Pay increases at eight-year high
Average pay increases have reached their highest level in eight years at 3.5 percent, up from the previous quarter, according to quarterly reports from pay specialists. Higher inflation and recruitment difficulties are expected to sustain pay rises above 3 percent throughout the year.
Feeling fat? You’ll pay for it. By Sarah Fletcher
Research shows overweight people earn significantly less than their slimmer colleagues, with a 10% increase in BMI linked to 5.29% lower wages for men and 3.49% for women. However, experts debate whether weight causes lower earnings or if other factors like poverty and diet play a role, while employers face growing legal concerns about weight-based discrimination in hiring and firing.
HR Tip: Unfair and wrongful dismissal
Unfair dismissal concerns the reason for termination, while wrongful dismissal concerns how it was carried out. Unfair dismissal claims typically require one year of service, whereas wrongful dismissal claims have no service requirement and relate to breach of contract procedures.
How much is lateness costing your business?
Staff lateness costs UK businesses £66 million annually, with employees averaging 10 minutes late per incident. Monday sees the highest tardiness rate at 65%, while 77% of workers admit to lying about reasons for being late, with traffic and public transport cited most frequently.
A seat on the board – Is HR truly worthy?
While HR professionals widely believe the function deserves a board seat, other business leaders question whether HR has earned this strategic position. Critics argue that HR lacks understanding of business fundamentals like budgeting and ROI, and that professional training doesn’t adequately prepare HR leaders for organizational realities.
Company car schemes: An in-depth guide. By Matt Henkes
Company car schemes come in two main types: essential user schemes for employees who require significant work travel, and status schemes used as recruitment or performance incentives. Setting up a scheme involves key decisions about vehicle selection, fleet size, and whether to lease or purchase, with tax implications based on vehicle emissions standards.
Effective payroll management. By PA Consulting Group
Payroll is a major organizational cost often overlooked in improvement projects. PA Consulting Group examines how companies can optimize payroll as an end-to-end business process, addressing departmental conflicts between HR and finance, system obsolescence, and outsourcing contract renewals.
Flexible working for all?
Children’s minister Beverley Hughes calls for all employees to have the right to request flexible working arrangements, citing research showing 82 percent of Britons struggle to balance work and family life. Currently, only parents and carers of young or disabled children can make such requests.
Your maternity queries answered
Get answers to common maternity questions, including holiday entitlements during leave, car allowances, and whether pregnant employees should pursue secondment opportunities within their company.
Ask the expert: Resigning after suspension
An employee suspended pending a disciplinary hearing faces a difficult choice: resign now to potentially protect his reference, or stay and contest the proceedings. Employment law experts explain that while resigning is an option, employers can still reference the suspension and disciplinary circumstances in any reference provided, even if factually accurate and fair.
‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’
HR leaders must embody the changes they advocate for their organizations. By modeling talent management, client focus, and cultural transformation within their own departments first, HR gains credibility and removes skepticism from line managers about organizational change initiatives.
Counselling service cannot compensate for management failings
A Court of Appeal ruling confirms that providing a counselling service does not protect employers from liability if management fails to address employee complaints about excessive workload and stress. The court awarded Tracy Daw £114,000 after Intel ignored her repeated complaints about unmanageable work demands that caused depression.
Can you have a global payroll system? By Yvette Lamidey
While some suppliers claim to offer global payroll solutions, few truly deliver comprehensive coverage across multiple countries and tax jurisdictions. Organizations often use multiple local payroll providers instead, though a consolidated global system could reduce costs, improve management information, and enable better workforce analytics.
HR software case study: Integrated payroll and HR at Marshall Motor Holdings
Marshall Motor Holdings integrated its payroll and HR functions using Select HR software to improve efficiency, eliminate duplicated efforts, and enhance advisory support. The company needed a system that could handle complex technician bonuses, P11Ds processing, and seamless reporting integration with its existing finance systems.
Payroll in the time of Lord Carter. By John Stokdyk
Lord Carter’s 2001 review of payroll services drove unprecedented change in the early 2000s, requiring UK companies to shift to electronic PAYE filing through mandatory deadlines and financial incentives. This transformation, extended by a second Carter review in 2006, reshaped payroll management systems and business processes across organizations.
Changes to mobile phone penalties looming
Mobile phone penalties for drivers are doubling to £60 with three penalty points from 27 February. However, most employers lack policies monitoring mobile phone use while driving, and many remain unaware it’s illegal to use hand-held devices behind the wheel.
Free guide to tackling insider fraud
Insider fraud costs businesses thousands of pounds and damages reputation and morale. The CIPD and CIFAS have launched free guidance to help employers understand insider fraud threats and implement effective prevention strategies.
Listening to employees reaps rewards
Listening to employees is the foundation of workplace engagement, according to research from Best Companies. Companies that actively listen to staff see 85% of engaged employees strongly recommend the organization to others and are more likely to stay, helping employers win the talent war.
Call for employers to sign ‘skills pledge’
Chancellor Gordon Brown and Education Secretary Alan Johnson have launched a ‘skills pledge’ urging employers to ensure all staff reach a level equivalent to five good GCSEs. The initiative aims to boost workforce training and support the Leitch Report’s goal of achieving world-class skills by 2020.
Avian flu: An HR issue?
With avian flu now present in the UK, employers must develop pandemic preparedness plans covering workplace transmission prevention, staff isolation protocols, and business continuity measures. HR teams need company-specific policies addressing employee health, safety, and managing absences during a potential pandemic outbreak.
