Ask the expert: Flexible working
If an employer accepts a request by an employee to work flexibly, will it open the floodgates for the rest of the workforce? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:An employee has requested to amend his contracted working pattern to come into the office earlier […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
For those of you who missed it, Friday 22 August was National Hug Your Boss Day, where employees were encouraged to hug their boss in an attempt to encourage better working relationships. So this month’s competition continues along the same theme. There were some amusing entries this month – but there could only be one […]
Are agency reforms needed?
Charles Price explores the ins and outs of the upcoming agency workers’ rights reforms, and argues that it won’t be one-size-fits-all. As we all know, agency workers work through an agency which finds them jobs. The firm who’s hiring the worker pays a fee to the agency, and the agency pays the worker’s wages. The […]
Calling all HR heroes
With a brand new venue and date on the cards for 2009, what will Harrogate's last annual CIPD conference and exhibition serve up for delegates this year? Verity Gough finds out. Holding out for an HR hero It's one of the most widely anticipated events in the HR calendar, attracting thousands of professionals from across […]
HR tip: Obtaining redundancy form from Government discreetly
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: "We will shortly be announcing some redundancies and understand that we will have to submit an official form to a government department. We wish to get this form in advance and in […]
Age diversity in the workplace
In the final article in her series exploring the findings of the five components of the Adecco Institute’s ‘Demographic Fitness Survey’, Donna Murphy advises on the tools employers can use to meet the needs of workers of different ages. For the first time in history, four generations of workers in the same workplace is commonplace. […]
Colborn’s Corner: Watch your weight!
It has been reported that, as part of the government’s anti-obesity campaign, the Weight Watchers organisation is offering to run more lunchtime and after-work sessions in the workplace. Is this to be another role for HR – to assess the weight of employees and direct them to classes as necessary? Quentin Colborn looks at the […]
HR software: Can the pick ‘n’ mix approach work?
HR managers are caught in a trap. They want to take an holistic view of the organisation, but often have to do so with a rag bag of software systems. John Stokdyk and Lucie Benson explore the possibilities for pulling the different pieces together. As anyone who has trawled through the HRZone.co.uk guide to human […]
A week in HR: News round-up and commentary
This week, Annie Hayes reports on glass ceilings, police uniform issues in Norfolk, recruitment troubles, and the CIPD annual conference in Harrogate. That pesky ‘glass-ceiling’ has strengthened, much to the annoyance of the chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission who said it was more like “reinforced concrete”. And Katherine Rake, director of […]
Invest in your employee relations culture now
Tough economic conditions are pushing employee relations (ER) to the top of HR agendas, says Debora Sanders. The credit crunch, rising inflation and escalating fuel and food prices are more than ‘water cooler’ talk and are increasingly becoming a real workplace concern; relationships between employers and employees are subsequently being tested. Employees are looking to […]
Ask the expert: Employee complaints
What should HR do when a complaint is made by a member of staff about another employee? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:One member of staff recently made a complaint about another’s behaviour during an argument in his office. I have interviewed the defendant […]
HR: Creating a credible function
Jan Hills discusses how it is time for HR to take steps to make the overall HR function credible – not just individual HR people – and gives practical tips on what to do and what to avoid. There are endless depressing reports about how senior managers and CEOs say that HR is not credible. […]
Crunch time: Retaining staff through motivation
Best Employee Management Feature 2008With the economy in the doldrums, it is easy for staff to fall into the same trap as they reassess their career situation. But, as Louise Druce finds out, it’s not always money that will make them stay. They say money talks and not many people would refuse that kind of […]
Is your organisation secure?
HR has an important role to play in securing information assets and hiring top notch security staff, says John Colley. With our increasing dependence on electronic information in every corner of business and society, the need to hire first-rate information security staff to protect our information assets has never been greater. And there’s a lot […]
HR tip: Retiring an elderly employee at 70
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: "We wish to retire a 70-year-old employee. Our normal retirement age is 65 but we let him stay on. Do we need to do anything other than give him notice? And at […]
Keeping the seat warm
With increasing numbers of senior employees contemplating career breaks or sabbaticals, many UK companies are introducing policies for this, yet there are some employers that are unwilling to implement such a scheme. Chris Phillips argues that they can prove beneficial in revitalising ‘burnt out’ staff. With an increasing trend of senior employees considering career breaks […]
Legislation update: Compromise agreements
Richard White has a warning to employers when it comes to negotiating compromise agreements, and advises on the effective date of termination of employment. Employees have a time limit of three months from the effective date of termination of employment (EDT) within which to bring claims of unfair dismissal. A recent case considered how to […]
Trigger happy: Employment legislation October 2008
October is the second trigger point of the year for new employment legislation. Annie Hayes soothes HR’s brow with a round-up of what to look out for. Employment legislation – October 2008 implementation: 1 October 2008: National Minimum Wage Regulations increases. 1 October 2008: Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. 5 October 2008: Amendments […]
A week in HR: News round-up and commentary
Dip into our new-look commentary to catch up on the latest goings on in the world of HR. Older workers and those looking forward to a peaceful retirement have been dealt a double blow this week. The Guardian newspaper reports on age discrimination this week and finds that fame is no exception. According to the […]
Ask the expert: Company property
What can an employer do when an ex-employee refuses to return company property, including a lap top and mobile phone? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:An ex-employee still has a company laptop, mobile phone and sat nav. We have written to him requesting their […]
