Murray mania puts absence centre court
Thousands of workers are expected to pull a sickie this Wednesday as tennis player Andy Murray, the British Wimbledon hopeful, faces Rafael Nadal.Research by personnel software company Employersafe suggests that employees dodging work already costs British business £1 million a week, adding to Britain’s £13 billion workplace absenteeism crisis.Employment experts predict that staff across the […]
Budget blow for training departments
Almost half of training and development professionals are expecting a budget cut of 20% or more.This is according to a new report Taming the Wolf at the Door, by leadership development organisation Common Purpose, that predicts team building and soft skills development to be hit the hardest, while technical skills training and leadership development are […]
Legislation update: Redundant employee refuses alternative job
Richard White examines a recent case involving an employee who was made redundant, and refused an offer of a suitable alternative job; yet the tribunal considered that the employee acted reasonably in doing so. In a redundancy situation, an employee who unreasonably refuses an offer of suitable alternative employment made before termination, or within four […]
Successful contracting for HR outsourcing
More HR outsourcing contracts succeed than fail, yet success depends on the positions taken and behaviours used when contracting for these services. Tim Palmer offers some practical advice. Prepare wellUnderstand why you are considering using outsourcing and what you want to achieve. You have many options in approach, and your intent will impact which route […]
Interviews: First impressions count for employees too
Employees are not the only ones under scrutiny in interviews, says employment law expert Martin Warren, who advises employers on how they can avoid finding themselves on the wrong side of the law. Television programmes are often judged by their popularity and ability to spark discussion. If that is the case, the latest BBC series […]
Ask the expert: Termination of employment
An employee, who has been working for his company for nine months, has not improved his performance despite previous warnings. What does the employer need to know before they decide to dismiss him? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:I have an employee who, in […]
Southern sickies spiral
Absence rates in the south of England are up from 2007 figures, according to a survey by HR firm Jaluch. The research reveals that 45% of companies in the south report a rise in absence rates from the previous year with over half having experienced an employee phoning in sick shortly after being asked to […]
Property concerns dent productivity
A new report by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) suggests that housing shortages, falling prices and mortgage issues are impacting on workplace productivity.Commenting on the report, Fair Homes: Building a New Deal for Housing, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Housing can have a huge impact upon an individual’s working life and how productive they […]
HR administration certificate boosts competence levels
A new joint initiative in HR administration, that promises to help administrators to gain a better understanding of employment law and good employment practices, has been launched.InitialFirst Learning and Development, part of the Rentokil Initial Group of companies, and HR4UK.com are spearheading the certificate.The four unit distance learning course is written to a level two […]
Critic slams equality bill proposal
The new equality bill won’t address discrimination, says Dr Nic Sale, head of diversity at Pearn Kandola Business Psychologists.Sale said that by far the “most short-sighted and ultimately dangerous” aspect of the bill is the proposal to allow firms to discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minority applicants. “This has the potential to set […]
Credit crunch insomnia hits professionals
Workers are getting less than the prescribed eight hours of sleep each night, with worries over the credit crunch triggering a national insomnia.This is according to a new survey by budget hotel chain, Travelodge, which polled 4,000 UK workers and found that 75% aren’t getting enough sleep. Topping the professional’s sleep deprivation poll are estate […]
Civil servants to undergo compulsory data training
Civil servants dealing with personal data will be forced to take annual training following the fiasco surrounding the loss of personal details of 25m child benefits claimants.The move, described as a change in culture, comes as one of the changes announced in cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell’s review of information security in government. Action already […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
This photo of a women taking remote working a bit too far certainly encouraged the comics amongst you – we were inundated with funny entries to the caption competition this month and it was really hard deciding on the most amusing one! But there could only be one winner, so congratulations to Lorraine Whale, who […]
Time to shine for business leaders
Strong leadership is one of the key factors in the success of an organisation, according to business development specialists SFL.Business leaders need to raise their game now more than ever, with economic uncertainty and soaring living costs playing on the minds of employees, it said. Driving engagement and productivity are vital, and companies need to […]
Relocation gives rise to HR concern
Half of HR managers consider support for relocated spouses and children to be a major cause for concern.This is according to a new survey by global mobility specialists Crown Relocations, that says a lack of information regarding families settling and child-education options are causing employers a headache, with the Middle East presenting the biggest problem.Barry […]
Toxic Blacklist
The BBC has reported that Employers have begun a blacklist of “bad” employees who have been dismissed or those who have left before disciplinary proceedings can be commenced. To critics it sounds like a scenario from some Orwellian nightmare. An online database of workers accused of theft and dishonesty, regardless of whether they have been […]
Illegal workers: Prosecutions on the rise
In the four months since the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 came into force, almost 300 fines have been imposed on UK organisations. Laura Mitchell outlines what employers need to do to ensure they don’t fall foul of the law. It may have only been four months since the government introduced stricter penalties on […]
Ethical Q&A: Persistent lateness
Over the next few months, Tor Goldfield will be looking at what it takes to be an ethical employer, each month answering a different question on common business issues. This month, she discusses what to do when an employee is persistently late. QuestionOur start time is 9am and while most employees arrive on time or […]
Innovative internal communications get better results
Tim Moore and Breda O’Connor discuss how spending some time improving your business-to-employee communications can drive your organisation forward and enhance your employee engagement strategy. New media technologies, Web 2.0 and experiential marketing techniques are changing the way brands communicate with consumers. Today, simply asking them directly to buy into your brand will no longer […]
Understanding your employees’ demographic differences
Different demographic groups of employees have different needs and priorities. By adopting a more flexible approach, HR professionals can take advantage of this to enhance employee commitment and job satisfaction, claims Ron Eldridge. Why do people leave your organisation? What proportion of your turnover is due to a mismatch between the personal priorities of employees […]
