Colborn’s Corner: Working from home
For those who missed it, a couple of weeks ago the UK ‘celebrated’ National Work From Home day. Much heralded in the past as the way technology would take us, how much have we really changed our approached to flexible working? This week Quentin addresses issues surrounding working from home and the true benefits for […]
TUC calls for new October bank holiday
The TUC has joined forces with voluntary bodies to call for a new October bank holiday to promote community activity and involvement.The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Community Service Volunteers, Volunteering England and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action have joined the TUC to make the call in a letter to Gordon Brown […]
Trustees to administer personal pensions accounts
The new system of personal pensions accounts, which comes into force in 2012, will be administered by trustees.As is the case with existing occupational pension schemes, the trustees will have legal obligations to handle the account scheme’s assets in the best interests of members.In addition, Work and Pensions secretary John Hutton told a National Association […]
Employers urged to promote staff health
The government is urging employers to develop a culture of promoting staff health via workplace gyms and healthy food in canteens.Health promotion is seen as the next step up from risk prevention. Employers are also being encouraged to not only enable disabled people to find work but also prevent people from falling out of work […]
Bloggy hell!
Research has revealed that more than one third of bloggers are posting information about their employer, workplace or colleague – and some of those details are potentially sensitive or damaging.The survey, carried out for Croner by YouGov, revealed that 39 per cent of bloggers admitted to posting details about their working lives.A blog is a […]
Knowledge management: Is HR in the know? By Rob Lewis
Sure, sometimes HR people have to keep secrets. But in a truly successful company, knowledge is something that is shared by all. Can you get your staff to pool their collective brain power into a formidable corporate hive-mind without creating an office of automatons? Rob Lewis finds out if knowledge management has the answer. One […]
Change management: Get it right
Strong skills for managing change are an important part of any organisation’s development programme. David Kelly, head of development at Unicus Coaching and Development, gives his five steps for success. When it comes to leading change, many managers assume that because a change has been ‘announced’ most of their people will react negatively or at […]
Ask the expert: Appeal hearings and notice pay
If an employee is appealing against the decision to dismiss, and the appeal process is then delayed, what should you do about the employee’s payment of salary and date of termination? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:An employee is appealing […]
HR Zone’s Maternity Law Briefing 2007: Where next? By Annie Hayes
There was more on offer than sugary treats at HR Zone’s debut event, held last week, updating members on latest extensions to maternity law. Attendees were delighted by the practical tips on offer including information on putting policy into practice and the application and administration of those troublesome Keeping in Touch days. Six becomes nineApril […]
Work and Families Act Q&A
Peter-Jon Chalmers, director of Empire HR, explains the new maternity and adoption rights which came into effect on 1 April 2007 as a result of the Work and Families Act 2006. Q1. What maternity leave will my employees be entitled to under the Work and Families Act 2006?A. All women now have the right to […]
HR Tip: Sex discrimination because we have only male engineer apprentices?
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: “I have been advised that we discriminate unlawfully because all our engineering apprentices are male. We have no objection to female apprentices but no girls apply. Surely we are therefore in the […]
Changes in the Law what would you like to see.
Following on from my posting about Mark Ellis’s Blog on Ellis Whitham Website.I thought it would be interesting to see what changes to employment law members here would like to see.My starters for 10 are:• Changes in TUPE regulations to set rules over what information must be handed over to prospective contractors etc and then […]
Corporate manslaughter: Are we failing our staff? By Lucie Benson
With the corporate manslaughter bill potentially being passed through parliament soon, organisations need to be aware of the proposed new laws and what that means for the safety and wellbeing of your employees. Lucie Benson looks into whether employers are doing enough and what you can do to promote a safe environment. We all remember […]
The dark side of agency work
The TUC has published the results of a survey of 2,500 agency workers in the run-up to the closing date of a government consultation on whether agency workers need more protection.And while many agency workers are happy and content, the TUC says others experience poor treatment, do not know their legal rights and support a […]
All’s fair in love and war? By Charles Price
When an employee resigns, there’s a risk they could take all your secrets to your competitor. So can you make sure their mouth stays sealed? Barrister Charles Price explains your legal rights. Most would agree that entrepreneurs who provide much needed employment are entitled to protect their investment in new technology and business connections from […]
Ask the expert: Group fighting
If a casual worker is fired after fighting from other members of the team, what can be done? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:I have been working as a casual worker in the catering section for the last four years. […]
Are our industry magazines letting us down?
I’m MD of one of the voluntary employee benefits providers and as part of my work I meet a lot of editors and journalists in the various HR and benefits trade press.Over the last year I’ve spoken to many of them about the level of information and knowledge sharing that their features and articles cover. […]
Leading in tough times
“Tough times call for innovation, not stagnation and retrenchment,” argues Jacqueline Byrd, PhD and Paul Lockwood Brown, MBA. What do we do as leaders of organisations when times are troubling? We retrench, we conserve; in short we become turtles, shrinking into our shells to avoid anything that may appear risky. Just what should an organisation […]
Discrimination still rife says ILO
A report from the International Labour Office (ILO) says there are still mounting inequalities in income and opportunities and significant and persistent forms of workplace discrimination.Although the report, Equality at work: Tackling the challenges acknowledges there have been major advances in fighting discrimination at work, it also says there have been failures.The report covers traditional […]
Recruitment difficulties set to fuel wage inflation
Although wage rises look like remaining modest, mounting recruitment difficulties could fuel wage inflation according to the latest quarterly survey.The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)/KPMG Labour Market Outlook expects average pay increases to remain steady at three per cent despite indications that more employers expect to make awards of four per cent.John Philpott, […]
