Knowledge management: Is it worth it?
Is knowledge management a fad past its sell-by date or a practical approach that actually works? Bettina Pickering, John Kay and David Sumray from PA Consulting Group find out. A few years ago, a significant number of organisations embarked on knowledge management (KM) type projects with the aim of getting more value from the information […]
Lawyers trapped by soaring pay deals
Newly-qualified (NQs) lawyers working in the capital will take home £63,000, up from £53,000 during the equivalent period last year. Yet despite the financial benefits on offer many are ready to quit.Legal Week revealed the record pay outs and announced that NQs working at the top 20 UK law firm’s in Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds […]
Catch a movie and get ahead
Ditch the management books and go to the cinema – this is the latest advice from four Italian management consultants who have issued a handbook called Cinema for Managers.The 50 recommended films range from Stephen Spielberg’s The Terminal (2004) in which Tom Hanks “devises a ground-breaking strategy for survival” and Jonathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate […]
Engaged staff at heart of HSBC’s $90 million environment mission
HSBC is footing the bill as part of a commitment to reducing the organisation’s impact on the environment.It says that engaging the 315,000 strong global workforce is key to the success of its green initatives.Over the next five years the bank will invest the money to focus on some key areas including the introduction of […]
Lights out: Should bosses ‘hand-hold’ through smoking cold turkey?
July 1 signalled the end of accusing looks, dramatic coughing and suspicious sniffing; yes the days of the disapproving non-smoker are over along with the guilty pleasures of enjoying a cigarette in a public place. The ban may be a cure all for those who wish to have their oxygen supply in its purest form, […]
Childcare vouchers: What women (and men) want
With childcare costs rising steadily in the UK, childcare vouchers can be promoted as a valuable part of a benefits package and a means of increasing recruitment and retention rates. But seeing as they are not relevant to childless employees and can potentially be quite an expense for the employer, are they really worth it? […]
Ask the expert: Notice periods
This week, Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise on whether there is a maximum notice period in a contract of employment. The question:Help! I have an associate who is being pressured to sign a new contract with a six-month notice period. She […]
Old school tie network rises to the top
More than half of the leading figures in UK politics, law, medicine, business and journalism were educated privately, according to research.Educational charity The Sutton Trust looked at 500 people who had reached the top of their chosen profession and compared them with a similar sample from 20 years earlier. It found that the proportion who […]
A smile a day boosts customer satisfaction
A polite ‘good morning’, delivered with a smile, is the preference of most customers who say that a little friendly formality goes a long way, according to a recent survey.Standard Life Healthcare quizzed respondents for the survey and found that the more casual ‘hi’ is failing to win points with consumers, with just one in […]
Soaring childcare costs keeps mums at home
The expense of childcare is forcing mothers to turn their backs on work, despite a desire to return to the office.Almost three-quarters of mums say they wanted to go back to work after their maternity leave came to an end, but only a quarter of those did. More than 26 per cent of mums did […]
Brown disappoints equality campaigners
The Fawcett Society, a campaign group that strives to close the inequality gap between men and women, has released a statement highlighting concerns over the cabinet reshuffle which has cut the number of women from eight to five.Dr Katherine Rake, director of the society, said: “The representation of women should be the hallmark of any […]
Postal workers strike against job cuts and pay
The Royal Mail has been thrown into chaos in a walkout by postal workers over pay and job cuts. Royal Mail are said to be disappointed by the 24 hour stoppage.Over 95 per cent of postal workers are taking part in the action. It is the first industrial action at Royal Mail for more than […]
Businesses urged to plan for disasters
Following severe flooding across parts of England recently, businesses are being urged to put plans in place to protect themselves against further damage and disruption.Business Link, which provides business advice, support and information, has produced a free online guide at www.businesslink.gov.uk/flooding.The guide highlights the importance of drawing up a contingency plan in the occurrence of […]
HR tip: Searching employees
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: "Can we search employees? We have two quite threatening looking security officers." HR Tip: You may consider searching an employee only if you have made clear in your rules or employment contracts that […]
The benefits of employee health benefits
Paul Avis, corporate development manager at Ceridian UK, reviews what employee benefits work best in reducing employee absence, as well as how they can help in increasing attendance. Beyond being paid a salary to attend work, many employers spend a fortune on employee benefits and, in some cases, this can be a waste of money. […]
HR interim managers soar ahead as confidence reaches new high
Interim managers in the HR sector are buoyant about the economy and believe that business is forging ahead with equality, environmental and age issues.These are the findings of Boyden Interim Management who found confidence to be at an all time high. The majority of interim managers (82 per cent) said their employers were as confident, […]
Relocation: What is the real cost?
When an employee relocates to an overseas office, employers not only have to think about the financial cost to the company, they must also consider the emotional cost to the employee, says Anthony Robinson, managing director of Robinsons International. One of the first considerations for a company contemplating the relocation of an employee overseas is […]
Colborn’s Corner: Up in smoke
Sunday sees the advent of the new rules relating to smoking within England. While I'm sure we all know the main provisions by now, what impact will they have on businesses across the UK as England comes into lines with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? How easy will the rules be to apply and will […]
Taking the wheel of fleet management. By Louise Druce
Fleet management is increasingly falling under the HR remit, not an easy task when you have to incorporate an extra stack of rules and regulations into your everyday HR duties. But, as Louise Druce finds out, if the policies break down, there can be serious legal consequences. The role of fleet operator has been taking […]
Tuesday afternoon is the new Friday
Workers are secretly surfing online for jobs on Tuesday afternoons, a time when productivity is hitting rock bottom.These are the findings of online recruitment website fish4jobs which reveals that the typical job hunter is expending an average eight minutes and 37 seconds looking for their next move. Job hoppers are also likely to return to […]
