Ask the expert: Reversing appeal decisions
An appeal manager who verbally agrees to overturn an employee’s dismissal but then reverses course overnight faces significant legal risks. Tribunals are unlikely to support such reversals, as employees reasonably rely on verbal decisions and employers typically lack legitimate grounds to change course without new evidence or proper procedure.
Why use training needs analysis? By Matt Henkes
Training needs analysis (TNA) helps organizations identify skill gaps between employee capabilities and business objectives, preventing wasted spending on irrelevant training programs. By assessing workforce skills against organizational goals, companies can develop targeted, effective training that actually engages employees and delivers measurable results.
EOC takes government to court over ‘unclear’ law
The Equal Opportunities Commission is taking the government to court over its implementation of the European Equal Treatment Amendment Directive, arguing the regulations are too narrow and create legal uncertainty for employers and employees. The EOC specifically challenges unclear definitions of harassment, maternity leave protections, and pregnancy discrimination standards.
HR Tip: Issuing contracts of employment to employee with no contract on record
When an employee demands a contract but no record exists, draft one based on your understanding of their role and discuss it with them to confirm accuracy. Address any disagreements promptly and consider established customs and practices, which may legally constitute contract terms if management knew about them.
Pensions turmoil continues for government
The government has suffered a second High Court defeat in a month over a pensions case, with a judge ruling that the work and pensions minister acted unlawfully by ignoring the parliamentary ombudsman’s findings of maladministration in official pension advice given to thousands of people.
Employee benefits: Fit the person to the perk
Effective employee benefits require matching rewards to individual preferences and roles. Executive-level staff may value luxury experiences, while middle managers often prefer time-saving perks and salespeople respond to competitive incentives. Tailoring benefits to employee needs increases motivation and demonstrates genuine appreciation.
How CSR can boost HR: an interview with TomDunn by Sarah Fletcher
TomDunn, an ethical recruitment firm, demonstrates how corporate social responsibility can elevate HR from administrative support to strategic business driver. In an interview, the company’s HR head explains how values-based practices attract major clients and improve hiring fairness.
Colborn’s corner: Empowerment – Who’s kidding who?
Staff empowerment has become a hollow promise at many retailers. When companies remove all discretion from frontline workers to avoid liability, they sacrifice both customer satisfaction and employee morale while claiming to value their teams.
Why a learning and development function is key
A learning and development department is essential for developing employees to increase business competitive advantage. Effective L&D focuses on performance outcomes, efficiency, and helping managers identify root causes of workplace problems rather than simply delivering training on demand.
Don’t forget sexual orientation when reviewing equal opps policies
Employers must review equal opportunities policies to include sexual orientation protection, following a record £118,309 discrimination award to a gay employee. With no upper limit on compensation in such cases, firms face potentially significant financial penalties for harassment or bias related to sexual orientation.
Consultation on protecting agency workers
The government has launched a consultation on protecting vulnerable agency workers, proposing measures including worker rights to withdraw from agency-provided services, clearer guidance on talent agency fees, and reduced paperwork for short-term placements. The proposals aim to prevent exploitation while the TUC argues the scope doesn’t go far enough to address pay and conditions disparities.
Long hours not the real workplace issue
Work-related stress stems primarily from poor management and workplace organization rather than long working hours, according to the CIPD, which challenges the focus on hours reduction as the key workplace issue.
Employers confident about managing religious issues in the workplace
Most employers feel confident managing religion-related workplace issues, yet only one in three has an explicit policy in place. While many support religious dress codes and time off for observance, confusion persists about which faith days employees will celebrate.
Ask the expert: Can they do this at interview?
Employment lawyers explain whether a senior staff member can tell a job candidate their “attitude stinks” during an interview process. While not inherently illegal, such unsolicited feedback from someone uninvolved in interviews raises legal and practical concerns, particularly regarding discrimination claims.
Change Management – Why is it so difficult to get right? By Bettina Pickering
Effective change management requires understanding stakeholder benefits and actively managing the transition to ensure adoption. Expert insights on why organizations often underestimate change management complexity and how to align activities with organizational maturity and program scope.
Employee wellbeing: Teaching from the top. By Annie Lawler
Employee wellbeing must start with leadership example, argues Annie Lawler. When managers model healthy work practices like taking breaks and avoiding constant connectivity, employees follow suit, improving productivity and performance while reducing stress and burnout.
So your middle managers aren’t performing? What have you been doing?
Poor middle manager performance costs the UK £220 billion annually, yet senior leaders often fail to recognize their own role in creating these problems. Management consultant John Pope argues that directors and senior managers bear responsibility for underperforming middle managers through mismanagement, unclear expectations, and inadequate support.
Age ruling bad news for Heyday
An advocate general’s opinion at the European Court of Justice suggests age discrimination laws may not apply to state retirement ages, potentially weakening Heyday’s legal challenge against the UK government’s mandatory retirement policies.
Forget expired written warnings in dismissal cases
Expired written warnings cannot be considered in misconduct dismissal cases, according to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. However, employers can extend warning periods for serious misconduct if justified, and must clearly communicate their disciplinary policies to employees.
When’s best for innovative thinking?
Research by Cornwall Enterprise reveals that 10:30am is the peak time for workplace creativity, though optimal hours vary by region and age. The study found that workload pressures and colleague interruptions are major barriers to innovative thinking, with 47 percent of workers too busy to think creatively.
