New age policy ‘ASDA’ be good
With less than five weeks to go before the new age discrimination legislation comes into force, ASDA has announced it no longer requires job applicants at any of its 308 stores to provide their date of birth.What that means in terms of the regulations is that ASDA has gone much further than required. Under the […]
Bank holiday drought sees productivity nosedive
A survey by YouGov on behalf of Croner has revealed that 50 per cent of workers blame the bank holiday drought between September and Christmas for feeling unproductive at work.But although a significant 39 per cent voted for an extra bank holiday to recharge their batteries, the majority would rather take control over their own […]
Carpet factory pays the price for lack of consultation
Bosses at a carpet factory who failed to consult with workers before making them redundant have been ordered by a tribunal to pay out £160,000.The BBC reports that the 38 workers at Ayrshire-based First Textile Flooring Ltd returned from holiday to be told the company had ceased trading. All were members of the Scottish Carpet […]
Any Answers: Swearing in the workplace
Managing the inappropriate use of language is an issue which we often receive questions about in our Any Answers forum; responding to another query on the subject Sandra Beale, HR Consultant addresses the range of options from zero-tolerance to laissez-faire management. According to research carried out by the Aziz Corporation, conducted earlier this year, 36% […]
HR Tip: ‘Forced’ resignations
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: “Rather than dismiss unsuitable employees we ask them to resign. This preserves their dignity. Are we at any risk?” A: You certainly are. A court would construe a resignation made under pressure as […]
Disability discrimination: Are employers guilty? By Sarah Fletcher
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 aimed to prevent employers from acting unfairly towards staff with a disability, but does it work and has it created operational problems for business? Sarah Fletcher asked HR Zone members how to incorporate a disability into the workforce and whether discrimination is still a significant issue. The DDA should prevent […]
Pay awards steady despite rising inflation
Pay settlements in the three months to July remained at a steady average of three per cent, despite inflation reaching a two and a half-year high, according to Industrial Relations Services (IRS).In addition, two-thirds of pay deals were lower than those received in 2005, only eight per cent were higher than the previous settlement.IRS researchers […]
Dads want working hours to be their flexible friends
Many current work-life balance policies don’t suit dads, who would rather have workplace flexibility, according to new research.In fact, being a father has little effect on men’s working patterns, although they do cut back their working hours for a short time after a new child is born, according to Economic and Social Research Council funded […]
GCSE pass rates hit 98.1 per cent
The overall pass rate for GCSEs has reached 98.1 per cent – and the percentage gaining A* to C grades has also risen, from 61.2 per cent to 62.4 per cent.In addition, the number of students gaining A*-C grades in English has risen by 0.7 per cent to 61.6 per cent and in maths by […]
What’s the answer? Rising temperatures
Susan Bicknell gets legal guidance this week from Sarah Bird, employment law expert at Browne Jacobson and Guy Guinan, a Partner with the employment team of Halliwells LLP on managing workers in the soaring heat. The question:What are the rules on higher temperatures in the workplace and less fair treatment of workshop staff than office […]
Long-term incentives fail executives and shareholders
Long-term incentives are failing to meet the needs of both executives and shareholders according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).The report, Executive Compensation Review of the Year 2006, compares how different types of long-term incentive plans align executive pay with returns delivered to shareholders.Tom Gosling, executive compensation partner at PwC, said: “The wealth of new rules […]
‘Get serious’ about professional qualifications
The benefits of professionally accredited qualifications are being highlighted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), which has launched a ‘Get Serious’ campaign to tackle the issue.CIM hopes the campaign will raise awareness of continuing professional development (CPD) among practitioners.Ray Jones, head of communications at CIM, said: “CPD is becoming an increasingly essential need for […]
Off the record: Will I be liable for discrimination and harassment in the workplace?
When it comes to harassment and discrimination in the workplace the UK courts are sending out a very clear message of zero-tolerance. Recent decisions from both the Court of Appeal and House of Lords have placed greater responsibility on both employers and individual managers to combat these types of acts and to secure a friendly […]
HR & payroll systems – state of the art in 2006. By John Stokdyk
Compared to last year, 2006 has been relatively quiet in the world of HR & payroll systems, where many suppliers are struggling to generate double-digit growth.The painful experiences of those who had to or chose to go online in the first wave of PAYE filing by internet will still remember the chaos and frustration of […]
Excuses, excuses … for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage
‘He doesn’t deserve it – he’s a total waste of space’ is the best – or worst – excuse HM Revenue and Customs enforcers heard from an employer refusing to pay the National Minimum Wage.In fact, some of the excuses were so bad, enforcers have compared notes and produced a top ten:10. I only took […]
The future’s female and 50 plus
What kind of boss is best able to cope with new, flexible working practices? The answer, according to research for BT is females over the age of 50.The research comes as the RAC Foundation becomes the latest organisation to support Work Wise UK, the five-year Government-backed initiative which promotes the widespread adoption of smarter working […]
Health plans pose age discrimination minefield
Employers are being urged to check health and benefit plans before the new age discrimination legislation comes into force on October 1.Mercer Human Resource Consulting warns that companies which provide benefits like private medical cover, income protection and life insurance could be taken to an employment tribunal if they continue to use age-related rules in […]
Workplace bullies: Discriminatory Acts and employee harassment
A secretary who sued her former employer after she was harassed by four female colleagues has been awarded £817,000 damages from the firm; in this employment law briefing, Chris Syder Head of Employment for Clarkslegal LLP looks at how to avoid costly tribunal claims. A High Court judge ruled that investment firm Deutsche Bank failed […]
True cost of worker absence ‘close to zero’
A study by a Swansea University economist shows that the cost of worker absenteeism to British industry could be close to zero – as much as £13 billion less than other surveys suggest.The study, Pay, technology and the cost of worker absence has been compiled by a team headed by the university’s Professor John Treble […]
A third of employers have to teach basic skills
A new report by the CBI reveals a third of employers have had to provide training in basic writing and numeracy skills because staff did not learn these skills at school.The report, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, says that in total around a fifth of employers find non-graduate recruits have literacy or […]
