Pensions accounts consultation launched
The government is considering how personal pensions accounts would work in in the latest follow-up to its White Paper on pension reform, published last year.Publication of qualitative research commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions coincides with the launch of the consultation.The research, conducted through 22 focus groups and in-depth interviews with the public, […]
Off the record: What will the smoking ban mean for our office?
A blanket ban on lighting up at work and in other public spaces has been proposed by the government so what should employers do in preparation for kicking the habit? Emma Capper, Associate at Reed Smith employment law firm reports. Through the Draft Health Bill, the government is proposing to introduce a total smoking ban […]
Follow the Japanese leader
The TUC is recommending that UK business leaders take a leaf out of the Japanese prime minister’s book and allow workers to dress casually during the heatwave.Last year, in an attempt to reduce energy use, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took off his tie and urged his country’s workforce to leave their jackets and ties […]
Wise Up To Work Day
Trainers, employers and the under-21s can get the low-down on the working environment’s potential risks through the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) WiseUp2Work Day, to be held on August 30.WiseUp2Work is an initiative by the IOSH to address head-on the issue of safety for the under 21s when they are starting work, apprenticeships […]
Workplace stress a low priority
Workplace stress is a low priority for many managers, despite costing the UK at least £3.7 billion a year.Research by HSA reveals that 64 per cent of healthcare decision makers within organisations have had to deal with one or more cases of employee stress. For companies with more than 501 employees, the percentage is 95 […]
HR Zone Members Newswire #160 – Bonus Schemes: Do They Drive Productivity?
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 160 18 July 2006 www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ ********************** Featured Sponsors *********************** Struggling to motivate your staff? http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/debenhams7a.html Using Online Assessments for Compliance – New white paper http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/questionmarka.htmlLearn how to work more effectively with – The Apprentice http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/learndirect1a.html Personnel – Know your employees http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/pyramid4a.html ****************************************************************Editor’s note ============= “A bonus scheme should […]
Bonus schemes: Do they drive performance? By Annie Hayes
Fat cats with the cream of the bonus crop may argue that financial carrots such as these drive performance but what about those on the minimum wage or in the rungs of middle management? Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor talked ‘bonuses’ with members to find out if they really do drive productivity. Do they work?If […]
HR Tip: Notice for senior staff
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: “What notice periods should we write into senior staff contracts?” A: That is entirely up to you and the employee to agree. There is no requirement for senior staff to be put on […]
How to: Craft the perfect employee opinion survey
In a recent Any Answers post Garry Newby asked for advice on compiling an employee attitude survey; Harvey Bennett explains in his bite-sized guide just how to get the right data. An Employee Opinion Survey is one of a range of survey/feedback tools in the organisation development locker. The others in the range include 360-degree […]
Sacked pregnant worker awarded £19k
A worker sacked when she was seven weeks pregnant has been awarded nearly £19,000 by a tribunal.The payout by Lanarkshire-based Premier Systems (Scotland) Ltd to former trainee sales administrator Karen Smith included £8,000 for injury to feelings.Ms Smith was dismissed the day after she told her employers about her pregnancy. She claimed she consequently suffered […]
New Sector Skills Agreement for Wales
Employers in six sectors of the Welsh economy have signed sector skills agreements (SSAs) bringing the total of SSAs in Wales to 11.The SSAs aim to ensure that education and training matches the needs of the workplace. The six sectors covered by the new SSAs are: Land-based industries Freight logistics Sport, active leisure and learning […]
Company of the week: Mills & Reeve
Annie Hayes spoke to Sandy Boyle, Mills & Reeve’s HR Director about why flex is best. *Benefits stats*Benefits offered: Pension – group stakeholder plan. Permanent health insurance. Life assurance. Private medical assurance. Holidays – 25 days plus an extra day at Christmas. Enhanced maternity/paternity leave. Company Doctor. Employee assistance scheme. Wedding leave. Moving leave. Residential […]
What’s the answer? Right to part time work
Kirsa Edwards gets legal guidance this week from Helen Badger, employment law expert at Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on the right to request flexible working. The question:Help, I think I may have messed up! We have an employee who has requested to work part […]
Unemployment at highest rate for six years
New government figures show that unemployment in May had risen to 5.4 per cent, its highest rate for six years.The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said unemployment rose by 90,000 during the three months to May to stand at 1.65 million. The claimant count – the number of people claiming unemployment benefit – rose by […]
Law lords make employers responsible for bullying
Five law lords have upheld a Court of Appeal decision that makes employers liable for bullying in the workplace.The landmark decision means that employees who are the victims of bullying can take legal action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. This means that they no longer have to prove that the bullying caused an […]
A Quarter of Managers Back Mandatory Human Capital Reporting
According to research from Investors in People, a quarter of all managers believe that reporting on human capital management (HCM) should be mandatory.The finding follows the Government’s decision last year to scrap the Operating and Financial Review, which would have encouraged companies publicly to report information about their employees.The survey, conducted by Investors in People […]
Opinion: The inspirational art of motivation management
There is a world of difference between the “administration of things” and the “management of people”. The management of people’s motivation is to make them more willing to behave in a way that supports the organisation. It is about the performance of the organisation; Stephen Walker of Motivation Matters offers his opinion. Good motivation management […]
Research Launched into Future Learning Patterns
Academics have proposed launching a long-term research project to discover how we will learn in the future.The proposal was made at Grand Challenges 2006, a conference held to consider how computing will evolve over the next 15 years.The learning for life challenge researchers want to find out how learning environments and opportunities will manifest in […]
DTI pays out over whistleblowing report
A long-running dispute between the DTI and the charity Public Concern at Work over whistleblowing legislation has ended with the DTI paying compensation of more than £130,000 for time-wasting.The dispute centres around a high court ruling that the public had a right to know about whistleblowing issues in claims that were brought under the Public […]
The great pensions debate: What’s the way forward? By Annie Hayes
The slow, lingering death of final salary pension schemes triggered by an ever-present pensions’ blackhole has concerned many workers and pundits alike; Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor talked to the experts about the way forward and HR’s role in the pensions mix. What’s the general state of pensions play in the UK?In October 2004, Adair […]
