HR tip: A problem of discrimination?
A new manufacturing manager expresses concern about a department where all workers are Pakistani immigrants assigned to poor conditions. HR experts recommend investigating potential discrimination, improving the workplace environment, adjusting wages, and actively integrating the group into broader company operations.
Asking too much of the annual appraisal
Annual performance appraisals often try to accomplish too much in one event, including feedback, coaching, goal setting, pay decisions, and legal documentation. Separating these functions into distinct processes throughout the year creates more effective performance management.
Legislation update: Imposing religious views on others at work
A UK employment tribunal upheld the dismissal of a social worker who promoted his Christian beliefs to vulnerable service users despite management instruction not to do so. The court found the dismissal was based on inappropriate conduct, not religious discrimination, as any employee imposing their views on clients would face the same consequences.
HR turnaround interims: In hot demand but short supply
HR turnaround interim specialists are increasingly sought after as companies navigate economic downturns and organizational recovery. These specialized professionals bring objective expertise in restructuring, headcount reduction, and functional realignment—skills often unavailable within existing teams stretched by current challenges.
A week in HR: It’s not all bad news
The government plans to suspend new business legislation during the downturn, while employers increasingly back apprenticeships as a skills solution. London authorities are creating over 3,000 apprenticeships to build workforce capability and support economic recovery.
Combating employee disengagement during difficult times
During economic downturns, employee engagement becomes critical. HR must ensure leaders maintain open communication channels and frequent dialogue to prevent rumors, disengagement, and declining productivity when organizations face financial challenges.
Ask the expert: Confidentiality in bullying grievance
Employers generally should disclose complainant identities during bullying grievance investigations unless genuine fear of retribution exists. Expert legal advice clarifies how to handle conflicting grievances and when to treat counter-complaints as responses rather than separate grievance processes.
Optimising your talent management strategy in a recession
During economic downturns, organizations should adopt a skills-based diagnostic approach to talent management, ensuring the right people are placed in critical roles aligned with business goals. This requires mapping talent against organizational strategy and moving beyond subjective assessments to optimize ROI and long-term business performance.
Talent liberation: A strategy to survive and thrive
Talent liberation is a management strategy that maximizes employee engagement and organizational performance by recognizing and developing individual strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses. Research shows fully engaged employees bring 40% more discretionary energy to their work, making this approach essential for competitive advantage during economic downturns.
Survive the downturn through effective knowledge management
During economic downturns, organizations risk losing critical knowledge when employees are laid off. Enterprise search tools can help preserve and share institutional knowledge, improve employee performance, and maintain operational efficiency by making information more accessible across the workforce.
Microsoft payroll mistake – staff can keep overpayments
Microsoft has reversed its decision to reclaim overpaid severance from 25 redundant employees, stating it should have handled the situation more thoughtfully. The company initially sent letters requesting repayment but has now decided not to seek any payment from affected staff.
Going through the motions: Performance management
Performance management often becomes a box-ticking exercise rather than a strategic tool aligned with business objectives. Experts argue it should shift from annual appraisals to ongoing talent management integrated with corporate goals and employee development.
Managing fear in your organisation
Learn how HR and authentic leadership can help organizations overcome fear and combat procrastination. Neil Twogood explains how senior managers can manage their own anxieties while addressing widespread employee fears to restore productivity.
Walking the redundancy tightrope
HR professionals facing redundancy while managing the redundancy process must balance professionalism with personal career planning. Key strategies include remaining objective and emotionally controlled, prioritizing deliverables, maintaining positivity, and investing in your own development and job search efforts simultaneously.
Improving productivity during a downturn
During economic downturns, HR professionals can boost productivity by streamlining communications channels. Implementing unified communications integrates voice, data, and messaging systems into a common infrastructure, enabling flexible work arrangements and reducing operational inefficiencies while cutting costs.
HR tip: Booking holidays
Manage holiday booking conflicts by implementing a designated application period early in the year, then allocating time off fairly based on business needs rather than first-come-first-served. This approach prevents resentment while ensuring organizational operations aren’t disrupted.
Confidentiality and anonymity in 360 degree appraisal
A 360-degree appraisal’s success depends more on confidentiality than anonymity. While many assume anonymous raters are essential, research shows named raters rarely cause issues. The key distinction: feedback reports should remain confidential to the recipient, but raters need not hide their identity.
Big employers gear up for online P45 and P46 switch in April
Large employers with 50+ staff must switch to online filing of P45 and P46 forms from April, with new digital requirements replacing paper submissions to avoid fines of £600-£3,000.
Disability discrimination: Lack of knowledge defence
The Employment Appeals Tribunal clarified the “lack of knowledge defence” in disability discrimination cases, establishing that employers must satisfy multiple criteria to claim they didn’t know of an employee’s disability. Employers must demonstrate they neither knew nor could reasonably be expected to know of both the disability itself and any substantial disadvantage it caused.
Ask the expert: Laying off staff
When laying off staff without a contractual clause, employers need written employee agreement to minimize legal risk. Expert advice emphasizes that while statutory lay-off provisions exist, documented consent from employees is essential to avoid constructive dismissal claims, particularly when contracts don’t address this scenario.
