Talent – you’ve got it: you just don’t know it yet
A survey exploring the value that businesses and HR departments place on talent information and its availability has found that a worrying number of companies do not have access to reliable information on crucial workforce issues. Although most companies measure time to hire, only 33% have access to reliable data on the quality of hire […]
Sleepness nights for stressed workers
Three out of four UK workers are losing sleep because of work-related stress, while just over than half have no strong sense of belonging to their organisation. These are the depressing if unsurprising findings of several studies, which reveal the impact of the current challenging economic climate on the workforce. A survey undertaken among 6,000 […]
NEST review may mean more delays on pension scheme
The coalition government has refused to rule out further delays to the proposed national workplace pension scheme after launching a three-month review to determine how it should work in practice. Under current plans, the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), which requires all employers to either enrol their staff in a company pension or pay a […]
Married transexual wins pensions rights
In a landmark ruling, a married transsexual was judged to have been discriminated against by being subjected to male retirement laws after changing their gender from male to female. Christine Timbrell, who was born Christopher Timbrell in 1941, won her appeal to claim her state pension at 60 after Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) […]
Study at Harrods University
Harrods has become the latest employer to devise a tailored degree course for its staff in conjunction with a university in what appears to be a growing trend. The move follows the announcement last month that the University of Portsmouth had developed a bespoke workplace learning programme in Strategic Quality Management with high-tech giant Hewlett-Packard […]
The agile employer: helping employees fit the job
Employers regularly complain they can’t find the right people for the roles they have: however, there is rarely a ‘perfect’ candidate. So what’s the solution to make a person ‘fit’? The most recent unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics is a stark reality of recession. The number of unemployed people has increased by […]
1/3 of 2010 retirees will fall below the poverty line
An insurance provider has called on the government to take action on pensions after research revealed that nearly a third of all people planning to retire in 2010 will end up living below the poverty line. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a single person in the UK needs to earn at least £13,900 each […]
Training doesn’t lead to much gain, says report
With no proven link between education and training and increased economic performance, the mainstream political parties’ focus on boosting skills to ensure UK plc remains competitive is simply a “sleight-of-hand” to avoid tackling more structural labour market problems. These are the findings of a paper entitled ‘Moving Beyond Skills as a Social and Economic Panacea?’ […]
Emergency budget – what it means for HR and employers
This ‘emergency’ budget, delivered by Chancellor George Osborne (flanked by two Liberal Democrats to prove how well the coalition is working and how much cross-party support the financial plan has) could be significant for managers and HR, according to business leaders and the CIPD. John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel […]
National Minimum wage may ‘harm competitiveness’
The Low Pay Commission has been told to focus on monitoring the impact of the National Minimum Wage on small firms and the employment prospects of young people in order to understand whether it is harming their competiveness. The coalition government wrote to the Commission with its new requirements yesterday in a move that casts […]
Most want end of DRA – but don’t have other plans
While almost two thirds of adults would like to see the default retirement age abolished, few are sure what the right age for quitting work should be and most are failing to plan for the future. According to a survey undertaken among 1,011 people by Age UK, which was formed out of the merger of […]
Ask the expert: Bank holiday confusion
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith, advise on accrued bank holidays during maternity leave. The question: Bank holiday confusion We currently offer 22 days holiday per year plus bank holidays (for full timers) and our holiday year runs from 1st July – 30th June. I have a lady whose baby […]
Feathering the NEST – time to start now
There is some confusion over the state of pensions in the UK and with the change of government, where does the NEST scheme stand? Navigate the way forward with this guide. It has long been suggested that there is a sizable retirement savings gap in the UK. What does this mean – well basically, too […]
The future of recruitment: it’s all about people
Paul Daley, Director of HR Consulting at talent management consultancy, Ochre House addresses the question, ‘what is the future of recruitment?’ Usually, when people are thinking about the future of recruitment, the discussion moves towards ways in which new media, online sources and technology will impact upon the process. The ‘future’ where recruiters will use […]
TUC says tighter strike rules are “charter for exploitation”
The TUC has branded CBI calls to tighten up strike rules and cut the consultation period for redundancy as a “charter for exploitation” and in likely breach of the UK’s human rights obligations. The employers’ lobbying group is appealing to the coalition government to change existing ballot rules to ensure that industrial action can […]
Employees would choose training over free time
The majority of personnel would be willing to give up their free time to undertake training in a bid to boost their salaries and help them fulfil their potential, according to new research. A study undertaken among 2,200 employees in the UK, France, Spain and Germany by learning and development provider Cegos found that 76% […]
Summer strikes may bring country to a halt
The provision of key UK infrastructure looks set to be hit by waves of industrial action this summer as London train drivers prepare themselves for the “mother” of all strikes and BT workers begin voting on a potentially lengthy walkout. The RMT union last night condemned proposals, leaked to the BBC, to axe all train […]
Budget must invest to tackle skills gap
An employer’s body has called on the coalition government to invest in skills training ahead of next week’s emergency Budget to help the manufacturing industry tackle skills gaps and fill 3,500 job vacancies. Proskills, the Sector Skills Council for the Process and Manufacturing sector, said that, while it was not expecting blanket subsidies, it believed […]
Skills shortfall leads to recruitment problems
Despite a burgeoning labour market and reduced hiring activity last year, just over two thirds of employers have experienced recruitment difficulties due to a lack of available specialist skills. As a result, attracting and recruiting key staff is now the top resourcing objective for almost four out of five of the 500 employers questioned for […]
Public sector job cuts need to be pursued with care, say HR experts
If the government pursues large and rapid reductions in public sector jobs without giving the recovering private sector time to absorb them, it will risk creating a long-term unemployment problem, experts have warned. According to Ian Brinkley, associate director at research and consultancy body The Work Foundation, rising employment in the private sector could […]