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 […]
Employment law takeaways: June
Employment law takeaways: our bitesize legal updates for busy HR professionals, provided by Suzanne Horne of Morrison and Foerster. 1. McWilliam & Others v Glasgow City Council – Compromise Agreements2. Salford NHS Trust v Roldan – Disciplinary Investigation and Hearing3. Edwards v Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Damages in Wrongful Dismissal4. Chief Constable […]
Duck! Handling your human capital in a crisis
When a crisis hits, organisations instinctively prioritise their physical assets such as data and premises as they rally to continue ‘business as usual’. But when it comes to planning for the worst, making sure staff are looked after should be just as important, argues Graham Whitehouse, of HR and payroll provider Selima. With volcanic ash, […]
Recruitment: Is it a candidate’s world?
Now there are more jobs on the market and more talent willing to move, does this mean that candidates are finally in the driving seat when it comes to recruitment? A lot has changed over the past year. In the summer of 2009 we were experiencing what some called the worst recession since World War […]
Is your organisation a work-life balance champion?
A website for working mums and flexible work jobseekers has launched it’s own awards to see which workplaces are most family-friendly. Workingmums.co.uk, a website for professional working mums and flexible jobseekers, is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural annual Top Employer Awards to publicly recognise and celebrate the achievements of companies offering leading […]
Social media still ‘misunderstood by management’
Even though social media can be useful as an internal tool to encourage staff to network and share information among themselves, management fears over loss of control, reputational damage and legal issues are holding back adoption. According to a ‘Social Media Survey’ undertaken among 2,600 internal communications professionals from 1,800 organisations by research and training […]
Public sector HR braces for storms ahead
Public sector HR managers could face difficult times ahead if current debates being played out in the media over potentially radical changes to pay and pensions come to fruition. Only a day after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg branded public sector pensions “unaffordable”, signalling possible future cuts, and 10 days after Prime Minister David Cameron […]
Take action on ‘blatant racism’ in best paid professions
A charity has called on HR professionals to do more to tackle institutionalised racism in their workplaces in order to encourage more members of the UK’s ethnic minorities to apply for prestige jobs. A report, which is due to be published tomorrow, has revealed that more than a quarter of people from ethnic minority groups […]
Dole claimants 5: Job vacancies 1
While the jobless rate among OECD nations may have remained static in April, TUC figures indicate that dole claimants in the UK now outnumber job vacancies by five to one, with London, the North East and Scotland worst hit. Statistics released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which includes mostly developed nations, revealed […]
Follow the 3 Cs for the key to recruitment
Recruiting, hiring, talent attraction, talent acquisition…whatever words you use you can’t escape the fact that sourcing and hiring new people for your business is far harder to get right than it is wrong, with new research showing that a negative experience can damage your bottom line. Its long been said that you can tell a […]