Engagement key to success – tips from David MacLeod
David MacLeod, co-author of ‘Engaging for Success,’ explains how small changes in employee engagement, leadership communication, and two-way dialogue can significantly improve business performance and prepare organizations for success in the coming year.
HR tip: Christmas overtime rates?
Christmas and Boxing Day overtime rates are not legally mandated in the UK; employers can set their own rates unless bound by a collective agreement. Common practices include double time or fixed shift rates, depending on business needs and workforce incentives.
It’s never too late to learn informally
Informal adult learning programs deliver significant benefits to both employees and employers, boosting productivity, morale, and workplace safety while helping workers develop practical skills for everyday life. Ford’s ‘Skills for Life’ initiative demonstrates measurable returns, including 33% increased production and substantial improvements in safety metrics.
TODAY: Join us online at the first Business Cloud Summit
Join Sift Media for the UK’s first Business Cloud Summit on December 2, 2009, featuring industry leaders sharing cloud computing insights. Live coverage begins at 8:50am with updates available via #BCS09.
Business Cloud Summit: HR director highlights HR Cloud applications
At the Business Cloud Summit in London, an HR director from Lancaster Landmark Hotel Group praised SuccessFactors for simplifying performance management and team communication across their hotels, while other panelists highlighted how cloud solutions for HR, CRM, and collaboration transformed their business operations beyond just moving to the cloud.
The whole bunch of carrots: what is an employee value proposition?
An Employment Value Proposition (EVP) is what employees receive from their employer in exchange for their effort and performance. Dr Anton Franckeiss explains how strong EVPs build employer brands, attract talent, and require consistent delivery on both promises and actions to succeed.
Business Cloud Summit: Cloud must win hearts and minds of staff
Staff resistance is a key obstacle to cloud technology adoption, according to experts at the Business Cloud Summit. CIOs emphasized that winning employee buy-in requires careful planning, leadership, and addressing concerns about security and change management rather than simply implementing the technology.
Business Cloud Summit: Human adoption critical to Cloud deployment
Human adoption is critical to successful cloud deployment, requiring the same training and development efforts as traditional software implementations. According to Nucleus Research, building a strong business case for cloud computing involves understanding structured ROI metrics and total cost of ownership rather than focusing solely on percentage returns.
HRzone’s Christmas giveaway
HRzone is running a Christmas giveaway featuring a “hunt the robin” game for members. Find the hidden robin on the site, click it, and enter to win prizes. One entry per competition with winners announced by email.
Managing people in 2009
The 2009 recession challenged HR professionals to manage workforce reductions while maintaining employee engagement and motivation. Key strategies included retaining top talent, debunking motivation myths, and finding innovative ways to engage employees during economic uncertainty.
Ask the expert: Ex-employee still haunts us
When an ex-employee requests their employment contract, you must comply under the Data Protection Act—even if relations ended badly. If they’re withholding company information, consider offering the contract as leverage for its return, or pursue legal action for potential theft.
The battle for equality is not over yet
Despite the Equalities Bill’s progress, gender pay equality remains unresolved across sectors and company sizes. Ruth Spellman warns that legal changes alone won’t guarantee equal earning rights, particularly for women in smaller organizations and non-private sectors.
Discovering the leaders of the future
HR leaders must rethink what future leadership looks like post-financial crisis, focusing on candidates’ capacity to learn and adapt rather than traditional track records. As workforce supply tightens with Baby Boomer retirums, organizations need new selection criteria and talent pools to identify leaders who can engage stakeholders and navigate complexity.
US ER management firm takes HR into the Cloud
Emergency healthcare firm Schumacher Group migrated its HR and payroll systems to cloud-based services like Workday to improve business continuity and resilience. The transition, completed in under a year, reduced IT staff turnover from 87% to around 1% and proved successful enough that the company is now evaluating moving its financial department to the cloud.
HR tip: Anonymous witness to incident
When a witness to workplace misconduct fears retaliation, document their statement in writing and have them sign it for accuracy. During the disciplinary hearing, read the anonymous statement to the accused while protecting the witness’s identity, and relay any cross-examination questions through a separate confidential interview.
Are MPs opening the floodgates for unfair dismissal claims?
New MPs rules banning family members from the payroll could trigger unfair dismissal claims if proper legal procedures aren’t followed, warns a compliance expert. The proposals lack clarity on dismissal processes, creating potential employment law risks for MPs and raising broader HR implications across UK businesses.
Britain is failing female leadership
Women held just 12% of FTSE 100 directorships in 2009, unchanged since 2008, with one in four top companies having all-male boards. A Cranfield School of Management report found declines across female leadership metrics, including fewer female CEOs and executive directors, despite efforts toward greater corporate diversity.
Unscrupulous employers take advantage of work experience ‘slaves’ to the tune of £214m
A study reveals that 16% of UK students worked unpaid in the last year, with 86% unaware it’s illegal. This exploitation costs students an estimated £214 million in foregone wages annually.
Ask the expert: Pregnant during a fixed term contract
A pregnant employee on a fixed-term contract may be entitled to return after maternity leave if her contract is renewed, though non-renewal could constitute dismissal. Employers must follow unfair dismissal law and provide special protections for pregnant workers to avoid discrimination claims.
HR has reponsibility outside the office
Employers now face significant liability for employee safety outside working hours, as demonstrated by a landmark UK case where a company was convicted after a driver fell asleep and crashed while commuting home following excessive shifts. Health and safety obligations extend beyond the workplace to include managing fatigue and working time impacts on employee welfare.
