Mediation: an essential skill for today’s leaders
Mediation training equips HR professionals and leaders with essential conflict resolution skills, enabling them to address workplace disputes effectively and proactively. This approach prevents conflicts from escalating into formal grievances, protecting productivity and employee relationships during uncertain times.
Employment law takeaways for December
Stay updated on key December employment law decisions affecting HR professionals. This month’s takeaways cover agency worker status, reasonable adjustments for re-employment, and dismissal in relation to pension payouts, with detailed analysis of three landmark cases.
Happy workers have a sense of shared purpose
A shared sense of purpose between employers and workers significantly boosts employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational performance. According to a CIPD survey, 84% of workers in organizations with shared purpose felt engaged compared to 32% without it, while lack of purpose clarity led to demotivation and reduced productivity.
Charity and retail workers ‘not party animals’
Marketing and recruitment staff enjoy Christmas parties most, while nearly a quarter of retail workers skip them entirely. A UK survey of 2,500 office staff found charity workers often leave early because they dislike socializing with colleagues.
More than half don’t measure training impact
Over half of organizations fail to measure their training programs’ business impact due to lack of resources and qualified personnel. The study of 412 L&D decision-makers revealed confusion about what to assess and insufficient understanding of measurement methodologies as key barriers.
Depressed police officer should have been re-employed
A UK appeal tribunal ruled that West Mercia Police unlawfully refused to re-employ an officer who resigned while suffering from undiagnosed depression. The tribunal found the force discriminated against her on disability grounds and failed to make reasonable adjustments when she requested reinstatement. Employment law experts say the landmark decision will significantly impact how employers handle resignation requests from disabled employees.
Ask the expert: Provision of services to temporary contractors overseas
Learn how to properly structure service contracts with overseas suppliers without inadvertently becoming an employer. Legal experts explain the key contractual arrangements needed to maintain clear distinctions between client and employer relationships.
Santa is coming to town – the HR nightmare before Christmas
Tongue-in-cheek memo highlighting employment law risks employers face when organizing a Christmas party, from disability and age discrimination concerns to sexual harassment and equality issues that could arise with a Santa entertainer.
Social media may aid unofficial industrial action
Social media and instant communication tools enable workers to organize unofficial industrial action more rapidly, making labor disputes harder to manage, according to Acas. The conciliation service warns that flash strikes and demonstrations can now be coordinated across multiple sites within hours, complicating negotiations without official union leadership.
Sainsbury’s cares for carers
Sainsbury’s has become the first UK retailer to partner with carers’ organisations to develop flexible working policies for staff with caring responsibilities. The supermarket chain joined the Leadership Group of Employers for Carers to access expertise from Carers UK and better support its managers in recognising carers’ needs.
We met the biggest Cloud in the world at the Business Cloud Summit
Siemens built the world’s largest cloud deployment through SuccessFactors, handling 405,000 logins and 40,000-50,000 daily users. The Business Cloud Summit revealed how executives overcame security, compliance, and execution challenges to pioneer enterprise cloud adoption for large corporations.
Pay gap publishing will not be compulsory
The UK government has scrapped mandatory pay gap reporting in favor of a voluntary scheme, drawing criticism from equality campaigners who argue that 40 years of voluntary measures have failed to close the gender pay gap, with women earning 16% less on average than men.
It’s snow joke for employers and the economy
Heavy snow has caused staff absences to surge four-fold, with economists warning the UK economy could lose up to £1.2 billion daily if freezing weather persists through Christmas. Employers are urged to implement flexible working arrangements and prioritize essential activities to minimize disruption and costs.
Dealing with strikes: Manager advice on video
Video Arts releases a new manager training resource addressing how to handle strike situations, covering communication, discipline, and leadership challenges. The film follows a manager navigating industrial action at a local depot, illustrating real workplace dynamics and the complexities managers face before, during, and after strikes.
The People Cloud: HR needs to get smarter
HR departments must adopt smarter technology strategies aligned with broader business goals, not just departmental needs, to achieve a more strategic role. Cloud-based solutions like SaaS platforms can streamline transactional tasks while freeing HR professionals to focus on talent management and organizational strategy.
Ask the expert: P45 – which date should be shown?
Learn which date to enter on a P45 form when an employee leaves with notice. The date shown should be the actual employment termination date, not necessarily when the final payroll runs.
Opinion: What will the skills strategy really mean for business?
The government’s new skills strategy offers mixed results for businesses, with clearer benefits for SMEs but tighter funding criteria for larger companies to retrain staff. While apprenticeships and basic skills funding are positive steps, employers still need greater flexibility in training provision to address sector-specific workforce development needs.
Aligning HR with the business
HR leaders must align their activities with business goals to demonstrate value and justify investment during economic uncertainty. By establishing clear frameworks, treating employees as brand ambassadors, and optimizing workforce performance, HR can reduce costs while strengthening organizational effectiveness.
How green is your office?
Assess your office’s environmental impact with our green workplace quiz. Discover whether your business practices are eco-friendly or wasteful, and learn practical tips to reduce carbon emissions, cut costs, and meet environmental legislation requirements.
Does social recruiting actually deliver?
Social recruiting effectiveness is examined through real-world case studies from major corporations like Deloitte, Electronic Arts, and Microsoft at the Social Recruiting Conference 2010. Industry leaders share strategies, ROI measurement approaches, and practical experiences implementing social media and direct sourcing in recruitment.
