Colborn’s Corner: Business ethics – an HR issue?
Quentin Colborn addresses the thorny issue of ethics in business and asks whether HR departments avoid having to face up to ethical dilemmas because it is just too risky to tackle. The recent press comment about BAE Systems, relating to the acquisition of a contract to supply aircraft to Saudi Arabia, has thrown up the […]
HR tip: Recovering training costs from departing employee
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:"We paid for a new employee to go on an expensive four-week training course. Two weeks later, he handed in his notice and is joining another company on the basis of his newly […]
Mistrust of senior managers strangles business
New research suggests that the current economic uncertainty within business could be compounded by a growing mistrust of senior managers.HR consultancy BlessingWhite found that while almost three quarters of workers trust their immediate managers, less than half feel the same way about their organisation’s senior management team. Worryingly, the survey also found that 51% of […]
Vulnerable workers report reveals true horror
Two million workers are trapped in a cycle of low pay and insecure work, according to findings from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).The Commission on Vulnerable Employment, set up by the TUC and involving employers and independent experts as well as trade unionists, says government, unions, employers and consumers must now all play a part […]
Training spend is record breaker
A whopping training spend by organisations of £38.6 billion – up 16% from 2005 – has broken all records, according to a new survey.The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) released the findings, which show that the increase equates to £3.5 billion in real terms after inflation. The research also shows that the proportion of vacancies […]
Tech-savvy workers do it for free
Armed with WiFi, a Blackberry and a mobile phone, employees are notching up an extra 20 working days per year.According to latest research by recruiters Office Angels, workers are effectively giving up their holiday for free. One in 10 ‘up-teched’ office workers admit to checking-in constantly outside working hours.Yet despite the findings, 40% feel grateful […]
Blue Tuesday triggers job hunt
Weary workers are returning from the bank holiday weekend with renewed motivation to jump ship.This is according to online recruiters Monster.co.uk, that said the first Tuesday after the bank holiday is the prime day for job hunting. Monster’s life coach Jenny Ungless said: “People use their weekends to recover from the week at work, catch […]
Managers fail to measure home workers’ performance
Almost half of managers in small businesses struggle to assess how remote or home workers are performing, according to a new report.The findings from BT Business’ IT Skills for Flexible Working report also showed that 88% of small business managers have no formal training on managing home workers, even though three quarters of small and […]
Bosses fail to calculate interim investment
Latest research shows that more than eight out of 10 interim managers believe their organisations are failing to measure the return on investment (ROI).HR consultancy Chiumento led the research which reveals that, despite the findings, confidence is strong with almost two-thirds of interims believing their number of assignments will increase this year. Accordingly, 53% of […]
Health and efficiency: Employers get physical
More and more companies regard employee well-being as a key to raising productivity. Steve Roth examines how employers are seeking to create a track record for employee health and fitness. If your sole idea of exercise at work is a short walk to the coffee machine, you may soon be part of a dying breed. […]
Blowing the whistle: Implications for employers
Martin Warren explains the protection given to whistleblowers, and discusses what powers employers have under whistleblowing legislation. Whistleblowing has received media attention over the past month, mainly due to the fact that the Chancellor has proposed to increase the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) powers to offer protection to whistleblowers to try to prevent market manipulation. […]
How can you make your development stick?
HR needs to refocus its efforts on getting the most from their training investment, says Jan Hills, who discusses the measures that HR professionals can take to ensure they capitalise on the initial development of staff after training. We are always seeking a formula for making development worth the investment. Here we look at some […]
Polish exit harbours skills
A major report suggests that whilst the number of Polish immigrants is on the decline, those who are left are better skilled.About half of the people who moved to Britain from countries that joined the European Union in 2004 have already left the UK, according to a major report just published. According to the Institute […]
Ask the expert: Dealing with performance and misconduct
An employee is under-performing and spends most of his time using the internet and email for personal reasons. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on what his employer can do about it. The question: I have an employee with nine months' service on my small […]
Public consultation on revised grievance code
Employment relations service Acas has issued a revised code of practice on discipline and grievance, which is available for public consultation.The code, which seeks to encourage organisations to resolve disputes internally, has been revised due to the changes being made to workplace dispute resolution by the Employment Bill, particularly the removal of the statutory dismissal […]
Living the dream? Flying high with HR consultancy
It’s not just mad dogs and Englishmen that turn their backs on stellar HR careers to go-it-alone; Annie Hayes talks to four HR consultants to find out just why they risked it all. Redundancy was the turning point for seasoned HR professional Quentin Colborn, who has an impressive 30-year track record in HR and now […]
HR tip: Employing husband and wife in same unit – sex discrimination?
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:"A woman has applied for a job in the same small section as her husband. We are not comfortable with this. Can we do anything?" HR tip:No, it would be a breach of […]
A new era of diversity in the boardroom
Marcus Lorenzo discusses why more and more organisations are actively seeking to widen the talent pool by adding a greater diversity of individuals to the boardroom. The perennial question between FT500 companies of ‘how’s business?’ may be met in the current economic climate with a rye shake of the head. In recruitment terms, however, the […]
Maximising the office space
Martin Atkinson presents his top tips for achieving an efficient and positive working space for employees. As anybody who works within an office setting will know, the design and layout of the workspace has an immediate impact on how we work, positive or negative. If a company overlooks the plan, flow and even the aesthetics […]
Businesses worried about extension to parental leave
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are concerned over government plans to extend parental leave, according to new research.The report by Citrix Online, which surveyed almost 300 SMBs and 1,800 working parents, found that 58% of SMBs believed that extending maternity leave would have a negative commercial impact on their business, while 48% said the same […]