Workers down under are happier at work
Australian managers report higher job satisfaction and greater confidence in leadership than their UK counterparts, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute and Australian Institute of Management. While 71% of Australian managers are happy in their jobs compared to 62% in the UK, British workers enjoy better work-life balance.
Time off for training too ‘bureaucratic’
Small business groups say government proposals requiring employers to grant training leave are too bureaucratic and expensive for firms with under 20 employees, urging exemptions for informal employer-employee discussions instead.
ASR Comes to the Aid of Comic Relief with New HR and Workflow System
Comic Relief has implemented ASR’s HR Pro system with integrated .NET Workflow to automate HR administration tasks, reduce costs, and improve staff efficiency. The August 2008 launch will replace manual processes with automated workflows, enabling self-service access to HR information and electronic approvals across the charity.
COA Solutions Reports Strong Profitable Growth and Record Level of New Orders
COA Solutions reported strong profitable growth for the year ending March 31, 2008, with turnover increasing 10.3% to £55.7m and EBITDA rising 24% to £12.4m. The UK business software provider also achieved record new orders with order intake growth of 41%, strengthening its position as a leader in financial management and HR systems.
In the line of fire: Dealing with difficult situations
Learn when and how HR should intervene in workplace conflicts. While informal chats with managers often resolve colleague disputes, HR must step in for serious complaints involving misconduct, disciplinary procedures, or when managers are implicated. Proper investigation and consistent handling of all parties involved are essential.
Incentive schemes: Is it time to have a rethink?
Recent examples of poorly performing organizations rewarding executives with substantial bonuses raise questions about incentive scheme effectiveness. Experts suggest revisiting how performance-based pay is structured, as poorly designed schemes can encourage cheating, risk-taking, and counterproductive behavior.
Consultation begins on flexible working
The government has launched a consultation to streamline flexible working requests for employers, part of the Walsh Review. The investigation will explore reducing paperwork requirements while maintaining protections for both employees and businesses seeking work-life balance.
Ask the expert: Notification of job adverts during maternity
Employers should actively notify employees on maternity leave of internal job vacancies to avoid potential sex discrimination claims. Legal experts advise treating absent employees the same as those at work, though the requirement depends on whether other employees are informed of the same vacancies.
Motivating temporary staff
Extending reward and recognition schemes to temporary and contract staff can boost overall team performance and reduce costs. Including all workers in motivation programs ensures 100% participation toward shared goals, making temporary staff engagement essential for organizational success.
Working out: The benefits shape-up
Employers are increasingly offering comprehensive health and wellbeing benefits beyond gym memberships, including counselling, smoking cessation support, and physiotherapy. These programs help companies recruit and retain talent while reducing employee absence and improving overall workplace health.
Embracing innovation
During economic downturns, businesses face a critical choice: innovate or risk decline. Neil Davidson argues that companies must use data-driven insights and enterprise resource planning to identify trends early, deploy resources strategically, and experiment with new ideas at manageable scales to survive market challenges.
Achieving a successful 360-degree appraisal
A 360-degree appraisal can significantly improve management and team performance when carefully planned and executed. Success requires understanding how it fits with existing processes, selecting appropriate questionnaires, engaging expert guidance, and creating an action plan based on confidential feedback results.
HR confident business leaders can do it
UK HR professionals show strong confidence in their business leaders, with 44% rating them as very good or excellent compared to 37% globally, according to the 5th Global Leadership Forecast. However, leadership development satisfaction has declined, with only 41% satisfied globally and nearly half of organizations failing to provide development for leaders in new roles.
A deal’s a deal: Personalising your employee value proposition
Personalized employee value propositions improve retention by ensuring the employment promises made during recruitment match what employees actually experience on the job. When companies fail to deliver on their EVP commitments, disengaged employees typically leave while reducing productivity and spreading dissatisfaction among colleagues.
HR tip: Implied contractual terms
Implied contractual terms are unwritten duties established through common law that automatically form part of every employment contract. These include employees’ obligations to work diligently and protect company property, and employers’ duties to provide work and treat employees reasonably. Important implied terms should be explicitly stated in writing when they’re particularly critical to your business.
Fury at Marks & Spencer as retailer plans to slash redundancy benefit
Marks & Spencer faces staff backlash over plans to reduce redundancy payouts by up to 25%, cutting maximum payments from 70 to 52 weeks of salary. The move has sparked concerns about potential large-scale redundancies and follows recent pension scheme changes requiring higher employee contributions.
Who’s going to win? Software Satisfaction 2008 HR & training nominees
The 2008 Software Satisfaction Awards received over 700 votes in HR and training categories, with established suppliers like SAP and ASR competing against newer challengers. Web-based systems dominated the results, with over 75% of talent management respondents using cloud-hosted solutions. Winners will be announced October 30 in London.
Productivity probe exposes 40-day loss
A survey reveals the average person wastes 40 days annually, with 80% admitting to daily time wasting. The Learning and Skills Council found waiting for others, queuing, and phone hold times as top culprits, while advocating that dedicating 2.5 hours daily to learning could significantly benefit personal development.
Pay for what you get: Compensation for performance
Performance-based pay can motivate employees, but success depends heavily on effective measurement. Implementation works best in roles with clearly defined, measurable tasks, while measurement costs and subjectivity can undermine schemes in complex positions.
How to ensure a fair redundancy
Learn how employers can navigate fair redundancy procedures under UK employment law. The burden falls on employers to prove redundancy and explore alternatives before dismissing employees, with tribunals assessing fairness based on circumstances and reasonable business responses.
