Court orders government to review sex discrimination laws
A high court judge has ruled that the government has until Friday lunchtime to explain to the court and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) how it is to remedy a breach of EU law.As previously reported by HR Zone the EOC brought judicial review proceedings against the government over its implementation of the Equal Treatment […]
Employees key to customer satisfaction
Times they are a changing as organisations who are working to increase levels of customer satisfaction are refocusing investment in their employees, rather than in new technology.The finding comes from the latest survey from Investors in People UK (IiP), which comes to the conclusion that employee engagement is the key to success.The research found that: […]
Recruiters pour good money after bad
Research has revealed that organisations are increasing their expenditure on recruitment – but failing to evaluate if the process is providing value for money.The latest findings from the Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI), produced by Cranfield School of Management (CSM), reveal that 84 per cent of organisations expect their overall recruitment expenditure to increase or stay […]
International HR policy – Luxury or necessity?
With so much complexity and compliance, not to mention uncertainty (particularly with projects and start-ups), surrounding global working, companies need to convince and reassure their employees that everything possible has been put in place to make the assignment successful and worthwhile to them, their career and their family,” argues Susie Inwood, International Assignments Manager for […]
Talent Management – Making it work. By Phil Rice
Is talent management really as important as reports suggest? Phil Rice at PA Consulting Group explains why the implementation of the programme is more important than its design. Eighty percent of respondents to a recent CIPD (UK) survey said they had no formal definition of talent management, and more than half had no formal strategy. […]
BA not to appeal further in flexible working case
According to press reports, British Airways has decided not to appeal further in its flexible working case.BA has already lost cases at both the employment tribunal and the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) and has decided not to go to the court of appeal.The original case was brought three years ago by pilot Jessica Starmer, who […]
Pension incomes reduced by three quarters in 10 years
New figures from Watson Wyatt show that the average income a pension saver receives has been cut by more than three-quarters in the past ten years.Lower returns on investments mean that the pension pot after saving for 20 years is less than half what it would have been ten years ago and annuity rates used […]
Pay pressures rise as skills shortages bite
February saw inflation of permanent staff pay hit an eight-month high as skills shortages meant the availability of permanent candidates fell for the 40th consecutive month.Temporary and contract workers also saw pay rise – by the sharpest rate for 27 months. Availability for temporary workers also declined, though at a less marked rate than for […]
Shunned job seekers turn into brand bashers
Making sure your recruitment procedures are up to scratch can have an impact on your organisation’s bottom line as new research has confirmed that job seekers who have a poor experience turn into brand bashers.The YouGov poll of over 2,500 people was commissioned by Capital Consulting and revealed that 53 per cent of job seekers […]
Ask the expert: Training payback agreements
Can an organisation force an employee to pay back training fees? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills and Reeve, offer legal advice. The question:A friend works for an airline and following completion of a training course was ‘bonded’ for two years, with a payback on […]
Legislation update: Be prepared to be flexible
In the first of a new series of articles providing legal advice, specialist employer lawyer Georgina Folkes from Withy King Solicitors advises on the new flexible working laws due to come into force on 6th April 2007, when adults of carers will be able to make flexible working applications which is likely to lead to […]
HR Tip: Employee resignation in a temper
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: "An employee had a blazing row with his manager in the middle of the afternoon, told him he had had enough of his job, stormed out of the office and went home. […]
Disability and recruitment: Are we discriminating? By Louise Druce
Changes in the law mean recruiters may be discriminating against disabled people without even realising it. So how do you make the interview process fair? Louise Druce finds out. Say the word disabled and most people still picture a person in a wheelchair. Even if you might have thought of someone who is deaf or […]
Buyer beware: Choosing a training programme
Jeff Toms, director of marketing and client services at Farnham Castle International Briefings, explains what to look for when choosing a training programme. Since the arrival of the Internet we have all become experts, particularly when it comes to buying. Whether it is flights, hotels, clothes, books or support services for our businesses, we have […]
Colborn’s corner: Age discrimination – has anything happened yet?
Last October some potentially ground breaking legislation came onto the statute book. As was predictable, there was much discussion within the HR community about how it would affect business life. What has been the reality of the situation though? Is the legislation really making a difference to how we view things? What difference has it […]
Employers key to government welfare reforms
The government’s proposals to tackle welfare dependency will depend on employers getting the rewards they deserve for the risks they are taking, according to the CBI.The comments follow the publication of the Freud Review, Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has also pointed out that employers are the key […]
Helping support the modern family
New research from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) reveals that many parents are struggling to find the time they want to spend with their children – particularly those with lower incomes.The research, from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), involved interviewing 30,000 parents of 19,000 children born in 2000/01.The MCS found that mothers and fathers in […]
New minimum wage rate announced
The DTI has announced the new national minimum wage rates, which will apply from October. More than one million people receive the minimum wage.Based on recommendations from the Low Pay Commission, the main rate will rise from £5.35 per hour to £5.52. The rate for 18-21 year-olds rises from £4.45 to £4.60 and for 16-17 […]
Listen to the safety reps says TUC
The TUC claims that safety reps are being undermined by a lack of support from employers and the government’s official safety watchdog, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).According to a survey of unions featured in the TUC-backed health and safety magazine Hazards, the top problem facing union safety reps is the difficulty of getting employers […]
Put your baby in a zoo: discrimination and working mothers. By Sarah Fletcher
Last week I went to the zoo and got a very nasty shock. Although it wasn’t exactly Noah’s Ark – the only animals on show were a couple of limp birds and a fleeting glimpse of a lion’s paw – the zoo certainly didn’t lack the small, snotty kind of creature that scream and throw […]
