Outsourcing your HR: The benefits
Outsourcing recruitment through RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) offers companies a flexible, scalable solution to high-volume hiring demands without overwhelming in-house HR teams. This approach saves time and money while allowing organizations to maintain control over the hiring process and customize services to their specific needs.
HR tip: The disappearing employee – not turning up to work
When an employee stops attending work without notice or resignation, employment continues until formally terminated. Employers should initiate disciplinary procedures by writing to the employee’s address, inviting them to a hearing about unauthorized absence, and can terminate for gross misconduct if they fail to respond or attend.
Banks rubber stamp huge bonuses despite redundancies and layoffs
Major banks including Citigroup are distributing multi-billion pound bonuses to investment bankers despite posting massive losses and announcing thousands of job cuts, signaling continued conflicts between executive compensation and workforce redundancies across the financial sector.
Value of ‘Investors in People’ award in doubt
A Nottingham University study of nearly 15,000 workers questions the value of the ‘Investors in People’ award, finding that women, ethnic minorities, disabled workers, and temporary employees receive less training at IiP-accredited companies than at non-accredited workplaces.
Unions send message of support to police on day of protest
Thousands of police officers protested in London over pay while the Trades Union Congress backed their demands, criticizing the government’s refusal to backdate a 2.5 percent pay award, which reduces the effective increase to 1.9 percent for the year.
HR must take retention ‘seriously’, warn experts
A new survey reveals 75% of organizations lack retention strategy or budget, despite 93% implementing initiatives and 47% struggling with staff turnover. HR experts warn that retention must be prioritized equally with recruitment, as replacing an employee costs £7,750-£11,000.
Finders keepers: Retention for the year ahead
January sees peak employee turnover as post-holiday malaise sets in. Strong leadership, clear communication, and recognition initiatives can boost engagement and retention during this critical period for workforce stability.
Thinking differently about motivation
Reversal theory offers a fresh framework for understanding employee motivation by recognizing that what motivates people constantly shifts between eight emotional states. By viewing motivation differently, managers can create more engaged workforces and address complex people issues more effectively.
Pay in lieu of notice: How to protect yourself
Learn how pay in lieu of notice (PILON) works and why employers need express contractual clauses to avoid breach of contract claims. Without proper PILON provisions, employees may claim compensation for lost bonuses and benefits during notice periods.
The end of certainty?
Workplace certainty has declined since the end of “jobs for life,” but evidence suggests job stability remains relatively stable. The real issue may be worker perception rather than reality, with UK employees among the world’s most pessimistic about job security. Employers can help staff embrace uncertainty by reframing change as opportunity and moving employees into new roles.
New survey flags faltering public sector morale
A new Roffey Park survey reveals declining morale in the public sector, with only 6% of public sector organizations reporting high employee morale compared to 33% in the not-for-profit sector. The research attributes the decline to failure to address underperformance, rising office politics, and low confidence in leadership.
Ask the expert: Potential sex discrimination
A pregnant employee dismissed for unauthorized absence claims sex discrimination after her employer provided inaccurate information to HR, omitting her pregnancy status and misrepresenting her absence duration and disciplinary history. Employment law experts advise on reinstatement and investigating the manager’s conduct.
Fashion police snub ‘bad for bottom’ uniform
Female police officers are demanding better-fitting uniforms, complaining that regulation trousers with high waistbands are unflattering and impractical for their work. Officers have also raised concerns about uncomfortable stab vests and inadequate weather protection in current uniform designs.
Laptop lock-up for civil servants
UK civil servants are now banned from taking unencrypted laptops containing personal data outside government offices, following multiple security breaches involving stolen Ministry of Defence computers with sensitive information on thousands of people.
‘Who you know, not what you know’ is key to career success
Professional relationships and impression management skills matter more to career advancement than job competence alone, according to a leadership psychology expert. Dr Patrick Tissington argues that cultivating strong relationships with key decision-makers, particularly senior leadership, can significantly influence a manager’s success and progression.
Encourage over 50s into enterprise, ministers told
Experts urge the UK government to encourage over 50s unemployment into self-employment and entrepreneurship. Charities argue that 800,000 inactive people aged 50 and above want to work, and most new businesses are started by entrepreneurs in their 40s and 50s, yet current enterprise initiatives primarily target young people.
Northgate HR leads the way with first ever ‘green’ payslip
Northgate HR becomes the first UK payroll provider to offer recycled payslips and P60s, reducing carbon emissions by 1.32 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of paper compared to virgin paper printing.
HR clashes with IT over social networking
HR and IT departments clash over social networking sites, which distract UK workers for at least 30 minutes daily, costing businesses £6.5 billion annually in lost productivity. While IT wants to ban these sites, HR sees potential benefits, creating internal conflict over management strategy.
New laws trigger HR warning
Employers face significant legal changes ahead in 2008, including new rules on equal pay, age discrimination, corporate manslaughter, and information sharing with employees, according to employment law specialists at Eversheds.
Union-led learning trumpeted as “magic bullet”
Union-employer cooperation drives workplace learning success, according to the TUC’s unionlearn program. Union learning representatives help employers build more skilled workforces while enabling workers to develop their capabilities through further education partnerships.
