Developing the global manager
Developing an effective global manager requires more than technical competence—organizations must invest in identifying and developing people with the right cross-cultural competencies, personal attributes, and motivation. International assignments are expensive when they fail, making it critical to establish focused selection and preparation processes rather than filling roles reactively with readily available staff.
Retail staff face rising violence
UK retail staff faced over 500,000 violent incidents in 12 months, with physical attacks up 50% and threats of violence more than doubling, new research shows. Shops also lost £205 million to shoplifting, with total losses potentially reaching £830 million when accounting for undetected theft.
Poverty warning as lone parents forced back to work
The TUC warns that government plans requiring lone parents to seek work could push families into poverty, citing the need for affordable childcare and flexible working instead of stricter benefit conditions.
Fat cats struggle to juggle
UK senior executives struggle with conflicting priorities and time management, with 84% battling to prioritize work and two-thirds lacking time to think strategically, according to Chartered Management Institute research. Over half neglect strategic planning while juggling meetings and internal politics.
Top ten most irritating workers shamed
A Ceridian survey ranks the most irritating workplace behaviors ahead of National Stress Awareness Day, with shirkers, screamers, and gossipers topping the list of colleagues who stress out UK workers. The study identifies ten types of annoying coworkers, from those who avoid work to noisy eaters, and emphasizes how disruptive behavior impacts office morale and productivity.
CIPD drums home lessons ahead of ‘Ban Bullying at Work’ day
The CIPD shares free advice ahead of ‘Ban Bullying at Work’ day on November 7, 2007, highlighting that one in five employees have experienced workplace bullying or harassment. Research shows bullying damages productivity and job satisfaction, making anti-harassment policies and strong management support essential for creating a healthy work environment.
Sage adds KCS to growing HR portfolio
Sage acquired HR and payroll software developer KCS for £20 million, expanding its HR portfolio alongside recently acquired Snowdrop. KCS serves 900 UK customers including Paul Smith and Specsavers, strengthening Sage’s presence in the mid-market HR and payroll sector.
Capital celebrates Mayor’s skills and employment strategy
London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone launched the capital’s first skills and employment strategy, backed by £560m in annual funding, to address worklessness and skills gaps. The plan targets raising London’s employment rate to 72% by 2013 and reducing those with no qualifications to 11%. Major employers like Travelodge committed to recruiting long-term unemployed for emerging opportunities from Crossrail and the 2012 Games.
Operation good guys: HR and CSR
HR plays a critical role in corporate social responsibility implementation, with research showing that employees view CSR as essential to employer reputation. Effective CSR strategies require appointed champions across departments and a win-win business approach to ensure sustainability and genuine impact beyond marketing promises.
Spotlight: Stephen Taylor, HR director, Bounty
Stephen Taylor, HR director at Bounty, brings 30 years of HR experience across seven different sectors to his role leading a six-person HR team at the UK’s parenting club. He emphasizes that successful HR comes down to team spirit and effective people management, regardless of industry.
Voice from the workplace: HR – who are they and what do they do?
Human Resources departments should be visible and accessible to employees, but this government organization’s HR team remains largely hidden and disconnected from day-to-day workplace issues. An employee describes ineffective processes like rushed performance reviews and unclear HR leadership, highlighting the need for stronger HR presence and engagement within organizations.
Tea and gossip drain productivity
UK workers waste over an hour daily on tea, gossip, and other distractions, costing employers £193 million per day in lost productivity. A survey of 1,292 office workers found chatty colleagues and mobile phones are the top desk distractions affecting workplace focus.
CIPD slams immigration quota proposal
The CIPD criticizes proposed immigration quotas on non-EU workers, warning they will create staff shortages for employers. The organization suggests introducing a migrant worker levy to allow flexibility within quota restrictions while ensuring genuine labor needs are met.
Positive discrimination: The exception to the rule
UK discrimination law allows positive action to help underrepresented groups through training access and recruitment encouragement, but generally prohibits preferential hiring. However, disability is a unique exception: employers can legally use quotas or restrict jobs to disabled people without risk of claims from non-disabled applicants.
Ask the expert: Dismissal while on probation
When dismissing a probationary employee on sick leave, employers must balance efficiency with legal risks. Two main approaches exist: directly terminate with notice pay, or conduct a disciplinary hearing for unauthorized absence. The key consideration is avoiding disability discrimination claims, which requires assessing whether the employee’s absence may indicate a protected condition.
Payroll lucky dip affects 15 million
Over half the UK’s workforce has been affected by payroll errors, with 41% experiencing underpayment. One in five wouldn’t notice the mistake, while three quarters don’t understand their pay statements, creating significant financial and compliance risks for employers and employees.
Competition to find Britain’s best business speakers
The College of Public Speaking is launching a UK competition to find Britain’s best business speakers, judging contestants on delivery skills, conviction, humor and audience engagement. The inaugural 2008 competition focuses on business and carbon footprints, with heats beginning in January.
Bosses confess cultural mismanagement
HR directors acknowledge failing to implement culture-building strategies they deem essential. While 94% rank behavioral rewards as critical to sustainable culture, only 29% actually practice this. The gap between recognizing culture’s impact on talent attraction, retention, and financial performance versus effectively executing these strategies reveals widespread mismanagement.
Going green begins at home not work, firms confess
UK company directors are making personal efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, but most aren’t applying the same environmental principles to their businesses. Research shows 93% of bosses go green at home, yet fewer than one in four view cutting workplace carbon emissions as a priority.
Cash versus non-cash rewards
Non-cash rewards offer greater psychological and motivational value than cash payments, providing memorability, trophy value, and lasting emotional impact. While employees cite financial rewards as their top incentive, they report feeling more satisfied after receiving tangible gifts or experiences that reflect personal achievement rather than salary increases.
