HR Tip: Attitude problems
HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR and payroll tips in 2006. A market leader in the provision of HR and Payroll training and nationally recognised professional qualifications, HRD & Payroll Solutions are highly experienced in teaching about common HR and payroll problems. A wide selection of tips, […]
Age discrimination – Is your business ready? By Rebecca Benneyworth
Most employers are aware that new age discrimination rules come into effect this weekend, but how many know the wide reaching effects of the changes and how much work will be needed to satisfy the new rules? By Rebecca Benneyworth.The age discrimination legislation comes into force on 1 October, and effectively bans all forms of […]
HR directors more age discriminatory than public
A survey by BUPA has revealed that HR directors and managers are more likely to discriminate on the grounds of age than the general public.Two-thirds of the 200 senior HR personnel interviewed believed the retirement age should be 65, whereas three-quarters of the general public believe that people should carry on working for as long […]
E-help service offers new hope for working fathers
As new family-friendly legislation comes into force next week, so the work-life balance charity Working Families has secured lottery funding to launch an e-help service via text and email.The service is particularly aimed at dads because research has shown that men prefer texting and email to phone lines.The service will allow ‘callers’ to email or […]
New HR research centre opened
Manpower and the London School of Economics have teamed up to launch a new research centre for HR.The Manpower HR Lab aims to establish a leading centre for the study and analysis of the impact of human resource and labour market decisions and trends on productivity at corporate, national and global levels. To do this, […]
Off the record: Temp claims unfair dismissal
I recently received an employment tribunal claim from someone we employed on a temporary contract. At the end of the contract, we did not renew his contract and he is claiming unfair dismissal saying that we are in breach of regulations specifically designed to protect employees on fixed-term contracts. Has he got a case? Ranjit […]
Any Answers: Fun ways to achieve the diversity challenge
In response to an Any Answers posting on how to do it, Skye Mackie of Skills Boosters LIVE shares her tips on how to create a diversity course that is interactive, informative and fun. Designing courses that are interactive, informative and enjoyable is a key ingredient for all successful training initiatives. And there’s no reason […]
Employers need support if pension reforms are to work
The director general of the CBI told a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference today that employers will need a comprehensive support package from government if its pension white paper proposals are to succeed.Richard Lambert warned that the proposed legislation, which includes automatic pension scheme enrolment and compulsory company contributions, will be hard for […]
Gloucestershire police discriminated against white men
The boundary between illegal positive discrimination and legal positive action can be difficult to judge – as Gloucestershire police have found.A tribunal awarded £2,500 for injury to feelings to Matt Powell, who had applied to the force but then received a letter saying he had been ‘randomly deselected’ from the process. The BBC reports that […]
CBI urges restraint on the Low Pay Commission
The CBI has urged the Low Pay Commission to show restraint when it comes to increasing the National Minimum Wage (NMW).And after last week’s row with the British Retail Consortium, the TUC has welcomed the CBI’s submission – but said it could go further.In its submission, the CBI warns that rising energy costs, lower 2007 […]
Getting ex-offenders back to work. By Sarah Fletcher
We’re increasingly becoming a nation of criminals and our workplaces are paying the price, recent studies reveal. Given that fraud alone cost UK firms almost £1bn last year, is it an operational disaster to recruit candidates with a record of crimes against the employer? Sarah Fletcher asked members of HR Zone and sister site AccountingWEB […]
Government investigates plight of ethnic minority women at work
As part of its action plan in response to the Women and Work Commission, the government is to launch an investigation into the issues facing ethnic minority women in the workplace.Ethnic minority communities overall have a lower employment rate than the rest of the population, and for Bangladeshi and Pakistani women it is particularly low […]
Take a holistic approach to pensions, Government urged
In its response to the government white paper on pensions, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) has urged a holistic approach to pensions policy.Although it supports the proposals for a National Pensions Savings Scheme, the CIPD believes that by removing the government’s default retirement age of 65, withdrawing means-testing and offering financial incentives in […]
Minimum wage – what are the true costs?
A spat has broken out between the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the TUC over the true costs of the National Minimum Wage.It started when the BRC produced a report saying 78,000 jobs in the retail sector had been lost due to the extra £1.2 billion minimum wage costs had placed on retailers’ wage bills.The […]
Opinion: Something old, something new – successful team building
With the ever-changing face of the ‘team’ today – project teams, matrix working, remote teams, cross functional working groups and virtual teams – the need for effective team building is without question. So, what’s new in team building? Well…everything and nothing. Steve Marriott of Kaizen Training reports on the latest team building innovations, reflecting on […]
What’s the answer? References in cases of gross misconduct
Chris Bonfiglioli gets legal guidance this week from Helen Badger, employment law expert, Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on what kind of references have to be provided in cases where gross misconduct is the reason for dismissal. The question:What kind of references have to be […]
Workers encouraged to take part in anti-bullying day
The charity Ban Bullying at Work has launched a new initiative – a minute of reflection – to raise awareness among Britain’s 28.94 million workforce.Now in its fourth year Ban Bullying at Work Day will be held on 7 November, with the minute of reflection to be held at 10am. Organisers hope a million people […]
Executive pay faces radical overhaul
According to new research by KPMG executive pay faces a radical overhaul because so many are approaching the maximum allowable level.That begs questions about how stretching performance requirements have become – but also leads to KPMG’s prediction of big companies increasingly turning to tailor-made executive pay packages.The findings come at a time when investors are […]
What price the 24-hour work culture?
Research has revealed that in 90 per cent of families where both parents work, at least one works unsocial hours, defined as outside 8am-7pm Monday-Friday.The research ‘Working atypical hours: what happens to family life?’ by Matt Barnes, Caroline Bryson and Ruth Smith of the National Centre for Social Research, in partnership with the Relationships Foundation’s […]
Employee fined for ignoring safety warnings
A security guard who seriously injured a lorry driver after ignoring safety warnings and attempting to drive a fork lift truck has been fined.Travers Clarke, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was warned by both his employer and the company whose premises he was guarding not to use any of the equipment […]
