Employees exit – and take confidential data
A huge seven out of 10 workers intend to take confidential company data away with them when they resign or are given the push because they believe that it belongs to them, according to research. A survey undertaken among 1,000 UK employees by security software company Imperva revealed that the most likely information to be […]
Cable anger over watering down of bank bonus reform
The simmering tension between the Business Secretary and Chancellor threatened to boil over yesterday, after Vince Cable issued a strongly worded response to George Osborne’s suggestion that proposed UK banking bonus reforms could be toned down. Osborne, who has been accused of giving into pressure from the City, told the BBC that it “might be […]
From personnel management to business execution: the role of technology in the evolution of human resources
Steven Hunt examines the four ages of human resources and considers the change technology could bring to today’s HR department and business. The field of human resources can be divided into two basic areas: Personnel Management focusing on administrative and legal processes associated with employment of people. This includes things such as managing payroll, […]
Battle of the sexes: Employees prefer female managers
Nearly two out of five employees prefer female to male bosses because they feel they are both more understanding and more assertive. According to a survey among 1,182 UK workers undertaken by HR consultancy Reabur, only 29% preferred having a male as their manager, while a third thought gender was irrelevant. Of those polled, just […]
UK managers lack leadership skills
UK managers are among the worst in the world in terms of leadership effectiveness, with the situation being particularly marked in government and financial services, according to a study. The survey undertaken among 29,000 employees in 21 countries by HR software provider Kenexa’s Research Institute revealed that the UK ranked 17th for managerial effectiveness, scoring […]
UK ‘too accomodating’ to immigration appeals, claims inspector
The UK Border Agency has failed to create a “hostile environment” for employers of illegal migrant workers, collecting only a fraction of the fines imposed by adopting “too accommodating” an approach towards appeals. According to John Vine, the independent chief inspector of immigration, the Agency has collected only £5.6 million of the £40 million in […]
Globalisation creates challenges for HR
Globalisation across workforces has seen exponential growth in the last two decades, and after a dip during the most recent recession, is now emerging again within HR, creating challenges as well as opportunities, and tremendous uncertainty. In a new major study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, more than 700 chief HR officers and […]
Migrant worker cut a concern
A recommendation to cut the number of migrant workers to the UK from outside the European Union by up to 25% a year has been met with concern by employers and other industry watchers. The Migration Advisory Committee, an independent body tasked with recommending suitable levels for the coalition government’s proposed immigration cap, proposed allowing […]
Why not ‘out-of-the-box’ integrated solutions?
At first glance, integrated Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions might appear to have high appeal offering rapid implementation, low cost and tried-and-tested functionality. What could be better? And yes, such standard all-singing, all-dancing solutions can initially offer implementation speed, sometimes lower cost, and tested functionality. However, they also come at a cost with downsides that […]
Employment Law takeways for November
Employment law takeaways: our bitesize legal updates for busy HR professionals, provided by Suzanne Horne of Morrison and Foerster. This month, it’s mostly maternity and dismissal, but there’s something to be said for football too… Gisda Cyf v Barratt – Dismissal by post only effective when employee reads the letter or has reasonable opportunity to […]
What staff really want… a better pension contribution
The most popular benefit that European employers can provide staff in order to improve retention rates is a higher pension contribution, with nearly half of workers even prepared to sacrifice pay in return. These are the findings of a survey undertaken among 7,500 workers in Europe’s 10 leading economies, including the UK, by human capital […]
New skills strategy will cost employers
Under the coalition government’s new skills strategy, large employers will have to cover the full cost of basic skills training for staff aged 24 and over from 2013-2014, while small-to-medium business will be expected to pay half. They may also all be asked to pay training levies. The move follows the government’s decision to cut […]
Improving performance management in medium-sized businesses
Medium-sized businesses can encounter very specific problems in maximising employee performance. Vincent Belliveau explains why these problems arise and outlines how they can be overcome. While small businesses have fewer employees and shorter chains of command, providing greater transparency to individual performance, large organisations benefit from comprehensive systems and processes to help measure and manage […]
Uncertainty despite private sector coming up with jobs
Although private sector job creation will offset public sector job cuts in the last quarter of this year, widespread uncertainty as to the future means that employers remain cautious about prospects for the year ahead. According to the Labour Market Outlook survey undertaken by researchers Ipsos-Mori, some two out of five public sector bodies currently […]
Proposed pension solvency rules may cause employers to give up and close schemes
UK employers may simply close their occupational pension schemes if proposed tough new European rules that force them to set aside similar reserves to insurance companies come into force, a pensions body has warned. In a formal statement submitted in response to the European Commission’s Green Paper on pensions, the National Association of Pension Funds […]
Ask the expert: Internal job post -applications after closing date?
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether late applications can be accepted in an internal job post. The question: Internal job post – applications after closing date? My employer listed a job on the internal recruitment website; for a position which I applied; I know for a fact I am the […]
Where’s my office?
Andy Barker considers HR’s role in supporting collaboration systems for remote working. As businesses begin to emerge from the worst economic downturn in living memory, austerity measures continue to be implemented across almost every area and business sector. Many companies are consolidating buildings and mobilising their workforce in an effort to save money. Long established […]
US employee may have been fired illegally due to Facebook comment
In what could prove to be a precedent-setting case on both sides of the Atlantic, the US National Labor Relations Board has accused a company of illegally firing an employee after she criticised her boss on Facebook. The Board, a US federal agency, which oversees union elections and investigates claims of unfair labour practices, claimed […]
Banks to halve bonuses this year
The UK’s biggest banks are in negotiations to almost half the amount they pay out to staff in New Year bonuses in a bid to avoid potential tax penalties and avert another PR disaster. According to the BBC, the banks are holding secret talks about the issue under the umbrella of the British Bankers Association, […]
Make your organisation a lean, green, motivating machine
In these lean times, encouraging staff to think green will not only cut costs to your organisation but will also help motivate your staff. Emma Mason, NetRegs.gov.uk Communications Officer explains how. Recent estimates say that UK businesses generate around half of the UK’s CO2 emissions. But surely they’re referring to large organisations? After all, […]