The importance of hope
Hopelessness in the workplace causes employees to disengage, lose creativity, and leave organizations. Chris Howe explores how leaders can inspire hope by listening to employee concerns and communicating a believable vision aligned with personal needs and organizational capability.
Bonus question – what is the answer?
The banking crisis sparked debate over bonus culture in finance, where outsized bonuses incentivized excessive risk-taking and contributed to systemic collapse. While bonuses motivate performance across sectors, the financial industry’s two-tier bonus structure—with massive incentives for executives but restrictions for lower earners—has fueled public resentment.
Defining an engaging leader
Great leaders cultivate employee engagement by embodying organizational values, prioritizing customer satisfaction, and actively listening to their teams. HR professionals should identify and develop leaders who demonstrate these qualities, as engaged employees are more productive and likely to remain with their organization.
HR tip: Dishonest academic claims on CV
Dishonest claims about academic qualifications on CVs may warrant disciplinary action, but dismissal depends on circumstances. Employers should document the deception, consider the employee’s actual job performance, and follow proper procedures rather than risk unfair dismissal claims.
Colborn’s Corner: What do you believe?
Two recent employment law cases highlight the tension between protecting deeply held religious and philosophical beliefs and workplace responsibilities. One involves a registrar refusing to conduct same-sex civil partnerships, while another concerns a manager’s climate change views. These cases raise important questions about how employers and the law should balance personal convictions with job requirements.
Pick out a printer
HRZone’s Business Buyer’s Guide to Printers helps HR professionals select the best printers and scanners for their needs, with four editions covering desktop, workgroup, networked, and enterprise models. The guide draws on recommendations from online community members and includes options suited to different office environments and budgets.
Walk the talk with wellbeing
Most UK businesses recognize employee wellbeing’s importance but lack dedicated budgets and struggle to prove ROI to senior management. Research shows workplace wellness initiatives deliver significant returns by reducing presenteeism costs and improving productivity, yet only 15% of organizations follow a measured strategy.
Beat stress on National Stress Awareness Day
National Stress Awareness Day highlights how HR can help employees manage workplace stress, which affects one in five workers. Poor management, weak communication, and unclear expectations are leading causes. Employers can reduce stress-related absenteeism and legal risks by supporting workload adjustments and fostering positive work environments.
The employer’s guide to: Immigration
Learn how the UK Points Based System works for employers sponsoring non-EEA nationals. This guide covers sponsorship licensing, the Tier 2 replacement for work permits, registration requirements, and the key differences in the application process, including new criteria for English language ability and maintenance tests.
Ask the expert: Paternity leave starts…now
Paternity leave legally begins on the day a child is born, not before—even if labour starts the previous day. Employers can require employees to use annual leave or take unpaid leave for time spent with a birthing partner before delivery occurs.
Make sure your business is ready for ID cards
UK businesses should prepare now for new identity cards launching this year in Greater Manchester. The National Identity Card for British citizens and Identification Card for EEA/Swiss nationals offer enhanced security features including fingerprints and digital photographs, making them more reliable for age, identity, and work eligibility verification.
How leadership can help the economic recovery
Effective leadership is crucial for economic recovery as businesses navigate recession, consumer cynicism, and staff demands for more than financial compensation. Industry experts emphasize that modern leaders must act as partners rather than authority figures, embodying strong values and inspiring trust.
Jobcentre Plus gets a plus with improved services
Jobcentre Plus launches an improved service initiative using behavioral change specialists to better support recently redundant workers, graduates, and businesses. A pilot program in Greenwich developed action plans to strengthen resources and prepare the service for nationwide rollout.
Going postal – the role of HR in a strike
HR professionals could have anticipated industrial disputes by recognizing the emotional stages employees experience after economic trauma. By understanding how shock, panic, and relief affect workforce behavior, HR can intervene earlier to prevent bitter labor conflicts and strikes.
Happiness more important than money, claim employees
Employees now prioritize work-life balance, family time, and personal happiness over higher salaries, according to recent research. More than half would choose additional holidays over pay raises, with 58% willing to earn less for better flexibility and time to pursue their interests.
Home grown leaders preferred, say UK employees
UK employees have significantly more respect for leaders promoted internally than those hired externally, with two-thirds viewing home-grown managers as good leaders. However, most UK companies hire externally for leadership roles, and only 38% of employees are confident their leaders will navigate the recession successfully.
Are your employees at risk?
Many UK businesses are cutting back on insurance coverage, leaving employees vulnerable and risking significant financial losses. Research reveals that over half a million employees may be uninsured, while employers often lack understanding of mandatory requirements like employers’ liability insurance, which carries £2,500-per-day fines for non-compliance.
Caption competition 6 October 2009
Adhna wins October’s caption competition with a clever entry about “the finger of blame.” The prize is a 2.5-hour personalized training session with Kevin Dougall, UK Managing Director of AP HR Solutions, focused on your professional development needs.
Ask the expert: Can we dictate when he takes leave?
Employers can generally require apprentices to take annual leave on specific dates, but must provide at least twice as many days’ notice as the leave period. If insufficient notice is given, employers should seek the employee’s agreement to paid time off instead.
Coping with cancer at work
Over 750,000 working-age people in the UK are living with a cancer diagnosis. Macmillan offers guidance for employers on supporting employees facing cancer treatment, including practical advice on communication, flexible arrangements, and the benefits of workplace support during recovery.
