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 […]
Dragon advocates softer management approach
Alan Sugar’s famous style of leadership is in the firing line of recent research which claims the economic downturn has had a dramatic effect on how bosses manage their staff. The research found that people respond far better to a more ‘touchy-feely’, empathetic manager at the helm of their company rather than an intimidating, authoritarian […]
Making the leap into the Cloud: one HRD’s story
Stepping into the world of ‘cloud computing’ sounds strange and scary to many but actually it’s not that big a leap. All ‘cloud’ means, essentially, is ‘web-based’. So if you’ve used Facebook, Hotmail, GMail or perhaps an online jobs board, you are already operating in ‘the Cloud’ – maybe without even knowing it. So where […]
Making time for talent management
In the wake of the recession, the need for effective talent management is more important than ever for UK businesses. With a growing pool of emerging graduates year on year, businesses might assume that they are in a better position than ever to bag the best talent. However, the case isn’t quite so clear cut. […]
Working mums ‘resented’ in workplace
A huge nine out of 10 working women believe that female colleagues with children receive better treatment than them and resent the flexible hours and time off mothers have, indicating that HR professionals need to do more to level the playing field. Moreover, a third of working women without offspring think that working mothers use […]
Out of date policies putting businesses at risk
Too many companies are failing to revise internal procedures in order to comply with new equality and anti-bribery legislation, leaving them open to potential prosecution, lawyers have warned. According to a survey of more than 100 HR directors undertaken by law firm Pannone, just under two thirds of respondents still routinely use pre-employment health questionnaires […]
Business leaders offer advice to England football team
The most important learning from Fabio Capello’s failure to bring the England football team to victory during the World Cup was the value to be gained from creating strategies and tactics that played to the strengths of both individuals and the team. According to a survey of business managers, coaches, HR and learning and development […]
James Reed: The three Rs – recruitment, retention and relationships
James Reed is chairman of Reed specialist recruitment, who are celebrating 50 years of recruiting. Here he talks Charlie Duff through what has changed in the industry, from recruitment through to talent and retention. How did Reed start? Reed was set up by my father, Alec Reed and 2010 is a particularly special year […]
Ask the expert: Default retirement age
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on how to deal with retiring workers. The question: Default retirement age We have a default retirement age of 65 and follow the usual procedures of writing to staff approaching retirement. The organisation has to date accepted every request for staff to remain […]
Book review: ‘The Why of Work’ by Dave and Wendy Ulrich
Following our interview last week with Dave and Wendy Ulrich, management consultant John Pope gives his review of ‘The Why of Work’. Title: The Why of Work Authors: Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich Published by: McGraw-Hill ISBN 978-0-07-173935-1 281 Pages USD $27.95 This is an important book – organisations and senior managers who take up […]