Should older workers hit the scrapheap? By Sarah Fletcher
New legislation preventing organisations from making employment decisions on the basis of age aims to ease the pensions crisis and problems associated with an ageing population; but are older workers really the golden ticket the government claims? Sarah Fletcher asked HR Zone members whether extending the employment lifespan offers real business benefits or just increases […]
Any Answers: Positive action or positive discrimination?
In a recent posting to the Any Answers forum member Ian Stone asked for advice on setting up a positive action scheme to attract women into construction apprenticeships. The responses centered on the legalities, so to throw further light on the wider issues we asked Sue Morrison, Personnel Director for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, […]
Ministers of religion can be unfairly dismissed
An employment appeal tribunal has decided that ministers of religion can be unfairly dismissed.Historically courts held that ministers of religion were appointed to holy office and therefore were office holders and not employees.But in 2005 the House of Lords held that it was possible for office holders to be employees so ministers could qualify as […]
Falls from height ‘not falling’
Employers are still failing their staff when it comes to managing work at height according to Norwich Union.The insurer’s own claims research has highlighted that falls remain a major cause of injuries and fatalities – and often it is falls from a low height that lead to the most serious consequences.In one claim, valued at […]
40% believe they’re victims of discrimination
Forty per cent of UK job hunters believe they have been discriminated against in the past five years, according to a survey.But according to the research, carried out by Kelly Services, discrimination in the UK is low when compared to global standards.Age is the area which is considered to be the most prone to discrimination […]
Guidance published for equality schemes
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has published guidance on the disability equality duty which comes into force in December for all publicly funded organisations.As well as general getting started guidance, it also includes advice for specific sectors, a quiz and the DRC’s position on single equality schemes which cover all three duties – race, which […]
So, what are you doing for Christmas?
What are your office’s plans for Christmas? It’s an odd question to ask in October but here at HRZone we’ve been startled by the results from two surveys.The first, from the Industrial Relations Survey, came out a fortnight ago and revealed that 76.8 per cent of employers were planning an office party, although not all […]
336,000 jobs paid below minimum wage
Government figures have revealed that 336,000 people, 1.3 per cent of the population, hold jobs which pay less than the national minimum wage.But the percentage of 16 to 17-year-olds who are paid less than the minimum wage is 4.3 per cent.People who work part-time are also three times more likely to receive less than the […]
Gender pay gap costs women £210,000
The gender pay gap can cost women £210,000 over the course of their working lives once tax and national insurance is taken into account, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).The EOC’s figures are based on the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings which reveals two measures for the gender […]
Government to help businesses fund childcare
The government has announced a £16.8 million package to help small and medium-sized businesses provide childcare for their employees.The workplace nurseries capital programme will be delivered by regional development agencies, led by the London Development Agency.The scheme aims to make it easier for parents to balance their work and home lives, by helping employers provide […]
Ask the expert: Challenging sickness claims
Can an organisation force an employee to take a blood test to prove his illness is genuine? Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, and Esther Smith, partner at law firm Thomas Eggar, explain. The question:"We have an employee who went on extended annual leave (three weeks, two days) for […]
HR pay gap increasing
The pay gap between HR professionals working in London and those working in Northern Ireland has increased by 13 per cent since 2002.The findings come from the latest reward survey of over 6,500 HR professionals from Croner Reward in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).Personnel Officers in London now earn £29,087, […]
Age regulations force change in NHS redundancy structure
The National Health Service (NHS) has changed its redundancy package structure as a direct result of the new age discrimination regulations.Previously, the NHS redundancy and early retirement arrangements had a number of age-related thresholds that gave different benefits to people depending on their age.Following wide consultation, the new arrangements have been drawn up and agreed […]
Age discrimination and vital staff training
As employers adjust to the new age legislation introduced earlier this month, barrister Charles Price outlines why employee training is crucial to avoid legal issues for businesses. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/1031 were made on 3rd April 2006 and came into force on 1st October 2006.The Irish introduced age discrimination provisions through […]
Tribunal finds apprenticeship wrongly terminated
A former apprentice has been awarded £24,000 in compensation after a tribunal found his employer wrongly terminated his apprenticeship.The tribunal ruled that the non-termination rules which applied to traditional apprenticeships also apply to the modern version.James Lloyd, 22, of Nuneaton, started a modern apprenticeship with Federal Mogul Sintered Products Limited in August 2000.He was employed […]
Pay settlements falling behind inflation
Industrial Relations Services’ (IRS) monthly pay settlement analysis has revealed that basic pay awards remained at 3 per cent during September while inflation stood at 3.6 per cent during the same period but pay awards based solely on merit or performance stood at 3.5 per cent.IRS pay researchers collected the details of 99 pay settlements, […]
Car commuters ‘less productive’
Productivity could be draining away from British business because employees travel by car rather than train on business trips, new research claims.A study by Napier University’s Transport Research Institute, commissioned by Virgin Trains, identified and compared the costs involved in travelling by train and car. The study assessed the value of the time employees spend […]
Government to restrict Romanian and Bulgarian migrants
The government has announced it is to impose restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian workers coming to the UK.Romania and Bulgaria are set to become members of the EU on 1 January 2007. In the past, the UK has not imposed entry restrictions on workers from other EU countries but that is now to change.Home secretary […]
Off the record: Poor performance, slashed bonus?
An employee has underperformed this year and doesn’t deserve the same bonus as he received in 2005. Could the employee bring a case against the employer if the employee feels this is unreasonable? Carl De Cicco, Associate at law firm Reed Smith, explains. The answer to this question is yes. However, there are a number […]
Graduate management development programmes: You’ve recruited them – now what?
Recruiting graduates can prove expensive, especially if you don’t work hard to keep them. In the second of a three part series on graduate development, consultant Mike Morrison explains how a management development programme can produce real business benefits. Recruiting graduates can be an expensive process. This cost is doubled if you have the wrong […]
