Election 2010: Are you voting for flexibility?
The private sector used flexible working to reduce redundancy. Will the promise of flexible working legislation be a vote winner for the political parties this general election – and how will this translate into the real world of business? Before the election, Labour employment and welfare reform minister, Jim Knight, praised private sector employers for […]
How do you teach a new line manager to manage?
Imagine you are two or three years into your career: knowledgeable, confident and well regarded within the organisation. What’s next? Maybe a promotion with a team, more responsibility and a pay rise? Though alongside these come new pressures, a new way of working and the need to use a different type of skills. How […]
Five steps to wellbeing at work
We spend approximately 30% of our lives working, maybe more. It is a significant part of our lives that is intertwined with our mental and physical wellbeing. So instead of just thinking about how to improve wellbeing through weekend activities and holidays, employees can also take action to improve their wellbeing at work. Jody Delichte […]
CMI announces chartered manager of the year finalists
The Chartered Management Institute has selected 11 finalists to compete in this year’s Chartered Manager of the Year competition. Each candidate is accredited under the CMI’s Chartered Manager scheme and has been chosen by a panel of experts in regional heats. The competition has now been thrown open to the public to vote for their […]
Recruitment rates up but gap in private and public sector grows
While hiring by private sector organisations is set to surge this spring, the public sector jobs outlook is the bleakest for six years – although overall the balance is positive for the first time since the winter of 2008. According to the latest quarterly labour market survey of 800 employers undertaken by the Chartered Institute […]
The new succession planning
Self-service is turning traditional succession planning on its head, addressing the aspirations of high performing individuals throughout the organisation and improving business performance. When it comes to the risk of losing a senior executive, many organisations seek to avoid the potential disruption to business continuity and performance by identifying and grooming potential replacements. However, the […]
Bebo-speak: the language your younger employees don’t want you to understand
Teenagers are using a secret language on social networking sites to prevent employers and others in authority knowing what they are up to, according to researchers. Lisa Whittaker, a postgraduate student at the University of Stirling, who studied the behaviour of 16 to 18 year olds in Scotland who used Bebo, said that the slang […]
Only 40% of employees say their business is ethical
While employers that adhere to corporate social responsibility and environmentally-friendly business practices show better rates of employee engagement and retention, only two out of five UK staff believe that the organisation they work for behaves ethically. These are the findings of a survey undertaken among 1,000 personnel by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI), a subsidiary […]
Equality ruling costs Birmingham Council £200 million
More than 4,000 female council workers have won the right to be paid the same as male colleagues in a test case that could lead to pay-outs of £200 million. Following a seven week hearing, a Birmingham Employment Tribunal found in favour of the women, employed by Birmingham City Council in 49 different roles ranging […]
Volcanic voxpops – how did you cope?
On visiting the CIPD’s HRD event we took the opportunity to ask attendees how their business had been affected by the volcano. For most the volcano disruption is coming to an end and employees are returning home from holiday or work trips. It was pleasing to see that many had various policies in place and […]
Wellbeing – the crucial engagement factor
Do not underestimate the power of wellbeing when it comes to engagement and business performance, explains Ian Jameson. According to Best Companies’ survey of over 250,000 employees, almost 90% of employees who felt strongly negative towards the wellbeing aspects of their workplace said they would leave tomorrow if they had another job. Not a great […]
Election 2010: Are the unemployment policies redundant?
Even though unemployment policy is likely to play a significant role in the forthcoming general election, it appears that none of the major parties have convinced voters that they have the answer. According to a survey undertaken among 4,000 voters and commissioned by online job board TipTopjob.com, a huge 69% of jobseekers said that their […]
Presenteeism – there in body, but not in mind
Presenteeism – a term that describes the ‘working sick’ – refers to employees who are physically present in work but who are less productive due to difficulties they’re facing in their personal or professional lives, mental health issues or a physical illness. These circumstances can affect an individual’s quality of work as well as, depending […]
Recession still biting, warns CMI
The impact of the global economic slump is still being felt among eight out of 10 employers, leading to falling levels of staff morale and ever-growing fears for the future among senior managers. According to the new ‘Economic Outlook’ report written by Lord John Eatwell, chief economic adviser to the Chartered Management Institute, even though […]
How to handle: Absenteeism and return to work
Successful absence management is about moving away from focusing on sickness to encouraging employees to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. Pamela Gellatly, chief executive of healthcare risk consultancy, Healthcare RM tells us why. The number of days lost through absence and the associated cost to UK businesses has been well documented. But […]
Ask the expert: Occupational health and stress
Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise on the role of OH in a ‘company caused’ stress case. Occupational health and stress Employee off work for six months with stress (consequence of work/bad management), attending MIND and Addiction Counselling treatment. How could Occ Health (with RGNs) offer help? They are not trained in mental health issues. […]
Job cuts hit NHS and IBM
The seemingly unrelenting news about job cuts continued apace today, with a possible 36,000 nursing positions due for the axe in the NHS and potentially as many as 299,000 permanent posts to go at IBM worldwide. A survey of 26 of England’s 168 NHS Trusts by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that 5,600 […]
Pensions reform: support is waning
Pensions timebomb: Will the UK suffer from empty NEST syndrome? AXA has revealed a lack of support for the planned pension reform, while the CBI has reported that savers are likely to be put off by high charges and a complicated structure. New research from AXA has highlighted declining support among both employers and employees […]
Are your employees aware of your sickness policy?
A survey of 500 businesses has revealed up to 1/4 do not routinely tell employees about any benefits of the sickness policy, leaving many employees unaware of any benefits to them if they fall ill. When asked to elaborate, eight per cent of businesses questioned had a policy in place but preferred to maintain secrecy […]
Layla Bunni’s On the Case: Drug testing at work
Layla investigates real life cases and brings the conclusions to HRzone, shedding light on important employment law issues. This month: if you force an employee to undergo a blood test for alcohol and dismiss them, can they appeal on grounds of data protection and human rights? The case:A manufacturing company employs a number of field […]