MacLeod Review: What the experts said
Some worthy recommendations came out of the MacLeod Review this week, so HRzone.co.uk has gathered opinion from a range of HR experts to find out what they think of the review and what business should be doing to ensure employee engagement remains at the top of the agenda. The MacLeod Review of employee engagement, launched on Thursday, has […]
Driving employee engagement higher
How does an organisation increase employee engagement? Jack Wiley identifies four ‘pillars’ of engagement which need to be addressed, and outlines the significant role played by managers. Research has shown that employee engagement is linked to improved productivity and commitment, higher levels of employee retention and reduced absenteeism, not to mention enhancements […]
Even thin cats need calories: Making the recession work
The recession is an excellent opportunity to look at the performance of your staff and cut the metaphorical fat by losing those who are not performing to their full potential, says Anton Franckeiss. What does a recession give you? For company owner, director, manager or employee alike, it will undoubtedly bring stress and anxiety, but – at […]
Employee engagement is key to future business success, finds MacLeod Review
The MacLeod Review of employee engagement, launched today, has recommended that employers must fully involve their staff in the future of the business if they are to innovate and secure new opportunities. The review also highlighted the need for more government support and more cooperation by UK organisations to ensure the employer-employee relationship is central […]
HR tip: Unanswered job offer
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: A couple of weeks ago, we wrote to a man offering him a job but he has so far not replied. We suspect that he is trying to wring a better deal […]
Employee engagement and motivation: What not to do
Tim Holden examines the approaches businesses should definitely not be taking if they want their employees to remain motivated, loyal and engaged throughout the recession and beyond. Keeping levels of employee engagement at a satisfactory level is one of the biggest challenges employers face in the UK at present. Pay cuts, pay freezes, […]
Success in a recession: Be inventive
Those who predicted our current economic slump were able to develop imaginative strategies to avoid the worst, whilst the rest of us were left on the back foot. Blaire Palmer explains what HR professionals can do to promote a more creative culture. HR budgets are under pressure (they always are, of […]
Keeping your survivors engaged
Despite firms wanting to retain their key talent, up to 10% of the workforce can leave a company after keeping their jobs through the redundancy programme. Chris Philips explains how best to engage – and keep – talent. Recent weeks have seen optimistic predictions that the worst of the recession is over and that the […]
Default retirement age review to take place in 2010
A review of the default retirement age is to be brought forward by a year, the government has announced. The review had been expected to take place in 2011, but will now take place next year in response to changing demographic and economic circumstances, ministers said. Denise Keating, chief executive of leading age campaigners […]
Should HR outsourcing be a part of your recovery strategy?
Will HR outsourcing and shared-service techniques prove their worth over the next 12 months? Tim Palmer says there is a sourcing opportunity for almost every organisation in today’s economy, but only if an effective approach is taken. Throughout 2009 HR leaders have found that their organisations are searching for ways to lower costs. Previously unthinkable […]
Ask the expert: Dismissed on capability grounds
An employee, who was signed off work due to stress and depression, was dismissed on capability grounds after 10 years’ employment. Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise if this was fair. The question: I have been working for a company for just under 10 years and just before Christmas, I went off work […]
BERR and DIUS merger: Implications for employers
Just two years after it was created, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was scrapped last month in favour of the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Pam Loch and Wendy Hayes discuss whether employers are right to be sceptical. Last month, in yet another revamp by the government, the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) […]
Colborn’s Corner: Pay and benefits – will they ever be the same again?
This month Quentin Colborn addresses the issue of the employee relations legacy that is being built for the future. In the news this week, we read of BA staff apparently rejecting a deal that would have resulted in pay cuts as part of the plan to get BA onto a firmer financial footing. They are […]
Rewarding the recession-weary
During these tough times the question around how to keep the troops motivated is on everyone’s mind. The HayGroup’s latest study reveals how rewards can boost engagement. The latest study: World at Work has given some great insights into the reward practices companies are planning in the future. Of the 763 organisations surveyed in 66 […]
HR tip: Defining redundancy
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: Recently, a woman took advantage of our voluntary redundancy scheme and left us but I find that, following a reorganisation, her job still needs doing. As her job clearly was not redundant, […]
Opportunities for HR with the ‘New Normal’
In the wake of the credit crunch, relationship management and the ‘soft stuff’ are now more important than number crunching and commercial offerings. Neela Bettridge discusses HR’s role in ‘The New Normal.’ There is a huge opportunity for human resources professions emerging in the wake of the credit crisis. And there is a new term […]
New redundancy alternative announced
A controversial move to quell the numbers of redundant workers has this week been proposed by business leaders. The CBI has called for a shake-up in the way companies deal with redundancy by proposing the “Alternative to Redundancy” (ATR) scheme. Workers would receive about £130 a week, paid equally by the government and the employer […]
Royal Mail staff set for three-day strike
Royal Mail workers in London are preparing for a three-day postal strike in an attempt to halt ‘efficiency’ cuts. The row over modernisation of the workforce has prompted strike action and will see delivery workers downing postbags while distribution and logistics staff are preparing to walk-out tomorrow and mail centre staff on Friday. According to […]
Absenteeism rises as swine flu takes hold
Staff absenteeism due to coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms is 66% higher than for the same period last year. The news came as ministers warned that swine flu cases could soon hit 100,000 a day by the end of next month, and a 19-year-old became the fourth victim of the outbreak. The last week in […]
Ask the expert: Maternity leave job changes
An employee has returned from maternity leave to a much lesser role and feels sidelined. John Brandon and Esther Smith advise on what her options are. The question I have recently returned to work from 26 weeks’ maternity leave. During my leave, maternity cover was sought, which started in April, and I returned to work in May. […]