Companies continue with ex-pat execs despite downsides
The number of executives posted to emerging markets such as China and India will continue to rise over the next five years despite the difficulties in finding suitable candidates. A survey undertaken among 418 senior executives by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of HR software supplier Regus revealed that just under two in five […]
EU maternity laws ‘unaffordable’ for UK businesses
European Union plans to extend maternity leave are “completely unaffordable” for already overburdened companies, a business group has warned. Under proposals to amend the Pregnant Workers Directive that are scheduled to be voted on next month, maternity leave would be extended from a formerly suggested 14 weeks to 20 weeks on full pay. Female workers […]
Ask the expert: Grievance response time
This week the experts, Martin Brewer and Esther Smith consider what an employer needs to do to respond to a grievance raised by an employee – and in what timeframe? The question: Grievance response time – how long do we have? If you raise a grievance with your employer, how long do they have to […]
Team Extreme: Teambuilding can be a rollercoaster
Can rollercoaster endurance really make your staff work better together? The Sift Media crew tested the latest team building craze to hit the market. According to the latest annual CIPD annual recruitment survey, the average cost of recruiting a new member of staff (excluding their salary) is around £4k, although this can go up to […]
Exec pay on ice
The time of executive salaries increasing far in excess of inflation are now over, with more than half of FTSE 350 companies choosing not to boost the salaries of executive directors this year. This situation equates to a two-year salary freeze for many as over two thirds received no increment last year either. Where wage […]
Talent drain evident as ‘notice week’ ends
Almost half of UK workers intend to start looking for a new job by the end of the year, but more employees are likely to hand in their notice this week than at any other time during the previous 12 month period. According to a survey undertaken among 7,500 staff in 10 of Europe’s leading […]
Institute of Directors slates Time to Train
‘Spectacularly bad’ ‘Time to Train’ regulations, which are unnecessary, poorly thought-through and shoddily designed, should be scrapped before they cause any further harm, the Institute of Directors has warned. The warning came only days after a five-week consultation, launched by Skills Minister John Hayes last month over the future of the legislation, closed. The […]
UK unprepared to deal with ageing workforce
The failure of senior executives to recognise the widespread implications of an ageing workforce mean that UK organisations are “woefully underprepared” to deal with the impact on their business. Despite the impending abolition of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) and the fact that a third of UK workers will be aged over 50 by 2020, […]
Organising the chaos in HR
John McGuire from the Center for Creative Leadership, who is currently in attendance at the NG HR US Summit, spoke about ‘transforming your leadership culture’. He believes that too many changes with management initiatives can prove detrimental to morale. “Our work with clients around the world has shown that there is a hierarchy of […]
Not enough jobs to offset public sector cuts
Industry watchers have expressed concern over the fragile state of the labour market following the publication of government statistics yesterday, amid fears that private sector job creation will be unable to offset heavy public sector job cuts. The figures released by the Office of National Statistics showed a mixed picture for the three months to […]
More cuts in L&D expected
Learning and development managers may be over-optimistic about their ability to cope with expected budget and staff cuts over the next six months, a new report has warned. The study entitled the ‘UK Learning Trends Index’, the first in a regular six-month survey to be undertaken by online learning content provider GoodPractice and industry training […]
Unleash your strengths with Marcus Buckingham
Help yourself and your employees think about your strengths rather than focus on your weaknesses with these mind-opening tests from Marcus Buckingham. These exercises are simple ones which you can do yourself and send to others as the first steps in understanding and developing your strengths. Who’s on your board? Draw an oval on a […]
Is there really time to train?
Christopher Fisher examines the scope and impact of the recently introduced right to request time off for training. On 6 April 2010, new regulations came into force giving employees the right to request time off for training. Currently, the right applies only to businesses with 250 or more employees, but from April 2011, it […]
Ask the expert: Pregnant again while on maternity leave?
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on how to handle successive pregnancies which seemingly overlap… The question: Pregnant again while on maternity leave? If an employee becomes pregnant again while on maternity leave, does she have to be put back on full pay during her pregnancy (her job is one that cannot […]
Cuts cause ‘bullying tactics’ accusations from unions
Unions have condemned Birmingham City Council’s “bullying” tactics after warnings that new contracts imposing cuts in pay and conditions on nearly 26,000 staff were to be introduced as part of a bid to save more than £330 million by 2014. Stephen Hughes, chief executive of the country’s largest local authority, has sent legal notices to […]
NHS introduces official whistleblowing policy
An official national ‘whistleblowing’ policy has been agreed by the NHS Staff Council and is to be brought in locally by all health service employers in cooperation with staff representatives. The policy will be included in the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook and means that all personnel working in the health service now […]
NI holiday not enough to avoid double dip
A coalition government scheme to provide a national insurance ‘holiday’ for start-ups does not go far enough and must be accompanied by further tax breaks if small businesses are to spearhead economic recovery, an employers’ body has warned. The government is hoping that job creation by the private sector will counterbalance job cuts of an […]
The pension journey: auto-enrolment is just the beginning
Auto-enrolment is a powerful remedy for employers struggling to sign up employees to their pension schemes, but it should only be the start of the relationship, according to speakers at AXA’s first Future of Workplace Savings roadshow. Pension decision-makers from leading employers were given tips from the experts on how to deal with the enrolment […]
Solving the talent puzzle: identifying the talent of tomorrow
How to spot potential leaders of tomorrow? Try our guide and discover the people who will shape your organisation’s future. Identifying talent is like completing the tough Suduko puzzle in the paper; we’ve all had a go; thought we had a chance but few of us ever get near cracking it. Performance indicators, appraisals […]
Scalable resources future of outsourcing
While just over half of European organisations expect to outsource more IT services in 2010, the focus now is on getting more for their money and gaining access to flexible and scalable resources rather than simply cost-cutting. The release of the study undertaken by researchers Gartner coincided with an economic policy speech from President Barack […]