Top apprentice boss search launched
The search is on for the nation’s top apprentice employers as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) launches its fifth annual apprenticeship awards. Employers of all sizes and from all sectors of industry are being asked to enter the prestigious national awards. Speaking at the launch in London, skills minister David Lammy MP, said: “Apprenticeships […]
Prime minister outlines new era of rights and responsibilities
Established views on training and development will have to be radically changed if the UK is to compete in the growing global economy, Gordon Brown has told business leaders.Speaking at the CBI annual conference, the prime minister said there needs to be new incentives and obligations to train. Rather than create jobs for unskilled workers, […]
Sick of seasonal absence?
Too much Christmas cheer is estimated to cost bosses a whopping £790 million this year in hangovers and lost productivity. Annie Hayes finds out what fearful employers can do to stem the flow of no-shows and self-inflicted sickies. Research by budget hotel chain Travelodge has revealed the true extent of the Christmas party fall out. […]
The serious game of learning
There is a great deal of hype around ‘serious games’ and their impact on learning. Is it really going to change training or is this just another technological flash in the pan? Donald Taylor gives his take on this use of games for learning. Serious games are suddenly news. According to recent research, computer-based games […]
HR reporting: It’s all about the customer
Bettina Pickering, of PA Consulting Group, discusses how organisations can increase the value-add of HR reporting by making it ‘customer-centric’. HR reporting – not a topic that tends to excite people. Usually it is one of the more painful HR tasks, preparing reports on headcount, absence and other transactional HR activities. Report preparation processes demand […]
Stress management: Manual handling training for the mind
Manual handling training is commonplace in many organisations, so why is it that stress and its effects are often met with the stone-age fear that tackling it proactively will create a problem? Jean Brading discusses how to address the issue. We all buy into the idea of being careful about how we lift heavy things […]
HR tip: Distressed 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 have a female employee who often comes to work in tears because of some domestic problem. This greatly affects her ability to do her job, so how do we handle her?" […]
Talks break down on work rights for temps
European ministers failed to agree yesterday on the Agency Workers Directive that would have given temporary workers the same rights as permanent employees.Most of the EU states are in favour of the proposals, yet the British government – in a minority – opposed the plans.The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) stated it was “relieved to […]
Younger workers should be wary of ageism too
Young workers are being warned they could be affected by ageism in the workplace just as much as their older counterparts.A snapshot survey has been conducted by office support recruiter la crème, of office workers in their 20s, about whether they faced any kind of age discrimination in the workplace. The results showed that 60 […]
Agency workers debate gathers pace
The employment ministers of Europe are meeting today, Wednesday 5 December, to discuss the proposed Agency Workers Directive. The directive was proposed in 2002 and is intended to give agency workers the same rights as permanent employees after just six weeks. However, successive presidencies of the European Union have failed to get it off the […]
Retirement age hikes ripple across the globe
The age of retirement is rising across the world as governments react to increased longevity.HR consultancy Mercer looked at normal retirement ages (NRA) across 47 countries and found that the twin pressures of increasing social security costs and lower mortality rates are driving changes in retirement provision. In Austria, the retirement age for women will […]
GMB calls for minimum wage hike as directors’ pay widens earnings divide
Directors and chief executives earn 20 times more than those at the bottom; the news has angered unions.General union GMB is calling on a hike in the minimum wage to £7 per hour to help out those on a basic salary. According to their research, chief executives take home an average £214,062 per year. This […]
Recruitment 2008: Trouble down the line?
The recruitment industry seems to have the momentum of a freight train at the moment. But what nasty surprises might be lurking around the bend to derail this seemingly unstoppable runaway? Matt Henkes looks at the year ahead for recruitment. It’s been a good time to be in the recruitment industry. Over the last year, […]
Season of goodwill sours as cost of party hangover soars
Hungover office workers are set to cost seething bosses £790 million this Christmas.This is according to a survey conducted by budget hotel chain Travelodge, that says workers predict productivity to dip by as much as half, with the average hungover worker spending two and a half hours staring into space the day after the office […]
Spotlight: Matthew Brearley, UK HR director, Vodafone
Annie Hayes speaks to Matthew Brearley, an HR director who never rests, is blessed with “good energy”, and has helped transform mobile telecoms firm Vodafone from a flagging business to a market leader. Vital stats: Company: Vodafone The aim: To be the world’s mobile communications leader. Number of staff: 10,500 Number of HR staff: 170 […]
I got the workplace ‘blues’
Although you may never have thought about applying different genres of music to workplace issues, in this article Peter Cook discusses how organisations can achieve motivation and productivity the ‘rock’n’roll’ way. ‘I was looking for a job, then I found one. Heaven knows I’m miserable now’. How often have you heard these words for real […]
Ask the expert: Employee theft
An employee, who has been working for her employer for 10 years, has been found to have been stealing money from the company. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on the best way to handle this situation. The question:I have an employee who has worked for […]
Holiday pay: Contract versus working time directive
Barrister Charles Price outlines what the employer should pay now that minimum holiday entitlement has increased from 20 to 24 days a year. As from 1 October 2007, workers must have had their belief in a benevolent deity confirmed, as the government handed all workers a gift which previously only belonged to senior employees or […]
Work experience should be compulsory, say employers
The majority of employers (86 per cent) believe work experience should be compulsory for all school pupils before work is started.Most of those who responded to the survey – carried out by the organisers of The World of Learning exhibition and conference – also felt that the basic life skills of today’s school leavers, including […]
Temp workers set to secure full work rights
Britain is set to lose its fight against the implementation of a new directive that will afford temporary workers the same rights as those of permanent employees.A decision is to be made this Wednesday 5 December 2007 on whether the proposed Directive on Agency Workers should be implemented, giving temps in the UK the right […]