Credit crunch gives workers their ‘bah humbug’
More than a third of workers will be working over the Christmas period as they try to hang onto their jobs and ride out the downturn.This is according to a study by the Post Office which reveals that 13% will miss out on their holiday entitlement as a result of working through the festive period. […]
HRZone.co.uk’s Christmas Gadget Countdown
Executive peripherals editor Nigel Harris returns to HR Zone with his countdown of the best gadgets of 2008. Which ones tickle your fancy this Christmas? Let us know below! Nigel’s suggestions, which will be updated in the days to come, are part of a wider poll among members of our fellow Sift Media communities AccountingWEB.co.uk, […]
HR tips 2008
All our HR tips from 2008: click on the links to read any of the HR tips. December 2008Employing a married coupleDealing with a poor performerSmoke breaks November 2008Qualifying to claim unfair dismissalEmployment end dateGross misconductWithholding statutory sick pay October 2008Timing of redundancy noticeValidity of warningsMisuse of redundancyLearning ChineseTired employee September 2008Entitlements on gross misconductPhone […]
We were warned!
The Celtic Sage has often referred to the Management Gurus and to one Charles Handy in particular. Whilst often referred to in the Sassenach media as Britain’s only world class business guru he is actually the son of an Irish clergyman who established himself with his book Understanding Organisations (1976). Handy is probably best known […]
The Christmas party: You simply can’t please everyone
Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at the problems an HR director experienced whilst trying to accommodate the needs of the organisation's diverse workforce when planning the office Christmas party. You've got to feel sorry for her… FROM: Pauline, Human Resources DirectorTO: All EmployeesDATE: 21st October 2008RE: Christmas Party I'm happy to inform you that the company […]
Writing great 360 degree feedback
360 degree feedback and performance appraisals both depend on the ability of respondents (often the line manager) to write great feedback comments.I have been handling a number of debrief sessions recently and it was interesting how reliant I was on the narrative feedback section of the 360 to give me an insight into the feedback. […]
Dear Santa: HR’s Christmas wish list
With gloomy economic predictions and the prospect of job losses for many in 2009, HRZone.co.uk spreads some Christmas cheer and asks the experts what's on their HR wish list. Verity Gough reports. What would you like to see change next year, to make your working life easier? "I would like to see candidates being treated […]
How to deal with inappropriate social behaviour amongst staff
Hamish Cameron Blackie discusses how businesses can best deal with inappropriate behaviour by staff who represent them at Christmas parties and social events, including what policies to have in place and what disciplinary action to take In 2006 Theresa Davies, a female vicar from Northamptonshire, shocked colleagues with an unexpected confession at her Christmas lunch […]
Counting the cost of Christmas: The absence headache
The festive season is here again and organisations will once more be counting the cost of festive cheer as rates of absenteeism escalate. Christopher Berry explains how employers can effectively manage absence at this time of year. Despite the fact that absence has a direct impact on the bottom line, it’s surprising how many organisations […]
European Parliament votes to scrap working time opt-out
European MPs have voted to scrap the UK’s opt-out from the Working Time Directive, limiting the working week to an average of 48 hours.MEPs voted in favour of ending it by 421 votes to 273. The UK government will now enter negotiations with the European council of ministers, with the aim of reaching a final […]
Jobless claimant count reaches 1m
The number of people unemployed and claiming benefit rose by 75,700 in November, the biggest increase since March 1991, official data released on Wednesday has shown.The unemployment rate has now increased to 1.86 million, which is its highest level since November 1997, and up by 137,000 from the previous quarter.The official statistics also revealed that […]
COA Solutions Signs-up to Major New Green IT Initiative
UK business management and information systems provider, COA Solutions (www.coasolutions.com), today announces that it has signed up to the Green Charter of the Business Application Software Developers Association (BASDA), the voice of the UK software industry. This recently launched green IT initiative shows a commitment by software developers to tackling climate change both within their […]
People performance dynamics: How to make the intangible tangible
Claire Logan and Lee Kearns explore the benefits of applying a ‘systems thinking’ approach to people performance to find the cause and effect links between employee engagement and business performance. Academics and HR professionals alike have been trying over the years to prove the value HR functions and people management activities add to organisations. A […]
Top tips on being an employer of choice
Do you need to save money on new hires during 2009? Are you keen to hang onto your top talent when pay rises are unlikely? Tim Holden outlines the steps that can genuinely deliver results and ensure you are an employer of choice. More and more employers are recognising that there are a number of […]
Christmas on a budget: The office party
Don’t play Scrooge this year and cancel the Christmas party just because funds are tight. In the current economic climate, it is crucial to ensure staff feel valued and are motivated, says Penny de Valk. At a time of financial uncertainty, managers may be considering cancelling their office or team Christmas party. However, this year […]
Profile: SSA winner – SuccessFactors
SuccessFactors was this year’s winner at the Software Satisfaction Awards, in the talent management category. Andy Leaver, vice president of sales EMEA at the company, speaks to Lucie Mitchell about the key to customer satisfaction and developments in store for the software industry in 2009. 1. Why do you feel you won this award? I […]
Ask the expert: Depression and self-certification of absence
An employee has been off work due to self-certified stress and depression, but refuses to see a doctor or get a doctor’s note. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise on how to handle this situation. The question:We have a situation where an employee (X) has taken three days off work. A meeting was arranged during […]
Forestry Commission Tracks Carbon Emissions with COA Solutions System
The Forestry Commission, the Government department responsible for the protection and expansion of Britain’s forests and woodlands, is measuring its carbon emissions using COA Solutions’ Employee Expense Management (EEM) system. As a Government department, the Forestry Commission is required to measure and then make efforts to reduce its carbon emissions as outlined by the Climate […]
A week in HR: ‘Tis the season to be stressed
Posties are being told to pick up the delivery pace; thousands are being given jobs warnings; and the government is bracing itself this week for the unemployment count to rise above the symbolic 1m level. Annie Hayes reports on why there is little ‘ho, ho, ho’ this Christmas. Snail mail is back, according to a […]
360 feedback in 3rd person?
I have been working through a series of 360 degree feedback reports. As ever, I have been concentrating on the narrative element. And something struck me for the first time – having read a lot of 360 feedback reports!People write about the recipients in the third person – “he, she”. It is like they are […]
