CIPD: For fewer on benefits, address job and skill problems
While government proposals to tackle welfare dependency make sense in theory, addressing structural problems such as poor management, lack of skills investment and too many low-paid and insecure jobs will be vital to make the dream a reality. According to John Philpott, chief economic advisor at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the […]
Controversial HR outsourcing leads to NHS resignation
The head of an NHS membership body has resigned after the organisation was criticised for its handling of a project to provide outsourced HR services to the health service. Steve Barnett, chief executive of the NHS Confederation since February last year and former NHS deputy director of HR, quit following a critical report of its […]
Sleep: the elephant slumped in the corner of the room
If the proverbial elephant is like many employees in the UK it’s tired, exhausted and unable to perform at its peak, hence the slumping. Tiredness and fatigue is an increasing epidemic so much so that Professor Russell Foster of Oxford University recently described Britain as a “Zombie Nation.” The main cause of tiredness and fatigue […]
Extraordinary energy – the ultimate reward
How often to do we hear the phrase ‘there are just not enough hours in the day?’ A common complaint in the world we live in with ever more increasing demands on our time, focus, roles and commitments. How much time and investment do organisations place into time management programmes, effective delegation, work life balance […]
Will World Cup Fever affect performance?
Managers are worried that next month’s World Cup Finals in South Africa will lead to network challenges and a dip in employee performance. A survey by networking firm Blue Coat Systems has found as many as half of the IT managers contacted believe staff should be banned from streaming matches to their desktops in office […]
Loreal creates virtual reality for recruits
Cosmetics giant L’Oreal is piloting an online virtual reality game to help it with graduate recruitment and instil it with the ‘cool’ factor at the same time. The new game called Reveal requires students and graduates to assume the guise of avatars. Their aim is to work on virtual projects and undertake problem-solving tasks across […]
BT prepares for strike ballot
Telecoms giant BT is preparing itself for its first period of industrial unrest in 25 years as the Communications Workers Union readies plans for a strike ballot over pay. According to an internal email seen by the BBC, managers are being asked to provide details of their broader skills, even if rusty, by Wednesday 26 […]
Training talk but no action leaves business at risk
While employers recognise the importance of training to help them achieve strategic investment, the number taking action fell last year in a move that could put economic recovery at risk, warns a specialist. According to business lobby group the CBI, nearly two thirds of the 694 organisations questioned for its ‘Ready to grow: business priorities […]
Changes to paternity leave – will they work?
The new government will face significant challenges in implementing its flexible parental leave proposals given employers’ lukewarm response to existing paternity leave measures today, a leading HR body has warned. The coalition government is keen for fathers to be able to take six months of paternity leave while their partners return to work. But the […]
Government budget cuts will have negative effect on private sector
The government's proposed £6bn in budget cuts, which includes a civil service recruitment freeze, will have negative knock-on effects on the private sector, leading to rising levels of unemployment, a leading HR body has warned. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) believes that the recruitment freeze, which is expected to save £170m, combined with […]
Ask the expert: Is that a TUPE?
If we win this contract, will we need to TUPE? Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise. The question: I am tendering against another company for the contract to run the canteen in a local factory – does this mean I will have to TUPE the employees of the other catering firm should I will […]
Who owns engagement?
The importance of employee engagement is a proven factor to having a positive impact on the bottom line. For an organisational strategy to really embrace employee engagement it needs buy-in from the highest echelons in order to be a success, as well as buy-in and commitment from those on the ground too. Traditional views of […]
The real cost of employee benefits
The outlook is still bleak for employees with regards to their pay. With employers continuing to err on the side of prudence rather than open their purse strings, wages are unlikely to rise in the foreseeable future. How can benefit packages give ROI and prove valuable? Employee benefits packages have always played an important role […]
We need a fresh approach – better benefits on a budget
In this feature with a difference, eavesdrop on these team conversations and learn about benefits on a budget. Meet the team (an entirely fictional team, but each with a foot firmly in reality…well it’s my reality so I’m setting the rules here). John: 62 – Finance DirectorJohn is a Newcastle fan because everything is black […]
Talent and innovation the key to Microsoft success
People are crucial to Microsoft’s ability to innovate, argues the firm’s CEO Steve Ballmer after the technology giant was named as the best place to work in Europe for the third year in a row. Microsoft won the Best Large Workplace in Europe 2010 award at a gala ceremony at the Great Place to Work […]
Competition time: Win £50 of National Garden Gift Vouchers
Submit your favourite barbecue recipe for a chance to win £50 to spend on your garden! This competition is now closed but we have more giveaways on site! Check the business lifestyle section. The lucky winner was annswan with her Chicken Cajan Kebabs! Congratulations, and a big thank you to everyone who entered. No matter […]
NHS age discrimination manager awarded £147,000
A senior NHS manager has been awarded £147,000 after winning a battle to prove that she was passed over for promotion because of her age. An employment tribunal in Leeds found that Linda Sturdy, 60, who worked in the breast screen clinic at the city’s Seacroft Hospital for 17 years, was subject to age discrimination […]
Generation standby: 20% would turn down a job which banned Facebook
A huge one in five people would turn down a job that prevented them from using social media at work as the boundaries between work and home continue to blur, according to a new report. The report dubbed ‘Web 2.0 in the Workplace 2010’, which was undertaken by security software provider Clearswift, indicated that so-called […]
Containing labour costs key priority for business
The majority of employers are keen to keep a lid on pay rises this year as containing labour costs remains one of their top priorities. But following an unprecedented year when many staff accepted curbs on pay and changes to working patterns to protect jobs during the recession, seven out of ten bosses appreciate […]
Skills investment in UK manufacturing needs to be protected if it is to lead recovery
Will a coalition be good for manufactuing? Proskills UK welcomes the new coalition but Terry Watts, CEO of Proskills UK, and New Balance HR Director Paul Kennedy have called for further action. “We believe that the partnership between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties has great potential for maximising the employer voice in the […]