Dismissing an employee: Employers beware
Barrister Charles Price explains how tribunal cases are up as lawyers blame Alan Sugar’s “you’re fired” mentality. Last year, the original TV business guru Sir John Harvey-Jones launched a blistering attack on The Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar.In the ‘Western Mail’, Sir John accused Sir Alan of ‘exploiting’ his power on the show by humiliating […]
Increasing performance and profitability the psychological way
Organisations that use occupational health psychology and its associated tools are able to work more smartly, become more effective and deliver a wide range of benefits, as Professor Derek Mowbray explains. The role of psychology and its positive contribution to an organisation’s wellbeing and profitability is often under-estimated and invariably understated. Nevertheless, it represents a […]
Corporate Manslaughter: Driving forward a duty of care
On 6 April 2008 the government will implement the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which will have huge implications for organisations with employees who drive either company or their own vehicles on business. Sandra Beale explains. Following the implementation of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, organisations, not individuals, can be prosecuted and fined for […]
Ask the expert: Pay for work-related stress
An employee has taken a month off work due to stress, but the employer isn’t convinced of their illness. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on the employee’s entitlement to sick pay. The question:I have an employee who has taken four weeks off work. This person […]
Female talent drain slows FTSE progress
Numbers of women at management and senior management levels in the FTSE 350 is 20% below that of 2002.This is according to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which shows that there is a year-on-year reduction in pay at almost all management and executive director levels in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250, and a resulting widening of […]
Recruiters look to further training opportunities
A snapshot survey has revealed that more than 60% of recruitment consultants believe their company should provide more training. Performance development specialists Lander Associates quizzed 131 recruiters as part of the research, which found that a majority believed that staff would benefit from regular training sessions to allow them to constantly develop their recruiting skills. […]
Maternity returners lack support
New mums face a disappointing maternity return to work with over half feeling their companies do not adequately support them.A new poll by online recruiters Monster has found that only 44% feel that their companies do enough to encourage new mums back into the workplace. In many cases, ‘doing enough’ only amounts to providing the […]
‘Work rage’ spreads as stress takes hold
Anger at work is increasing, according to a law expert that says as many as eight in 10 workers suffer from ‘work rage’.Peninsula employment law service reported that seven in 10 believe verbal and yelling abuse is common in the workplace.In further bad news, 91% of those affected said that co-workers failing to pull their […]
Tech-savvy youngsters denied access
Businesses are underutilising school leavers armed with good IT skills, research has found. Database firm FileMaker revealed that 82% of young people were confident in their general IT computer skills, with over 85% claiming to know how to create a PowerPoint presentation. However, only 35% said they had applied their IT knowledge at work. European […]
Job jitters scarier than dentist
Half of employees starting a new job find it more daunting than a trip to the dentist, a first date or even having a baby.A poll of 1,100 workers, conducted by recruitment consultancy Office Angels, showed first day jitters are causing stress among new employees, with 37% claiming it is more nerve-racking than going on […]
Candidates choose lucky pants over prep
Job seekers are missing out on their dream role by relying on fashion rather than good interview skills and preparation.A study of 5,000 candidates by online recruiters www.jobsite.co.uk found one in three jobseekers failed to receive a single job offer in the past year thanks to ill-prepared interviews and an inability to sell themselves to […]
Why employee engagement pays
Why is it that some companies shine as beacons of light as good employers, whilst others have problems recruiting and retaining staff? Faye Bewley examines what it takes to get it right. The best companies to work for all have one thing in common – employees who are not just committed to their jobs but […]
ACAS staff announce strike plans
Employees at the conciliatory organisation ACAS are to go on strike in a dispute over pay. Members of the Public and Commercial Services union voted almost two to one in favour of the action, which will see staff downing tools over a series of one hour stoppages. A publicly funded organisation, one of ACAS’ roles […]
HR tip: Redundancy – bumping
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 do not have many visitors so we are getting rid of the receptionist post and leaving a list of telephone extensions for visitors to ring, in the reception area. The receptionist has […]
Recruitment: More marketing than machine?
Nicholas Thomson presents his top seven tips for getting the most out of your recruitment marketing. Marketing is all about raising awareness. In the context of recruitment, this means raising the awareness of your current positions. The most efficient routes for marketing will depend on your industry and the level of the position. However, there […]
Change: The final frontier
Trying to implement change without first securing the backing of your workforce is not only hard, it’s pretty foolish. Matt Henkes looks at how learning to manage change properly can be vital for long term business survival. In the far-off future, when our sun begins to die, humans will face a harsh choice: evolve or […]
Legal experts issue ‘office banter’ warning
A recent case has highlighted the dangers of allowing homophobic banter to go unchecked.Employers are being advised not to be complacent in the wake of a recent employment tribunal which found that some areas of homophobic banter in the workplace may not be covered under current sexual orientation regulations. English v Thomas Sanderson Blinds raised […]
Minimum wage hike welcomed
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate is set to rise to £5.73 an hour in October, the government has announced. The rate will rise from the current £5.52 payable to workers over 22 years of age. The hourly rate for 18-21 year olds will also rise from £4.60 to £4.77, while 16-17 year old employee […]
Graduates take job hunt exclusively online
Eight out of ten graduates only search for jobs online.This is according to a new survey from Reed Employment which found that just 3% scour the newspaper for openings with 18% relying on recruitment agencies and 8% applying in person. A whopping 80% also claim to be avid users of social networking sites such as […]
‘Too young’ teenager wins age discrimination case
An administrative assistant has won her case for unlawful sacking on the basis of being ‘too young’.Leanne Wilkinson, was 18 years of age when she claimed that she suffered age discrimination following her dismissal from her job as an administrative post at Springwell Engineering in Newcastle upon Tyne.Reported by the Times newspaper, Wilkinson claimed the […]