Colborn’s Corner: Benefits – your flexible friend?
Flexible benefits allow employees to customize their compensation packages to match their lifestyle, but employers must weigh potential benefits like improved retention against ethical concerns. Issues arise when workers trade essential protections—such as life cover for golf memberships—raising questions about employer responsibility and work-life balance standards.
Rewarding innovations: HRZone talks ‘Save to buy’ with HSA
HSA Group’s ‘save to buy’ scheme matches employee savings of 3-6% of net salary to help younger workers afford home deposits, addressing a key concern for staff under 40. The initiative has improved retention and talent acquisition across the healthcare provider’s five UK locations.
Legal focus: RSI a pain in the neck?
Employers recruiting someone with neck or shoulder problems must understand their legal obligations under disability discrimination law. RSI may qualify as a disability if it’s expected to last 12 months or more, requiring reasonable workplace adjustments regardless of the candidate’s improvement prospects.
Review: The Art of Intrusion
The Art of Intrusion reveals real hacking exploits and security vulnerabilities through stories by former hacker Kevin Mitnick. The book highlights how social engineering and weak passwords pose major security risks, offering insights into protecting systems from determined intruders.
Member wire #115 – CareerZONE launch; member of the month
HR Zone launches CareerZONE, a new job board powered by Changeboard offering HR roles from generalist to specialist positions. This issue also covers pensions simplification, welcomes new member organizations, and highlights childcare vouchers as a tax-efficient benefit for employers and working parents.
HR Tip: Immigrant workers
Employers must verify that all workers have the legal right to work in the UK by checking appropriate documentation. Failure to do so can result in fines of £5,000 for employing workers without authorization, and employment must be terminated immediately if sufficient proof cannot be provided.
CSR and beyond: Ashes fever hits a nerve
England’s emergence as an Ashes contender demonstrates cricket’s potential as a model for workplace conduct. The sport’s emphasis on mutual respect, adherence to rules, and genuine enjoyment contrasts sharply with soccer’s culture of abuse and disrespect, offering valuable lessons for corporate responsibility and ethical business practices.
Opinion: Realising potential
Developing talent through structured competency frameworks is critical for UK organizations facing skills shortages. By identifying and nurturing high-potential employees, companies can improve business performance, retain top talent, and maintain competitive advantage in today’s manufacturing industry.
The Couch?! It ‘s a jungle out there!
Discover your office animal personality in this workplace quiz. Are you a gossipy Lemur, a laid-back Koala, a seasoned Elephant, or a solitary Hyena? Find out which animal pack best represents your work style and characteristics.
Briefing: Dressed to impress?
As workplaces adopt more casual dress codes, employers face growing legal challenges around discrimination. Dress and appearance policies can clash with religious beliefs, racial origin, or sex, potentially exposing companies to tribunal claims unless carefully justified for legitimate business reasons like health and safety.
News in Brief: The week in HR – Rooster, Workhorse, Sheepdog or Cat?
A CIPD study reveals 60% of UK employers deliberately exclude people with criminal records, long-term sickness, or homelessness from recruitment, despite government efforts to move core jobless populations into work. Research also shows formal management qualifications don’t guarantee effective management skills in the UK compared to other European countries.
Review: The Art and Practice of Leadership Coaching
This landmark resource compiles insights from 50 top executive coaches, including Ken Blanchard and Frances Hesselbein, revealing core philosophies, best practices, and proven strategies for effective leadership coaching. The book covers five key areas—behavioral coaching, career development, leadership development, organizational change, and strategy coaching—and includes practical tools like assessments and checklists for maximizing coaching impact.
Editor’s Comment: The bitter pill – trading across borders
The UK’s NHS relies heavily on migrant medical staff to fill skilled positions, while domestic training appears insufficient despite increased enrollment numbers. This cross-border recruitment trend raises questions about healthcare worker shortages in developing nations and the sustainability of Britain’s healthcare workforce strategy.
What’s the answer? Suspension on full pay
Employers must provide suspended employees with a clear explanation of the grounds for suspension and investigation reasons. Suspending an employee without disclosure is likely considered unreasonable conduct and could lead to unfair dismissal claims. Employees can file a formal grievance if they don’t understand the suspension’s reasoning.
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Driving me crazy
HR practitioner Sue Kingston addresses workplace challenges including managing a chief executive’s unrealistic on-call demands against Working Time Regulations, and handling a disciplinary case involving suspected workplace alcohol abuse with proper evidence documentation.
Top tips: Rewards and accolades that work
Effective rewards schemes must align with your company culture and employee needs. Key strategies include financial incentives like pensions and bonuses, work-life balance benefits such as flexible working, professional development opportunities, and health perks like subsidized gym memberships to attract and retain top talent.
Figuring things out: Employee engagement – fad or JGMP?
Employee engagement has emerged as a major corporate priority, with research showing that engaged employees are significantly less likely to leave and contribute more to business performance. However, the question remains whether this movement represents genuine best practice or simply repackaged fundamental management principles with trendy terminology.
Payroll Tip: Medical check-ups and eyesight tests
Medical check-ups provided by employers are generally not taxable benefits and require no P11D reporting. Eyesight tests and work-related glasses under Health and Safety regulations are also tax-exempt, though frames and lenses for general use may be reportable depending on cost.
Getting it right: Risk assessments for new and expectant mums
Employers must conduct specific risk assessments for pregnant and breastfeeding employees under health and safety regulations, or face potential sex discrimination claims. These assessments should identify hazards like manual handling, night work, and chemical exposure, then implement controls or adjust working conditions to protect new and expectant mothers.
Case Studies: E-hiring in a tight labour market
Denplan and T-Mobile share how they successfully adopted e-recruitment strategies to address talent shortages in a tight labour market. These case studies demonstrate how online recruitment platforms like Monster deliver measurable returns on investment for employers competing for scarce skilled workers.
