Combating the stress of employee relocations
As if climbing the career ladder wasn’t stressful enough, the pressures of relocating, not to mention the responsibilities of a new job, can send stress levels soaring. Yet a supportive and well-prepared manager can help smooth the move and de-stress the employee, says Philippa Robinsons. Having the right people with the right skills in the […]
Sacked park worker awarded record £550,000 damages
A London park worker has been awarded a record £550,000 in damages for disability discrimination, in what is reported to be the largest payout in a disability discrimination case.An employment tribunal in Croydon found that the man, who suffers learning difficulties, was unfairly sacked from his job by Lambeth Serviceteam Limited, now Veolia Environment Services […]
Travel giant signs US$400 million outsourcing deal with Accenture
A deal, that includes HR administration and payroll, has been struck between travel powerhouse Thomas Cook Group and outsourcing specialists Accenture.The contract supersedes the 2002 agreement and enables Thomas Cook to integrate a range of MyTravel Plc functions into the new operation, following the merger of the two companies in June. The new company has […]
Search for Britain’s best boss is on
The Working Families ‘Best Boss’ competition 2007 is looking for Britain’s most outstanding boss.Working Families and American Express are looking for nominations for bosses who make a difference to people’s working lives. According to the competition organisers, judges are looking for bosses who: Celebrate and share successes with their team. Empower and inspire people to […]
UK Plc leads the world in battle against the bullies
British business is being applauded for doing more than almost any other country in the world to beat bullying. According to the Andrea Adams Trust, a global workplace bullying charity, UK Plc has saved £3.42 billion in the last 12 months by taking a stand to combat bullying at work. The number of UK plc […]
MPs battle to secure huge pay rise
MPs are battling for an above-inflation pay increase, to as much as £100,000.Reported by The Times newspaper, ministers have already received a report from the senior salaries review body, which helps to set MP’s pay and allowances every three years. It recommends that MPs receive an increase to the basic salary of £60,277 to more […]
Female-run start-ups on the rise
The number of women ditching their jobs in favour of running their own business is growing, while the proportion of men doing the same is falling, new research reveals.The percentage of females moving into self-employment has increased by 10 per cent since 1990, said enterprise support body Prowess, in contrast to the proportion of men […]
Take a break every three hours and beat stress
Legal & General is advising workers to take a short break, at least every three hours, ahead of this Wednesday’s ‘National Stress Awareness’ day.According to research by the financial services company, almost a quarter of full-time workers say they are generally stressed at work. A further 20 per cent say they work too many extra […]
Recruitment industry hits the jackpot as turnover spirals
Turnover in the recruitment industry has reached an all-time high of £26 billion, a leap of more than 7 per cent, and future profits look set to continue as large scale projects including CrossRail and the Olympic Games in 2012 fuel demand. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Annual Industry Turnover and Key Volumes Survey […]
Two-thirds of staff don’t trust managers
Less than a third of UK employees have complete trust in their manager, with 78 per cent believing that their manager has let them down in the past, according to research published today. The study, by Investors in People, also reveals that over half of employees believe that their manager only has staff’s best interests […]
HR fails to deliver key functions
HR directors are struggling to achieve adequate standards of delivery in core HR functions.The findings are the results of a survey conducted at the recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development annual conference. According to the researchers, hy-phen, a recruitment process outsourcing specialist, HR directors prefer to keep core processes in-house despite admitting to falling […]
2.5 million employees covered by Skills Pledge
More than 2.5 million workers are now covered by the Skills Pledge, with 400 employers signed up to the scheme.Interserve Plc, VT Group Plc, EDS UK and Reliance Security Group Ltd are the latest four companies to make the voluntary commitment to help all their employees gain at least a Level 2 qualification – the […]
Employers at legal risk under DDA
One in three UK employers is putting themselves at risk under disability discrimination laws, according to a report released today.The Employers’ Forum Disability Standard 2007 survey, developed by the Employers’ Forum on Disability (EFD), quizzed 116 organisations, between them employing around 2 million people, and found that only 8 per cent of businesses have an […]
Shaken not stirred: Should HR battle for ‘diversity’ rights?
Trevor Phillips, chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), stirred up considerable HR emotion when he announced that diversity should be taken away from the function. Annie Hayes talks to HR professionals to find out whether his comments were justified. One organisation that has expressed a considerable degree of apprehension about […]
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 […]
