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 […]
Is the CIPD annual conference and exhibition worth the effort? By Annie Hayes
Billed as the premier people management event of the year, the annual CIPD event this October is a surely unmissable occasion, even if only to indulge in the array of tempting freebies, from pots of honey to free shots of flavoured oxygen. Annie Hayes asked members whether the pilgrimage to Harrogate is worth the trip. […]
Define talent management to be taken seriously
To be taken seriously, HR must define what talent management is about for their organisation and link it to business need.Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that 94 per cent of respondents believe that well-designed talent management development activities can have a positive impact on an organisation’s bottom line.Rebecca Clake, […]
Support for employees with cancer
More than 40 per cent of employers do not provide any support or information to employees with cancer – even though the illness casts its shadow on the majority of workplaces.The research was carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Cancerbackup and the Working with Cancer group, a group of leading […]
Bullying at work hits a fifth of the workforce
One-fifth of the UK workforce has experienced bullying – and ethnic minorities, women and the disabled are most likely to be victims, according to a new survey.The study, carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in association with MORI and the Kingston Business School, has been carried out in advance of […]
HR Tip: Probation periods and continuous service
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 put new starters on a six month trial period during which we can dismiss them with only one week's notice. Does this period count as part of their continuous service?” A: Yes […]
Any Answers: Race discrimination
Iain Young explains how to deal with racist comments in the workplace.View the original post When I have been in a similar position I have made a formal complaint to the HR Department of the other organisation. In one case the offending individual was employed by an overseas Air Force and in the other they […]
Police officers win equal pay battle
Two female police officers have won a three-year equal pay battle in a case which could have far-reaching implications.The case revolved around special allowances – Special Priority Payments – paid to officers who perform demanding roles by police forces throughout the country.West Midlands Police made these payments to officers in a number of posts. In […]
Employers don’t understand age regulations, report reveals
A new survey reveals that a whopping 71 per cent of employers think the new age discrimination regulations are difficult to interpret.And 83 per cent believed the government should have done more to assist and help businesses prepare for the new laws.Employment law firm Peninsula, which carried out the survey, revealed that its helpline had […]
Retailers keep benefits costs low
Retailers are reportedly in the front line of large employers in keeping down the costs of employee benefits.The research was carried out in the US by Mercer Human Resource Consulting but reflects some of the issues prevalent in the UK marketplace.Costs of benefits such as health insurance and pensions are rising faster than retailers can […]
Ask the expert: Recording disciplinaries
Esther Smith, partner at law firm Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, explain whether an employee charged with misconduct can be denied the right to tape record his interview. The question:We are conducting an investigation into a misconduct offence. The employee being investigated has requested tape recording […]
Age discrimination could be costly for pension funds
The government’s consultation on how the new age discrimination regulations will affect pension funds closes today – but if no changes are made to draft regulations then they could prove expensive.So says Mercer Human Resource Consulting, which is warning that if the regulations are implemented in their current form then at least a third of […]
Lifting the veil on religious discrimination
West Yorkshire teaching assistant Aishah Azmi is to appeal against the employment tribunal’s decision to refuse her claim of religious discrimination.Yesterday’s judgment found against Mrs Azmi on three of the four claims she made, including religious discrimination and harassment, but awarded her £1,100 for victimisation.According to press reports, the tribunal’s judgment was finalised on 6 […]
Safety: employers ‘prejudiced’ against younger workers
Research reveals that the majority of employers are prejudiced against younger workers when it comes to workplace safety.According to Croner, six in ten employers said that younger workers are more likely to take risks with safety at work compared to older colleagues.Almost as many – 54 per cent – said that younger people are more […]
Incidental private use of computers, equipment and services. By Nichola Ross Martin
When the exemption for employer provided computer equipment in s.320 ITEPA 2003 was unexpectedly terminated in the 2006 Budget, there were concerns that this might lead to an unexpected benefits charge for employees in respect of private use of employer's computers and peripherals. HMRC replied that providing that private use of an employer's equipment was […]
