Bonuses – a balancing act
How do you maintain your well-earned reputation as a competitive employer and, at the same time, comply with the new tougher public and regulatory expectations? It is no easy task striking a balance between legal requirements and commercial pressures when putting together an effective remuneration package. The answer is that remuneration should be aligned with […]
Harmonising HR and payroll – how technology can help
A new partnership is blossoming in Britain’s public and private sector: HR and payroll departments that have traditionally operated in isolation are getting together. As a result, technology is evolving rapidly to streamline the growing partnership. Graham Whitehouse, MD of the software division at HR and payroll firm Selima, looks at how well bespoke or […]
The worst HR jargon – beat the buzzwords
Jargon is an affliction which plagues the business world with a plethora of meaningless cliches and pointless buzzwords, and HR is no exception. We’ve pinpointed a few of the worst offenders: can you remember what jargon floored you when you started working in HR – and what really grates with you now? The workplace is […]
Jobs, skills, growth? Not likely this year, say Unions
Union research indicating that the rate of pay freezes will accelerate this year has been published just as an influential employment advisory body hosted an international conference to focus on the UK’s future strategy for skills, jobs and growth. The new study undertaken by the Labour Research Department found that pay freezes were now more […]
Workplace bullying on the rise – take control
Workplace bullying is on the rise thanks to the effects of the recession, but there are some key self defence tactics employees can use to beat the office bullies, reports Jamie-Natalie Cross. Reports of workplace bullying have doubled over the past ten years and more than one in three employees have fallen victim to intimidation […]
New unlimited fines for corporate manslaughter
As of next Monday, employers convicted of corporate manslaughter could be subject to unlimited fines, according to a new judgement issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. The Council, which aims to promote consistent sentencing across courts in England and Wales, indicated that penalties related to the death of a staff member or members of the […]
75% leave employees without guidance on social networking
A worrying three quarters of UK organisations have no formal appropriate usage policies in place relating to social networking sites despite acknowledging that they could help protect intellectual property and guard against the leakage of sensitive corporate information. These are the findings of a survey undertaken among 2,100 employers by recruitment agency, Manpower. The report […]
HMRC computer glitch causes double the trouble for taxpayers
Millions of taxpayers could find themselves paying too much income tax and/or being taxed twice for company cars and private health insurance unless HM Revenues and Customs fixes its new computer system by April. A glitch in the government department's new pay-as-you-earn applications, which were meant to streamline the collection of PAYE and National Insurance […]
Graduates could cause HR headache
Desperate university graduates are likely to cause HR professionals headaches over the year ahead by applying for as many jobs as possible, formally accepting multiple formal offers and making their final decision at the last minute. These are the findings of an online poll undertaken among more than 300 recent graduates and current undergraduates by […]
Industry View: Trouble at the rumour mill
Restructuring; outsourcing; relocation; mergers and acquisitions help to ensure the survival of many companies. Alongside the legal processes of such changes, their implementation also has to be carefully handled by skilled HR professionals. Managing the communication of change is a key part of maintaining company morale. Although the UK has officially emerged from the recession the […]
Krafty job cuts at Cadbury?
Following the shareholder approval of the Cadbury’s board recommended takeover offer by Kraft, the world’s second largest food company, there will inevitably be concerns amongst its staff that this will result in job losses. It has already been announced that Cadbury’s head office in Uxbridge will close and there are union fears that this will […]
Navigating the new learning map
The CIPD has changed its courses in order to better support modern HR. Trainer Derek Robertson explains what it means for HR. Over the past decade we’ve seen a huge amount of changes in the role HR has taken in the business, from an admin and payroll centre in many cases to a decision making, […]
Ask the expert: Bonuses for all?
Do these TUPE employees still have a right to their undefined bonuses? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise. The question: Bonuses for all? I work for a company who have some employees following a TUPE transfer a few years ago. We now have issues around who we can, and cannot pay bonuses […]
The benefits of hi-tech, hi-touch mentoring
Mentoring might not be an obvious area to apply software, but it could help your organisation be more effective and help with ROI of a mentoring initiative. In today’s market conditions, when concerns of cost and efficiency are a priority for firms who want to stay ahead of the competition, complementing a mentoring initiative with […]
SuccessFactors acquires Inform
SuccessFactors has beefed up its business execution offering with the purchase of Inform, an Australian firm which offers consulting and software to help companies analyse and plan for the future of their workforce. SuccessFactors’ roots are in performance management and talent management, but the firm last year launched into an ambitious gambit to reposition as […]
Select HR bought by Access
Select HR, one of the UK’s dwindling band of independent HR software houses, has become part of the Essex-based business software group Access. The Select team will remain in Canterbury and operate as Access Select, a division of the wider group. The plan is to integrate the web-based Select HR suite with the accounting products […]
When Twitter goes bad – Vodafone apologises
Vodafone UK has been forced to apologise to hundreds of its Twitter followers following the posting of an obscene message by one of its customer service staff. The rogue employee, who has been suspended until further notice, used the mobile phone operator’s official account to post a message saying: “Vodafone UK is fed up of […]
Public sector job cuts crossroads on road to recovery
Although the UK jobs market is moving ‘out of intensive care’ and confidence is returning to the private sector, it is likely to be hit by public sector redundancies over the next 12 to 18 months, according to experts. The latest ‘Report on Jobs’ published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and management consultants […]
HR should be on the lookout for internet addiction
Internet addiction is now a bigger problem in the UK than gambling and one that HR professionals should monitor it’s use due to its link with depression. According to the first large scale study of its kind undertaken by psychologists at the University of Leeds among 1,319 people aged 16-51, 1.2% of the sample group […]
1/3 suffering with outdated IT
With two thirds of HR departments experiencing significant structural change, many have been left with inadequate or out of date IT provision which is now holding them back. Nearly two thirds of HR departments have experienced significant structural change over the last two years due to a desire to deliver services more cost-effectively and a […]