Ask the expert: Representation
Employment law experts advise a manager who has been implicated during a disciplinary proceeding involving other employees. They recommend documenting concerns in writing, raising a formal grievance if needed, and notifying senior management, as an innocent manager should have no legal concerns about unfounded allegations.
Style over Substance?
Many organizations reject talented candidates lacking industry experience, potentially missing skilled professionals. This practice raises questions about whether strict industry requirements serve as legitimate criteria or inadvertent discrimination in hiring decisions.
Absent staff cost companies £20.9 billion
UK absenteeism costs companies £20.9 billion annually, with 480 million days lost, according to a survey of 2,139 employers. Fraudulent sick days account for £3.5 billion of losses, representing 17% of all company sickness, with average sick days per worker doubling from eight in 2002 to 16 today.
Working away from office increases productivity
Research shows 48 percent of office workers believe changing their work location would boost productivity, while 46 percent say it would improve work-life balance. The survey reveals growing demand for flexible working options beyond traditional office environments.
Revolutionary tool promises to stress bust on the move
A new handheld biosensor device monitors workplace stress in real-time by measuring changes in skin electrical properties. The Optimal Office tool alerts users when stress reaches a set threshold and provides relaxation techniques to manage it while working.
Storytelling in a business context
Storytelling in business inspires creativity and drives innovation by helping teams retain information, build belonging, and communicate more effectively. Expert Preethi Nair shares how creative techniques unlock organizational potential and solve complex problems.
European business schools give the MBA some ‘va va voom’
European business schools are expanding rapidly, with over 500 MBA programs now operating across the continent. Schools are differentiating themselves through specialization, international focus, and innovative features like specialized programs and personal coaching to compete in an increasingly crowded market.
HR tip: Offers subject to references
Employment offers can be made conditional on satisfactory references by clearly stating this requirement in the offer letter. The employer alone determines whether references meet their standards, and you can require references from specific sources such as a current or previous employer.
Tales of the unexpected: Succession planning. By Matt Henkes
Modern succession planning has shifted from slotting predetermined people into specific roles to assessing organizational talent across different role types, incorporating psychological profiling and skills analysis. This flexible approach enables businesses to adapt quickly to changing circumstances while matching the right capabilities to evolving business needs.
Minimum wage flouters in crackdown call
Wales TUC is calling for stricter minimum wage enforcement after finding that 95% of caught employers simply repay owed wages with no penalties. The union wants the government to introduce per-worker fines and significantly increase maximum penalties to deter wage theft.
Colborn’s Corner: Dual loyalties
Banks face public controversy over charges, raising questions about how negative publicity affects employee morale and whether staff feel equipped to defend their employer while managing their own customer relationships with the same organization.
The virtual reality of games-based learning
Games-based learning offers HR departments a cost-effective and engaging solution for corporate training on complex or traditionally dull subjects. Available via desktop, this approach motivates learners and improves retention better than traditional e-learning or classroom training while also reducing workplace stress and boosting productivity.
Women no longer lone soldiers of discrimination
Research reveals discrimination in senior positions extends beyond women to include age, disability, religion, ethnicity, and parental status. The study found that over 60% of respondents face risky positions without adequate support, with only 19% believing leadership advancement is truly accessible to them.
Argos worker sacked following Facebook rampage
An Argos employee was fired for gross misconduct after creating a Facebook group criticizing his workplace and management. The 20-year-old’s dismissal from his £6.55-per-hour job came following a disciplinary hearing, highlighting risks of public social media complaints about employers.
A quarter of women to take home the ‘bread’ by 2030
By 2030, women are projected to be the main earners in one in four households, despite currently earning less than men. The trend is driven by younger women’s rising wages and educational advantages, with women in their twenties potentially overtaking men’s earnings by 2015.
Be careful wot you rite: Warns CV police
Ninety-five percent of job applicants are making spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes on their CVs, according to Kelly Services. The recruitment firm offers nine essential tips to improve your CV, including avoiding overcapitalization, using correct spelling for your region, expanding abbreviations, and maintaining a professional email address.
Posture is a pain in the back for bosses
Only 27 percent of UK employers provide posture-supporting chairs despite back pain costing the economy over £5 billion annually. Research shows most computer workers suffer from back, neck, and shoulder pain in silence, while businesses lose significant money through sick pay and reduced productivity.
World Duty Free flies high with customer coaching
World Duty Free is investing £200,000 in a customer coaching program across 65 UK airport stores to enhance staff training and reinforce its “think customer” core value. The initiative, which follows a successful Heathrow pilot that generated £2m in additional sales, aims to improve customer experience through on-the-job training, workshops, and coaching sessions.
Net recruitment paves the way for new agencies. By John Stokdyk
Internet-based recruitment agencies are transforming hiring by offering online job boards, applicant tracking software, and hybrid services that reduce costs by up to 90 percent. Traditional recruitment intermediaries face competition from web-driven solutions that provide faster accessibility and greater control over the hiring process.
What’s wrong with talking to staff? By John Pope
Effective managers achieve true employee engagement through direct communication and listening to staff, rather than relying on expensive systems or surveys. Management consultant John Pope illustrates how personal approaches and regular dialogue build trust, identify problems early, and foster a progressive workplace culture.
