Any Answers: Slips, trips and falls
Kam Bains, HR Consultant at Higgs and Sons Solicitors responds to an Any Answers posting regarding compensation for a fall at work. The question:An employee tripped and fell at work and hurt his back. He tripped on a small tear in an anti-static mat. He saw a first aider and was taken home as he […]
Two million made ill by work
The final results of the HSE’s self-reported work-related illness survey have been published – revealing that two million people think work has made them ill – or made an existing condition worse.In total, the 2 million – of whom 600,000 became ill for the first time during 2004/5 – accounted for 28 million working days […]
Dealing with problem staff: Should we rule by fear? By Annie Hayes
Problem staff usually fall into two categories, those with below average performance and those with consistently poor records of attendance, finding the best way to deal with these issues has been a topic of debate since the advent of the employee-employer relationship; in this feature Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor reports on how HR professionals […]
HR Tip: Job share contract
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 have agreed to allow two of our employees to work part-time on a job-share arrangement. We feel we should set out the arrangement in a contract. What should we include?” A: Each […]
Opinion: Remedying short-term absence
Persistent short-term absences are frustrating for most, if not all employers but with the right approach this does not actually have to be a burden; this article explains some of the ways in which organisations can combat the issue. The first challenge is absence notification and having done many line management and employee focus groups, […]
Sector research into age discrimination published
The Department for Work and Pensions has published new research by the Age Partnership Group into sector-specific treatment of older workers.Nine sectors – Business Services; Construction; Education; Health and Social Care; Hospitality; Manufacturing; Retail; Transport and Logistics, and Other Community (eg media, sport, public services and the arts) – were examined with the researchers considering […]
Tackling the pensions gender gap
Tackling the pensions gap between men and women isn’t just about reforming state provision, it’s also about tackling the savings culture say ministers.With just 30 per cent of women retiring on a full state pension, compared to 85 per cent of men, the government has pledged to recognise caring contributions.But working women are still saving […]
What’s the answer? Car used for business purposes
Catherine Herridge gets legal guidance this week from Sarah Bird, employment law expert at Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on where the liability lies, when an employee’s car used for business purposes, is involved in an accident. The question:Can you let me know who becomes […]
Insider fraud on the increase
Fraud by employees and managers now accounts for nearly half the fraud cases being brought to court, according to KPMG Forensic’s Fraud Barometer.The Fraud Barometer, which has been running for 19 years, considers fraud cases above the £100,000 level being heard in the crown courts.During the first six months of 2006, 123 cases worth £653 […]
Bosses told to ‘plan ahead’ for smoking ban
Employers are being urged to plan ahead for next summer’s smoking ban after research revealed unsuspecting bosses could be walking into a legal minefield.Croner research conducted earlier this year showed that up to a quarter of businesses misunderstood the basic intentions of the Health Bill, leaving them liable for prosecution when the Bill becomes law.Current […]
HR Zone Briefing #308 – Benefits: What’s the alternative?
================================================================ HR Briefing Issue 308 – 10 August 2006 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ ********************** Featured Sponsors *********************** Managing risks – Free report http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/hewitt3a.html Dentistry – Complimentary white paper http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/healthsure2a.html **************************************************************** Editor’s Note ============= From Honda’s race-finishing position bonus to HSA’s save to buy property scheme, employers are becoming ever more inventive in the rewards they offer to […]
Young workers claim age discrimination too
Young workers are more likely to feel their progression has been hindered because of their age compared to their older counterparts.The finding comes in new research by YouGov for insurers Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA).A seventh (14 per cent) of young people, under 25 years old, felt discriminated against in the workplace due to their […]
Benefits: What’s the alternative? By Annie Hayes
With a tight labour market in our midst and fierce competition for key talent burgeoning, organisations are being forced into being ever more inventive with their benefits; in this feature Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor reports on the range of ‘alternative’ schemes on offer in UK plc. Engaging the workforce:Charles Cotton, reward adviser at the […]
No price for failure at Whitehall
Top civil servants feel they are not held accountable for poor performance and that Parliamentary scrutiny of them is ineffective, according to new research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr).Researchers were given unprecedented access to ten permanent secretaries and eight ministers in a year-long programme.A survey of senior civil servants obtained by […]
Two thirds of top civil servants unqualified
Just two per cent of top civil servants hold professional HR qualifications and only one in three hold professional qualifications of any description.The findings come from Cabinet Office data revealed in a new report, to be published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr).It shows that the number of top civil servants holding professional […]
Are your employee benefits cost effective?
Can you measure the return on your benefits investment? How much is it costing you? Alan Fergusson, Director of the Employee Benefits Division of Kudos Independent Financial Services has the answers. Twenty to thirty per cent of an employer’s total outgoings can be spent on employee benefits. According to Alan Fergusson, Director of Employee Benefits […]
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Feeling the heat
HR consultant, Sue Kingston shares her latest HR antics including dress-code battles during the heatwave, ways to navigate the Investors in People assessment and coaching for the over-50s; read on to catch-up with all her news plus more of those vital boyfriend and diet revelations. Month: July 2006 Wow, what a heatwave we’ve […]
Landmark judgment in disability sick pay case
An employment appeal tribunal (EAT) has ruled that employers do not have a duty to give full pay to disabled employees on long-term sick leave.The EAT found that HM Revenue & Customs did not breach the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) by offering Mrs K O’Hanlon six months standard pay followed by six months half-pay.Mrs O’Hanlon, […]
Psychometrics spotlight: The Benchmarks Questionnaire
In the latest of our series putting the range of psychometric tests under the spotlight we look at the Benchmarks questionnaire. The further up the organisational hierarchy an individual progresses, the harder they can find it to receive honest feedback on their performance. This is however an essential aspect of individual development, particularly for business […]
HR Zone Members Newswire #163 – Employee E-abuse: A Major Business Concern?
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 163 8 August 2006 www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ ********************** Featured Sponsors *********************** Free ePolicy handbook – how to avoid employee internet misuse http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/stbernard_a.html Bullying factsheet http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/croner20a.html **************************************************************** Editor’s note ============= Creeping levels of employee email and internet use for personal purposes could, arguably, be the payoff for longer working hours. But […]
