Firms warned over first aider rules
Over three-quarters of UK employers have broken first aid laws by lacking trained first aiders. New HSE guidelines require businesses to ensure adequate first aid cover during staff absences like holidays and sickness, not just maintain minimum staffing levels.
The rules of engagement : Retaining talent’s top 10 blunders
Discover the top 10 employee engagement mistakes businesses make, from poor communication of benefits to ineffective leadership styles. Learn how to avoid these common pitfalls and build a sustainable approach to retaining talent through genuine, multi-faceted engagement strategies.
Google innovation
Google fosters innovation by making it a strategic priority at the highest organizational levels, implementing the 70-20-10 model, and cultivating a culture where people and company values drive creative success, according to people operations director Liane Hornsey.
Layla Bunni’s on the case: Facebook fail by employee
An HR case study examines disciplinary action against a payroll employee who disclosed colleagues’ confidential remuneration details on Facebook. The breach of confidentiality constitutes gross misconduct potentially warranting summary dismissal, highlighting the need for employers to implement clear social media policies.
Beating the frustration: improving HR’s relationship with recruiters
HR and recruitment agencies struggle with poor working relationships despite needing each other. Key issues include lack of fee transparency, inadequate candidate screening, and time-consuming briefing processes that frustrate both parties and limit access to quality talent pools.
Hooray for homeworking
A survey of 350 home workers found that 85% experienced increased productivity when working from home, with many attributing gains to fewer interruptions, flexible scheduling, and reduced commute times. The Telework Association concluded that home working offers significant organizational benefits through measurable productivity improvements.
Cost of living rise will put pressure on business, says CIPD
Cost-of-living inflation has surged to 3.7%, creating challenges for UK pay bargaining as employers face pressure to award wage rises they may struggle to afford. The sharp rise in the Retail Prices Index comes at a critical time for salary negotiations, though experts expect the spike to be temporary.
City University unveils Centre for Performance at Work
City University launches the Centre for Performance at Work to research business leadership, employee wellbeing, and talent management. The interdisciplinary centre will advise organizations and policymakers while offering seminars, PhD courses, and a new Masters in International Business Psychology.
Mixed reviews for Conservatives cooperative concept
The Conservative Party’s proposal to expand public sector worker cooperatives, allowing staff to run services and share profits, has received mixed reactions. While the Social Enterprise Coalition backed the plan, major unions raised concerns about losing contracts to commercial competitors, and critics said proposals neglected community interests.
HR business partners: Old habits die hard
Transitioning HR generalists to Business Partner roles requires more than new titles and training—they must break old habits that undermine success. Business Partners should stop handling individual employee requests, assuming facilitator roles in meetings, waiting passively for customers, and performing transactional tasks, instead focusing on strategic business impact and proactive partnership.
HR professionals ‘risk being left behind’, says CIPD
HR professionals must evolve from traditional administrative roles to strategic advisors who provide business insight and guide sustainable organizational change, or risk being sidelined by senior leaders seeking solutions elsewhere, warns the CIPD.
Ask the expert: Demotion – any choice?
An employee facing a potential demotion and £8,000 pay cut can rely on verbal agreements and conduct to establish binding contract terms, even without written updates. Under TUPE regulations, the new employer must honor existing terms, and any changes made solely due to the transfer may be void.
Redundancies are set to almost double in the first quarter
Redundancies are expected to nearly double in the first quarter as nearly a third of public sector employers plan job cuts, while the private sector shows modest hiring growth that cannot offset overall job losses. A survey of 700 organizations reveals workforce cuts of 6.2% across all sectors, with public administration facing particularly steep declines of 62%.
53% of UK employees express passion for their jobs
A Kenexa Research Institute survey finds that 53% of UK employees feel passionate about their jobs, driven by opportunities to use their skills, develop professionally, and achieve work-life balance. Senior managers report the highest passion levels, while service and production workers report the lowest.
Can you enforce your dress code?
Employers have some legal flexibility to enforce dress codes, but the extent remains unclear following a British court’s ruling on religious symbols. While some lawyers say employers can ban religious items like crucifixes and veils, others warn that dress codes must be carefully designed to avoid indirectly discriminating against particular faith groups.
Saying ‘I love you’ (in a work-appropriate way)
Managers should recognize employees every seven days with specific praise, yet most workers report waiting six months or longer between recognition moments. Frequent appreciation—delivered through varied methods like public praise, handwritten notes, and team acknowledgments—is essential for building a productive workplace culture.
Dinnerladies win discrimination case over Council
An Appeal Court ruled that Sheffield City Council discriminated against female carers and dinnerladies by denying them productivity bonuses given to male workers, potentially opening the door for thousands of similar compensation claims across the UK.
Engagement top priority to aid retention, says survey
Two-thirds of HR directors prioritize employee engagement to improve retention as businesses emerge from recession. Research shows engaged employees perform better, are more innovative, and more likely to stay with their employer, with meaningful involvement and open communication being key drivers.
Public sector management must improve, say experts
Public sector management skills need significant improvement to maximize the benefits of performance-related pay policies, according to experts. Poor management is contributing to higher absentee rates in the public sector compared to the private sector, while many managers lack adequate leadership training and struggle with disciplinary processes.
HR tip: Confirming contract change
When employment terms change, you must provide written confirmation to the employee within one month of the change taking effect. Relying on the employee simply working under new terms is not sufficient legally.
