Tough times or times of opportunity?
In these challenging and uncertain times, it is imperative to hold on to your key people. Erik Berggren explains how to implement effective talent and performance management techniques, to ensure you retain your most valuable assets. Confusion, frustration, paralysis – these are all symptoms of uncertainty. Whether the cause is mixed signals from managers, or […]
The leadership crisis
Leadership is trusted influence, nothing more and nothing less, says Judith Germain, who explains how to truly understand the leaders in your organisation. One of the biggest challenges facing businesses right now is a crisis of leadership. There is a need to ensure that the company will remain profitable, employees remain engaged and customers satisfied […]
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust Improves Forecasting and Aids Service-line Reporting with COA Solutions’ Collaborative Planning
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust has gone live with Collaborative Planning, a budgeting and forecasting system from COA Solutions, to improve reporting efficiency and aid service-line reporting. This system, which is currently being rolled-out to 80 budget holders across the Trust, is providing Bedford Hospital with significant cost and time savings as well as increased financial […]
Organisational change: The messy reality
HRZone.co.uk member Chris Rodgers challenges the mainstream perspective of organisational change by taking a look at the messy reality of it and the illusion of management control. Stories abound of change efforts that have petered out, failed to deliver the expected benefits or disappointed those who were once their most […]
Top tips on tackling absence
Every year, darker mornings and colder weather lead to an increase in both the frequency of lateness and unauthorised absence. Some may expect these figures to reduce in today’s economic climate, with many people concerned about keeping their jobs, yet this doesn’t appear to be the case, says Tim Holden. Let’s start at the very […]
A week in HR: October bank holiday campaign takes hold
The Trades Union Congress has renewed calls for an October bank holiday – a move that might be welcomed by the credit-crunch weary. Elsewhere, IRS has revealed who is doing well in the pay stakes, and Aon Consulting highlights further pension pot misery. Annie Hayes reports. Monsters, vampires, witches and werewolves are not the source […]
Applying business knowledge, making a strategic difference
Understanding how you can use what you know about the business to add strategic value is key to success, says Jan Hills, who shares some tips and skills that have been proven to work for HRBPs looking to improve the strategic application of their knowledge. “HR is a never ending series of goals and challenges, […]
360 degree appraisal and a high performing law firm partner
“I’ve only got 45 minutes, so can we get straight to the point?” said Charles, the head of corporate law as he strode into the room. The “point” to which he was referring was our meeting to go through his 360 feedback. The “point” that he actually wanted to make was that he didn’t really […]
Ask the expert: Likelihood of compensation payout
An employee has issued his employers with tribunal papers for unfair dismissal, yet the employers believe they followed correct procedures. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise on whether they will be hit with a large compensation payout. The question:We have an ongoing situation with a former employee. The person in question has now issued us […]
UK temps given same rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks
The Temporary Agency Workers Directive has been approved by the European Parliament, which means that temporary workers in the UK will be treated the same as their permanent colleagues after 12 weeks with an employer.The UK is the only state to secure this 12-week deal for its 1.3 million agency workers – all other EU […]
Keeping out of the dock: Tips on avoiding tribunals
Being slapped with an ET1 claim is every employer’s worst nightmare, so how can bosses stop disputes escalating and what should they do if a case does reach the court? Annie Hayes reports. Top tips to avoid a tribunal claim: Keep the written statement of employment terms and conditions up-to-date. Establish and promote awareness of […]
HR tip: How long should disciplinary warnings last for?
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: "For how long should disciplinary warnings last?" HR tip: Anything less than a final warning ordinarily should last for no longer than six months. Usually final warnings last for 12 months but […]
Heard but not seen: Managing the remote worker
With more of us wanting to run our own race rather than the rat race, remote working is now used as a tool to attract and retain good staff. But managing employees working outside the office is a real skill, says Anton Levchuk. Remote working is commonplace in business and managing it effectively is an […]
Managing large-scale redundancies in a fast-changing world
If there is one thing we can all learn from the current economic climate, it’s that nothing is ever certain. If redundancy is on the cards at your organisation, David Ludlow warns HR to ignore the statutory procedures at its peril. It is a sign of the times that when I was invited to write […]
Leading Logistics Company Improves Efficiency and Reduces Environmental Impact with COA Solutions’ Electronic Payslips
GAC Logistics (UK) Ltd, a leading logistics services provider and part of the global GAC Group, has significantly improved business efficiency and is reducing its environmental impact as a result of implementing COA Solutions’ Electronic Payslip system. This system, which went live in June 2008, is tightly integrated into the company’s COA Solutions OpenPeople payroll […]
Managing the star performer
We all want amazing talent within our organisations, but, once there, does the star performer need to be managed differently to the rest of the team, and if so, what approach is the best one to take? John Pope has some answers. Some people call them the ‘rain makers’, apparently bringing what is needed to […]
Tribunals: Winning is only the first step
Often a claimant’s employment tribunal victory can be rendered meaningless when compensation rules mean that the award is reduced to nil. Charles Price explains. The Employment Rights Act (ERA) 1996 states that the employer must show that the dismissal was for one of five potentially fair reasons such as misconduct, capability or redundancy and that […]
Talent management: The secret of success
Many organisations seek to develop their ‘top talent’ only, yet Steve Short argues that HR must ensure every employee maximises their contribution to their organisation if the business is to maintain a competitive advantage. In the current climate of financial uncertainty and with the risk of recession in the UK, the ability of all employees […]
A week in HR: Flexible working extension pulled
The big story this week is the government’s plan to delay the extension to flexible working, which has angered several commentators. Elsewhere, Unite has won a landmark ruling on age discrimination. Annie Hayes reports. Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, has requested that plans to allow 4.5 million parents to work flexibly are […]
Ask the expert: Discrimination in interview
A candidate from a ‘minority group’ didn’t pass an interview process and has now claimed the interview was unfair due to questions on diversity that made him feel uncomfortable. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise whether there is a strong claim for discrimination. The question:A client […]