The end of team bonding down the boozer?
Although nearly three out of five managers take staff to the pub for team-building purposes, just over half of employees are unenthusiastic about going out with their colleagues and one in five actively dislike it. These are the findings of study entitled ‘Health of the Workplace’ undertaken by insurance firm Aviva. The research also revealed […]
Managing remotely: Hands on, but hands on what? (Part 2)
Robert Terry brings us the second half of his piece on managing remotely. If you missed the first article, catch up here. This section addresses social media and cultural sensitivity. The rise of ‘social media – many of which can be implemented or mimicked over internets or extranets to make them available only to a […]
UK skills rating sliding
The UK is living on “past glories” and its economy risks sliding down the international rankings unless the skills of 10 million workers are improved, according to experts. In response to the coalition government’s launch of its ‘Skills for Sustainable Growth’ consultation document last week, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills has released a […]
20% claim they are bullied by boss
In somewhat of an indictment of UK business leadership, just over one in five UK workers claim to be bullied by their boss, while almost a third believe their manager is incompetent. A study among 1,298 staff commissioned by HR consultancy Reabur.com also revealed that a further 22% of respondents felt their manager was ‘under-qualified’ […]
Unite union prepares for court battles
Unite is to sue British Airways under European human rights legislation for withdrawing travel perks from cabin crew who took part in strike action earlier this year at the same time as it prepares for legal action against Ford. The union believes that the move by BA was taken without proper disciplinary procedures being followed. […]
April ‘too soon’ for retirement age scrapping
The CBI has warned that the coalition government’s proposals to phase out the Default Retirement Age from April next year are too swift and will make workforce planning “next to impossible”. The government’s consultation document, which was released today, suggests that the DRA should be officially scrapped on 1 October 2011. It also proposes that […]
Leadership matters: Disruptive team member
This column answers your questions on leadership, talent management, performance improvement and the employee behavioural issues that can cause even the best leadership techniques to go awry. This time a disruptive team member is causing a management headache for a team leader. The dilemma A team leader in a government organisation has inherited a new […]
Eye care: What you need to know
Eye watering statistics from a recent survey reveal that a large number of British employers are failing to comply with laws obliging them to care for the eyesight of their computer using employees. Here we present a definitive guide to what you need to provide to employees and what their rights in this area are. […]
Business to be consulted on public spending
Skills Minister John Hayes has launched a couple of public consultations, with the aim of understanding how scarce public resources should be used to best effect to meet employers’ requirements. The ‘Skills for Sustainable Growth’ document outlines the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ view on skills’ priorities and how they should be delivered, while […]
Coalition plans will lead to more older workers
Age UK has called on the coalition government to do more to tackle age discrimination if it is to push through proposed benefit reforms likely to boost the number of older workers returning to the jobs market. The charity estimates that plans to transfer Incapacity Benefit claimants onto Employment Support Allowance could increase the […]
Workplace morale at all time low
Workplace morale has hit an all-time low, with record falls in job satisfaction and two out of five personnel saying they would leave their current employer if they could find a better job. According to a survey among 2,000 staff undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), job satisfaction has dropped to […]
UK workers have lower ROI
Despite being subject to some of the least strict labour laws in Europe, UK workers generate a lower return on investment for their employers than those in either Western European or the US. These are the findings of a study undertaken among 10,000 companies in 40 countries by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The report indicated that so-called […]
Better communication with the DISC system
Body language expert Peter Clayton looks at the complex subject of profiling and how it can help you better understand how to communicate with your audience whether you are delivering a training programme to managers, presenting to the board or giving a speech at an HR event. Most of us take in knowledge and analyse […]
Employers face legal action due to sun danger
Employers in the UK could find themselves facing legal action if they do not sufficiently protect their employees from skin damage caused by working for prolonged periods in the sun. The news comes after a significant case in Australia where an employer was found liable for damages when employees who developed skin cancer after working […]
Ask the expert: Resign or seek severance?
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether this employee should resign or seek a severance payment. The question: Resign or seek severance? A year ago I negotiated flexible working with my employer (I work four longer days Mon-Thurs and take Friday off) so I could help care for my parents. My mother is now […]
Flexible working key to retention
While a huge 85% of workers would be more likely to stay with their current employer if they offered a broader range of flexible working options, less than half of organisations currently do so. These are the findings of a survey among 680 workers and 420 employers undertaken by recruitment agency Hays in June this […]
CIPD in ‘wildly inaccurate’ policy paper row
A leading HR body has found itself at the centre of a PR storm following the publication of a policy paper about skills quangos, which has been branded “wildly inaccurate” and “unprofessional”. The report entitled ‘Quangos in the Education and Skills System’, which was published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) last […]
Managing remotely – hands on, but hands on what?
The principles of leadership are no different whether you are co-located or virtual: the challenge – apart from adopting and practising appropriate principles, of course, is making them work in the virtual context. Robert Terry of ASK gives his tips on managing disparate teams in the first of a two-part series. What changes in the […]
Flexible working has the HR stamp of approval
The overwhelming majority of HR professionals back government moves to promote flexible working, with just over a third already having such policies in place. According to a survey among 50 HR managers undertaken by time and attendance systems provider Amano UK, a huge 98% were in favour of their organisations going down the flexible working […]
Vocational experience valued more higly than academic qualifications
Three out of five employers value vocational qualifications and work experience more highly than graduate status because they believe that personnel with a less academic background are more equipped to contribute to the business from day one. Just over two fifths of bosses that do not currently employ staff with vocational qualifications also said that […]