Hard(y) Law Talk: Deregulation better than re-regulation?
European lawmakers have recently declared that the Working Time Directive opt-out should be abolished. Or was that restricted? Or, even weakened? Typical of all matters European another simple issue has been made subject to a morass of confusion and complexity. Since 1993, all HR practitioners EU-wide have been ensuring that they manage a 48 hour […]
How Did I Get Here? Sharon Cooper, HR Director EMEA
A stint in the army taught Sharon Cooper the valuable lesson that it’s not rank that earns respect; read her story and find out why Margaret Thatcher would be on her lunch ‘wish’ list. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?I am Director of Human Resources EMEA at IPC Information […]
The Couch?! Living the dream
Was HR professional on your list of ‘dream’ jobs when you were a child or did you actually want to be an astronaut or a nurse? This week the Couch?! finds out how you ended up in HR. A survey has revealed a big gap in what we thought we’d be when we grew up […]
Editor’s Comment: The new rules of engagement
If it’s cheap labour you’re after then look no further than www.jobdumping.de a German jobs website which trades in salary bids rather than skills and experience; Editor’s Comment looks at why we’ve become as transient as our customers loyalty. Reported in the Times, the website looks innocent enough at first glance; you look at the […]
London 2012 – The HR Olympic Challenge
The Olympic Games present a huge opportunity and challenge for the HR community; 34,000 permanent positions are expected to be created together with 15,000 jobs in the construction phase and this is only in Stratford. The decision of the IOC to award the 2012 Olympic Games to London was greeted with much euphoria in Trafalgar […]
What’s the answer? Holiday Pay and the WTD
This week Nicholas Snowden, Senior Solicitor at Clarkslegal LLP and Helen Badger, employment law expert, Browne Jacobson present their ideas on the rules governing holiday pay and the Working Time Directive. The question:“If a contract stipulates that accrued holiday pay is lost if someone is dismissed for gross misconduct, is this an illegal deduction from […]
Colborn’s Corner – Compensation culture or fair treatment?
Sometimes following the HR rule book is not always the right approach. Quentin Colborn explores the value of knowing when a pragmatic line is more appropriate. A recent posting on ‘Any Answers’ posed a situation in which a lady on maternity leave contacted her employer to make arrangements for her return to work only to […]
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Striking a balance
There’s more to work-life balance than simply minding children; this week Sue Kingston reflects on the importance of an understanding employer in a domestic emergency and finds herself mopping the brow of a hot date. W/C 18 JulyMy Saturday morning lie in was wonderful to a point, but then a spot of dentistry got in […]
Coaching: The rough guide
Jeremy Lazarus, Life and Business Coach and NLP Practitioner explodes the myths of executive coaching and finds out what we can learn from our friends across the pond. It is happening in America, and it will surely happen over here. Shareholders are expecting directors and senior managers to have business coaches. And why shouldn’t they? […]
People Due Diligence – The exception, not the rule?
A client recently described industry approaches to people due diligence as a bit like the prevalence of pre-nuptial contract agreements before two people get married. The idea has some merit, but hardly anyone does it unless they have already suffered the financial agonies of a bad divorce settlement. Even then, the capacity of individuals to […]
Opinion: Ringing up HR woes
On the move, busy, busy – the mobile phone has revolutionized the way we work but is texting in sick and changing last minute plans helping businesses to forge ahead? These days virtually everyone owns a mobile phone. Recent figures from the Mobile Operators Association report that well over 90% of adults own a mobile […]
HR Tip: New recruit fails to show
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: We recently made an offer of employment to a man who accepted in writing. However he failed to turn up for work on the agreed day and instead let us know indirectly that […]
Full range leadership development
John Fay MBE, Managing Director of SFL Ltd, looks at the evolution and measurement of leadership development. Many of us have read about, listened to and participated in the leadership development debate within the industry. It seems though that the key question of getting value from leadership development remains:“How do we successfully develop individuals with […]
How Did I Get Here? Lynne Griffin, Personnel Director, Northern Rock plc
Lynne Griffin, Personnel Director at mortgage lender, Northern Rock explains why her business is such a great place to work and reveals her thoughts on what the new skill set of HR is. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?Strategic in ensuring that the people strategy remains closely aligned to […]
Editor’s Comment: Feeling a little off colour?
Cramped and shabby workplaces have little potential to embody our motivation and enthusiasm; Editor’s Comment looks at why workers have said no to hotchpotch workspaces and seventies carpets. The saying, ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’ seems to have permeated traditional barriers. In fact it looks as though it has jumped over the wicker gate […]
News in Brief: The week in HR
Catch up on the week in HR with our at-a-glance news round up including HR’s top worry, management failure to switch off, why it’s no longer ‘grim’ up North and IT giant to shed HR jobs. W/C 18/07/05Absence tops HR worriesHR professionals have ranked absence management as their number one concern yet most don’t know […]
HR Practitioner’s Diary: CheckMate!
Making promises that can’t be met is not a good way to start a relationship with a new hire; this week Sue Kingston treads on eggshells to defuse the situation while getting clucky with a mystery man. W/C 11 July 2005What a busy week! I’m feeling exhausted and I’m ready for a serious Saturday morning […]
What’s the answer? Change from full-time to part-time
This week Helen Badger, employment law expert, Browne Jacobson and Nicholas Snowden, Senior Solicitor at Clarkslegal LLP present their ideas on how to manage a transition of contract from full-time to part-time. The question:Earlier this year one of our full-time employees made a request to work part time three full days a week. The employee […]
Mind the Gap: Beating the CV fraudsters
Dressed up credentials topped with a liberal smattering of sugar-coated qualifications are paying off for the 7.5 million who have confessed to telling more than a white lie or two when it comes to their CVs; Eyal Ben-Cohen founder of Verifile explains. The level of CV fraud ranges from inaccurate dates in an applicant’s employment […]
Health Quiz: Test yourself!
Most employers are aware that they must process workers’ personal information in a fair and proper way under the Data Protection Act 1998. But what about processing employees’ health information? Employment law expert Ian Lewis, a partner at national law firm Rowe Cohen, says ignorance of the law can lead to criminal charges. How much […]
