Mobile support aids learning and security
Four UK colleges are piloting mobile learning applications with 500 apprentice students to assess whether mobile access improves qualification completion and supports assessment processes. The trial also highlights research showing that employee security awareness training is more effective than technology alone in preventing data breaches.
Apprenticeships appreciated at awards
Sellafield has won Macro Employer of the Year at the National Apprenticeship Service Awards for effectively using apprentices to meet business and community needs. The nuclear power provider, which has employed apprentices for over 50 years, currently has 320 trainees and plans to expand the program further.
Social media ‘critical’ to success but security is lacking
Workplace social media use is rising and now considered critical for business success, with over half of managers supporting employee access for productivity and brand awareness. However, security remains a significant concern, with 61% of respondents worried about risks and 23% admitting to sharing confidential information via social networks.
Adopt the Cloud or lose key talent
Companies must adopt cloud-based IT services to meet employee demands for flexibility and remote work, or risk losing talent to competitors and the freelance market. Cloud computing enables secure access to IT systems from anywhere, making it essential for business survival as workforce expectations evolve.
Meaning in abundance: Dave and Wendy Ulrich on The Why of Work
Dave and Wendy Ulrich introduce seven key principles for creating organizational “abundance” in their book The Why of Work. They explain how HR professionals can architect meaningful workplaces by aligning practices around people, performance, and culture to help employees find greater purpose in their roles.
Avoiding ‘December syndrome’
December syndrome occurs when managers focus disproportionately on recent employee performance during year-end reviews, overlooking accomplishments earlier in the year. Modern performance management systems combat this bias by capturing continuous feedback throughout the year, ensuring objective evaluations based on complete performance data.
Be prepared with our guide to the Agency Workers Regulations
The Agency Workers’ Regulations establish legal protections for temporary agency workers by ensuring they receive equal pay and conditions to permanent staff. This legislation addresses the previously unregulated UK recruitment market and will significantly impact how businesses use agency workers and manage administrative compliance.
Employers fear backlash of bonus cuts
Nearly half of financial services organizations are cutting bonuses, but employers fear this could hurt their ability to attract top talent. The government is considering additional taxes on banker pay and exploring mandatory disclosure of remuneration levels.
Job deficit to last five years
The UK faces a five-year jobs deficit despite slightly falling unemployment, according to HR body CIPD warnings. While jobless claims dropped and part-time work surged, full-time job creation remains weak, with economic growth below forecast potentially resulting in significant job losses through 2015.
Acas launches HR equality guide
Acas has released guidance to help HR professionals implement the Equality Act, which comes into force in October. The new legislation replaces nine existing laws and requires changes to HR policies covering discrimination, harassment, victimization, and pay practices.
What does it feel like to be talent managed?
The CIPD’s ‘Talent Perspective’ research reveals how senior managers experience talent management programmes, finding that participants report high engagement, value personal development opportunities, and see stronger futures with their organizations when HR plays a central coordinating role.
Getting social with recruitment
Social recruiting through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offers cost-effective ways to attract younger talent and shorten hiring cycles. However, businesses must establish clear best practices and integrate social recruitment into existing processes to protect their brand and ensure a consistent candidate experience.
Ask the expert: Is depression covered by the DDA?
Depression may be covered by the DDA if it has a substantial, long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities and has lasted or is likely to last 12 months or more. Simply being off work for six weeks doesn’t automatically exclude DDA protection if these criteria are met.
Learning innovation: When the classroom won’t cut it
Organizations must innovate beyond traditional classroom training to build critical workforce skills during economic constraints. Technology-enabled learning solutions offer flexibility for time-starved employees while meeting immediate business needs and learner expectations in the digital workplace.
Government may plug BT pensions
BT’s pension fund trustees are pursuing a High Court ruling to determine whether the government should underwrite the company’s £9 billion pension deficit through a crown guarantee. A favorable ruling could allow BT to reduce its substantial annual pension contributions and increase shareholder returns, while an unfavorable outcome may require faster deficit repayment.
No break for SME bosses
Three in five SME bosses plan to stay in contact with staff during summer holidays due to concerns about complex HR and payroll issues. Despite economic pressure, most avoid traditional two-week breaks, with 60% remaining reachable daily and 17% available 24/7.
Office chit-chat costs employers £2bn a year
Office workers spend an average of 67 minutes daily chatting with colleagues about non-work topics like TV and weekend plans, costing UK employers over £2 billion annually in lost productivity. A survey of 1,546 workers found that 8% admitted to socializing for three hours or more per day.
Coaches call for better regulation of industry
Coaches overwhelmingly support industry self-regulation through professional standards, ethics codes, and complaints procedures rather than government intervention. A survey found 84% of coaches want cross-industry ethics frameworks and 76% support common complaint procedures to address concerns about unqualified practitioners entering the field.
Recruitment activity shows slowdown
Recruitment activity for permanent and temporary positions slowed last month to the weakest pace since early 2024, signaling a broader jobs market deceleration. Government efficiency savings and rising youth unemployment are emerging concerns for the employment sector.
Bosses fearing worker burnout due to extra duties
Over two-thirds of UK employers fear workforce burnout from expanded roles after job cuts, with 52% blaming slow learning and development functions for not adapting to changing business needs.
