E-recruitment: Are we missing a trick?
Does the growth of e-recruitment, and subsequent removal of the human element, actually mean we are missing out on the right candidates? Bettina Pickering, from PA Consulting Group, takes a closer look. E-recruitment is a growing trend as more and more organisations look to speed up the recruitment process and save costs. E-recruitment software is […]
Use of text messaging at work in question
Employers are being called upon to clarify what constitutes an appropriate use of text messaging in the workplace.As ‘texting’ becomes an increasingly popular form of communication at work, Asda mobile is urging employers to clarify what is and is not acceptable. This follows recent news that former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol allegedly heard about […]
HR tip: Phoning in sick
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:"Who is the best person for a sick employee to phone in to on the first day of absence?" HR Tip:The immediate manager or supervisor would seem to be the best person since […]
Colborn’s Corner: What does consultation mean?
Eagle-eyed HR professionals may have noticed a recent EAT judgment in which UK Coal was found to be in breach of the requirement to fully consult with employees and their representatives during a redundancy exercise, raising the question of involvement in the decision-making process. Quentin Colborn addresses the impact of this on the HR profession. […]
Developing the global manager
The challenges of finding people who will succeed in an international setting are considerable, says Jeff Toms, who offers some advice on how to develop an effective global manager. Understanding and working with people from different cultures is not always easy and often organisations underestimate the investment in preparation and training required to make such […]
Retail staff face rising violence
The UK’s shopkeepers are having to deal with rising levels of violent attacks, abuse and shoplifting, new research reveals.The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said store staff were subjected to half a million violent incidents over the last 12 months with physical attacks rising by 50 per cent. Threats of violence more than doubled while the […]
Poverty warning as lone parents forced back to work
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) warns that government plans to get more lone parents back to work could push many families into poverty.The government proposes moving parents of children aged seven and over from income support to jobseekers allowance, so that they are available and looking for work. The plans are designed to meet the […]
Fat cats struggle to juggle
Senior executives in the UK admit they are struggling with conflicting priorities that leave them no time to think and are worried that the challenges are just too much. Research, published today by the Chartered Management Institute, showed that 84 per cent battle with the challenge of prioritising work, whilst two-thirds claim to have little […]
Top ten most irritating workers shamed
Irritating workers such as shirkers, screamers, gossipers and whiners have been named and shamed as the types of colleagues who are most likely to get our blood boiling.A survey on office stress by Ceridian, a provider of human resource services, has been published ahead of ‘National Stress Awareness’ day on 7 November. The survey identifies […]
CIPD drums home lessons ahead of ‘Ban Bullying at Work’ day
Wednesday 7 November 2007 is both ‘Ban Bullying at Work’ day and ‘National Stress Awareness’ day; and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is sharing free advice on how to tackle the problems ahead of the event.Dianah Worman, CIPD diversity adviser, said: “Eliminating all forms of harassment and bullying makes good business sense. […]
Sage adds KCS to growing HR portfolio
Sage paid £20 million this week for HR and payroll developer KCS to sit alongside Snowdrop in the company’s rapidly expanding HR division.Like Snowdrop, KCS is a mid-range supplier of integrated HR, payroll and time & attendance software. It has 900 customers in the UK, including well known brand names such as Paul Smith, Reg […]
Capital celebrates Mayor’s skills and employment strategy
Mayor of London Ken Livingston plans to plug the capital’s skills gap with the first ever London skills and employment strategy.Backed by the £560m London Learning and Skills Council’s annual adult skills budget, the final strategy will recommend the steps that must be taken to meet the skills and employment challenges facing workers and businesses […]
Operation good guys: HR and CSR
Running a business isn’t just about making a profit anymore – it’s about making an ethical profit. Rob Lewis finds out how HR can sound the clarion call for corporate social responsibility. Isn’t it time you started doing the right thing? Job hunters are certainly warming to firms with good corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies […]
Spotlight: Stephen Taylor, HR director, Bounty
In this month’s ‘Spotlight’ series, Lucie Benson talks to Stephen Taylor, who has worked across seven very different sectors in his impressive 30-year career and who explains that his HR department’s success is all down to a good old dose of team spirit. Vital stats: Company: Bounty The aim: To be the UK’s favourite parenting […]
Voice from the workplace: HR – who are they and what do they do?
This is the second article in a series looking at problems experienced by an employee working for a government organisation and how HR can help to put it right. In this instalment, Jim Fischer discusses what should be done when HR does not have enough of a presence within their organisation. Introduction by John PopeIn […]
Tea and gossip drain productivity
A second survey in as many days has suggested that valuable time is being wasted in the office, with workers spending over an hour a day having tea and chatting with friends.Recruitment consultants Office Angels says that workers in the UK lose 16.5 million hours every day – the equivalent of a whopping £193 million […]
CIPD slams immigration quota proposal
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says that restrictions on the movement of non-EU labour will leave employers struggling to find staff.Political debate centres on a points-based system or absolute quota to restrict non-EU immigration. John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, remains doubtful that such a system can avoid damaging employers. Philpott […]
Positive discrimination: The exception to the rule
“A majority of people, including many HR professionals and equal opportunities officers, simply do not appreciate that positive discrimination in favour of disabled people is lawful,” says Paul Archer, head of employment law at Lemon & Co Solicitors. Somewhat ironically, it would be perfectly lawful to positively discriminate in favour of disadvantaged groups (for example […]
Ask the expert: Dismissal while on probation
How do you dismiss an employee who is on probation, and on sick leave, but has been absent for several days without informing anyone, and is generally not up to the job? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:We have a […]
Payroll lucky dip affects 15 million
Shocking findings reveal that over half of the UK’s workforce has been affected by a payroll error with one in five admitting they wouldn’t even notice the mistake.According to number crunching research by ADP Employer Services and YouGov, 11 per cent do not regularly check their payslips whilst three quarters admit they don’t even understand […]