Plans to compensate pension victims given cautious welcome
An estimated 140,000 victims of failed pension schemes are to be compensated; the announcement has been given a cautious welcome.Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain made the announcement this week. The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) was designed to offer a safety net to people whose pension schemes collapsed between January 1997 and April 2005. The […]
Government consultation begins on qualifications
Ed Balls and John Denham have published a consultation document setting out detailed proposals for the regulation and development of qualifications and assessment in England. Denham, the secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills, said: “Today’s announcement is a major step forward in securing the right approach to the regulation of qualifications. I am […]
‘Slow down’ is PAs Christmas wish to bosses
PAs wish their bosses would apply the brakes to their hectic schedules in the new year.Recruitment outfit Crone Corkill recently asked PAs what they’d most like to change about their bosses in 2008. For 19 per cent, the resounding response was they should not work so hard. Further responses included ‘go fishing more’, ‘stop working […]
Practical jokers create office havoc at Christmas
Three out of four workers play practical jokes in the office over the Christmas period; a trend that is angering bosses.According to a new survey by fish4jobs, a recruitment website, as Christmas looms, 46 per cent of office workers will be upping the ante on the number of jokes played.Surprisingly, 16 per cent of the […]
Salary Sacrifice for Stock
Hi,We are looking to implement a salary sacrifice scheme that would see staff giving up pay in exchange for shares at an internal rate agreed within the company. I would be keen to hear from others who may have set up such a scheme. In particular the tax implications and legal conditions that we should […]
HR in 2008: Predictions, forecasts and crystal ball gazing
Hindsight no longer has to be a wonderful thing – not with HR Zone’s round-up of predictions and forecasts from some top HR directors and commentators on what to look out for in the year ahead. By Annie Hayes. * Go full throttle with EAPsLiz Booth, HR director, NSPCC: 2008 holds the promise of better […]
Top HR Zone stories in 2007
It has been quite a year for us here on HR Zone. From employee references to implementing the smoking ban; from change management to talent management, it’s all been written about – and commented on – here. So, as 2007 comes to an end, Lucie Benson looks back at the 10 most popular articles featured […]
Organisational development in 2008
Consultant Mike Morrison looks ahead to how organisational development will be perceived in the coming year, and asks whether it will lay the groundwork for a true path towards strategic development? In the past, organisational development (OD) was mainly concerned with the three S’s of an organisation – structures, staff and skills. Specialists and consultants […]
The impact of HRM on Company Performance
Dear All,I am studying a Masters in Organisational Behaviour and have chosen to study the impact of HRM on company performance and competitive advantage as my dissertation topic.I would be really interested to canvass opinions and perceptions specifically from within the HR field. My own experiences have been from running my own recruitment business.My research […]
Christmas cheer
Paul Avis takes a seasonal meander around the festive period by looking at alcohol consumption, and questions whether it’s a good time of year for employee health management, morale and motivation. I do like a beer. Well, a few actually. Sometimes more. Although, increasingly, it’s wine these days. Should I be admitting this to HR […]
‘Negative’ management styles most common in UK organisations
The ‘command and control’ approach to work is hindering UK productivity, according to research. Performance levels in workplaces are suffering as overbearing and dogmatic management practices top the list of management styles. The report into the quality of working life, which questioned 1,511 managers, also found a high rate of sickness and absence levels in […]
Ask the expert: Notification of fixed-term contracts
Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on how to correctly handle the issuing and termination of a fixed-term contract. The question:I would be grateful if someone could advise me how we should be handling fixed-term contract end dates, in terms of giving notice / sending written […]
TUC takes public sector pay campaign to Westminster
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and its member unions representing public sector workers are calling on the government to bring public sector pay above inflation.The campaign, Speak Up for Public Services dubbed as ‘major’, is being launched today at Westminster. According to the union body, the Government’s target of 2 per cent pay rises across […]
CBI makes employment prediction u-turn
Unemployment, previously forecast to fall in 2008, is now predicted to rise to 1.70 million in 2009, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).The revised prediction is due to slower economic growth, said the CBI, which has downgraded its forecast for UK growth in 2008 for the third quarter running, due to the credit […]
Fifth of workers ‘moonlight’ to plug earnings hole
Twenty per cent of British workers boost their income with money earned from a hobby or interest.This is according to the latest National Savings and Investments (NS&I) quarterly savings survey.Just over half the respondents are doing this for fun, yet in a warning to bosses, many confess to using work-time to generate extra income.Hobby earners, […]
Dyson lands top HR job at Bank of London
The Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME), the Sharia’a compliant London-based wholesale bank, has appointed Beverley Dyson as its head of HR.Dyson joins BLME from the London branch of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (part of BNP Paribas Group) where she was also head of HR. Past posts include head of HR and administration […]
City bonus bonanza shamed by charity
Multi-million pound bonuses shared by workers in the City this Christmas are under fire from the anti-poverty charity War on Want.According to the charity, many of the world’s poorest countries are being denied the tax owed by British companies amidst reports that dozens of London bankers at Goldman Sachs have been awarded bonuses of at […]
Alcohol ban solves office party worry
Businesses are throwing alcohol-free office parties in an attempt to mitigate the drunken antics of party-goers this year.According to Steven Meyerhoff, head of employment at Backhouse Jones Solicitors, around 80 per cent of British bosses did not organise an office party last year because of their concern that things may get out of hand.And almost […]
‘Virtual’ training in Second Life
A UK law firm has launched a ‘virtual office’ in Second Life, to offer interactive online training to its employees. Second Life is an online 3D virtual world, created entirely by its residents. It houses a growing number of businesses worldwide, and now, law firm Simpson Millar will be holding training sessions for its employees […]
IT skills not valued by business leaders
Business decision makers do not rate IT skills as highly as other softer skills, a Microsoft survey has found. Released to coincide with the first anniversary of the publication of the Leitch Review of Skills, the survey quizzed over 500 top UK business leaders, 61 per cent of whom believed interpersonal and team working skills […]
