Ask the expert: Can a manager send staff home?
This week, Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise on whether an employer can force an employee to come to work wearing a uniform when full uniform has not yet been provided, and subsequently send staff home if they do not comply. The […]
Diary of a job hunt: What happened to feedback?
HR Zone member Sue Harrison resigned from her job earlier this year and has experienced some difficulty in finding another – not to mention having her eyes opened to apparent age discrimination. In the second of a series of articles charting her search for new employment, Sue finds out that age is still an issue […]
Developing an HR strategy. By John Pope
Ever wondered what the term ‘strategic’ really means, in an HR context? And once you have an HR strategy in mind, how do you ensure it works and you get the end result you were hoping for? Management consultant John Pope provides some answers. ‘Strategic’ seems to be a new label to stick onto any […]
Exit interviews: The long goodbye. By Annie Hayes
When an employee decides to leave the company, all that stands in the way of them and their gracious goodbye is the exit interview. So what happens when things go horribly wrong and the final show down becomes a forum of emotion and anger? Annie Hayes reports on what to do when it gets nasty. […]
Bovis acts to tackle construction skills shortages
Building firm Bovis Lend Lease UK is establishing a not-for-profit company to tackle construction skills shortages.The new organisation, Be Onsite, aims to offer on-site industry specific training and employment and will pay particular attention to the skills gaps where no specific training currently exists.Bovis Lend Lease head of community development and Be Onsite managing director […]
Rolls Royce launches graduate scheme
Rolls Royce Motor Cars has launched a programme for graduates.The BMW-owned company plans to employ up to 15 graduates on the two-year programme, which will offer the recruits guidance from senior management mentors.Potential career paths include manufacturing, engineering, facilities management, sales and marketing, corporate communications, finance and information technology. The programme includes cross-functional placements which […]
Profit chasing sees Unilever axe half of management
Unilever, the manufacturing giant of leading brands in foods, home and personal care, is set to cut its senior management by 50 per cent.The announcement is part of a drive to produce a “leaner, simpler” business that it says will generate significant savings that it promises to invest in its brands.Job losses will also be […]
Bosses find remedy for soaring absence
Employers are reacting to increased sickness levels with a range of well-being strategies.According to the annual absence survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) the rate of absence has increased for the first time in two years, climbing to 8.4 days per employee a year, from eight days last year. The average […]
‘Soft touches’ open doors to thieving and dishonest employees
Staff dishonesty is common, with some employees even joining firms that are seen as ‘soft touches’ in order to steal, a new report has revealed.These are the findings of a study by the University of Leicester, which claims the problems cost employers nearly £500 million a year leading to increased prices for the goods we […]
CIPD applaud recommendations to scrap dispute procedures
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has welcomed news that the government is acting upon the Gibbons review recommendations made earlier this year, particularly in reference to scrapping the statutory dispute resolution procedures.According to CIPD research, around a third (29 per cent) of employers believe disputes are less likely to be resolved informally […]
Skills envy sweeps the nation
Forget beauty or money – the real thing we envy in others is their skills, according to a poll, commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). More than a third of people in the poll confessed to envying the skills and abilities of others, whereas only 4% felt jealous of other people’s beauty. The […]
Colborn’s Corner: Fit for work?
A recent press release regarding a survey of 1,354 office workers in the UK by Peninsula, the employment law consultancy, has shown that 82 per cent of office workers believe their job limits their ability to exercise. Some might say ‘any excuse’, but is this fair? This week Quentin takes a look at the impact […]
Disciplinary dismissal procedures: What you need to know
Barrister Charles Price provides an example of a correct disciplinary and dismissal procedure, discusses what is required in law, and explains the new statutory procedures. A disciplinary policy is vital if an employer is going to treat employees fairly. If the procedure is not adhered to then an employee can quite fairly complain of unequal […]
HR tip: Resignation in face of discipline
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: Our managing director is more than happy if people who are summoned to a formal disciplinary meeting choose instead to resign. He does not want to jeopardise their chances of getting another […]
Using ‘status’ behaviour to your advantage
Jan Hills of HR consultancy HR With Guts explains how to adapt your behaviour according to the business situation. People and places are constantly affecting what we do and how we act. We speak differently depending on who we’re talking to, we behave differently depending on what we’re trying to achieve. We would not, for […]
Talent management: In it for the long-haul. By Matt Henkes
With the ongoing contraction of the labour market, it is surprising that less than half of UK companies have a planned strategy for identifying and developing their most talented employees. With no method of retaining and nurturing these high-potential individuals, how will firms cope should the unexpected occur? Matt Henkes explains how and why you […]
Remote managers fail to win employee trust
Managers who don’t engage and inspire their staff are failing to gain their trust – and the further removed they are the worse it becomes.These are the findings of a poll carried out by the British Association of Communicators in Business (CiB), that quizzed 4,700 people.The report found that 70 per cent of respondents said […]
Age discrimination puts Freshfields in the dock
A senior lawyer has accused top legal firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer of age discrimination amounting to £4.5 million.The continuing landmark case centres upon Peter Bloxham’s claim that he was put under ’emotional pressure’ to retire as a partner and accept a smaller pension whilst also working for the firm in the lesser role as consultant.Reported […]
E-recruitment fails to net real talent
Key talent is slipping through the online hiring net with many companies missing out as a result.Steve Carter, managing director of finance recruiter Nigel Lynn made the remarks in the wake of a recent KPMG report which claims that large employers are reducing the need for recruitment agencies by hiring staff through their own websites.“One […]
Oversupply puts brake on graduate salaries
Twenty nine graduates are chasing every vacancy, triggering a slow down in entry level salaries.These are the findings from the latest research by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). The predicted average salary is £23,500 for graduates entering the jobs market this year, signalling a modest increase of just 2.4 per cent.According to the survey […]
