HR tip: Enforcing rest breaks and holidays
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:"Many of my employees, especially managers, do not take their rest breaks and holidays. I do not force them to do so. Should I?" HR Tip:If you do not, you may well be […]
Poor IT frustrates employees
One in five British employees do not have the basic IT facilities they need to carry out their jobs, new research has revealed. A survey of UK employees, conducted by Samsung, found that one in ten rated their firm’s IT system as poor, with over a third believing it to be average.However, many respondents also […]
Nine in ten office workers are stressed
New research has shown that 92 per cent of the UK’s office-based workers are stressed.The study, by recruitment consultants Badenoch & Clark, also found that HR professionals are the most stressed of those surveyed, with 65 per cent stating they were either often or always stressed at work, compared to 31 per cent of lawyers. […]
Sir Menzies – a victim of ageism?
Ex-Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell was a victim of “endemic ageism”, experts have said.John Peel, a consultant with employment law experts Employersafe, said that, according to the law, people should be judged on their performance, not their age.“I think it is pretty clear to most people that Sir Menzies has been impeded because of […]
Swearing at work can help relieve stress
Allowing employees to swear at work can help them to release stress, new research has revealed.A study carried out by academics at the University of East Anglia (UEA), which looked into the positive impact of non-conventional and uncivil language at work, found that regular use of expletives in the office can reinforce solidarity amongst staff, […]
Minister blames employers for gender gap
Skills minister David Lammy has blamed British employers for the failure of government schemes to better women’s employment prospects. The London Level 3 pilot project, for example, designed to provide working women with A-level equivalent training, has attracted only 750 attendees. The £20 million project has a target of 12,000. “Some of these pilots have […]
Firms tested during recruitment
It’s not just candidates who come under scrutiny during the hiring process. Recruiting employers risk alienating future employees, losing customers and harming their PR, a recruitment specialist has warned. Potential employees need to be treated well throughout the recruitment process, even if an applicant proves not to be suitable for the first position they apply […]
Is your performance management performing? By Rob Lewis
Performance management is supposed to empower your staff, release their potential and propel your organisation into the big time – which is funny, because half the time it just seems to lead to recriminations and arguments about salary. Rob Lewis wonders if HR can help manage performance management. Ah, the annual performance management review: […]
Employee retention – does it matter?
Bettina Pickering and Tom Marks, of PA Consulting Group, question whether high employee retention really is the key objective to ensuring the overall performance and growth of an organisation. Many of us will have recently experienced an increased focus on improving staff retention within our organisations. HR magazines and internet sites are full of articles […]
Did that hurt? A new, painless way of using recruiters
Isobel Rimmer, managing director of Masterclass Recruitment, discusses a new approach to using recruiters. Recruiting the best people is probably one of the most difficult tasks managers face in their daily work. Whether at new hire, entry level, senior appointments or to the board, we know that success depends on attracting, recruiting and retaining the […]
Ask the expert: Maternity suspension
A pregnant employee’s current role places her and her unborn baby at risk of harm. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise on whether to suspend this employee, with or without pay, because she refuses to accept an alternative, less risky role within […]
Going green: The new pressure facing HR
The pressure is on for HR directors to toe the line and place green policies at the heart of their business, says Gareth Chick, HR director of Spring Partnerships. There is no escaping it, companies are under great pressure at the moment to go green; to prove they are socially responsible, environmentally friendly and are […]
Financial services employers miss the mark on benefits
There is a huge disparity between financial services employees’ benefits priorities and the packages on offer from their employers, according to new research.In a survey of almost 250 UK financial services employees and employers, by recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark, it found that flexible working hours was one of the top incentives for employees, yet […]
Cities hit by ‘brain drain’
Major UK cities are likely to be affected by a 'brain drain' as over half a million graduates flock to London, Jobsite has warned. The approaching exodus of qualified individuals to the capital was revealed in a survey that showed one in three current students was planning a move to London in search of employment. […]
Only a third of employees offered benefits
There is still confusion among workers as to what exactly constitutes an ’employee benefit’, with two thirds of workers receiving none at all, a survey has found.Canada Life Group Insurance discovered that company pension schemes into which the firm contributes were the most highly sought after benefit by employees, with holiday allowance over the legal […]
Firms urged to ‘boomerang hire’
Businesses which re-employ former employees enjoy cost savings and increased productivity, new research claims.Corporate social networking company SelectMinds said employers who stay in touch with ex-staff and bring them back into the organisation when needed can expect significant benefits. In the poll of 60 global firms, 66 per cent of re-hires were classed as star […]
When a team is born: How HR can bring people together
Building a solid team requires mastery of all the HR disciplines: reward policy, organisational culture, management processes, and working practices, to name but a few. It’s what makes effective team-building one of the greatest challenges out there. Rob Lewis looks at what HR can – and can’t – do. As the mastermind behind D-Day once […]
Legislation update: Liability for stress at work
Richard White, specialist employment solicitor at Withy King, considers a recent case in which the court of appeal overturned a high court decision concerning liability for stress at work. Claims from employees for injuries arising from stress at work have been the subject of a large amount of case law in recent years, the effect […]
Act it out: Using drama-based training
The use of professional actors in learning and development has evolved from the simple provision of role players to designing and delivering sophisticated simulation events. Robbie Swales highlights the changing nature of drama-based training and provides tips on how to choose a drama provider. Acting in the interests of L&DFifteen years ago, when I became […]
Understanding employee engagement
The widespread imbalance between recruitment and retention shows that organisations have got their priorities wrong, says Ron Eldridge. He calls for a strategic shift to address this anomaly. Staff retention is a key issue for HR professionals. UK organisations spend billions of pounds attracting, recruiting and developing their staff yet research shows that more than […]