Jobless figures show fall in number of claimants
The government has received an early Christmas present with the number of unemployed falling by 7,000 over the quarter, the largest fall since January 2005.Minister for employment and welfare reform Jim Murphy said: “Employment is up, unemployment down and the numbers on each of the main benefits – jobseeker’s allowance, incapacity benefit and lone parent […]
Workplace injury leads to £3.5 million sex addiction claim
A £3.5 million claim against his employers has been filed by a newly-wed who says his marriage was ruined because an injury to his head at work caused his sex drive to spiral out of control.The Times reports that Stephen Tame, 29, from East Bergholt, Suffolk, fell from a gantry in January 2002 while working […]
Work-life balance: lots of talk but little action
Public sector bosses are talking the talk when it comes to work-life balance but not displaying much action, according to a report from the Work Foundation.In fact, the report, which was commissioned by Unison, says that in some cases managers are deliberately blocking people from flexible working or are granting requests only to selected favourites.Overall, […]
EU to aim for greater mobility for workers
2006 was the European Year of Workers’ Mobility – with more than 2,000 events staged across member states. And as a result, the EU has announced it is to launch an action plan next year to tackle the issues that prevent people working in other countries.Traditionally, the barriers to a mobility culture have been identified […]
Missions, values and policies – A waste of time?
Are mission statements and company policies just meaningless statements with no relation to the organisation’s real values? Training consultant Nik Kellingley asks this question posed by consultant Mike Morrison in the HR Zone Any Answers forum. I think that if a company defines their values with their employees in mind, allows them the time to […]
CBI calls for public sector reward reform
With public sector pay now accounting for more than a quarter of government expenditure, the CBI is calling for major reforms to pay and reward systems.In a new report the employers’ organisation calls for smarter use of pay and reward to incentivise and motivate staff to achieve a ‘meaningful’ change in performance and quality of […]
Do Christmas bonuses work? By Sarah Fletcher
We all love a present once in a while (hint hint), but should your employer play santa and hand out Christmas gifts for good behaviour? HR Zone members discuss whether a festive bonus really motivates employees. By Sarah Fletcher It can’t mask company problemsSteve Watson, consultant:“Even the term ‘christmas’ may be offensive to some. However, […]
Inconsistent treatment: a question of unfair dismissal?
The employment appeal tribunal has handed down a useful decision on whether inconsistent treatment of employees can lead to a finding of unfair dismissal.The case, Levenes Solicitors v Dalley, concerned a solicitor who had missed a court deadline and was dismissed. A few years earlier another solicitor had made the same mistake but not been […]
Dispute resolution review welcomed
The government’s announcement that it is to review the dispute resolution process has been welcomed by the TUC and the CBI – albeit for different reasons.TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The TUC is committed to the principle that all employers should have in place dispute resolution procedures and we welcome the DTI review. “The […]
Employees fear flexible working will damage careers
Two-thirds of UK employees aspire to flexible working – but half are worried it will damage their careers, according to research by Eclipse Internet.The research also found that a quarter of respondents thought that flexi-working was a taboo subject in their organisation.Mark Thomas, sales manager of Eclipse, said: “Companies risk alienating large parts of the […]
Ask the expert: Must we do upward appraisals?
Could an employee that refuses to appraise their manager face disciplinary action? Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills and Reeve, and Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, explain. The question:I wonder if anyone can help me with this – can your boss force you to appraise them on an official form? I […]
Pension figures: early retirement coming later in life
Pension figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that people are waiting until later in life before taking early retirement.According to the ONS, the average age at which male and female workers withdraw from the labour force is rising. In 2006, it was 64.2 years for men, the highest level since 1984, […]
The TUC rides to the rescue of festive spirit
If colleagues at your workplace are saying ‘Bah humbug’ more often than Ebenezer Scrooge, then the TUC is riding to the rescue.It’s launched an online Secret Santa generator to keep the spirit of Christmas present (or maybe that should be the spirit of Christmas presents) alive at work.Instead of disrupting the office by putting everyone’s […]
Dispute resolution review announced to cut £277,000 average cost
The government has now made the official announcement that it is to review the dispute resolution procedures, as new research reveals that cases which reach tribunal cost an average of £277,000.Alistair Darling, the secretary of state for trade and industry, told parliament he has asked Michael Gibbons, a member of the Better Regulation Commission and […]
Could workplace training become a statutory right?
Organisations must invest in workplace training voluntarily by 2010 – or the government will need to legislate to make it a statutory right, says the Leitch Report, ‘Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills’.The report examines the UK’s long-term skills needs and sets out a reform agenda to meet ambitious goals by […]
All present but not correct
Planning to give Christmas gifts to employees this year? Then be careful not to get eggnog all over your face.In a slight twist on the traditional festive survey, Croner has asked staff what the naffest seasonal stocking fillers from the workplace are.And the resounding answer has been anything with the company logo on it or […]
Avoiding a Christmas crisis
As Christmas approaches, employers begin to feel the festive fear that staff will embarrass themselves, land the company in a tribunal and destroy relationships with clients by doing inappropriate things with the photocopier. Paula Matheson, Senior Employment Law Adviser at Empire HR, gives legal advice to help organisations avoid a Christmas crisis. Q1. How do […]
Leitch Report: Employers must make greater investment in skills
Employers should have greater input into training if Britain is to plug its skills gaps and remain competitive, a key report recommends.Lord Leitch’s report Prosperity for all in the Global Economy: World Class Skills paints a gloomy picture of current UK skills, and warns that even if current targets are met, the UK will still […]
A good year for babies? Maternity in 2006 and 2007. By Sarah Fletcher
What was most important for maternity in 2006 and what’s the plan for 2007? Read our exclusive guide by Sarah Fletcher. Ah babies. Small, squidgy and smelling faintly of soap, who couldn’t love them? Employers, apparently. Earlier this year HR Zone examined the attitude of HR professionals to maternity provisions and the results were bleak […]
Age laws challenge referred to Europe
Heyday’s challenge to the new age discrimination regulations has been referred by a high court judge to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).The move is not totally unsurprising – Heyday’s challenge related to the parent directive and whether it allowed mandatory retirement ages.Heyday’s legal team argued that the action would turn on the interpretation of […]
