CIPD urges Brown to extend flexible working to all
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) welcomes a proposal to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children, but say reforms could go further.A new government-commissioned review by Imelda Walsh, the HR director for Sainsburys, is expected to recommend raising the age limit to 12 years-old, even as high […]
Caption competition: And the winner is….
This photo of the prime minister inspired some very funny entries to the caption competition this month, and it was tough deciding on the best one. But, after much consideration, we eventually chose a winner.Congratulations to Rob Falconer – he has chosen a bottle of Italian red (Villa Antinori Toscana 2003) as his prize, which […]
Skills Academy is super-sized
Three new organisations will cover sport and leisure, the creative and cultural industry and hospitality, under an expansion of the National Skills Academy. The move puts the government a step further towards reaching its target of having a Skills Academy in each major sector by the end of 2011. Created in a bid to solve […]
HR fails to take advantage of ‘video snacking’
HR is missing a trick when it comes to capitalising on the rise of ‘video snacking’, according to a new survey. Employers should use the growing appetite for ‘video snacking’ – using phones and PCs for quick online media fixes – to train staff, according to a survey of over 100 HR and training professionals […]
‘Talent drain’ as workers seek jobs abroad
The number of UK professionals choosing to work abroad is on the increase, according to a new report.The NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Report, undertaken in conjunction with the Centre for Future Studies, surveyed over 1,000 British expats from all over the globe and found that, out of the 200,000 Britons who […]
Follow the leader: Creating an engaging culture
Organisations that promote engaging leadership styles are usually also the most successful. So what can HR do to encourage and support a healthy culture with inspirational leaders? Lucie Benson reports. The prime minister’s future as leader of our country may be in doubt at the moment, but perhaps HR can learn some lessons from the […]
Learning the business side of HR
How well do you know the business processes in your organisation? Andrew Mayo has some advice on how to become a ‘business-orientated’ HR professional. Dave Ulrich has without doubt been the most powerful driving force behind the business partner/business focus preoccupation of recent years. He has of late become concerned about the misuse of and […]
Case study: Why evaluate training?
Graham Borley presents a case study which illustrates how important it is to carry out regular evaluations of training strategies, using insurance group Aviva as an example. The ability of an organisation to identify and develop talent is often cited as one of the key requirements for future success. In this quest, businesses will frequently […]
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 […]
