Disability discrimination: Lack of knowledge defence
The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has delivered a new judgment setting out what prior knowledge of a disability an employer should have if they are to be held liable for discrimination. Charles Price explains. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, the definition of a disability is as follows:“A person has a disability for the […]
Ask the expert: Laying off staff
A small business has decided to lay off staff for two weeks, as an alternative to redundancies. Esther Smith and Matthew Whelan advise on the correct procedure to follow. The question:A small firm employing only three staff has hit a brick wall with orders and clients cancelling. There is no alternative but to lay off […]
Employment, pensions and share schemes in 2009
The legal landscape of 2009 is already shaping up for a year of reforms, so Kathleen Healy and Ben Dudley discuss what they expect to be key developments across employment, pensions and benefits this year. The current economic climate signals a busy and challenging time for HR professionals. The HR function is likely to come […]
Holiday accrual on sick leave: What you need to know
A recent ECJ ruling means employees now have the right to accrue annual leave during long-term sickness absence. Howard Lewis-Nunn explains what financial ramifications this will have on employers, especially in the current economic climate. The question of whether workers have a right to accrue annual leave during long-term sickness absence has finally made it […]
A week in HR: Agency workers angry over job cuts at Mini
Employment woes continue with yet more job cuts announced, prompting fears that the recession is being used as an excuse to flout employment laws. On a more positive note, a productivity boost is on the cards with a shake-up of engineering construction skills. Verity Gough reports. One of the biggest stories of the week has […]
Charity website links employers and disabled jobseekers
Leonard Cheshire Disability is calling on employers to post their jobs on a new online resource called Suitability launched today (16 February) which matches disabled jobseekers with the skills that employers need. Firms can post their vacancies for free, recruit great candidates and network with other companies through the Suitability Forum and sign up to […]
And they say romance is dead
This Saturday is Valentine’s Day, which means love is quite possibly in the air con. But how can HR ensure hearts and flowers do not give way to accusations of favouritism, atmospheres you could cut with a knife, and sexual harassment claims? Christiana Tollast finds out. In today’s long hours work culture, are office romances […]
COA Solutions Launches New HCM Portal for its HR Pro Human Resource System
COA Solutions (www.coasolutions.com), a leading provider of business management and information systems to the UK mid-market, announces the launch of its new HCM Portal. The HCM Portal, which is designed to work with COA Solutions’ HR Pro human resource (HR) system, is a user-friendly process driven system which allows authorised line managers across the organisation […]
Health and safety laws: Avoiding a prison sentence
Forgotten to clean up that spillage? Perhaps two years at Her Majesty’s pleasure will jog your memory next time. David Foster warns employers about the serious implications of the Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 that came into force last month. During the year 2007/8, 229 people were killed at work. Construction and agriculture had […]
Show me the rewards
Recognition and rewards are key to attracting and retaining employees, says Donna Sizemore, who asserts that an effective rewards programme is the missing piece in the puzzle of employee retention and motivation. It was a dark and stormy night. Or, more likely, it’s a normal workday in your company, and management is mystified about why […]
Colborn’s Corner: What life is there outside work?
HR professionals admit to searching social networking sites to gain a deeper insight into potential employees. Does this tell us that HR staff have time on their hands to go fishing, or is this the new reality of recruitment? Quentin Colborn discusses what is fair game in recruitment and selection. A recent survey of almost […]
HR tip: Help for redundant employees
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: "We have had to make a few people redundant because we are short of orders and therefore cash. Also, we are unable to extend our overdraft. In these limited circumstances is there […]
Developing your managers in a downturn
Now, more than ever, organisations need tough and determined managers, who are driven and motivated to see the business through the hard times. But how can employers ensure their managers are up to the job? John Pope has some advice. In case you hadn't heard, the world has changed. Most businesses are feeling the pinch […]
A week in HR: A winter of discontent?
It’s been another week of outrage at the UK banking sector, with Gordon Brown reported as “very angry” and even a suggestion that HR is partly to blame for the current bonus rows. With more depressing figures on the state of the UK job market, Christiana Tollast reports that there is however a silver grey […]
The HR information system: The heartbeat of the organisation
The IT system within HR departments forms the lifeblood of any business, says Caroline Attwood, who has some tips for HR on how to choose the right system for your organisation. The HR information system (HRIS) is the most important application in any organisation. You may think this is a bold statement, but if you […]
Opinion: The trouble with HR
These tough economic conditions can be challenging for HR professionals, with cut backs and redundancies top of the agenda at the moment. But who looks after the wellbeing of HR during these difficult times? Wendy Reeves provides some coaching advice for the weary HR executive. As a former HR manager, and latterly in my employment […]
Ask the expert: Ignored on maternity
Whilst on maternity leave, an employee was not kept informed about new job vacancies, despite asking her employer on numerous occasions to ensure she was kept in the loop. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise on raising a grievance in this instance. The question:I am now 11 months into my maternity leave, due to return […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
This month’s competition was inspired by the amount of snow that fell earlier this month.It was tough deciding on a winner this time, but there was one caption that really did raise a laugh, and that was submitted by Lee Clayburn. His winning entry was: It quickly became evident that the new anti dandruff shampoo […]
Women in the workplace: A career in interim management
This article forms part of our series on women in the workplace. Take a look at the full content series for more information, including insight into impostor syndrome, sick leave and much more. One reason why there is a lack of women in the boardroom is because many are becoming interim managers, which allows them to work at […]
ASR Computers (a COA Solutions Company) Showcases New Human Capital Management System for SMEs at Softworld North 2009
Leading UK provider of human capital management (HCM) systems, ASR Computers (a COA Solutions company), is showcasing its new HCM system for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), on stand 30 at Softworld HR and Payroll North 2009 (10 February 2009, Reebok Stadium, Bolton). This new HCM system – OpenPeople Lite – is an ‘out […]