The promises and perils of talent management software
It’s a business cliché that your most valuable asset is your people, but one that is true for most organisations. So it’s not surprising that companies spent more than $3 billion in 2005 on software designed to monitor, manage, evaluate and motivate their employees. Sally Flood reports. Talent management software can potentially reduce costs such […]
Colborn’s Corner: Legislation – HR’s friend or foe?
With the weight of publicity surrounding age discrimination reaching a peak this week, Quentin Colborn looks at the whole topic of employment legislation and considers what impact it has on the HR function. You can hardly pick up a newspaper or review a business website at the minute without the topic of age discrimination coming […]
School unfairly dismissed disabled employee
A Brighton employment tribunal has ruled that the largest junior school in the country unfairly dismissed an IT technician on the grounds of her disability.Carolyn Adamczyk was dismissed from her position as IT Technician at Ocklynge Junior School, Brighton, on 1 July 2005, purportedly by reason of redundancy. But the tribunal found that the school […]
Redundancies affected by pensions discrimination delay
The delay in bringing into force the pensions element of the age discrimination regulations could affect redundancy packages, according to consultants Watson Wyatt.Although the firm welcomes the delay it warns that it throws up new issues that employers will have do deal with quickly.The particular issue of concern is redundancy arrangements, which usually involve a […]
Union demands changes to corporate manslaughter bill
Amicus is demanding urgent changes to the Corporate Manslaughter Bill after a company was fined just £200 following the death of a worker.The company – JR Crompton Ltd – went into administration six months before the prosecution over the death of Richard Thomas, known as Dean. The Crown Court judge said that the fine had […]
HR Tip: Providing prescription spectacles
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: “Our computer operator says that she needs prescription glasses. Do we have to provide them?” A: Yes, if an optician prescribes them specifically for when she is working at a screen. You need […]
Age discrimination: How have employers prepared? By Annie Hayes
Advertising for ‘young, energetic’ workers, promoting on the basis of age and allowing ageist banter to continue in the workplace are just some of the issues that could wind employers up in the dock as of 1 October when the age laws come into play; Annie Hayes reports on how HR Directors from leading brand-name […]
Any Answers: Breastfeeding at work
Kam Bains, HR Consultant at Higgs and Sons Solicitors responds to an Any Answers posting about breastfeeding in the workplace. The question:An employee has returned from maternity leave and is breast feeding and hence needs to express during the day, is there a legal requirement to allow her extra time to express or should it […]
Age discrimination laws don’t go far enough
With less than a fortnight to go until the new age discrimination regulations come into force, new research from Age Concern indicates that many people think the new laws don’t go far enough.According to Age Concern’s research 85 per cent of people think age discrimination should be illegal.The problem with the new regulations is that […]
Volunteering for a day keeps the doctor away
Forget the apple a day – new research by volunteering organisation CSV and Barclays reveals that employees who are given the chance to do something different can have lower sickness rates.The survey found that 42 per cent of employers who allow staff time off work to volunteer said it helped reduce staff sick days, while […]
Lessons from the Lebanon: HR’s role in an international crisis
The successful evacuation of companies’ employees and expatriate staff from the Lebanon has once again brought the role of the Human Resources department into sharp focus, underscoring the critical role within crisis management planning and emergency response that the function plays; Richard Culver, a senior director for security services with International SOS reports. The litigation […]
UK in the dock over health and safety legislation
The EU Commission has taken the UK to court over the wording of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act which, it claims, means the UK does not fulfil its obligations under EU law.But the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) says that if the EU Commission wins it will turn back the […]
HR scores a ‘valley’ good success
New HR plans and policies for the Welsh Assembly have paid off – to the tune of £1.1 million according to an official report.The auditor general for Wales Jeremy Coleman found that the targeting of long-term and/or psychological-related absences had reduced the average number of days’ absence taken by each member of staff from ten […]
What’s the answer? Rates of pay for shifts
Marie Smith 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 shifting pay patterns for job swaps between grades. The question:We have a number of employees who are all employed as general operatives and it states that […]
Jobless figures: Up or down?
Tony Blair might have received a reprimand for leaking the latest jobless figures in an interview – but the full picture is rather more complicated than the PM painted.For although the number of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance has fallen by 3,900 during the past month to 950,100; the number of people looking for work (ILO […]
Age regulations: 86 per cent of employers not ready
With less than three weeks to go until the new age discrimination regulations come into force, a new survey has revealed that 86 per cent of employers have not changed their HR procedures and practices in readiness for their new obligations.One of the reasons could be that the regulations are simply too complicated: 76 per […]
Boost your bottom line – engage your employees
US researchers have worked out the difference highly engaged employees make to a business’s bottom line when compared to their non-engaged counterparts in other organisations. And the answer is a startling 52 per cent.The study, carried out by HR research and consulting firm ISR, gathered information from 664,000 employees world-wide and analysed three traditional financial […]
Company of the week: AstraZeneca
Ann Rae, Lead UK Reward Partner for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca explains the ethos behind the businesses reward scheme, what part values play and why they decided to go down the flexible benefits route. *Benefits stats*Benefits offered: Contributory pension scheme. Death in service scheme. Private medical insurance. Holiday buy and sell scheme. Travel insurance. Retail vouchers. […]
Fighting the fraudulent sickie. By Sarah Fletcher
If an employee persistently claims illness on a Monday morning and seems to be the unluckiest person in Britain – food poisoning one week, a touch of TB the next – how should organisations react? Sarah Fletcher looks at strategies to combat suspicious staff sickness and its damaging impact upon business. As business is likely […]
Unions going too far, warns CBI
The CBI has warned the government that it must resist calls from the TUC that would turn the clock back on improved workplace relations. According to key findings in the latest annual CBI-Pertemps Employment Trends Survey, published this week, employers are working with employees on the issues that matter to them. Flexible working is being […]
