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 […]
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 […]
