Legal update: Third party disability discrimination
A UK employment tribunal ruled that employees can claim disability discrimination based on their association with a disabled person, not just their own disability. The case involved a legal secretary caring for her disabled son who faced workplace harassment and was denied flexible working arrangements.
Pre-budget report: have salary sacrifice canteens had their chips?
The government plans to remove tax exemptions for salary sacrifice workplace canteens from April 2011, closing a loophole where employees take pay cuts to fund meals tax-free. The move signals potential wider anti-avoidance measures targeting other flexible benefits schemes.
Employing disabled people
Employing disabled people offers significant business benefits that employers often overlook. With 20% of the working population disabled and disabled employees showing better attendance and retention rates, organizations that hire disabled staff report strong financial returns and enhanced workplace culture.
Pre budget bonus? Not this year, Darling
Alistair Darling’s pre-budget report offered limited giveaways due to high public borrowing and economic gloom, instead introducing a controversial banker bonus tax and pension contribution changes that experts warn could hurt the UK’s competitiveness and employee retention.
Working through the floods – employee engagement in action
New Balance’s UK factory workforce demonstrated exceptional engagement by rallying together during devastating Cumbria floods in November, keeping operations running while supporting their severely affected local community.
Ask the expert: Family business in breach of equal opportunities?
A small family business that automatically employs family members may not directly breach equal opportunities legislation, as there’s no specific law against preferential family hiring. However, experts warn this practice carries discrimination risks, particularly if the family is predominantly one race, and is generally considered poor practice for workplace equality.
Colborn’s Corner: Mistletoe and whine – the office Christmas party
Office Christmas parties raise questions about personal responsibility versus employer liability. An employment lawyer’s advice to ban mobile phone photography highlights concerns over privacy and social media sharing, but experts debate whether employers should police behavior or expect staff to exercise self-control.
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.
