager provided either ‘a lot of support’ or ‘a fair amount of support’. Of those respondents who felt their organisation […]
Global talent management in action: Siemens – success through business execution
Creating a global talent management system used by 400,000 users across 80 countries working in 20 different languages in a period of 18 months; it’s a daunting challenge but one achieved by electronics giant Siemens working in partnership with SuccessFactors. Using Cloud Computing and Business Execution principles, the German firm has brought about global transformational […]
TUPE still protects workers in bought out company
Workers are fully protected under TUPE regulations if their employer comes out of administration and is purchased by another company, an employment tribunal has ruled. Bruce Caldow and Paula Skinner, lawyers with commercial law firm Harper Macleod, welcomed the findings in the case of AE Olds versus Late Editions as much needed clarification of the […]
50 thousand NHS staff to go by 2015
More than 50,000 doctors, nurses and other NHS staff are set to lose their jobs over the next four years, according to the largest survey undertaken since the coalition government came to power. The study is based on a series of Freedom of Information requests asking for “confirmed, proposed or potential” job losses over the […]
Many employers missing the benefits of social media in recruitment
Restrictive corporate policies and poor organisational understanding of the potential benefits of social media as a recruitment tool mean that many employers are not exploiting the channel as effectively as they could. According to a global survey of HR professionals undertaken by talent acquisition and management software provider StepStone Solutions, three out of five organisations […]
Older workers have emotional intelligence to share
Although too many employers discriminate against older workers by focusing on potential decreases in physical and cognitive abilities, they should instead be harnessing their valuable emotional skills to help support younger colleagues. Research from the Manchester Business School reveals that older staff members are generally more effective at coping with emotional stress and burnout than […]
HR headmistress: How to manage workplace performance
Kate Russell, the HR headmistress, provides this to brush up the basic skills of experienced pros and give beginners a headstart. Lesson 1: promises v performance – how to manage performance in the organisation. Mae West said that an ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises. Poor work performance is one of the most […]
Employability skills – graduates and beyond
The recruiting unconference, truLondon, welcomed delegates from all over the world. One of the issues facing us all is youth unemployment, whether graduates or not. This live streamed video hosted by Alan Whitford starred our very own Charlie Duff along with some bright talent to dicsuss the next generation and their stories. Damon Klotz, aka […]
Ask the expert: Employee’ residence permit expires on maternity leave – what do we do?
This time the experts, Esther Smith and Martin Brewer give their advice on what an employer should do when an employee’s residency permit runs out during maternity leave. The question: Employee’ residence permit expires on maternity leave – what do we do? I realise that one of our employees’ residence permit expires shortly (whilst she […]
Sickness review welcomed by employer bodies
The setting up of a sickness review as part of the coalition government’s benefits shake-up could “help shine a light” on the obstacles that currently prevent employers from supporting staff during illness and managing absence more effectively. The review led by Dame Carol Black, the government’s national director for health and work and a former […]
