Business benefits for firms that look beyond the ‘usual suspects’
Companies that hire based on ability and embrace diversity boost morale, productivity, and retention while gaining competitive advantage through better customer understanding and addressing skills gaps, according to a CBI and TUC joint report.
CIPD joins forces to reduce stress
CIPD, HSE, and Investors in People have published new research identifying key management behaviours to prevent workplace stress. The competency framework outlines 12 essential behaviors including integrity, conflict management, and empathetic engagement. Workplace stress costs the UK £26 billion annually in lost productivity.
Quarter of HR don’t want payroll responsibility
A quarter of HR and finance professionals surveyed say payroll responsibility should sit in the other department, revealing organizational confusion over ownership. Despite this reluctance, most companies keep payroll in-house, citing data control and security concerns, though outsourcing offers efficiency gains.
Red Cross unveil iBrochure
The British Red Cross launches its new iBrochure, a user-friendly guide designed to help businesses understand health and safety regulations and maintain compliance with workplace first aid requirements and legislation.
Why is HR so hated?
HR departments are widely criticized for being unpopular within organizations, with employees viewing them as serving management interests rather than worker concerns. Critics argue HR lacks value-add, prioritizes bureaucracy, and fails to support employees against problematic bosses, leading surveys to show three-quarters of workers find HR useless or harmful.
HR transformation: Maintaining the balance
HR transformation requires balancing changes to transactional services with strategic HR development. Tim Palmer and Bettina Pickering outline three key principles: maintain focus on strategic roles alongside transactional changes, upskill HR business partners and centers of expertise, and regularly assess organizational health to preserve vision and intent.
Ensuring development continues beyond the event
HR can sustain development outcomes beyond training events by implementing measurement methods during the planning stage and designing follow-up techniques that motivate continued learning. Measuring training effectiveness through relevant data collection helps stakeholders assess impact and encourages participants to maintain their development progress.
Ask the expert: Return to work after long-term sick
Learn whether employers can dismiss an employee on capability grounds after long-term sick leave. Expert legal advice covers health assessments, reasonable adjustments, and proper procedures to avoid unfair dismissal claims.
Age regulations fail to clear up pension confusion
Age discrimination regulations remain unclear 18 months after implementation, with poorly worded rules creating confusion about pension scheme legality. Employers and pension schemes are adopting a cautious “wait and see” approach until case law clarifies how age discrimination laws apply to age-based pension benefits.
Soaring fuel bills spark new calls for flexible working
Rising fuel prices are prompting workers to request flexible working arrangements to reduce commuting costs. Employers are being encouraged to consider options like remote work or adjusted schedules to help ease the financial burden on staff facing soaring fuel expenses.
Graduate hiring still buoyant
Graduate hiring remains strong despite economic uncertainty, with companies continuing to recruit to avoid future skills gaps. According to industry experts, 69.5% of organizations plan to increase vacancies this year, though competition for positions may intensify in some sectors.
IT voted as key skill of the future
A survey of over 500 workers reveals IT skills as the most important competency for 2020, with 27% ranking it top priority. Communication and adaptability follow, while significant skills gaps persist across all employment levels, particularly in negotiation, technical abilities, and IT proficiency.
Pregnant women face discrimination
A survey of over 1,000 women found that 70% experience workplace discrimination because they are pregnant or have children. UK employment law prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, but many women report being passed over for promotions or job opportunities.
Bringing up baby: Putting time into paternity leave
Current UK legislation heavily favors mothers’ parental leave, with fathers receiving only two weeks’ paid leave compared to mothers’ 52 weeks. The government is proposing Additional Paternity Leave reforms to create more equality, allowing fathers to take up to 26 weeks’ leave if mothers return to work early.
Change is dead… long live inspiration
Change management processes fail to inspire behavior change because they focus on systems rather than people. Effective change leadership requires leaders to communicate a compelling vision of the future and engage employees emotionally by explaining the “why” behind business transformations.
Illegal workers: Your questions answered
Learn about employer penalties for hiring illegal workers under the UK’s Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Discover prosecution rates, maximum fines up to £10,000 per worker, and document checks employers must perform to avoid legal liability.
Flexible working: Summer holiday planning
Flexible working requests surge during summer holidays when school breaks create staffing challenges. Organizations should establish clear policies for managing these arrangements, as flexible work has become essential for recruiting and retaining talent in competitive job markets.
HR tip: Pets at work
Employers should implement a complete ban on pets at work due to health and safety concerns. Pets can carry diseases, create disruptions, and pose potential risks to the workplace environment.
Workers in the capital more likely to pull a sickie
Workers in Greater London take twice as many fake sick days as the national average, with 33% of Londoners regularly calling in sick when not ill, compared to 19% nationally, according to a new survey.
Europe’s best places to work revealed
Microsoft and Google top Europe’s best places to work rankings, with Google also named the UK’s best workplace. The Great Place to Work Institute compiled the list, which recognizes employers where employees trust leadership, take pride in their work, and enjoy their colleagues.
