CSR – chicken or egg?
When it comes to employee satisfaction, employers’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seems to have mixed ratings – it’s considered important but there are usually other priorities.Now US-based attitude researchers Sirota Survey Intelligence have turned the question on its head by considering the opinions of those who say they are happy with their employer’s approach to […]
The negotiator. By Louise Druce
It’s human nature to try to avoid confrontation but unhappy staff can feel like psychological hostages trying to secure a release from the company if they don’t bring problems out in the open. Louise Druce asks psychologist and veteran hostage negotiator George Kohlrieser how conflict management can help improve retention rates. They’re not two professions […]
How to make learning fun and engaging. By Lucie Benson
HR professionals are often tasked with the challenge of creating lively and entertaining ways to engage with the learner. Lucie Benson speaks exclusively to Bill Bryson, the world-renowned author, to find out how he brought “dry” subjects to life in his award-winning book. Plus she looks at some other options available to employers too. It […]
Ask the expert: Anxiety as work related illness
Are anxiety and depression counted amongst the illnesses qualifying for extended sick pay on the grounds of sickness contracted at work? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:Where there is provision to extend sick pay beyond the normal limits, on account […]
HR tip: Return from maternity leave – staff intentions
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 asked one of my employees who was going off on maternity leave whether or not she intended to return, but she told me it was none of my business. I need […]
Legislation update: Part time workers miss out on bank holidays
Georgina Folkes, solicitor at Withy King, explains the legal issues surrounding part time employees and bank holidays. Four of the UK's eight bank holidays always fall on Monday (Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and August Bank Holiday). One is always on a Friday (Good Friday) and the other three vary. For some […]
Do the right thing: the case for diversity management. By Rob Lewis
Is your office really an open and inclusive workplace? Beneath its calm exterior there might lie a simmering cesspool of repressed bigotry. You might not ever find out, until someone has been grievously offended, and then it’ll be too late. Rob Lewis investigates the business argument for diversity management. According to the CIPD, UK businesses […]
Colborn’s Corner – Executive pay comes home to the CIPD!
As CIPD members may be aware, Geoff Armstrong, Director-General, has announced his retirement from the organisation in June 2008 after a highly successful period in which membership has doubled and chartered status has been achieved. What has also been revealed though is the package linked to the new role which is allegedly in the region […]
Political correctness a barrier to employment
Could political correctness be damaging the employment chances of people it is designed to help? That’s the intriguing question thrown up by responses to a survey by Remploy.For while four out of five of Britain’s employers believe they should make every effort to employ disabled people, many are put off by politically correct ‘language of […]
Will the looming data protection crisis affect you?
KPMG is warning that both public and private sector organisations are facing a data protection crisis as the transitional relief exemption that applied to paper files created before October 1998 is due to end in six months’ time.Many organisations have retained paper files that reference personally identifiable information – including personnel and pension records – […]
Secrets of the perfect CV
In the second of a series looking at job hunting for professionals, consultant Mike Morrison reveals his secrets of the perfect CV. Never underestimate the power of a good CV. Your CV is part of marketing yourself to the recruiter, so it needs to demonstrate who you are and what you stand for. It needs […]
Recruitment: 2020 vision
How will you recruit in 2020? According to a report the next 13 years will see the emergence of an entirely new business model.Recruitment 2020: How recruitment is changing and why it matters is the first ever report to take an in-depth look at trends that will shape the future of all channels of the […]
Work-life balance ranked as top benefit
Employers who enable their employees to achieve work-life balance are most likely to be considered ‘great to work for’ according to new research.The survey, conducted by international recruitment business Robert Walters, asked more than 1,000 professionals which factor would make them regard their place of work as a ‘great employer’. Almost 40 per cent cited […]
Diary of a job hunt: Age discrimination attacks
When HR Zone member Sue Harrison resigned from her job, she didn’t realise how difficult it would be to get another – and how widespread age discrimination seems to be amongst recruiters. In the first of a series of articles charting her search for new employment, Sue considers why her age is apparently the biggest […]
Has Blair really been so bad?
It's the 10 year anniversary of Tony Blair's career as Prime Minister and every local radio station seems to have an opinion on it. Judging by their general attitude, he might as well have been biting the heads off kittens and kicking orphans in the street, but has his 'Reign of Terror' really been so […]
It takes two: making mentoring work. By Louise Druce
They say two heads are better than one, which is why mentoring can help unlock the potential within staff looking to develop within the company. But it's not all one sided. As Louise Druce finds out, one-to-one programmes can also give mentors a new lease of life. The first few weeks in a new […]
Ask the expert: Mysterious absences and dismissal
If an employee is regularly absent and seems to have very little interest in convincing her employer that her illnesses are genuine, what steps should the company take? Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, and Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, advise. The question:We are a small company (six employees) […]
What a difference a word makes
A one-word change to the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations comes into force today (April 30) – and it could mean that political activities will be included in the law’s scope.Previously, the regulations applied only to philosophical beliefs that were ‘similar’ to a religion or a religious belief. Now the Equality Act 2006 has […]
Existing employees lose promotion stakes
Bosses could be letting their employees down in the promotion stakes by focusing on external recruitment rather than internal promotion.Research from Peninsula BusinessWise reveals that 81 per cent of bosses admit they focus on recruitment rather than promotion, while 77 per cent of workers feel they are suitably qualified and experienced for promotion.Peninsula BusinessWise managing […]
Bank holiday blues for part-timers
As the first of the May bank holidays approaches, many employers will be faced with requests from part-time staff for days off in lieu.However, law firm DWF says that employers are within their rights to refuseadditional time off to staff who would not normally work on a Monday.It follows a decision by the Court of […]
