Job interviews: Careless talk costs your business
Many managers do not realise that some of the questions they ask during interviews are unlawful. Pam Loch and Chloe Pereira explain how to avoid the interview trap. Many managers carrying out interviews focus not only on the skills of the candidate concerned, but also on their ‘fit’ for the business. Will they get on with […]
Ask the expert: Redundancy and restructuring
An employer plans to make redundancies and is considering making their part-time worker redundant, rather than the full-time employees. Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on following a fair procedure. The question: We are looking at restructuring our field staff. We currently have two full-time and one part-time staff covering all of the UK. […]
Building trust and confidence in a recession
Trust amongst the workforce can be shaken when redundancies are made, so Lorne Armstrong explains how businesses can ensure confidence is not lost and trust remains intact during a downturn. Everyone has experienced the change and uncertainty the recession has brought, and we’ve witnessed first-hand the dramatic loss of trust in business leaders and government. […]
Redundancy: It’s a psychological thing
Redundancy is a deeply difficult and disruptive experience for employees and organisations alike. Rob Bailey and Jenny Kidby explore how psychometric tools can bring clarity, and kindness, to redundancy situations. For decades, psychometrics have given employers a reliable and scientific basis to make difficult people decisions. Objectivity in these can easily become contaminated […]
What is the cheapest way to obtain legal advice?
The government has announced its plans to regulate the ‘no-win, no-fee’ payments to solicitors. Charles Price examines this further and advises on a certain kind of company insurance that offers free legal advice. This month a paper was produced which may inhibit those seeking to pay lawyers on a no-win, no-fee basis. Some […]
The HRzone.co.uk Recession Clinic with Acas
Below is an archive of our Recession Clinic web chat, with Stewart Gee from employment relations service Acas, that took place on Monday. He answered all your questions on coping with the impact of the recession in the workplace, whether it be redundancy and restructuring, performance management, or contracts of employment. Click in the box below to view a […]
Swine flu: Top tips for employers
Amid warnings that employers who fail to protect their staff adequately from swine flu could face legal action, solicitor Rebecca Lake outlines what you need to know to prepare for and deal with swine flu in the workplace. Swine flu, also referred to as influenza A(H1N1), is becoming a regular feature across newspapers, television […]
Managing performance in a recession
Alyson Pellowe explains how HR professionals can ensure the performance of those employees left behind after a redundancy is managed effectively, and what measures can be put in place to help staff perform well. So what is performance management? It is actually quite straightforward. It’s about using a range of methods to manage individuals’ work […]
Video: Exclusive interview with Ed Sweeney, Acas
Ed Sweeney, chair of Acas, talks to Verity Gough about the issues HR faces when dealing with workplace disputes during a recession.
Workforce planning: Helping to deliver on promises
Peter Howes identifies the five areas that must be considered to successfully cope with an increasingly unpredictable business environment. Workforce planning means taking the steps today to ensure you have the right people with the right skills in place at the right time. It’s a way of translating future business strategy into workforce demand forecasts […]
Opinion: Cost-effective retention strategies
Continuing with her series on recruitment and retention in today’s business landscape, this month Lisette Howlett explains how to implement an effective retention strategy that doesn’t break the bank. The trick to a really good retention strategy is not just effectively keeping your people, but actually knowing who it is that you want […]
HR tip: Wearing shorts at work
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Some of our employees, men and women, have started coming to work in shorts on hot days. Frankly some of them, the men especially, look dreadful. Are we entitled to stop this […]
Ask the expert: Notice period when dismissed for misconduct
A sick employee stated on Facebook that she was out socialising on the night of one of her sick days, and she was dismissed immediately. Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise whether she is entitled to pay in lieu of notice. The question We recently dismissed an employee after she was off sick for […]
Views on HR news: HR blogging comes of age
Jon Ingham trawls the net to provide his round-up of the great and the good of HR thought and opinion found on the web, so you don’t have to. This week, he reviews the increased use of social media tools discussed at SHRM’s 2009 annual conference. Web 2.0 and social networking tools are being […]
Seven deadly wins in employee motivation
Lucie Mitchell speaks to seven HR experts to find out their top tips on ensuring your employees are engaged, productive and motivated in the current economic climate. Retention of your key talent is vital in a recession, which means that HR professionals need to ensure that those employees who have survived redundancy remain engaged, […]
Why some survivors don’t survive
The survivors of a redundancy programme need to be nurtured and treated with respect within an open and honest environment, otherwise they will think with their feet and work elsewhere, says Andrew Leigh. In a much earlier incarnation, I once worked for an up-and-coming advertising company which made use of my services […]
Legislation update: Reasonable adjustments and disability discrimination
A recent case highlighted that a dismissal can be rendered an act of disability discrimination if an employer fails to make reasonable adjustments. Richard White considers this case further. The facts In the recent case of Fareham College Corporation v Walters, the Employment Appeal Tribunal held that a dismissal can be an act of […]
HR nominees revealed for Software Satisfaction Awards
Jon Wilcox looks at the contenders for this year’s Software Satisfaction Awards; will Octopus get its tentacles around another award? The nominations for the Sift Media Software Satisfaction Awards 2009 have been unveiled, revealing the HR software solutions looking to pick up a coveted award at this year’s ceremony. Taking place at the Royal Courts of […]
Hold a coffee morning to engage employees
The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, a fundraising event organised by Macmillan Cancer Support, is being seen as an excellent tool for team building and boosting staff morale. As one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK, Macmillan is encouraging employers to hold a coffee morning in the workplace on Friday 25 September 2009, to […]
Project management: What a steal!
Matchett’s senior consultant Amanda Brown has taken a novel look at the process of project management and how it relates to George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s Oceans Eleven. Initially, I thought that it was just a good film, she writes, now I realise that it is a case for the well organised project, following the […]