Ask the expert: Refusing a medical investigation
Employers cannot force medical investigations, but can make fitness-to-work decisions using available evidence when employees refuse. Legal experts advise clarifying your genuine concerns and considering suspension on full pay if health and safety risks exist.
A week in HR: Job losses, consultant’s pay and holiday increases
This week’s HR news covers significant job losses at regional newspapers, declining executive confidence in the economy, consultant fee increases despite recession, new job creation at McDonald’s and Vodafone, and the government’s withdrawal of VAT staff hire concessions effective April 2009.
Ask the wellness experts: A Q&A with Bupa
Investing in employee health checks through services like Bupa demonstrates organizational care, improves workforce engagement and productivity, and helps reduce absenteeism. Learn why health assessments are essential for modern HR strategies and employee satisfaction.
HR blogosphere bulletin: Beatty’s memo to CFOs (don’t trust HR)
HR bloggers respond to a Rutgers professor’s controversial presentation arguing CFOs shouldn’t trust HR departments. Jon Ingham surveys the blogosphere debate, examining key arguments about employee engagement’s impact on financial returns and HR’s strategic credibility.
Leading HR Experts Advise How to Manage Talent in a Downturn
HR professionals can learn practical strategies for managing talent during economic downturns at a free Executive Briefing featuring leading experts. The session covers staff motivation, restructuring challenges, and HR analytics for measuring performance in difficult times.
Is the Public Sector ‘recession proof’?
The public sector shows resilience during economic downturns, but claims it’s entirely recession-proof may be overstated. While maintaining staffing better than the private sector, local authorities are announcing cuts, and capping public sector pay could harm recruitment and retention efforts.
Beyond stress: Why employers must try harder
Economic downturns significantly increase mental health problems in the workplace, with stress-related conditions expected to rise 26% and affect over 1.5 million UK workers. Despite costing British businesses £26 million annually, most employers lack mental health policies, though simple, inexpensive steps can help address this growing crisis.
Organisational charts at the click of a mouse
Learn how to create professional organisational charts using Microsoft Visio with this introductory tutorial. Discover how to use stencils, arrange hierarchy levels, and customize your diagram with layouts and themes for clear visual communication.
HR tip: Selection for redundancy
Use objective criteria like skill, flexibility, and conduct to fairly select employees for redundancy. Assess multiple candidates against weighted factors through at least two evaluators, document results carefully, and allow appeals without disclosing other employees’ scores.
Why a mixed fleet will make your CEO smile
A mixed fleet strategy tailors vehicle funding to individual driver needs, reducing costs while maintaining employee satisfaction. By matching low and high mileage drivers to appropriate funding methods, companies can achieve significant long-term savings without compromising the perceived value of their car benefit scheme.
Is temporary labour the answer during a recession?
During a recession, temporary labour can help organisations reduce costs while maintaining workforce flexibility. However, success depends on understanding and managing spending strategically, including visibility into where money is spent, standardising fees, and selecting the right supplier partnerships for operational needs.
A week in HR: Has business gone back to the dark ages?
Sexual discrimination is resurfacing in UK workplaces, with a survey revealing half of business owners are cautious about hiring young women and discriminatory management styles are driving staff resignations. Meanwhile, unemployment has exceeded two million for the first time since 1997, as companies explore flexible working to navigate the recession.
Caption competition: And the winner is….
Rob Falconer wins this month’s caption competition with a clever Mother’s Day-themed entry about the Royal family. The winner receives his choice of premium Spanish red or Australian white wine as a prize. Next month’s competition launches in April.
Trouble brewing: The new Acas Code and mediation
The new Acas Code, effective April 2009, emphasizes early employer intervention to resolve workplace conflicts, potentially making mediation a more widely adopted solution for personality clashes between employees rather than relying solely on dismissal or compromise agreements.
Managing change in difficult times
During recessions, organizations must manage significant changes effectively, but many fail due to poor planning and implementation. This article outlines key strategies for successful change management, emphasizing early HR involvement, clear communication about the necessity for change, and fair consultation with staff at all levels.
Ask the expert: Gross misconduct for bullying
Employers can potentially dismiss an employee for bullying as gross misconduct if they conduct a thorough investigation and have reasonable grounds to support the decision. However, they must follow fair procedures, consider the severity of the bullying, and review how similar incidents were previously handled to avoid unfair dismissal claims.
Development times – appraisal times
Separating annual performance appraisals from personal development processes can improve employee engagement by addressing different mindsets. Performance reviews linked to pay assessments differ fundamentally from development conversations focused on competency feedback, suggesting organizations should decouple these processes for greater effectiveness.
Additional paternity leave: Sleepless nights for businesses?
The government’s proposed additional paternity leave law would allow fathers to take up to 26 weeks’ leave if the mother returns to work, but business leaders debate whether it’s viable during economic downturns. Employment experts highlight concerns about staffing coverage, confirmation procedures, and disproportionate impact on smaller businesses already struggling financially.
HR tip: Workplace affairs
Employers should not intervene in workplace affairs unless they affect job performance or workplace conduct. Take action only if employees are neglecting work, behaving improperly at work, or if one supervises the other, which raises favoritism concerns. Document any decisions and avoid discriminatory transfers.
Corporate manslaughter: One year on
One year after the Corporate Manslaughter Act came into force, organizations must strengthen duty of care requirements and health and safety policies, particularly for employees traveling on business. HR professionals face significant challenges implementing travel risk management programs that include proper risk assessment, employee tracking, and documented safety procedures to mitigate legal liability.
