Will new legislation really change the way businesses approach age discrimination?
Richard Marlin, Public Sector Contracts Manager for recruitment outfit Angela Mortimer explains why employers that continue to recruit for ‘young’ and ‘energetic’ staff post-October will wind themselves up in the dock. UK employers face a major challenge from new laws aimed at stamping out age discrimination in the workplace. From 1st October 2006, it will […]
HR Tip: Racially based nicknames
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 Glaswegian security guard is called "Jock". Is this race discrimination?” A: I don't know. Ask him. If he is offended by the nickname then yes, it is racial harassment and must cease. […]
Government delays part of age discrimination legislation
Sections of the new age discrimination legislation, due to come into force on October 1, will be delayed for two months, the Government announced today.The delayed provisions relate to pensions requirements and will now come into force on December 1. The Government says this will give schemes more time to prepare for the changes.Announcing the […]
CIPD warn Blair’s successor to avoid employment ‘quick fixes’
Whoever Tony Blair’s successor is, the CIPD’s chief economist is urging them to avoid the temptation of ‘quick fixes’ to complex workplace issues.In his report, Jobs really are getting better – so why doesn’t it feel like it?, John Philpott says that Tony Blair will leave an ‘impressive legacy’ in terms of employment policy.The report […]
Any Answers: Managing lateness
Emma Doherty recently asked the Any Answers forum for advice on how to deal with persistent lateness; Stephen Walker, Director of Motivation Matters responds, sharing his top tips on ways to promote good timekeeping. Why manage:We have to manage the effect of poor timekeeping to avoid three major disrupting effects. 1. Line managers make their […]
Employee references: What’s the value? By Annie Hayes
Beating the cheats is big business these days with an estimated two-thirds of CVs carrying inaccuracies. Do employee references help or can they be as easily manipulated by those willing to embellish on their past experience, pay and job titles? Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor reports. Outdated? ‘Subject to satisfactory references’ is the final hurdle […]
Psychometrics spotlight: The Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument
In the latest of our series putting the range of psychometric tests under the spotlight we look at the less well-known, yet pleasantly surprising, Thomas-Kilman conflict mode instrument. Conflict is an inevitable aspect of working life, arising in situations when two or more people’s concerns appear to be incompatible. There are many ways that conflict […]
Year-long wait for Natwest Three trial
The former British bankers known as the ‘Natwest Three’ must wait for another 12 months before they are tried over allegations of fraud linked to collapsed energy firm Enron.In a preliminary hearing in Houston on Wednesday, a judge said the trial will take place on September 4 2007. He originally set it for February 5 […]
UK ‘breaking EU rest break laws’
The UK is breaching European regulations on ensuring workers receive sufficient rest breaks, judges have ruled.The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said the government has violated terms contained in the controversial Working Time Directive.Although the UK has an opt-out from the maximum 48-hour working week regulations, it is legally obliged to ensure that every worker […]
What’s the answer? Sickness absence
Rebecca Wormald 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 forcing someone to take sick leave. The question:If an employee is not fit to do the work s/he is contracted to do but […]
Sexism at work on the increase
Workplace sexism is rising, with almost three quarters (72 per cent) of women claiming they have been bullied because of their gender. Women in 2006 feel more bullied at work than they did in 2002, legal services company Peninsula reports. The survey of 2,067 female staff found the amount of women feeling bullied at work […]
Teleworking claims overhyped
The opportunity for teleworking has been exaggerated and is not viable for most employees, according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). Many reports artificially inflated the number of teleworkers in Britain by including ‘white van’ tradespeople and self-employed individuals who use a computer and telephone in their work, CIPD chief economist John […]
Investors in People CEO quits
Ruth Spellman, Chief Executive of Investors in People, the people standard has resigned after eight years service.The outgoing Spellman leaves to join the Institution of Mechanical Engineers as their new Chief Executive.Commenting on her departure, she said: “I am very proud of our record of achievement and the progress we have made in establishing the […]
Don’t up tax on temps, group demands
Recruitment experts have called on HMRC to shelve proposals to add extra taxation on the provision of temporary workers in sectors such as social work, healthcare and education. Responding to the Revenue’s consultation on the review of the VAT concessions on the supply of temps, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said introducing extra taxes […]
Colborn’s Corner: Looking back
Quentin Colborn takes a look back at his HR experiences this week and reflects on the situations, good and bad that have helped shape his view of HR. Our current view of HR is often shaped by our experiences in the past. Some of these are funny, some are incredibly exhilarating, and all of them […]
Two thirds get flexible benefits
Almost two thirds of organisations now offer their employees flexible benefits, a new report reveals. The survey by consultancy Hewitt Associates shows an increase in the popularity of flexible benefits and salary sacrifice schemes. Half of UK firms offered flexible packages last year.Martha How, reward consulting team leader at Hewitt Associates, said: “Flexible benefits schemes […]
Women get bigger pay rises than men for tenth year running
Women have received larger pay rises than their male colleagues for the tenth year running and are more likely to get a bonus, but they are still more likely to resign than men. Research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and salary analysts Remuneration Economics shows the highest salary changes for five years; Women's salaries […]
Interims Vs consultants: are the rumours true? By Sarah Fletcher
Some supporters of interim managers claim consultants are more expensive, sell products the business doesn’t need and fail to implement practical, ‘hands on’ solutions. Do consultants agree? By Sarah Fletcher. Many companies that supply interim executives to organisations provide detailed comparisons of the roles of consultant and interim, but although there are obvious similarities – […]
HR contract wins: June to August
Read on to find out who is scooping the major HR contracts this year. McDonald’s Deutschland Inc. selects StepStone for recruitment solutionMcDonald’s Deutschland Inc. has selected StepStone’s i-GRasp recruitment solution to help streamline its recruitment process. The fast food giant has 1,264 restaurants in Germany, which employ 49,000 staff and serve 848 million customers annually. […]
Opinion: Dealing with ‘dead wood’
An Investors in People survey found 75% of bosses and 80% of staff thought some colleagues were “dead wood” – and the main reason was thought to be laziness; Chris Syder Head of Employment at Clarkslegal LLP looks at the issues. Nearly half of employees added they worked closely with someone who they thought was […]
