Hard(y) Law Talk: Parental rights at work – whatever next?
Alongside, fire exits and caution signs, required under health and safety law, every workplace should display a new sign: ‘Danger: parents at work!’ given the controversy that so-called family-friendly policies are still yielding. Parental rights:To clarify, the rights which parents have include: Maternity leave and pay: 26 weeks paid and 26 weeks unpaid, additional maternity […]
SOSR dismissal: A managerial prerogative?
Alison Wallace, head of employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson solicitors looks at recent case law which sheds some light on the grey area of dismissal for ‘some other substantial’ reason. Section 98 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires an employer to prove the reason for dismissal being either proscribed reasons or for “some […]
Beating the clock: Tackling lateness
HR Zone member, Nik Kellingley, workforce development project manager at the National Day Nurseries Association responds to an Any Answers posting by Martyn McShane on how to tackle persistent lateness in a tele-research outfit. ”I want to cure an increase in lateness in my team. More and more colleagues are coming in late to work […]
Case Study: Change management – the blended approach
In September 2004 ministerial approval was granted to establish Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust, a new Surrey-wide Mental Health & Learning Disability Trust. Made up from the amalgamation of three existing NHS Trusts, over three counties and 200 sites, the change over is a mammoth task. The Board has taken a blended approach to […]
HR Zone Members Newswire #121 Guidance on sick pay, workplace relationships and gross misconduct
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 121 18 October 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. Sick pay rules 2. Workplace relationships 3. The Couch?! Colleagues from Hell 4. Any Answers: Gross misconduct, employer references 5. Welcome new members SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** Editor’s […]
CSR and beyond: Volunteering is good news for HR Directors
Opportunities to help out in the community are becoming as big a pull for candidates as salary and flashy benefits; Leo Martin explains the allure of helping out in the local environment. Developing people, recruiting the best new staff and keeping staff turnover low has been a vital part of business success for years. Personal […]
Opinion: Simulation puts training in context
Competitive pressure often dictates that the finance industry needs to bring new products and services to market as quickly as possible, with training of telemarketing agents or branch staff an essential part of the picture. But training requirements can also be a bottleneck, with fully developed systems ready to use but understandably held over until […]
Payroll Tip: Entitlement to benefits during maternity/adoption leave
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 are the cash and non-cash benefits entitlements during maternity/adoption leave? A: The first important point to make is that employees remain employees for the full period of their ordinary and additional maternity […]
Employment law: Case round-up
Alison Wallace, head of employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson solicitors rounds-up the latest employment case law and reports on the annual report by the Tribunal Service showing a significant decrease in the number of applications for the year 2004/05. 1. Religious discriminationCopsey v WWB Devon Clays Limited EWCA/Civ/2005/932The Court of Appeal has ruled that […]
Alcohol and drugs at work: The Kate Moss issue
Recent allegations that super model Kate Moss has more than dabbled in drugs together with the introduction of a new alcohol licensing system next month has highlighted some of the pitfalls of managing drugs and alcohol in the workplace; Amanda Hope an associate in the employment team at Norton Rose explains the issues. It has […]
Extracts of a Life Coach: Trouble with ‘de math’
This week, Emma Ranson Bellamy looks at negative attitudes and reflects on her own woes with maths and the problems that number crunching had to her self-belief. Last week we talked about how values are the essential building blocks for a value based life. This week I am looking at our belief system. If our […]
Indirect sex discrimination: A clouded view?
A 6ft 10 inch tall graduate recently lost a sex discrimination claim against National Traffic Services, who had first offered him a job and then withdrew it on safety grounds because of his height; Paul Lambdin, Partner in employment at Stevens & Bolton LLP looks at the thorny issue of indirect sex discrimination. The applicant […]
Review: Learning paths
Title: Learning paths: Increase profits by reducing the time it takes employees to get up-to-speedAuthor: Steve Rosenbaum, Jim WilliamsISBN: 0-7879-7444-7Publisher: PfeifferPrice: £27.95Reviewer: Tanya CowinLearning paths is an easy to read book full of practical tips and templates (provided on CD) divided into three sections: The learning path methodology Doing the right training Do the training […]
The Couch?! Colleagues from Hell
With the summer well and truly over and the dark nights closing in on us the Couch?! team is feeling a bit grumpy and irritable. This inspired us to have a right good old rant about the things that colleagues do that annoy us. So don’t just sit there, let it all out purge yourself […]
What’s the answer? Sick pay rules
This week Nadia Hoosen, senior solicitor at Clarkslegal LLP and Helen Badger, an employment law expert at Browne Jacobson present their ideas on how to manage the communication of sick pay rules. The question:Is it enough for me to place a copy of the document or booklet that contains the information regarding Company Sick Pay […]
HR Zone Briefing #267 – Lifting the lid on cowboy recruiters
================================================================ HR Briefing Issue 267 13 October 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. HR Practitioner’s Diary: A new chapter 2. Extracts of a Life Coach: Reconciling tensions 3. How to: Hang on to star performers 4. Bad habits: Time to go ‘smoking’ cold-turkey? 5. HDIGH? Jo Bond, RightCoutts […]
Gender equality: Harmony or chaos?
Women now make up nearly half of the UK’s workforce. It is therefore of no surprise that over the last half century there has been considerable developments in equal opportunities legislation but are bosses finally getting to grips with compliance? Employees are already protected against discrimination on the grounds of sex by the Sex Discrimination […]
Feature: The perfect balance
With so many options for blending different forms of learning to provide a tailored package, Mike Ditchburn of Bourne Training offers some advice on getting the balance right. Blended learning has been around forever – what’s new is the enhanced opportunities for its implementation. It involves the conscious sequenced integration of different elements, using appropriate […]
How to: Hang on to star performers
Neil Gouldson, head of employment at national law firm Rowe Cohen, takes a look at what managers can do to retain their key players in an increasingly volatile job market. It seems to be getting easier and easier to get a new job these days. Adverts on television, radio, bus shelters and magazines increasingly command […]
Managing in adversity: Preparing for a crisis
Terrorist atrocities like the London bombings and natural disasters on the scale of the Tsunami are sadly part and parcel of the modern world we live in; read on to find out how to plan for the worst. 1) PlanningDisasters do happen, be they terrorist attacks, transport accidents, natural calamities, or fire, explosions and the […]
