HR Tip: Disability
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: "A number of our employees feel that the Disability Discrimination Act discriminates against healthy people because it requires their employer to give preferential treatment to disabled people. We are inclined to agree. […]
Working women: Is positive discrimination the future? By Sarah Fletcher
Encouraging businesses to focus upon retaining and developing female talent may sound controversial, but is there a strong argument for this approach? Sarah Fletcher asked members of HR Zone whether women are the future for talent management. Debates on workplace sexism usually consider the reduced career opportunities and discrimination faced by female employees in a […]
Any Answers: Compassionate leave
Iain Young suggests best practice in creating a policy covering compassionate leave.View the original post We had the following in our handbook and policies:“When family emergencies arise – for example, your child gets hurt at school – please inform your manager that you need some time off and try to give an idea of when […]
Dispute resolution regulations under the microscope
Two years after their introduction and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is already considering revising the dispute resolution regulations because they are considered too complex.The government’s intentions were confirmed to national law firm Shoosmiths after a report was leaked to the press about informal talks between the DTI, unions and employers’ groups. It […]
Spare us the jargon!
It’s official – according to Investors in People (IiP) 54 per cent of UK employees say that management jargon such as ‘think outside the box’ and ‘low hanging fruit’ is a problem in their workplace.According to the poll – conducted by YouGov to mark the 15th anniversary of IiP – employees have a low opinion […]
November news in brief
To go to a story click on the link below: Acas launches free online learning tool Acas launches free online learning toolIn just under seven years only a fifth of the workforce will be white, able-bodied, male and under 45 – that's why Acas has launched its first, free, online learning tool. The e-learning […]
Falls all round for health and safety figures
Official health and safety figures reveal there were large drops in prosecutions and enforcement action in the year 2005/6.But although the number of prosecutions dropped by 23 per cent and the number of enforcement actions dropped by 25 per cent, the Health and Safety Commission figures reveal the number of fatal injuries fell by 5 […]
Corporate manslaughter: check your insurance lawyers advise
As the corporate manslaughter bill makes its way through its committee stages, lawyers are warning companies to check their liability insurance.Insurance law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) says that once it becomes law the bill will have implications for employers’ liability and public liability insurance.Although the Home Office’s expectations of a rise from one to […]
How far will workplace monitoring go?
Most of the headlines surrounding last week’s launch of a public debate on the surveillance society concentrated on CCTV cameras.But the report launched by the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas also included the implications for the workplace.The authors of the report – ‘A Surveillance Society’ – point out that workplace monitoring of telephone calls, email and […]
Acas launches free online learning tool
In just under seven years only a fifth of the workforce will be white, able-bodied, male and under 45 – that’s why Acas has launched its first, free, online learning tool.The e-learning tool, on sexual orientation and gender reassignment, aims to provide a practical learning tool to assess an organisation’s position and how any issues […]
Employees’ responsibilities: DTI guide launched
The Department of Trade and Industry has published a new guide giving the rights and responsibilities of employees.It’s designed for both employers and employees. More information and a copy can be found at: Employees’ guide
Quality of life beats salary for four in ten
Nearly 40 per cent of working Brits would be happy to swap a lower salary for less stress and more leisure, according to new research.The survey, by the Prudential, also found that three-fifths of the population would consider downshifting – moving to a house in a cheaper area or moving abroad to increase the quality […]
Graduate salary drops behind employee average
The average starting salary for graduates now stands at £21,000, an increase of 2.4 per cent over the year – compared to an overall rise of 3 per cent across all employee groups.The research by IRS Employment Review also reveals that four out of ten employers targeting recent graduates have experienced recruitment problems this year.This […]
Workplace bullies getting away with it
Bullies in UK offices are using a range of subtle tactics and behaviour to intimidate colleagues at work, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute.The survey also suggests that their ability to torment is enhanced by increased levels of organisational change and ineffective action by employers.Findings from the research, which are being released to […]
Ask the expert: Is asking for date of birth classed as age discrimination?
Can an employer ask candidates for their date of birth under the new age legislation? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills and Reeve, give the legal outlook. The question:“We employ several hundred temporary staff during the summer months. Due to the nature of our industry […]
The value of secondments. By Dan Martin
Adopting a secondments programme can help employees gain new skills and opportunities, while it can also improve a firms’ reputation for supporting the local community. HR Zone business editor Dan Martin investigates the benefits of secondments for businesses and what pitfalls HR should bear in mind when setting up a programme. What are secondments?Secondments come […]
Colborn’s Corner – What did you say?
Following his last column in which Quentin looked at the way we might use legislation to make ourselves seem more important, Quentin asks whether we complicate things too much for managers and employees. As I sit to write this article I’m reflecting on a fascinating evening I have just spent with a friend and her […]
Graduate development programmes: Making it work
In the final part of our graduate recruitment series, consultant Mike Morrison reveals how to make graduate management development programmes work for your organisation. Running a development programme for graduate recruits requires a number of decisions – so what works best?In-house, external or accredited? This is the perennial question asked by learning and development managers […]
Trivial benefits. By Philip Fisher
As a result of a recent change of policy, the ability to give benefits tax-free has now become reality. Philip Fisher, Chantrey Vellacott DFK, reports. Unfortunately, it only relates to benefits that can be regarded as “trivial”. Even so, for large organisations, the chance to give a couple of bottles of wine to each employee […]
HR tip: Submitting grievances
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: "We insist that any employee who wishes to submit a formal grievance does so on our official form. Are we alright to do this?" A: No. An employee may submit a grievance in […]
