Flexing the benefits of flexible workers
Flexible workers can deliver strong results and commitment, but require clear guidelines and outcome-focused management. Organizations should restructure roles around outputs rather than hours, avoiding the misconception that remote time reduces productivity or contribution.
Be prepared for when your HR service provider is acquired
HR service provider acquisitions can disrupt your business, but proactive preparation helps you navigate the transition and potentially benefit from the acquiring company’s new capabilities. Review your contract’s change-of-control clauses, understand your service levels, and establish relationships with new ownership to protect your interests and turn the situation to your advantage.
Ask the expert: Salary confidentiality
Employers can include salary confidentiality clauses in employment contracts, but their enforceability is limited. Employees may legally disclose pay details if related to potential discrimination or equal pay concerns under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
Boost your business value with succession planning
Succession planning minimizes business disruption and protects company value during leadership transitions. By identifying internal talent, providing targeted training, and promoting from within, businesses can maintain stability while reducing recruitment costs.
Good vibrations: Energise your team
Discover how personal energy levels impact workplace relationships and team performance. Paolo Moscuzza explores the concept of “residual energy”—how some leaders energize those around them while others drain morale—and explains what HR can do to help develop positive, productive workplace dynamics.
Safeguarding company information against whistleblowers
Employees disclosing company wrongdoing are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, which allows workers to report suspected malpractice including criminal offences, legal breaches, and health and safety dangers without fear of dismissal or detriment.
CIPD conference news: Sugary treats, survival lessons and sad goodbyes
The CIPD’s annual conference explored leadership and survival in turbulent times, featuring keynote speaker Annie McKee on emotional intelligence and resilience. Exhibition highlights included creative promotional giveaways from recruiters and employers, while delegates shared stories of business closures and redundancies amid the economic downturn.
Using reward to become an employer of choice
Becoming an employer of choice requires moving beyond traditional pay and benefits toward a total reward strategy that encompasses financial compensation, career development, work-life balance, recognition, and workplace environment. By aligning these reward components with organizational culture and business objectives, companies can significantly increase employee engagement and performance while attracting and retaining top talent.
HR tip: Phone strike as employees refuse to answer phones to protest pay
Employees refusing to answer phones as a protest tactic face potential pay reduction as a consequence. HR experts recommend calculating the impact on business operations and issuing clear warnings before implementing pay cuts, while emphasizing negotiation as the preferred approach.
You are what you wear
Well-designed uniforms boost staff morale and brand representation when employees are involved in the design process. Engaging workers and HR early ensures uniforms reflect company values, improve employee confidence, and positively impact customer interactions and business performance.
It’s crunch time: How will the HR sector respond to the war for talent?
HR professionals face mounting pressure in the talent war, yet most lag in adopting Web 2.0 technologies like social media, blogs, and wikis to attract top candidates. As Generation Y enters the workforce, embracing these collaborative platforms could provide significant competitive advantage despite security concerns and implementation costs.
Employee benefits: Are your people in the know?
Many companies fail to communicate effectively about employee benefits despite spending significant resources on them. A survey found 86% of employers believe they communicate well, yet 36% of employees disagree, with companies spending only 0.1% of benefit costs on communicating them to staff.
HR interims: The ‘crunch’ beaters
During economic downturns, demand for HR interim managers surges as organizations seek flexible, plug-and-play staffing solutions. Interim resourcing has grown steadily over recent years, offering businesses a way to access specialized talent quickly without long-term hiring commitments, particularly valuable when headcount freezes limit permanent roles.
Clear the decks for action
During economic downturns, HR should streamline processes and focus on essential activities that support organizational priorities rather than administrative complexity. By questioning the necessity and effectiveness of current HR practices, organizations can free resources for managers and staff facing difficult transitions like restructuring and redundancies.
Ask the expert: Flexible working
Experts explain how to manage flexible working requests without creating unfair precedents. Granting one employee’s request doesn’t obligate you to approve similar requests, but inconsistent treatment could expose you to discrimination claims. Consider approving flexible arrangements on a fixed-term basis with regular reviews to balance fairness with business needs.
Caption competition: And the winner is…
This month’s caption competition winner is Shari Casey, whose witty entry about an office thumb-wrestling competition earned her a bottle of South African red wine. Check back next month for the next creative caption challenge.
Are agency reforms needed?
The government plans to reform agency workers’ rights to match employee protections, though implementation details remain unclear. While unions welcome the move as fairness for over a million vulnerable workers, employers warn the changes could create operational challenges.
Calling all HR heroes
Harrogate’s final CIPD Conference and Exhibition promises a packed agenda with keynote speakers, the new ‘My Event’ planning tool, and focused discussions on talent management and leadership. The three-day event will address industry challenges including the credit crunch while allowing delegates to customize their learning experience.
HR tip: Obtaining redundancy form from Government discreetly
To obtain the UK redundancy form (HR1) confidentially, request it from the Publication Orderline or download it from the insolvency website. However, you must notify employees of impending redundancies at the earliest opportunity; submitting the form discreetly after proper notification ensures compliance with legal requirements.
Age diversity in the workplace
Four generations now work together in most workplaces—Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials—each with distinct work values and expectations. Employers must develop strategies to meet the competing needs of these diverse age groups, from Traditionalists’ loyalty to Millennials’ desire for flexibility and professional development.
