Case Study: Equality and diversity – Educating the NHS
An equality and diversity staff development programme is helping one of the UK’s leading NHS Trusts to place increasing value on equality and inclusion, and to reap the rewards of a diverse workforce. The background:Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust is a busy and successful two-star Trust, which serves a population of around 350,000 in […]
Don’t mention the ‘s’ word …
Today, 2 November marks National Stress Awareness Day a problem that can cause havoc to health and productivity alike; Annie Lawler of Breathing Space Therapies provides her expert commentary on this thorny issue. I had a successful career in advertising for over 20 years so I like to think I know a thing or two […]
HR Tip: Written confirmation of disciplinary sanction
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: What exactly should we put into a confirmation letter after we have imposed a sanction on an employee following a formal disciplinary hearing? HR Tip: You should leave the employee in no […]
How Did I Get Here? Sue Rice, HR Director Accenture
Sue Rice reveals the secrets of her success and explains how Accenture uses HR practices to get ahead; read her story in this latest How Did I Get Here? 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?I’d see my role as a real mix. There is definitely a large strategic aspect, […]
Comment: On top form?
It’s not just sportsmen and women that suffer from a loss of form but also ordinary workers; Nick Hood, senior London partner at Begbie Traynor the business rescue specialists explains why businesses cannot afford to ignore the problem associated with the peaks and troughs of performance levels. Despite recently being knocked out of the Carling […]
CIPD Conference round up
A round up of news from this year’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Conference in Harrogate. Leadership best taught at workBusiness schools teach the tools of management, but not the skills of leadership, delegates at the CIPD Conference in Harrogate were told.In a packed keynote address Charles Handy, who set up the London Business […]
Feature: Paternity leave rights will hit small businesses
Proposals to increase paid and unpaid paternity leave will be bad news for small businesses, say employers’ groups. The Federation of Small Businesses and Forum of Private Business are warning that small companies will find it particularly difficult to replace skilled male workers and will struggle with administering statutory paternity pay. The extension of paternity […]
Stress busting tips: The top ten
Pulling your hair out and guzzling another headache bill won’t tackle the longer-term issues associated with stress a problem that may be more readily felt at this time of year as the summer officially closes and the conference season gears up putting further pressures on HR professionals. And managing the problem can be an even […]
News in Brief: The things HR should know but don’t
Catch up on the week in HR including the latest news from the CIPD’s annual exhibition and conference and HR revelations: what professionals should know but don’t. W/C 24/10/05The things HR should know but don’tOver a third of HR/payroll professionals do not know the number of sick days their staff take, how long they stay […]
The Couch?! team present their top 10 Harrogate give-aways
Augustus Gloop would have been beside himself for at every turn sugary treats were to be found; but serious calories aside there were more tempting freebies to be found at this year’s CIPD bash then those of the teeth-rotting variety. Last year’s CIPD exhibition highlights included a set of juggling balls, a pair of day-glo […]
Review: The fusion manager
Title: The fusion manager Author: Robert Heller Publisher: Profile Books LtdISBN: 1861976461 Price: £14.99 Reviewer: Kay Maddox Fusion Management is, apparently, similar to fusion cooking. It combines the best of the West and East. Contextualising this in management speak it appears to be the certainty in the West (through scientific principles and the like) and […]
Opinion: Strategy and the fat smoker – Part II
David Maister, former Harvard business professor and managment thinker closes the second part in this two-part series with a look at how to get people to change before the heart attack comes. 1. It’s about a permanent change in lifestyleA major source of failure in implementing sensible business strategies is that we underestimate how much […]
Figuring things out: Useless management
<img src="/files/siftmedia-photolib/photo_joe.jpg" Why it is that UK management is seemingly useless at managing change effectively? Despite the increasing amount, speed and nature of change recent research suggests that leaders and managers are a primary cause of stress, conflict and harassment at work. With as many as a third of employees reporting that they are often […]
What’s the answer? Dyslexia: Verifying the condition
This week Nicholas Snowden, senior solicitor at Clarkslegal LLP and Stephanie Wooton, employment law expert at Browne Jacobson present their ideas on ways to authenticate dyslexia. The question:In an assessment centre situation what policy do people adopt when confronted with candidates who claim to be dyslexic: e.g. do they insist on evidence (Educational Psychologist’s report […]
Counting house: Deduction from wages
Mike Huss, senior employment law specialist at Peninsula looks at deductions from wages and explains the circumstances in which an employer has the authorisation to deduct money from hard earned salary. So what does ‘pay’ mean? The word used in the main legislation covering this subject (Employment Rights Act 1996) is ‘wages’, but this is […]
Payroll focus: The end for home-working?
Thousands of workers could be left out of pocket under revised rules for tax relief for unreimbursed homeworking expenses. The main changes are to disallow claims for council tax and rent, and allow a £2 per week deduction where it is not possible to calculate the additional costs incurred. The article appears in HMRC Tax […]
Opinion: Strategy and the fat smoker Part I
Much of what professional firms do in the name of strategic planning is a complete waste of time, no more effective than individuals making New Year’s resolutions. The reasons are the same in both situations. Personally and professionally, we already know what we should do: lose weight, give up smoking, exercise more. In business, strategic […]
HR outsourcing: the shape of things to come?
Many organisations faced with endless efficiency drives and demands for reduced overheads and increased profitability turn to outsourcing; so is it a one-size fits all solution? Payroll in particular is one of the most outsourced business processes, with a quarter of FTSE 100 firms and 30 per cent of all UK businesses now doing it, […]
Age discrimination: Will legislation help?
According to a report released by the University of Kent, 29% of workers claim they have been subjected to some form of age discrimination during their working lives, a figure that was far greater than the occurrence of any type of other discrimination including that based upon sex; so will legislation stamp out the problem? […]
HR Tip: The burden of proof in workplace discipline
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Can we dismiss an employee if we do not have absolute proof of his guilt? HR Tip: You can but must take great care. In a criminal court the judge or jury […]
