‘Ain’t no satisfaction’ for public sector workers
Public sector workers score lowest for overall employee satisfaction in a new survey which reveals key differences in the sectors.According to employee research specialists ORC International, worker satisfaction in the UK remains steady at 68 per cent but organisational pride in local and central government is 8 per cent and 7 per cent below the […]
Change continues to be handled badly
Red-faced bosses stand accused of failing their employees by continuously managing change badly.Just 30 per cent of organisations manage change effectively in the eyes of employees, who actually perceive them to be getting worse at it. The survey by ORC international, an employee research firm, shows the percentage of employees who feel that their organisation […]
Alarm bells for companies ‘unaware’ of Corporate Manslaughter Act
Thousands of British businesses are oblivious to the impending Corporate Manslaughter Act, which becomes law on 6 April 2008.Under the new Act, it is the organisation that will be prosecuted for a gross failure in the management of health and safety that causes death. Vulnerable and uninformed businesses that are successfully prosecuted will face unlimited […]
Gearing up for green fleets
Everyone has good intentions when it comes to being more environmentally friendly, and cars are an obvious target for reducing pollution. But Louise Druce asks whether the solutions out there for greener fleets are as down to earth as they sound. The car has become the eco-warrior’s nemesis, blamed for clogging our roads and spewing […]
Meddling for success
Is the start of a new year a good time for employers to enforce those resolutions that would, in theory, make a happier, healthier workforce? Is it any of their business if we come back to work looking like baby elephants and smelling like a pub carpet? Sarah Fletcher investigates. It’s that time of year […]
Is there a crisis in management today?
“Individuals promoted to managerial positions do not always clearly understand their role as managers and the ways in which they can add-value as managers,” says Duncan Miles. Managers are often chosen to manage because they are good at doing something else. Few organisations provide managers with a model or system for managing, and few have […]
Quarter would slash pay to work at home
Almost one in four employees would be prepared to take a pay cut in order to work from home.According to a small study by Famatech, 6 per cent would be prepared to take a reduction in pay of between 6 and 10 per cent, and 2 per cent would be prepared to take a pay […]
European court limits trade union rights to fight ‘social dumping’
While many of us were winding down before Christmas, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) was busy at work delivering judgments on two key cases. Martin Warren, head of employment law at Eversheds, explains. BackgroundBoth of these cases involved an historic clash between trade unions and employers and were sufficiently important for member states to […]
Ask the expert: Aggressive behaviour during disciplinary hearing
An employee was asked to attend a disciplinary meeting after threatening to kill another colleague; yet during the meeting he became aggressive and was escorted out. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on what should be done next. The question: Following being suspended from work, […]
Oil and gas giants join skills pledge
Shell and BP have made new year resolutions to put training high on their agendas, by making the Skills Pledge.This means they are committed to supporting all their employees to work towards a relevant, valuable qualification to at least Level two (the equivalent of five GCSEs at A – C grade) including basic skills such […]
HR salaries soar as war for talent hots up
HR salaries in both the private and public sectors will be fiercely competitive in 2008 with the ‘war for talent’ showing no signs of easing. Figures in the survey, conducted by recruiter FSS, show that senior HR professionals can now command salaries of up to, and in some cases in excess of, £140,000 a year.The […]
‘Happy’ care workers feel let down by public
Social care workers across England are happy but feel unappreciated by the general public.Whilst 90 per cent said they were happy in their work, less than half believe their work is appreciated. “This survey is the largest ever study of adult social care workers in England and it has revealed that we have some difficult […]
Multi-tasking mothers enjoy start-up success
Most company-owning mothers believe the skills they have developed bringing up children are key to their business success, new research reveals.Some 92 per cent of mums taking part in the study said abilities such as multi-tasking, planning ahead and efficiency honed while looking after their offspring were the key drivers behind their business achievements.In other […]
£10k slap for hiring illegal workers
The Home Office has launched an advertising campaign designed to boost awareness of a new £10k fine and two-year prison sentence for every illegal worker negligently hired.The stark message will be driven home in a new marketing campaign laying out the new rules due to come into effect in February. The government is launching a […]
Bosses fail to match benefit expectations
Employers are being urged to reconsider the employee benefits they offer as new research reveals benefits are failing to match with workers’ lifestyles.The survey by pay and benefits specialist Croner Reward highlighted the fact that although employers offer many different perks, just over half (52.9 per cent) admitted employees were not utilising the benefits because […]
Four signs of dysfunctional management revealed
Poor management displays four key characteristics, new research has found.Global HR consultancy, BlessingWhite, has compiled the four signs of dysfunctionality as follows:1. Silent dissent: “Everyone always agrees with me, and that makes me uneasy.”2. Facts not meaning: “All I get is data, but not much insight.”3. Lack of passion: “We focus so much on competence […]
Ditch the character, say CV experts
Listing ‘socialising’ as an interest on your CV won’t cut the mustard, warn recruitment experts, who are urging serious job hunters to de-clutter their curriculum vitae.A whopping 67 per cent of recruitment outfit Unity Personnel’s clients are tired of job hunters’ attempts to make themselves sound interesting, and are asking for the CVs they receive […]
UK must rise to finance skills challenge to maintain world leader status
Union leaders, employers and the minister for skills David Lammy have set out the skills challenge facing the UK finance sector at a seminar hosted by unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation.The finance sector has grown by more than five per cent a year since 2002 and currently accounts for 8 per cent of […]
Which? publishes ‘no go’ questions guide
The Which? CV and Interview Handbook has been published to clear up confusion about what can and cannot be asked of candidates at interview stage.The guide warns that questions such as age, length of experience and religious views are now illegal under discrimination legislation, and employers that fail to heed the warning can expect to […]
Workers admit using flu as an excuse to skive off work
A whopping 83 per cent of workers would consider using the Norovirus as a perfect excuse to ‘pull a sickie’ for a couple of days off work, according to a survey.The poll of 2,698 UK employees, by employment law firm Peninsula, also shows that 73 per cent of workers have used ‘flu like symptoms as […]
