Ask the expert: Bank holiday confusion
Employees on maternity leave continue to accrue statutory annual leave, including bank holidays. Employers must ensure staff receive their full 28 days statutory entitlement plus any contractual holiday, though the treatment of bank holidays depends on how the employment contract is drafted.
Feathering the NEST – time to start now
The UK faces a significant retirement savings gap, with millions not making adequate provision for their future. NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) is a government-backed pension scheme designed to help low- to middle-income workers save for retirement through automatic workplace enrollment.
The future of recruitment: it’s all about people
The future of recruitment extends beyond filling positions to encompassing holistic talent management. Companies must integrate recruitment with employee retention, training, and development to prevent costly turnover and protect their employer brand in an age of social media visibility.
TUC says tighter strike rules are “charter for exploitation”
The TUC has condemned CBI proposals to tighten strike rules and shorten redundancy consultation periods as a “charter for exploitation” that breaches human rights obligations. The employers’ group wants to require 40% turnout and majority support for strikes, and reduce redundancy consultation from 90 to 30 days.
Employees would choose training over free time
A new study reveals that 76% of UK, French, Spanish, and German employees would sacrifice free time for training to advance their careers and boost salaries. The research shows employees are highly motivated to develop skills, with 53% even willing to part-fund their own training programs.
Summer strikes may bring country to a halt
UK infrastructure faces disruption as London Underground train drivers prepare major strikes over driverless train proposals, while BT workers vote on industrial action over pay disputes. Both labor actions could significantly impact transport and telecommunications services this summer.
Budget must invest to tackle skills gap
An employer’s body is urging the government to invest in skills training to address a significant shortage in the manufacturing sector, which has 3,500 job vacancies and 44,000 workers with skills gaps. Proskills recommends matched-funding approaches and schemes like the Joint Investment Programme to help training providers and small-to-medium businesses develop relevant qualifications and transferable skills.
Skills shortfall leads to recruitment problems
Two-thirds of employers struggle to find staff with specialist skills despite a slower labour market, making talent recruitment the top priority for most organizations. Budget constraints are forcing companies to focus on developing in-house talent and retaining existing employees rather than hiring externally.
Public sector job cuts need to be pursued with care, say HR experts
HR experts warn that rapid public sector job cuts risk creating long-term unemployment if the private sector cannot absorb displaced workers quickly enough. Without careful management aligned with private sector recovery, cuts exceeding 500,000 jobs could overwhelm the labour market and extend unemployment for years.
Employment law takeaways: June
Employment law updates covering key June cases, including guidance on compromise agreements, disciplinary investigations, wrongful dismissal damages, disability discrimination, statutory dispute resolution uplifts, and trade union rights. This roundup highlights tribunal and court decisions affecting HR practices and employment contracts.
Duck! Handling your human capital in a crisis
Organisations often prioritise physical assets during crises, but protecting employees through robust business continuity planning is equally critical. Research shows UK businesses lack crisis communication, with less than half of managers aware of their continuity plans, while small businesses remain significantly underprepared compared to larger enterprises.
Recruitment: Is it a candidate’s world?
As 2010’s job market improves with more vacancies and willing talent, candidates gain negotiating power—especially those with in-demand skills. However, quality candidates remained scarce during the recession, giving employers continued advantage. HR’s role becomes critical, requiring strong employer branding to attract top talent, particularly Generation Y candidates who value purpose and flexibility alongside compensation.
Is your organisation a work-life balance champion?
Workingmums.co.uk has launched annual Top Employer Awards to recognise companies with leading flexible working practices, diversity initiatives, and work-life balance support. The awards celebrate employers helping working parents succeed in their careers while maintaining family commitments.
Social media still ‘misunderstood by management’
Management misconceptions about social media adoption are limiting its use as an internal engagement tool. While 64% of managers fear losing control and reputational damage, organizations already using social media internally report significant benefits including improved staff communication, innovation, and employee engagement.
Public sector HR braces for storms ahead
Public sector HR managers face potential upheaval as government debates radical changes to pay and pensions. The CIPD calls for performance-related pay, regional pay variations, and pay bill freezes to drive reform while managing public sector costs.
Take action on ‘blatant racism’ in best paid professions
A charity report reveals that over a quarter of UK ethnic minorities feel major professions in law, banking, media and politics are closed to them due to racism. The study calls on HR professionals to tackle institutionalised discrimination through diverse recruitment, mentorship, and role models to encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
Dole claimants 5: Job vacancies 1
UK job vacancies have fallen sharply, with dole claimants now outnumbering available jobs by five to one according to TUC figures. London, the North East, and Scotland are worst hit, with some areas like Hackney facing ratios as high as 24 claimants per job vacancy.
Follow the 3 Cs for the key to recruitment
Successful recruitment depends on the 3 Cs: Clarity, Communication, and Closure. Learn how to define your hiring needs, communicate transparently with candidates, and manage expectations to protect your company’s reputation in today’s transparent job market.
The disease of unconscious bias
Unconscious bias operates subtly within organizations, undermining diversity efforts even among well-intentioned people and institutions. Unlike conscious discrimination addressed through legislation, this hidden bias is harder to identify but equally damaging, contributing to persistent employment disadvantages for ethnic minorities and other groups across the UK.
Ask the expert: Can a company offer improved benefits to new starters but not to TUPE staff?
Companies can legally offer better benefits to new hires than existing employees, including TUPE staff, unless the disparity constitutes unlawful discrimination. However, such practices risk creating workplace tension and morale issues among employees performing identical roles on different terms.
