Ask the expert: Sick employee
What should an employer consider before dismissing a sick employee who is regularly absent from work for long periods of time? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Charlotte Cooper, solicitor at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:We have an employee who returned to work two weeks ago, following seven months’ sick. He has already […]
Half of businesses to axe staff
More than half of Britain’s businesses are planning on making job cuts despite figures which show the majority of bosses aren’t feeling undue financial pressure.According to KPMG’s quarterly National Business Confidence Survey, 53% of businesses plan to reduce their staff headcount over the coming months, with a similar number planning to implement recruitment freezes. The […]
Maternity returners to share experiences in national survey
A national survey is being launched to find out what women returners really think of going back to work.Pregnancy and childcare charity the NCT is behind the survey, which will capture women’s experiences on returning from maternity leave or adoption leave. Around 400,000 women take maternity leave each year. A figure that is set to […]
Managing/Coaching or Working with Dyslexic Thinkers
People considered to be ‘dyslexic’ and therefore ‘different’ are also often thought of as ‘difficult’. In reality no two people are the same so, what makes one person or group of people more difficult than any other?Nearly always when I find myself in a situation or with people I’m working with that I might classify […]
Empowering Employees
Empowering employees can have significant results in an organization. If employees feel empowered, they work harder, faster, become more dedicated and enjoy their jobs more. Smart organizations are proactively working towards changing their organizational environment and doing more to connect with their employees. They are taking steps to shape their workplace and develop a plan […]
Working with dyslexia
Last week I was training with colleagues on our public speaking programme. We were both going through the programme ourselves and learning from the trainer how to deliver it. It was almost like going through 2 lots of training in the same day. Come to think of it that’s exactly what it was We do […]
Damage limitation: Managing poor performers
Best Employment Law Feature 2008 Poor performers are a danger not only to themselves but to their colleagues and the organisation as a whole. Annie Hayes finds out whether 'tough love' is the only solution. A lot of fuss about nothing? The capability process – points for consideration: Identify exactly what standards the employee should […]
Ethical Q&A: Effective appraisals
In the second in her series on how to be an ethical employer, Tor Goldfield examines how to implement a fair and effective appraisal system. Question:Everyone in my organisation has an annual review with their manager, but I am thinking of making these more regular and including feedback from other members of the team. What’s […]
Health and wellbeing: Empowering, educating, elearning
Nick Forgham suggests ways to ease employee stress and maintain their wellbeing during these current times of economic uncertainty. A key challenge in the current ‘credit crunch’ is for companies and organisations to consistently achieve the balance between pressure to achieve the organisations goals and objectives, and optimum performance from their employees. “The only lasting […]
The key to change and organisational development success
Why do so many change or organisational development (OD) initiatives fail, asks Mike Morrison? Change is serious and needs to be managed and cared for if you want to nurture success, he says. After more than two decades of HR trotting out the mantra ‘change is the only constant’ why do we appear to make […]
HR tip: Dyslexia – a disability?
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: "Is dyslexia a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act?" HR tip: An employee is protected by the Disability Discrimination Act if he or she has a physical or mental impairment, which has […]
Celebrity chef traits found in the office
From the fiery Gordon Ramsay to the ‘search for perfection’ Heston Blumenthal, workers everywhere can be compared to celebrity chefs, according to a new survey.The poll by recruitment outfit Office Angels reveals that almost half of workers believe they are multi-taskers with good organisational skills and attention to detail – traits readily compared to those […]
Networking sites catapult careers
Networking sites are not career suicide – they can actually be used to nurture career progression, recruitment consultancy Harvey Nash has said.In its recent survey, it found that 90% of senior players are increasingly turning to professional networking sites such as LinkedIn to progress their careers. It’s a figure that compares to just half posting […]
Employees demand hike in pay to match rising living costs
Many bosses are feeling pressured to award big pay rises because staff are feeling the pinch due to rising inflation, fuel and energy costs, a new survey has shown. The report, commissioned by Croner Reward, part of Wolters Kluwer UK, reveals that most employers gave pay rises higher in line with last year’s award – […]
The ‘ivory tower’ leader: How can HR help them engage?
When it comes to successful leadership and engaging employees, it is important to get the basics right first, say Bettina Pickering and Janet Windeatt. Senior leaders are good at what they do – that’s how they got to where they are today. Over the years, they have honed their particular leadership style and have become […]
Lunch hour faces extinction
The ‘lunch hour’ is on its way out, with almost 90% of workers no longer taking their allocated midday allowance.This is according to a survey by Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS) which is urging bosses to save the lunch hour. Peter Mooney, the firm’s head of consultancy, said: “We are calling for a return to […]
Half of bosses fail to manage ‘dead wood’
Less than half of companies deal effectively with underperformance, whilst a fifth of employees admit to being frustrated in their jobs.This is according to new research by management consultancy Hay Group. The study found that rigid structures and processes are stifling initiative, with half of workers saying they feel they do not have the authority […]
The transparent talent pool
Whilst succession planning can prove to be one of the toughest parts of your people management strategy, Erik Berggren argues that by creating a transparent talent pool, organisations will find themselves in a win-win situation. No one can afford not to take advantage of the current supply of their talent. With increased competition for talent […]
Legislation update: Determining employment status
Different statutory rights attach to members of a workforce, depending on whether they are employees, workers or genuinely self-employed. Richard White considers a recent case concerning car valeters, which highlights the factors used when deciding employment status. Autoclenz Limited v Belcher and othersAutoclenz had a contract to valet cars for British Car Auctions (BCA). Autoclenz […]
Show some emotion
Whilst using positive emotions is often encouraged at work, Karen Drury examines the view that getting ‘excessively personal’ might actually be harmful to employees. The recent review of the NHS by Lord Darzi has much focus on the personalisation of patient care – including patient choice of treatment and provider. In addition, one news report […]