Staff Handbook / Induction Pack
HiI am looking for a template for a staff handbook and an induction pack.I don’t suppose anyone still has one?ThanksChloe Chloe Bristow
Is your net rep on form?
With the rise in social networking sites comes greater temptation for recruiters to find out about candidates online before considering their profile on paper. Louise Druce asks whether you should base applications on hype rather than type? It goes without saying that you want to knock the socks off your potential employer at a job […]
HR consultancy offers human capital value calculator
A London-based HR consultancy claims to have devised the first software calculator to measure the value of a company’s human capital.Known as Catalyst, the software is a “total people cost of ownership and effectiveness calculator”, written by PEO People, to link financial and commercial data to workforce productivity figures and correlate them to the company’s […]
What’s in a name?
The HR name debate has been a hot topic of late. Jan Hills, from HR with Guts, discusses the impact of this identity crisis and asks if a name really matters. The HR profession seems to be going through a personality crisis. It can’t seem to settle on a name, leaping through HR to personnel […]
Why choose on-demand HR solutions?
Information technology solutions for HR have changed rapidly in recent years as technology has evolved. On-demand solutions are the way forward, where users pay for what they want, when they want them, says David Woodward. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is where software is hosted and delivered to users via the web. Yet what has made web-based SaaS […]
HR tip: Flexible working requests
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 are beginning to get requests for flexible working. Can we refuse? If so, how?" HR Tip:Certain employees have a right to request, though not demand, flexible working; for example, to work […]
On the couch: Counselling at work
Evidence suggests that providing a ‘counselling at work’ service can help to reduce absence due to stress, increase productivity and reduce litigation. Rick Hughes and Andrew Kinder discuss the options available. Stress at work is increasingly being cited as a major cause of sickness absence within organisations, even as high as 50 per cent of […]
Jobless and claimant count tumbles to record low
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in November has fallen to the lowest level since 1975, with the jobless count also in decline.According to UK labour market statistics for October and November, the number of claimants fell to 813,000 in November from 824,100 in October, beating this decade’s previous low of 819,000 set in […]
Flexible working key to improved health
Healthy lifestyles can be prompted by flexible working, new research has shown.Dr Joseph Grzywacz, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, has commented that if workers perceive the flexible working initiative as real then they will be prompted into taking up a healthier lifestyle.“Although further research is needed, these results suggest that flexibility programmes, that […]
Retail giant chairman joins UK Commission for Employment and Skills
Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, has been appointed as one of 20 inaugural commissioners for the new UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). The news is welcomed by the Sector Skills Council for Retail, Skillsmart Retail.Anne Seaman, chief operating officer for Skillsmart Retail, said: “We were delighted when Charlie Mayfield became […]
‘Smossiping’ puts smokers at heart of grapevine
‘Smossiping’, or smoking outside while having a gossip, is fast becoming the new method of relaying office news.For one in seven workers this is the latest way of finding out what’s going on. The survey of over 1,000 workers, by recruitment outfit Office Angels, reveals that 74 per cent of workers look forward to catching […]
Self-help books are for Christmas, not for life
Addiction to business self-help books is causing a shortage of leadership skills among UK managers, a training and recruitment expert has said.Millions of pounds are spent on management guides each year in the UK and, with more than 100,000 business management titles currently listed on Amazon, they are sure to be popular stocking fillers.Stephen Seymour, […]
The business case for talent management
Is it possible to calculate the benefits you are likely to achieve from automating your HR function and embracing new concepts such as talent management? Go back to the fundamental purpose of your HR strategy, and estimate the benefits in cash terms. It sounds simple, but the devil is in the detail, writes HR Zone […]
My boss is bad: Are you a victim?
Chetan Dhruve returns to his series on bad bosses, this time delving into the issue of ‘victim-hood’, pointing out that the ‘powerlessness’ of employees is not being given the legitimacy or seriousness it deserves. In a previous article, I commented on systems thinking and bad bosses, and why we shouldn’t blame individual bosses for bad […]
Ask the expert: Rest periods
An employee may be in breach of the working time regulations due to employment with a third party. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on whether the primary employer is liable for not ensuring rest periods are observed. The question:An employee of ours has another job […]
Fears heighten over ‘work unready’ lone parents
Forcing lone parents into work could result in a surge of ‘work unready’ candidates.The 2007 welfare reform green paper recommends that from 2008, lone parents with a child under 12 years, who are not in paid work, should be required to actively seek employment if it can be demonstrated that they will be financially better […]
Employment law predictions 2008
Christina Morton and Deborah Hely, of Beachcroft LLP, discuss forthcoming legislation in 2008 and how this will impact employers. The number of legislative changes clearly in the pipeline for 2008 is relatively small, but the groundwork will also be laid next year for some important future developments. Here are some laws to look out for […]
Do you really want managers to develop their staff?
Management consultant John Pope considers how you can really encourage managers to develop their people, and offers a few practical ideas. It worked in the pastMany years ago, when international air travel was not as cheap as it is now, the Bank of London and South America, a subsidiary of Lloyds, used to recruit bankers […]
Careless workers put business data at risk
More than half of workers have lost a laptop, BlackBerry or USB stick in a pub, bar and restaurant, with the majority showing an alarming apathy towards the value of business data.This is according to a new survey by Databarracks, a secure online backup specialist. They found that whilst employees are dependent on business data, […]
Brand lures talent
Candidates are increasingly seeking out employers with a good reputation and brand.This is according to a new survey by jobs.ac.uk, which reveals that as many as 86 per cent of job hunters rate an employer’s brand as important when considering whether to apply for a job.Andrew Gordon, director of jobs.ac.uk, said: “There’s kudos associated with […]
