Employers willing to take on ex-offenders
Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals that three-quarters of organisations would consider taking on ex-offenders – but think the government should provide help.The kind of help requested is improving and raising awareness of the support available to employers plus equipping ex-offenders with more marketable job skills.The survey – Employing ex-offenders […]
Quality mark for working flexibly
Work Wise UK has launched a quality mark to enable organisations to gain recognition for introducing smarter working practices in the workplace.The quality mark will be assessed using the Work Wise UK standard, which has been developed over a 12-month period, in collaboration with the TUC, Transport for London, HBOS, NHS, BT and the Association […]
Benefits in motion
Electrical retailer Comet has launched a new benefits package for its 10,000 employees. Comet Extras’ range of special discounts and high-street offers have been exclusively negotiated on behalf of employees. It includes holiday discounts, insurance deals, free eye tests, reduced rate gym membership, savings on nights out and DVD rentals, broadband offers and mobile phone […]
Colborn’s corner: Bye bye, baby – car park redundancies
The more eagle-eyed readers of HR Zone may have seen reports of a recent story about the closure of a department store in Hexham where the management apparently set off the fire alarm to get staff together to inform them of the store closure. This week Quentin takes a look at group dismissals and considers […]
Protecting yourself from email evil
Barrister Charles Price provides an example of an internet and email policy that should protect you from any legal pitfalls. These guidelines apply to your employment at XXXX and all other organisation sites that you may be asked to work at from time to time. Please note that these guidelines also apply to you if […]
Claimants down but unemployment rises
The latest labour market figures from the Office for National Statistics shows that there has been a rise in the number of unemployed over the quarter but also a fall in the numbers claiming benefits.Jim Murphy, minister of state for employment and welfare reform, said: “Since 1997 the numbers on Jobseeker’s Allowance, incapacity and lone […]
Handling the hired guns: Top tips for managing temps. By Rob Lewis
There are more agency workers than ever in UK workplaces: a curse of the modern office, or a blessing for under-staffed departments? Either way, you’re going to have to decide what to about it, and with the relevant employment law constantly changing, this isn’t always easy. Rob Lewis ponders the responsibilities of HR when it […]
Government launches paternity leave consultation
The government is consulting on how its plans for paternity leave are to be administered.Section three of the Work and Families Act – not yet in force – allows fathers to take part of the mother’s maternity leave if she chooses to return to work before the child is one year old. Employment relations minister […]
From here to maternity – and back
Mums returning to work after maternity leave have the right to return to the same job – but what does that mean in practice?The Employment Appeal Tribunal has handed down a judgment which explains the criteria that should be used.Mrs Blundell worked as a teacher at St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School. It was usual practice […]
Tough recruitment times for top NHS jobs
Criticism from politicians and media means recruiting top managers for the NHS has become a major challenge as candidates opt for less exposed positions.That’s according to a new report from the NHS Confederation, which represents more than 90 per cent of NHS organisations. Management in the NHS: the facts reveals that the number of NHS […]
Men opting to spend less time at work
Men are abandoning the long-hours culture in favour of a better work-life balance according to official figures for 2006 released by the Office for National Statistics.Over the past 10 years, the number of men in the private sector working for more than 45 hours a week has fallen from 41 per cent to 31 per […]
Pension funding under the microscope
Research has revealed that some 30 per cent of pension schemes are prepared to set funding targets below the ‘trigger’ levels set out by the Pensions Regulator under the Statutory Funding Objective (SFO) regime.Mercer Human Resource Consulting’s SFO valuations survey studied 230 UK pension schemes across a variety of industry sectors and analysed the policies […]
HR – Too many policies and processes; not enough practicality
Management consultant John Pope explains why excessive policies and procedures are causing more harm than good. A great friend of mine works part-time for a Government organisation at one of the organisation’s information and customer contact points. She has done so for over 10 years and is very experienced and competent at her job. When […]
Ask the expert: Can you discipline an ex-employee?
Is it possible or worthwhile to discipline an ex-employee? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:An employee handed in their notice at the same time as an investigation was ongoing. Due to the complex nature of the investigation and the thorough […]
Smoking 9 to 5: What a way to make a living. By Sarah Fletcher
The NHS watchdog NICE recommends that employers give smokers paid time off work to kick the habit. Sarah Fletcher asked members of HR Zone whether this as ‘nice’ as its name suggests or a rapid route to workplace mutiny. With less than seven weeks until smoking is outlawed in enclosed public places in England, tension […]
EU to review information and consultation laws
Members of the European Parliament have voted for ‘a review and modernisation’ of all Directives relating to information and consultation in the workplace.Along with the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations and the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees, the review will also affect the consultation requirements of TUPE.Owing to the way the EU works, […]
Sage buys Snowdrop for £17 million
Acquisitive business software house Sage has added human resources (HR) capabilities to its portfolio with the acquisition of Snowdrop Systems for £17m.Snowdrop develops mid-market HR solutions and reported a before tax and interest profit of £1.1 million on revenues of £7.5 million in the year to 31 December 2006. According to Sage chief executive Paul […]
Best practice on age laws rewarded
Age Positive ‘employer champion status’ has been awarded to a new tranche of organisations who have demonstrated exemplary age diversity practices.One of the latest winners is the Co-operative group, which employs more than 68,000 people in the UK and is the country’s largest co-op food retailer, independent travel retailer and also operates as a funeral […]
Off the record: Bullying and harassment
“A member of staff has complained that their manager is a bully. What constitutes ‘bullying’ and what steps should we take to resolve the issue?” By Ranjit Dhindsa, employment partner, Reed Smith What is bullying?It is easy to identify extreme forms of discriminatory behaviour as “bullying”, defined as “to persecute or oppress by force or […]
Corporate manslaughter: Are you doing enough?
Richard Jones, Director of Technical Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH), questions whether organisations are doing enough to prevent workplace deaths. Over 200 workers were killed at work last year and an estimated 1,000 lost their lives in work-related road traffic accidents. The new Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act is expected […]
