Met’s HR system £10 million over budget

cash_1

After being attacked by David Cameron in  the leader’s debates during the general election, there’s more bad news for the Met as it is revealed their HR system is £10 million over budget. The Metropolitan Police Service’s new HR system is currently £10 million over budget and running six months late, according to a report […]

Only 1/3 want to retire

pp_default1

Only 31% of UK workers say they want to retire between the ages of 60 and 65, according to a recent survey.   However, with 29% seeing themselves giving up work between 66 and 70, 12% planning to work beyond the age of 70, and one in 10 saying they don’t believe that they will […]

Green jobs for the Welsh valleys

green-leaf

British Gas has opened a green skills training centre in South Wales, with the aim of equipping 1,300 local long-term unemployed and its own engineers with the necessary expertise to handle the emerging technology.  The centre, which was opened by Carwyn Jones, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, is based in Tredegar in the […]

BA strike called off – for now

pp_default1

Although an eleventh hour court order has put a stop to 20-days of planned strike action by British Airways cabin crew, disruption is still expected to hit up to 100,000 passengers this week.  The High Court ruled at 6pm last night that the walkout by 12,000 staff had to be called off due to a […]

Legal briefing: Equality laws explained

scales

Protecting against discrimination by its nature opposes prejudice and bigoted views. But as three recent high profile cases have highlighted, it can also bring wider beliefs in to conflict, such as religious and ethical points of view.   The way in which the courts have tried to reconcile such views in these recent cases has […]

Coping with the ash cloud: a guide for HR

volcano_2

Extreme weather is an issue HR must learn to cope with. With recommendations flying in from all angles, we’ve gathered the top advice to make one digestible guide. With the Icelandic ash cloud making reappearances over the past few weeks, and historic data reminding us that last time the volcano erupted it poured out ash […]

Generation Y – why engaging them is different

pp_default1

We know that Generation Y – people born between 1979 – 1991 – are our leaders of the future, but too many businesses and organisations are still failing to recruit, engage and retain them. A clash in attitudes and outlook between older (the Generation Xs and Baby Boomers) and upcoming generations has created a divide […]

Ask the expert: Can we promote a worker above their supervisor?

pp_default1

Can we promote a worker above their supervisor? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise.       The question: Can we promote a worker above their supervisor? We have a factory Manager who is responsible for all issues within the factory. He has not been undertaking his duties correctly and during his reviews has said […]

Migration cap ‘needs consultation’ says CIPD

pp_default1

An influential HR body has called for employers to be consulted on the new government’s proposed migration cap because it could leave them struggling to hire the talent required to “survive and thrive” in a still-tentative economic recovery.   Stephanie Bird, director of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said that members had expressed […]

‘Dire’ job figures signpost tough times ahead

pp_default1

‘Dire’ official jobs figures mean that the new government needs to take swift and decisive action to get Britain working again, according to a prominent HR body.  Data from the Office of National Statistics indicated that the number of people out of work in the three months to March rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million […]

Train to reduce turnover

pp_default1

While finding ways to ensure an effective work-life balance is the most important factor in keeping hold of older IT workers, training is the key to younger employees’ hearts.  These are the finding of new research commissioned by IT and management training provider Global Knowledge and high tech web site, TechRepublic. The study found that […]

Highest level of adults engaged in learning for a decade

books

The proportion of adults who are currently in some form of education or training or have been over the last 36 months is at its highest level for 10 years due to the difficult economic climate. According to a UK-wide survey of 4,964 adults undertaken by TNS Omnibus and sponsored by the Local Government Association […]

Legal update: Discrimination and commission

pp_default1

Employment law briefing – practical, digestible takeaways to help you make sense of the confusing world of employment case law from Suzanne Horne of Morrison and Foerster. This month, discrimination and capping commission. Homer v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Takeaway: Requirement of a degree not age discrimination The Court of Appeal has held that […]

Boost profit with wellbeing and CSR

pp_default1

There is a direct link between employers’ profitability and investing in issues such as the health and wellbeing of staff and ethical corporate behaviour.  These are the findings of research published by Business in the Community (BITC), a membership organisation with the remit of promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR). A study undertaken for BITC by Ipsos […]

Lack of clinician training a danger to NHS

healthcare

The new government must protect the future of the NHS by acting to prevent the further erosion of clinicians’ training budgets, a junior doctors’ leader has warned.  As a result, Dr Shree Datta, chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Junior Doctors Committee, said that the government needs to “plan properly” in order to ensure […]

Take the Alan Sugar leadership test

alan_sugar

Alan Sugar has returned to our screens in the Junior Apprentice (Wednesdays, 9pm, BBC1), we present the Alan Sugar test – have you got what it takes to lead in your organisation?       The thirst to find the next crop of leaders and entrepreneurs seems to show no signs of abating judging by […]

SuccessConnect: Get with the Cloud or lose your job in HR

pp_default1

Is Cloud Computing effectively calling the bluff of the HR director? For years HR people have longed for a seat on the board, complaining that they are unable to make their true contribution to adding business value to their organisations because they’re bogged down in traditional processes and paperwork.    Cloud Computing potentially changes all […]

PCS wins high court bid

pp_default1

A union has won its High Court bid to halt government measures that would have cut redundancy pay for civil servants in order to save it £500 million over three years.  The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union had called for a judicial review after changes to the Civil Servant Compensation Scheme were introduced without […]

‘Football fever’ – World Cup absence

pp_default1

Nine out of ten employers have no plans in place to help manage staff absence during the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa. According to a poll undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) among 1,000 organisations, a mere 5% have already developed a policy to manage staff absence during the tournament, […]

The leadership required to forge a coalition government

pp_default1

While political power talks continue and we wait to see if we will be offered a coalition, multi-party deal or minority government, Austin Swain considers the leadership skills needed to forge a strong, workable, multi-party parliament.   The political landscape has shifted beyond recognition in the last 10 days. Clegg, Brown and Cameron have moved […]