Do professional HR personnel need professional training?
HR is a profession many ‘fall into’. Whether this is a good or a bad thing, does it really mean you don’t need training? Dave Snow investigates the role of HR today and says training is never wasted. There are some within the HR profession who knew where their future lay from a young age […]
Ask the expert: Holiday on sick leave?
Can an employee go on holiday when they are on sick leave, and if so, what are we supposed to pay them? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise. The question: Holiday on sick leave? An employee on long-term sick leave (work-related stress) obviously accrues his/her holiday entitlement during this absence. However, during this time if […]
Competition: Win a Water Wellpoint Wellbeing review for your organisation
Getting fit for 2010? How healthy do you think you and your work colleagues are? You could win a Wellbeing review worth more than £500 with our competition. The Water Wellpoint online wellbeing review assesses how employees believe their work affects their health and provides a valuable insight for employers on how they can better […]
Personal development – essential to managers – essential for everyone?
Personal development starts from the very beginning of our lives and should not end when we start work. John Pope looks at professional and practical development. We start off in life not knowing much about ourselves and what we could be capable of achieving; we know little about managing other people. But we learn gradually […]
Stress assessed: 40 million Europeans suffering from stress
Stress appears to be endemic in workplaces across Europe, affecting more than 40 million employees in the European Union and costing the regional economy a huge E20 million. In response, the British Standards Institute and Nottingham University are leading an international team to develop good practice standards for assessing and managing work-related stress. But while European […]
Council pay freeze leads to thaw demands
Unions are urging local councils to reconsider a decision to impose a pay freeze on their 1.5 million workers, which they claim was made without negotiation. The year-long freeze, which is due to come into force from April, flies in the face of the 2.5% or £500 increase – whichever was greater – that Unison, […]
Good HR is E.ons away
Utility firm E.On has caused outrage among staff after finding out about its decision to axe 800 jobs following the closure of its Rayleigh call centre from a local Essex newspaper. The German-owned company, which supplies gas and electricity to 5.5 million UK customers, said that the decision to close the facility was not “taken […]
HR tip: Employee refuses contract
Learn HR is a leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications, and is experienced in advising on common HR and payroll problems. A wide selection of tips and guidance can be seen below. HRzone.co.uk recommends that any tips are taken as a starting point for guidance only. This week, can […]
Recruiting? Get the job spec write!
Rob Ashton explains how to write your way to the ideal candidate. It’s the start of the new year and the UK is sitting on a glut of unwanted Christmas presents. Matching present to person is seldom an easy task. It takes time and effort. But in the run up to Christmas, many people will […]
A carrot a day – keeps employee churn at bay
Charlie Duff interviews Chester Elton live at the HR Director’s Business Summit in Birmingham to find out why HR’s favourite colour should be orange. If you haven’t seen Chester Elton speak, perhaps you should. His motivation speeches are always funny and inspiring: his continual message is appreciate your people. Known for throwing things into/at his […]
Recession raising pension fund risks
While revived equity markets and higher gilt yields have recently led to falls in the UK’s pension fund deficit, the recession has led to a ‘marked rise’ in the long-term risk of pension schemes going bust. According to the annual ‘Purple Book’ published by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Pensions Regulator, which reviews […]
Poor negotiation skills undermining business performance
Employers’ failure to teach staff good contract negotiation skills and ensure that standard negotiation procedures are in place is costing them millions, according to a new report. The study among 124 Global 2000 organisations worldwide, undertaken by sales consultancy Huthwaite International, found that success today typically depended on an individual’s ability in the area rather […]
British Airways employee contests cross ban ruling
A British Airways check-in clerk suspended for wearing a crucifix at work is appealing against a ruling that cleared the airline of religious discrimination, claiming she has a right to equality and respect for her individual beliefs under the Human Rights Act. Nadia Eweida, who is aged 58 and from Twickenham, wants the Court of […]
HR sees green shoots of recovery
While 94% of HR professionals do not believe that the worst of the recession is over yet, two thirds expect to see an upturn in business over the next 12 months. As a result, according to a new online poll undertaken by management consultancy the Hay Group, nearly three fifths of respondents expect business performance […]
Ask the expert: Are lost payslips a legal minefield?
If my employer loses an employee’s pay slips are they in breach of ID theft or data protection? Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise. The question: A member of staff was away on leave and the payslips (two months worth) were given to the line manager while they were away. When this person asked […]
Mover and shaker: Raj Verma, Sodexo
Raj Verma, corporate HR director at Sodexo, will be leaving the UK to take up a role as HR director for the company’s business in Australia and New Zealand. Verma, who has been with Sodexo since 2007, took up his new post in January 2010. As corporate HR director in the UK and Ireland, Verma […]
Top tips for offering remote working to employees
Apart from severe weather there are likely to be lots of other reasons employees may request remote working. Chris Nunn gives his tips on what to consider. New year, new you or so we are led to believe. After the break many employees return to work fired up by recently-made new year resolutions. Having […]
Recruitment agencies and employers “work against each other”
More than three quarters of UK employers feel ripped off by their recruitment agencies and complain that they are not getting value for money, according to a study. A new poll of 250 HR professionals and business owners at 250 UK companies employing up to 750 staff, which was undertaken by researchers Vanson Bourne, indicated […]
HR increasingly influencing business planning and strategy
The HR function is starting to play an increasingly important role in helping UK organisations with corporate business planning and strategy, according to a study. A recent poll conducted among 550 senior HR managers in 17 countries by HR consultancy The Scala Group and the ACE Network found that 62% of UK companies now include […]
Blue Monday: go on, give us a smile!
How did you cope with Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year? Aaron Ross has five top tips for survivingthe winter blues. In 2010, ‘Blue Monday’ falls on Monday 18 January and thanks to a combination of depressing events in January – including wintry weather, credit card bills following the Christmas splurge, and […]
