Ask the expert: Soliciting staff to complain
What action should an employer take against a disgruntled employee who is soliciting staff to make complaints against a manager? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:A very disgruntled member of staff has been soliciting current and ex-employees to complain against a senior manager. What […]
Acas smashes targets despite rising ET claims
Employment relations service Acas has exceeded its targets in the face of rising employment tribunal (ET) claims, according to its annual report.High profile successes for the conciliation and arbitration outfit include the help it gave in resolving the Royal Mail dispute alongside the Trades Union Congress.In the report, employment tribunals and potential ET claims passed […]
‘Punch-up’ case highlights perils of vicarious liability
An employer’s vicarious liability for the acts of its employees has come under the spotlight again following the decision of the Court of Appeal in Gravil v Carroll [2008]. The court allowed an appeal from Gravil, holding Redruth Rugby Club to be vicariously liable after one of their players (Carroll) punched Gravil in the face […]
Sacked workers last 52 days before seeing red
The average worker has just 52 days of savings to see them through if they lost their job; the news comes as new figures reveal that the gap between pay rises and increases in the cost of living has hit a 20-year high.Research from the Yorkshire Building Society reveals that average monthly outgoings are £1,445, […]
Degrees of tolerance: Stamping out summer sickies
It’s of little surprise that when the thermometer peaks, workers trade a day in the office for one soaking up the rays. Annie Hayes finds out how to handle those suspicious summer ‘sickies’. Good weather brings temptation and when a heatwave is combined with sporting events the combination can prove too much for some. Wimbledon […]
Evaluating recruitment costs like a recruitment outsourcer
HR professionals run the risk of putting too much emphasis on the direct pricing when considering outsourcing, without regard to indirect cost or effects on their business, say Dr Domniki Demetriadou and Dr Steven Lindner. Recruitment managers growing tired of traditional ways of filling job vacancies have turned to recruitment process outsourcers (RPOs) to drive […]
Do you know where your knowledge is?
In the third of her series exploring the findings from the five components of the Adecco Institute’s ‘Demographic Fitness Survey’, Donna Murphy takes a look at knowledge management and finds that many UK organisations are still lacking in this discipline. Judging from the results of the ‘Adecco Demographic Fitness Survey’, most firms don’t know where […]
HR tip: Demands for contractual statements
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: "An employee has demanded a copy of his contract of employment although he was issued with one when he joined us some years ago. What should we do?" HR tip: There are […]
Redundancy foul ups land bosses in the dock
Employers looking to cut costs by axing staff are finding themselves in hot water.Instead of making financial gain via redundancy, employers are facing greater costs by falling foul of employment legislation, according to Croner, a workplace information and consultancy provider.Statistics from the UK Tribunals Service highlights the growing problems. It has seen a 42% rise […]
Passport strike begins
The first of a three-day strike by workers at the Passport Service has begun.Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) are in a dispute with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) over office closures, below inflation pay and what they call ‘draconian’ working practices.Staff are angry over restructuring plans which could see the […]
HR fails to trust line on absence
HR doesn’t trust line managers to provide accurate information regarding absence.These are the findings of new research conducted by HR and payroll software provider MidlandHR, and people solutions provider FirstCare. Nearly half of respondents said they can’t rely on managers to provide accurate information. This is despite the fact that line managers are increasingly being […]
Welfare reform is ‘a mistake’
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called the proposals that force the unemployed to do community work in exchange for benefits a ‘mistake’.A paper has been published by the government which is now open for consultation until 22 October 2008. Key to the recommendations are suggestions on how to simplify the benefits system to a […]
Diversity means business
Diversity within your workforce is a sure-fire way to enhance your team and the skills and experience which you can then offer clients and suppliers. But, as Alyson Pellowe discusses, diversity and equality are complex issues – you have to be clear from the start what you expect from your team. Creating a diverse workforce […]
Don’t lose face over Facebook snooping
With personal internet use at work and the popularity of social networking sites on the rise, Charles Price advises employers on what steps to take to monitor employees, without the risk of an unfair dismissal claim. Traditionally, our judiciary has been accused of being long in the tooth and out of touch. It was well […]
Do staff only treasure cash rewards?
When budgets are tight, what can employers use to motivate staff who see rewards as just another part of their salary? Global rewards strategy expert Derek Irvine examines the world of cash versus non-cash rewards. As more corporations open and expand operations in worldwide locations, the need to implement relevant multi-cultural programmes continues to increase. […]
Ask the expert: Refusing paternity leave
When staff go on holiday and another team member requests paternity leave, what rights does a company have to postpone the paternity leave request on the grounds that it will leave a department unmanned? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:One of our employees has […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
We had a great variety of entries to our latest caption competition! We have decided to crown David Cook our winner, with: Linda looked uneasy as she realised the board had taken the term ‘grassroots business’ a step too far. David will be receiving a bottle of either Spanish Red (Conde de Los Andes Gran […]
Examine the Examiner
The man at the centre of the SATS marking fiasco has the use of a £1 million Chelsea flat as part of his pay and perks package, it was revealed today. Ken Boston, 65, came under increasing pressure to justify his £328,000-ayear deal as it emerged that half a million children could be forced to […]
Spelling slipups top CV blunder list
A misspelt word is the number one CV crime according to a new poll.Over half of respondents (54%) in a poll conducted by recruitment outfit, Select Appointments cited spelling mistakes as their biggest pet hate, 17% admitted to being annoyed by a bad layout, and 16% said they are turned off if an applicant’s resume […]
Temping is ethnic bridge to permanent employment
An official report reveals that temporary work is being used as a stepping stone for ethnic minorities to enter the labour market.Increasing Employment Rates for Ethnic Minorities, the report published by the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee shows that the gap between ethnic minorities in employment and the overall population is 14.2%.Anne Fairweather, head […]