Ask the expert: Drug testing
Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on implementing an alcohol and drugs policy and how to carry out random drug testing. The question:I am currently pulling together an alcohol and drugs policy, and one area is looking at drug testing. I would like to put in […]
E-speed drives buoyant jobs market
Results from the Monster Employment Index indicate an active online recruitment market continuing an upward growth trend.The monthly analysis of millions of online jobs shows an increase of five points from the November figure to a level of 174 points in December. Monster puts the continuing growth partly down to a greater online job availability […]
Government slammed for £3m staff and communication bill
Ministers have spent £3m on administration involved with simplifying the government’s much criticised business support system, official figures have revealed.In its formal response to consultation on improving the support regime, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) said “staff and communication costs” reached £3m in 2007 with another £1m due to be spent […]
Job seekers battle it out on 7 January
Job seekers should be prepared to beat off the competition today as researchers reveal Monday 7 January is the busiest day in the year to search for a new job.This is according to a survey by www.jobsite.co.uk, which reveals that a staggering 42 per cent of people are planning to hunt for work this month […]
Benefits job spree – take what’s on offer, urges government
The government is urging new year job seekers to make sure they are getting all the job benefits they’re entitled to.Employment relations minister Pat McFadden said: “We want to make sure that workers know what rights they have when applying for a new job, or so they can check their existing conditions are up to […]
TUC backs asylum seekers plea to work
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is urging the government to change the law so asylum seekers can work and lift themselves out of poverty.The campaign comes on the back of a new report, Like any other child?, published today from children’s charity Barnardo’s.Commenting, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Banning asylum seekers from working condemns […]
LogicaCMG scoops €40 million HR outsourcing deal
KPN, a leading provider of telecommunications services in the Netherlands, has signed a contract for the outsourcing of its HR Shared Service Centre (SSC) to LogicaCMG.KPN has centralised all personnel administration in its HR SSC in The Hague. LogicaCMG will take over the responsibility for the HR call centre and the supporting HR information systems, […]
Manslaughter rules ‘to cost firms £21m’
The UK’s new corporate manslaughter law could cost businesses more than £21m in legal bills, an insurer has claimed. Tips to prepare your business Review existing health and safety policies to ensure they are up to date and robust. The Health and Safety Executive can help. Be aware of the finer details of the Corporate […]
New year calls made for minimum wage hike
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is calling for a hike in the minimum wage after its research revealed more than a million children in Britain are living in poverty.Head of social policy at IPPR Kate Stanley admitted that work had already been done to help poor families, but more focus is needed; and […]
Five million work £5k for free in unpaid overtime
Nearly 5 million employees are missing out on £4,955 a year in unpaid overtime, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC).TUC research has found that the average amount of unpaid overtime is seven hours and six minutes a week. About one in five of the working population work unpaid overtime, it claims.The TUC has calculated […]
Airport strikes cancelled
The series of strikes threatening BAA’s seven UK airports this month have been called off.BAA has now withdrawn its decision to close its final salary pension scheme to new employees, following talks with unions Unite and PCS.A strike due for next Monday 7 January had already been called off, after talks were held earlier this […]
Stop gap: Interim managers – an expensive waste of time?
Interim managers have never had it so good; with demand soaring, record earnings are being achieved. Annie Hayes finds out whether interims are worth the expense and effort. Head renting or executive leasing – better known as interim management – is big business. According to professional body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), […]
When is a difference in pay classed as sex discrimination?
Looking at a recent case involving British Airways, Joy Drummond discusses whether or not a difference in pay between men and women involves sex discrimination under the Equal Pay Act 1970. Employers need to ensure that they do not discriminate against their employees on grounds of gender when they make decisions about recruitment, training and […]
HR tip: Controlling absence
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: "How does one control absence?" HR Tip:This is too big an issue to be covered satisfactorily in a short answer, but essentially you need to make people want to come to work […]
Tax credit rules slammed as working families fail to benefit
A leading left-wing think tank claims that the government’s tax credit policy is penalising working families while rewarding unemployed single parents.A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research shows that 1.4 million children live in households that are officially impoverished despite at least one parent going out to work.According to the Telegraph newspaper, the […]
Engaging with the audience: Interactive e-learning
Toby Lewis, managing director of LiveInteractive, discusses the value of audience engagement technology for HR professionals. E-learning has fast become an efficient and proven method of training and teaching across a wide range of target audiences, both internally and externally. The ability to deliver set programmes using multimedia delivers huge benefits in terms of cost […]
International learning provider awarded for corporate social responsibility
Global learning provider Tata Interactive Systems(TIS) has received an award for corporate social responsibility (CSR).The Readers’ Digest Pegasus CSR Awards recognise outstanding work done by socially conscious companies in India. The awards identify best practices and innovations by Indian companies in fulfilling their responsibilities to diverse stakeholders. In this way, Readers’ Digest, the largest selling […]
Roster row sparks bus driver strike
Bus drivers operating in the Wilts and Dorset areas are striking in a row over hours of work.More than 375 members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) have started the first of four separate days of strike action after last-ditch talks failed to resolve an ongoing dispute over what they […]
HR tips 2007
All our HR tips from 2007: click on the links to read any of the HR tips. December 2007Interviewing skillsFlexible working requestsDistressed employee November 2007Changing terms and conditions of employmentAffair at workReferences for redundant employeesRecording disciplinary proceedingsPhoning in sick October 2007Modest pay increaseEnforcing rest breaks and holidaysDisabled employee and sickness benefitAge discrimination September 2007Notifying the […]
HRZone.co.uk Email Bulletin Archive
This page will be updated with the latest HRZone.co.uk email bulletins as they are sent to members. To view the bulletins, click on the links below.05 May 2009 – HR in a recession: A change of focus30 April 2009 – Cutting the cost of wellness28 April 2009 – How to manage sickness absence in a […]
