Court confirms managers can be liable in discrimination cases
A decision by the Court of Appeal confirms that managers held to be guilty of discrimination can be fined for their own acts plus those of other employees.It is rare for a manager to be fined personally as usually a company is held vicariously liable for its employees’ acts. In this case (Miles v Gilbank) […]
Death outside working hours – company fined £30k
In what is believed to be the first case of its kind a company has been fined £30,000 after one of its workers was killed in a car accident outside working hours.The company involved, The Produce Connection, admitted breaching health and safety legislation by failing to ensure the health of workers and the public. As […]
Out-of-date IT hinders HR
A new study reveals that 55 per cent of HR managers think their function needs more sophisticated technology systems and processes to support recruitment and development.In addition, less than one third (29 per cent) felt that they had sufficient systems in place to gain a clear picture of existing employee skills.The Gap Between IT and […]
Does psychometric testing work? By Sarah Fletcher
Sarah Fletcher looks at whether psychometric testing improves the efficiency and quality of the recruitment process and how to implement it within a company. The purpose of psychometricsThere has been a long history of debate over the validity of psychometric testing. Royal Mail has fuelled this by announcing that the 125,000 applications it receives each […]
Quarterly employment law round-up: April – June 2006
The outcome of employment tribunal cases can have a significant impact on the HR function. Guy Guinan, an employment partner at national law firm Halliwells, has highlighted some key cases from the last three months and their possible implications for employers. Alexander & Hatherley v Bridgen Enterprises 12 AprilThis case gives valuable guidance on the […]
Member’s tip: One minute silence
How can you organise periods of respectful silence in a call centre environment? Nik Kellingley says just don’t do it. My advice is not to do this at all, unless the silence is a national event (in which case your customers may understand not being able to access your service) just don’t do it – […]
HR Tip: When to issue contractual statements
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: “Exactly when should we issue written statements of terms and conditions of employment?” A: Every employee with one month of service is entitled to a written statement of terms and conditions of […]
Statutory procedures triple the work but lead to fewer dismissals
Many employers have seen a three-fold increase in the number of formal disciplinary and grievance cases since the introduction of a new statutory framework for workplace dispute resolution was introduced two years ago, a new study reveals.Research published in the current issue of IRS Employment Review suggests that reforms introduced by the government in October […]
Over 200,000 Royal Mail candidates to be assessed online
The Royal Mail has awarded what could be the largest ever online testing contract – to assess more than 200,000 applicants.Assessment specialist PSL has been asked to design two bespoke psychometric tests: a personality questionnaire and a ‘sorting simulation’ test, both of which will be delivered online via PSL’s test delivery engine. One or both […]
Briefing: Directors and salaries
There have been a number of queries on this topic in sister site AccountingWEB’s Any Answers forum. This article gathers them up in one place to form an FAQ on director’s remuneration. Do directors need to pay themselves a salary and if so, what about the national minimum wage?If there is no written employment contract […]
Ministers scrap sick pay changes
Plans to overturn sick pay regulations by requiring employers to provide benefits to staff from the first day of their illness are to be scrapped by the government, according to press reports. The ‘Financial Times’ said work and pensions minister John Hutton will announce that proposals to simplify sick pay rules will be dropped because […]
Recruitment of older workers sparks warning about new legislation
Organisations facing recruitment difficulties and attempting to get ready for new age discrimination legislation have been targeting older workers according to new research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).But the move has sparked a warning from employment law expert Croner that deliberately targeting older workers could trigger age discrimination claims when new […]
Business leaders need to update their skills
When it comes to providing training for the leaders in your organisation, the chances are communication skills is going to be top of the agenda – that’s according to research by the Ken Blanchard Companies consultancy.Of the 1,400 senior executives asked to give their opinion of the most critical skill a leader can possess when […]
Cumbria earmarks £15 million for equal pay claim
Cumbria County Council has increased the amount it has set aside to cover the cost of an equal pay claim to £15.3 million.The council originally set aside £8.7 million for the claims, which were brought on behalf of nearly 3,000 female employees by two unions – the GMB and Unison.Personnel Today quotes the deputy council […]
Bumps to babies
Businesslink has launched a new online interactive tool covering maternity in the workplace to help small businesses understand their obligations and employee entitlements. Research by the Equal Opportunities Commission indicates that half the respondents felt managers didn’t understand how to manage pregnancy in the workplace. Businesslink’s guide aims to help. Users are guided through a […]
Opinion: Don’t take recruitment measurement lightly
Unlike practically every other business discipline, recruitment all too often escapes stringent performance measurement, despite its potentially huge impact on corporate success. And with so much riding on each new employee, companies are risking throwing good money after bad by not finding a way to make sure their recruitment decisions are working for them; Norrie […]
HR Zone Briefing #300 – How To Get An HR Job You’ll Love
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Psychometrics spotlight: Testing times – the FIRO-BTM personality questionnaire
In the third of a new series putting the range of psychometric tests under the spotlight we look at the FIRO-BTM personality questionnaire developed by Will Schutz. The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations OrientationTM – Behaviour (FIRO-BTM) personality questionnaire was developed by Will Schutz, whose wish it was to provide an understanding of the fundamental differences between […]
Union in World Cup sickie row
Employers’ groups have attacked trade union Amicus for giving workers advice on how to take a “sickie” so they can watch World Cup matches.On its website, Amicus, the UK’s largest manufacturing union, has published advice entitled “World Cup fever – can you play away?” in which it provides tips on minimising the risk of punishment […]
Company of the week: KPMG
Diversity is the name of the benefits game for audit, tax and advisory service KPMG an employer of over 10,000 staff; Cheryl Curtis Benefits Manager for the firm talked to Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor about how to attract, retain and keep staff with some carefully crafted rewards. *Benefits stats*Benefits offered: Flexible benefits: part time […]
