Positive discrimination gets thumbs down
A survey of 545 senior UK business figures has revealed overwhelming opposition to legislative intervention to encourage under-represented minorities in UK companies. More than four fifths (81%) of respondents to DLA Piper’s General Election Survey 2010, interviewed online by YouGovStone, said that they opposed ‘positive action’ to give priority to candidates for employment or […]
Social media? We’re seeing the light, say managers
New research has highlighted a sea change in the way management consider’s social media’s role in the business – however security remains a concern. Clearswift, the software security company has today unveiled new research outlining the latest business adoption of social media in the UK. The report outlines a startling change in the adoption of […]
HR – do we have the technology, and do we love the technology?
Are HR managers geeks in disguise or firm technophobes? According to a recent survey most of us are into social media and tech but just wish we had more resources to spend on these shiny things. But is this accurate? On HRzone we’re investigating where you stand when it comes to technology in the organisation. […]
73% of HR think there’s too much employment law
Over seven in ten HR professionals in the UK (73%) believe that employment is excessively regulated, according to a new research study by national law firm Dickinson Dees. The HR Legal Tracker 2010 also reveals that over half of respondents (55%) believe that simplifying employment law must be top of the agenda for the […]
CIPD warns UK must prepare for 10% public sector cut
The CIPD has estimated that the UK should be braced for a 10% cull in the public sector workforce in the lifetime of the next government – whoever wins the May 6 General Election. The cut would bring the current 5.8 million roster of such jobs down by at least 500,000, says the CIPD (Chartered […]
Ask the expert: Rest day after night shift
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether an extra rest day is required for a 20 hour employee after a night shift. Rest day after night shift A member of staff moved from a 30 hour contract to a 16 hour contract to allow him to study for a course which he doesn’t need […]
Opening up talent for business success
Diversity should be threaded through all talent management activities and strategies so organisations can reap the benefits of accessing and developing talent from the widest possible pool. This is the main finding from our new CIPD research report, Opening Up Talent for Business Success: Integrating Talent Management and Diversity. Our research draws upon focus groups […]
From delegating to overtaking: the purpose of empowerment
Empowerment is not delegation or buckpassing or abnegation. So what is it, how can you nuture it and help your employees achieve it? Empowerment is a powerful thing, but one that strikes me as being too often confused with other things. It isn’t, as we would all acknowledge, delegation: delegation is a process by which […]
It’s only words – the war against jargon continues
The Local Government Association has banned another list of jargon. But it’s minds that need to change as much as words, says Neil Taylor. I don’t know what a trialogue is. I’ve never heard of predictors of beaconicity (I’m struggling to say it, let along predict it). And a deep dive sounds vaguely rude […]
Wellbeing: Your best posture ever
Bad posture is so widespread – how can we go about improving it and what benefits does it bring? Look around your workplace and you will see numerous examples of bad posture. Many people have rounded shoulders, hunched upper backs, tense necks, overarched lower backs and protruding abdominals. What can be done about it? Get […]
Workday’s HCM credentials boost Cloud Computing offering
“Cloud Computing was taking off, but a year ago we didn’t have the functionality to replace the legacy systems,” says Aneel Bhusri, co-CEO of Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM) provider Workday. “But now we’ve closed that gap and overtaken the legacy providers. Customers are switching off their old HR and payroll systems. The more a […]
Do you need to pay employees stranded by volcano?
The Icelandic volcano has left tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad. ‘In case of volcano’ isn’t a phrase you often see on a contract or in terms and conditions, but the question must be: seeing as many employees simply cannot get home, should they be paid? Much like the snow situation last year when […]
No training = no motivation
Employees are willing to leave a job if decent training is not provided, according to research from the Home Learning College. A survey conducted among 3,000 British workers showed that 19% have left a job due to a lack of relevant training. At the same time, almost half (49%) said relevant training would help […]
Organisational development – a schizophrenic profession?
Organisational Development (OD) is not so much a discipline as the application of accumulated experience of dealing with differing theories, practices and models. Chris Nutt tackles the tangled web. This often involves considering two or more apparently contradictory theories at the same time. When those theories involve different value sets and stress opposite attitudinal features, […]
TrainingZone Live – grab your early-bird discount
Grab an early-bird discount at TrainingZone Live, the new event for L&D professionals, consultants and HR practitioners – that’s £200 off the ticket price. PLUS: CMI and BILD members get a 50% discount! The event has been developed based on feedback from TrainingZone community, and will consist of two days where delegate […]
MySpace or yours? Social networking in the workplace
Social media is here to stay: what should HR be considering instead of locking out employees and chaining up the computer? In recent years the use of social media, including social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn, has grown exponentially. Facebook had approximately 5.5 million active members in December 2005, over 350 million […]
Employment law update: Paternity and pensions
April 2010 is upon us and it brings changes to current legislation. Some of these important changes are outlined below. Regulations on Blacklisting The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 have been laid before Parliament, and subject to Parliamentary approval, are due to come into force sometime between February and April 2010. The regulations […]
Employer of choice – with privilege comes responsibility
Would you like to be the ‘Employer of Choice’? I don’t know who coined that phrase but it sounds good. When out recruiting you get the biggest queue at your stand – all the best people, and unfortunately quite a lot of the ‘not good enough’. You can pick and choose whom you want. Great […]
Where are the women in IT?
Women working in technology have achieved great things but the fact remains that there are not many of them around – only 19% of the UK IT workforce is female. What’s more, there are even fewer women when it comes to the top level jobs which are heavily dominated by men. Many organisations would however […]
Ask the expert: Is this harassment?
Is this employee being sexually harassed? Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise. The question: Is this harassment? I have an issue with one of the junior managers within my branch. Although he is not my direct line manager I have to report to him for technical decision making – I am effectively one of […]