BT project for staff with mental health problems
BT has teamed up with the Communication Workers Union, Connect and mental health charities to launch a major project to help staff with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and stress.The Work Fit – Positive Mentality campaign aims to provide practical guidance to BT’s 104,000 employees across the globe on how to improve their […]
EU warned against legislating
The EU has been warned to hold back on introducing legislation to cover independent workers.Last week saw the leaking of a green paper which discussed protection for the growing number of workers – such as contractors and the self-employed – who fall outside traditional working arrangements.But business pressure group the Forum of Private Business has […]
Sexual harassment victim awarded £58,697
An Exeter employment tribunal has ordered the former mayor of Chard, Somerset to pay £33,697 in damages to a former town clerk who brought a successful claim of sexual harassment.Sally Bing’s victory against Councillor Tony Prior followed the settlement of her case against Chard Town Council which agreed to pay her £25,000 for loss of […]
Any Answers: Dealing with moaning employees
Annie Lawler of Breathing Space for Business responds to member Madeline Clark’s posting about how to deal with a lack of positivity in the workplace triggered by an employee with a tendency to moan. Members of staff who are constantly complaining and being negative not only have a detrimental effect on themselves, but also on […]
HR Tip: Appeal against Employment Tribunal decision
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 lost a case of unfair dismissal in the Employment Tribunal. We believe that the Tribunal did not take fully into account the difficulties under which we have to work. Can we […]
Alcohol at work – Does it really matter? By Sarah Fletcher
A drunk employee that slurs, brawls and falls off their chair is an obvious business liability, but is the odd drink at lunch really as serious as recent reports suggest? The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates between eight and 14 million working days are lost each year as a result of alcohol impaired performance, […]
Softworld News: Microsoft enters European HR arena
Microsoft UK gold partner Ciber will be previewing the Microsoft Dynamics AX 4.0 ERP suite at Softworld HR & Payroll at Birmingham’s NEC on 18-19 October.Previously known in the UK as Axapta and acquired by Microsoft as part of the Navision stable, the Dynamics AX 4.0 HR modules are Microsoft’s first offerings of this kind […]
Employers urged to ban smoking now
The TUC is calling on employers to ban smoking in the workplace now – and not wait for the proposed legislation which is due to come into force next summer.In a new guide, the TUC says that rather than put off the inevitable for a few months, employers should be sitting down now with employees […]
More lies than ever on CVs
Job candidates in the financial sector are becoming increasingly brazen in lying when they submit CVs for job applications. A study of more than 3,000 CVs submitted by job applicants during 2004 showed that 25 per cent of the CVs submitted ants in the financial sector contained false, or incorrect statements. The study by employee […]
Internet training case study: Institute of Motor Industry
For a demonstration of the potential of internet-enabled training software, the Institute of Motor Industry provides an excellent case study, having increased its training-based revenues by 70% as a result of a new talent management system. The IMI is an independent professional association representing 25,000 people in the retail motor trade. The organisation is also […]
What’s the answer? Discipline and alcohol/drug abuse
Rachel Haake gets legal guidance this week from Sarah Bird, employment law expert, Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on the legalities of disciplining an employee for refusing to accept referral treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. The question:Can an organisation discipline an employee for refusing […]
Employers unaware cancer classed as disability
Employers are unaware of changes to disability discrimination law which protect workers with cancer, according to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).The change, which came into force last year, means that workers with long-term health conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV are considered disabled from the point of diagnosis.Before the change to the Disability […]
Managers plagued by a sense of regret
Managers across the UK are plagued by a sense of regret, with many believing they have failed to reach their true potential, according to a survey by the Chartered Management Institute.The survey also reveals that although managers at all levels exhibit high levels of activity and energy at work, they are held back by red […]
Redundancy provisions in staff handbook contractually binding
Judges in the court of appeal have unanimously decided that if a staff handbook contains reference to an entitlement to an enhanced redundancy payment, then it is part of the employee’s contract.Therefore, an employee who is made redundant could bring a claim for breach of contract if the enhanced payment was not given as stated […]
Losing my future leader
Forget follow my leader – British businesses risk losing future leaders because of poor management, according to new research released by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). The YouGov survey revealed that 11 per cent of the 496 respondents aged 18-24 feel their manager is holding them back. And British businesses are in danger […]
One wage fits all at ASDA
ASDA has announced that it is scrapping its ‘under 18’ pay rate to offer equal rates of pay for all colleagues doing the same job, regardless of whether they’re 16 or 60. The move, which has been seen as a victory for the GMB union, comes in the same week that new age discrimination legislation […]
Human capital management – A profit driver for business? By Bettina Pickering and Phil Rice
Let’s face it: HCM (Human Capital Management) is an exciting topic. However, have any of us seen widely publicised examples where HCM has been successfully implemented? Probably not, as most so called HCM success stories are point solutions, which do not address the Human Capital Management processes from end-to-end.Every action taken in an organisation has […]
How to get better results from consultants
In the first of two exclusive articles for HR Zone, management consultant John Pope explains how to maximise your investment in consultants by getting the best results possible. So you plan to use consultants? Can you really afford it – the disruption as well as the cost? Consultancy projects are not always successful. Some commentators […]
Colborn’s Corner: How do we choose our leaders?
We are currently in the middle of the party conference season with politicians vying for the interest of not just their own party members, but also the public at large. This week Quentin takes a look at how we go about selecting people and questions how objective and rational we normally are. Funny when you […]
Employees fear admitting mental health problems will damage careers
The stigma of mental illness is alive and well as new research reveals that 77 per cent of employees fear that admitting to mental ill-health will damage their careers.UnumProvident’s research asked employees whether they believed that admitting they suffer from stress, depression and anxiety would damage their careers.Older workers seemed particularly concerned, with 80 per […]
