Ask the expert: Garden leave
Garden leave clauses typically prohibit employees from working elsewhere during their notice period. Breaches can result in injunctions, damages, and potential dismissal, though costs may be prohibitive. Bonus entitlements during garden leave depend on contract terms and must be carefully managed to avoid losing other contractual protections.
Meetings…yawn!
Learn how to transform boring meetings into productive, engaging forums by building trust, encouraging healthy conflict, and ensuring clear communication. Discover four essential meeting types that strengthen teamwork and give your organization a competitive advantage.
The war for talent: Fiercer now than before?
During economic downturns, organisations must reassess talent management strategies, focusing on retaining and developing existing employees while strategically recruiting specialists. A CIPD report reveals 26% of companies have changed their approach, shifting from an employee-driven to employer-driven market.
Danone scoops top spot in UK’s best place to work list
Danone UK has been named the best place to work in the UK by the Great Place to Work Institute, beating major companies like Cadbury, British Gas, and Coca-Cola. The dairy company’s win was driven by strong employee trust, social responsibility, and comprehensive health benefits including free medical insurance and wellness programs.
Success in a recession: Elbow grease and hard slog
During recessions, organizations succeed by maintaining employee commitment while demanding harder work. Hard work and skill development are essential ingredients for career success, though leaders must communicate this need effectively to retain loyalty and prevent burnout.
Managing virtual teams in a recession
During economic downturns, travel bans make in-person meetings difficult for virtual teams. HR can support dispersed teams through two critical strategies: maintaining cooperation and trust, and using effective communication technology to build shared understanding and prevent siloed working.
Facebook dismissals: Misuse of IT in the workplace
Employers face legal challenges from employees’ misuse of social media and internet access at work, including Facebook dismissals and discriminatory monitoring. Implementing clear electronic communications policies can help manage these risks while respecting workers’ privacy rights under data protection and human rights law.
HR tip: Reporting sexual harassment
Managers should actively monitor for sexual harassment, clearly communicate that all harassment is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action, and assure employees they can report incidents confidentially. Offering alternative reporting options, such as speaking with a female executive, can help reluctant employees come forward.
Ask the expert: Employee given a prison sentence
An employee sentenced to six months in prison creates complex employment issues. Expert guidance addresses whether to treat this as contract frustration or dismissal, and what fair procedures employers must follow regardless of the approach taken.
Tomorrow’s workforce: Right people, right place, right skills?
Effective workforce planning enables organizations to gain strategic advantage by ensuring the right talent with needed skills fills critical roles. As aging workforces and global employment trends reshape the labor market, a “living workforce strategy” that collaborates between HR and business leaders delivers cost savings, improved service quality, and stronger employee retention.
Views on HR news: Metrics and measures
Jon Ingham reviews recent HR thought leadership on metrics and measures, including insights on how high-performing companies use HR metrics, the role of measurement in reward programs, and strategies for engaging the business in data-driven HR decisions.
Take part in the Customer Experience State of the Nation survey
Contribute to the 2009 Customer Experience State of the Nation survey by sharing insights on customer experience improvements, barriers, and enablers in your organization. Respondents receive a free copy of the comprehensive results and access to the complete report published in June.
Case study: Handling large-scale redundancies
Buckinghamshire County Council implemented a strategic, three-year redundancy program to manage large-scale job cuts while protecting critical services like child protection and home care. The council prioritized effective communication and long-term planning to minimize disruption and prevent workplace rumors during the extended transition period.
HCM: Using analytics to help organisations fight back
Eight key metrics can help HR directors navigate economic downturns by providing workforce insights that improve efficiency and drive cost savings. These analytics—including absence rates, turnover, recruitment ratios, and management-to-staff ratios—enable organisations to make informed decisions about staffing and resource allocation without unnecessary job losses.
Celebrating National Work from Home Day
National Work from Home Day highlights the growing benefits of remote working for UK employees and businesses. Recent research shows over half of employees now work from home more often, with 72% of SMEs operating some form of home working arrangement. Both workers and employers benefit through cost savings, improved retention, and environmental gains.
Could the recession be tarnishing your employer brand?
During a recession, organisations must ensure their employer brand reflects genuine values rather than empty promises, as redundancies can significantly damage reputation through departing employees who become brand ambassadors for better or worse.
HR blunder of the month: Fired worker reinstated due to printer malfunction
A Denver equipment operator was reinstated after being fired for failing an alcohol test because the breathalyzer’s printer malfunctioned, preventing documentation required by state law. The hearing officer ruled the city couldn’t prove a violation without the printed test results.
HR tip: Reducing wages
Employers cannot unilaterally reduce employee wages as it breaches contracts. You must obtain employee agreement through negotiation and transparent communication about financial circumstances, or terminate existing contracts and offer new ones with reduced pay rates.
The drive towards equality in the workplace
Workplace discrimination claims involving age, religion, and sexual orientation are rising sharply since new UK equality laws were introduced in the 2000s, though these newer discrimination cases face similar low success rates at employment tribunals compared to established sex and race discrimination claims.
Ten top tips on rewarding in a recession
During a recession, employers can maintain employee engagement by carefully timing benefits changes, consulting workers on their preferences, and establishing clear supplier agreements. Strategic communication and alignment with business objectives help organizations retain talent while managing costs effectively.
