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 […]
Staff less satisfied than five years ago
Large organisations are failing in their attempts to improve employee satisfaction levels, new research suggests. A survey, by Global Integration, found that of 730 people working in large organisations, 40 per cent said their organisations have become less satisfying places to work during the last five years. According to the research, while staff members are […]
Blackberry and mobile communication fuels holiday blues
Three quarters of workers refuse to turn their blackberrys and mobiles off when on holiday, which is not a surprise when you consider that over half admit they feel stressed, anxious and concerned about their workload before they’ve even packed the suntan lotion.These are the findings of secretarial and office support recruitment consultancy Office Angels. […]
Bosses urged to help smokers quit
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is pleading with employers to help their employees face the ban on smoking due to come into force on 1 July, with quit smoking initiatives.From Sunday, smoking in enclosed workplaces will be outlawed. The TUC says it is concerned that in the rush to make sure the law is met, […]
Stress management is a two-way process. By Annie Lawler
In a return to her series on stress management, consultant and HR Zone member Annie Lawler highlights the importance of ensuring employee wellbeing becomes a part of your organisation’s culture if it is to be successful and produce positive results. Wellbeing and stress management is an area of growing concern for companies because employee wellbeing […]
Ask the expert: Payment for KIT days
Keeping in touch (KIT) days have been the centre of much discussion since the recent changes to maternity legislation. This week, Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise on whether employees are entitled to payment when they come into work on a KIT […]
People power: Leading project management. By Louise Druce
Companies are forever bringing changes into the business. Any changes are going to affect the people in some way. Any effect on the people is going to involve HR. That’s why, as Louise Druce finds out, HR professionals are now being recognised as having the right softer skills, as well as leadership savvy, to bring […]
My employee is a criminal – what should I do? By Charles Price
What approach should be taken towards an employee found guilty of a crime or imprisoned for an offence? Barrister Charles Price offers some advice. What happens at an employment tribunal?If an employee has been dismissed for committing a criminal offence, whether in the course of his employment or not, sometimes the offending employee will claim […]
Number of ageing workers to treble in a decade
Three-quarters of employees expect to be working beyond the age of 65 by 2017, according to Aon Consulting. The pensions, benefits and HR consulting firm found that just over half of their respondents anticipate having to work longer to top up pension funds. Only a quarter said they would work past their retirement age because […]
Holiday boost to hit bosses’ pockets
Increasing holiday entitlements will escalate wage costs, warns a law firm ahead of the October legislation.Workers are currently entitled to a statutory minimum of 20 days of paid time off per year including bank holidays. As of 1 October 2007 this increases to 24 days and 28 days from 1 April 2009.This new legislation will […]
HR earnings top league table as national earnings slide
Whilst average salaries slip to a new four year low, HR tops the league table taking home the highest pay increase of all sectors at 5.9 per cent.These are the findings of the Chartered Management Institute and Remuneration Economics that conducted a survey of over 42,000 people. The 2007 National Management Salary Survey shows an […]
Increase in employers struggling to retain staff
Employers are finding it increasingly tough to retain their staff, according to a new report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).The CIPD’s annual ‘Recruitment, Retention and Turnover’ survey revealed that 78 per cent of organisations experienced retention difficulties in 2006, compared to 69 per cent in 2005. The research also highlighted that […]
HR Software Show news: Crunch more numbers with People Analytics, says COA
COA – the software company previously known as CedarOpenAccounts – has also rebranded and relaunched its HR Analyser product as COA People Analytics.People Analytics is able to deliver 150 different HR measures and key performance indicators (KPIs), the company said. These include absenteeism levels, headcount analysis, training requirements and attainment and so on.What sets the […]
HR could save charities £900 million a year
British charities lose a huge £900 million to the taxman every year – a figure that could be substantially reduced with the help of HR.This is the claim of Workplace Giving UK, a professional fundraising organisation who are calling upon HR departments to ‘make giving count’ by offering Payroll Giving as a benefit to their […]
HR managers exposed for oversleeping
HR managers have made it into the top five tardiest professions for oversleeping in the mornings and coming to work late.These are the findings of budget hotel chain Travelodge who reveal that a whopping 6 million workers oversleep every day. All this extra snoozing is costing businesses a huge £619 million a year in lost […]
HR tip: Companion in disciplinary hearings
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 disciplinary procedure states that a shop steward is provided to attend any formal disciplinary hearing. An employee who has been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing has objected to this and […]
UK minimum wage is third highest in the EU
Workers in the UK enjoy one of the highest minimum wages in the EU, falling just behind Ireland and Luxembourg.Figures published by Eurostat, the statistical Office of the European Communities reveals the variance in minimum wage levels across Europe, as taken in January 2007. Workers in Luxembourg fared the best taking home 1,570 euros per […]
Remote working: Spreading the IT security blanket. By Matt Henkes
Remote working can lead to happier and more productive staff, as well as improve your chances of retaining key talent. However, if you fail to take a number of simple precautions, unchaining your employees from their desks could leave your IT manager with a serious security headache. Matt Henkes reports. Not only has remote working […]
