How to: Give and receive employment references
‘Do I really know this person well enough to trust them with confidential information, company assets and above all my reputation?’ This is a question that all organisations should be asking themselves before they open their doors to new employees. The Guardian recently revealed that 71% of businesses have been faced with CV liars; a […]
HR Tip: Failure to attend a disciplinary hearing
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: One of our employees was given a letter summoning him to a formal disciplinary hearing but he has not turned up for work since. What should we do? A: Write to the […]
Pedalling towards healthier employee benefits
The Government’s Green Travel Plan was introduced in an effort to reduce car usage and promote healthier methods of travelling to work. In line with this initiative a tax efficient benefit has been introduced allowing employers to lend or hire bicycles and cycle safety equipment to employees without incurring any costs for tax or National […]
Jargon buster: Garden leave
Alison Wallace, head of employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson solicitors looks at the legal considerations of garden leave and whether it is indeed a ‘powerful weapon’ for bosses looking to outplay the competition. For many employees the thought of being paid to stay at home and out of the office during the summer months […]
Editor’s Comment: Silencing the Levi ‘luvvies’
Productivity is bubbling over in an open necked shirt and a pair of 501s; latest findings suggest that the traditional armoury of the office, the suit is hampering our creative juices. Just as the handy blackberry has crept into the realms of the ordinary and acceptable so has ‘dress down’ day. The tradition of offices […]
News in Brief: The week in HR
To say it has been quite a week in news is an understatement, the joy and jubilations of an Olympic win, the G8 Summit and the terror and outrage of the Capital under siege by terrorist attacks; we bring you up to date on the latest HR news and the impact on your organisation. W/C […]
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Desert to Oasis
Lady luck is on Sue’s side this week, see how she got on with an eye-opening review process, a brewing contract and an oasis of single men. W/C 27 June 2005Review – the ‘main’ manMy client has some 33 staff and have been preparing to conduct a review process.The managers seemed quite keen to use […]
What’s the answer? Dangerous sports & employment
This week Nicholas Snowden, Senior Solicitor at Clarkslegal LLP and Andrew Smith, Employee Benefits Consultant, Towry Law present their ideas on how to handle employees that like to dabble in dangerous sports. The question:We have an employee who takes part in rally racing as a hobby. He injured his back last weekend whilst taking part […]
And the winner is …
Sharon Cooper, Director of Human Resources EMEA, IPC Information Systems is the lucky winner of the Open Golf Championship competition. Of her win, that will include accommodation in Edinburgh on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July, full corporate hospitality at the event and of course the chance to watch the masters in full swing she […]
Stone speaks: What drives women in the workplace?
On average, a woman will job hop seven times during the course of her career and while salary plays a part in the decision making process, 25% of the evaluation is based on factors other than money. Women are increasingly driven by diverse rewards, professional challenges, quality of life, time for outside work interests and […]
Feature: The three elements of successful team development
With today’s flatter management structures and growth in project-driven teams, team building and development have become more important. Joe España Managing Director, Performance Equations Ltd looks at how effective team development involves a process of getting the balance right between individual, unit and the wider group. In an increasingly complex world, where organisational structures are […]
Opinion: Goals that hit target
Neil McCracken of Motiva Corporate Development argues that when it comes to setting inspiring team goals, the trick lies close to home. A critical aspect of the manager’s role is to set goals in such a manner that they inspire and engage others, increase performance and provide a motivation for individuals to excel. In professional […]
HR Tip: Notice definitions
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 is a month’s notice? If I give someone a month’s notice on 15 April does it expire on 15 May, or four weeks later, or on 31 May? HR Tip: That […]
Review: Vision, Leadership and the Creation of Management Consulting
Title: Vision, Leadership and the Creation of Management Consulting – McKinsey’s Marvin BowerAuthor: Elizabeth Haas EdersheimPublisher: John Wiley and Sons IncISBN: 0-471-65285-7Price: £19.99Reviewer: Jo Lamb-WhiteValues, integrity and respect are three words, which are continually used to describe Marvin Bower in this authorised biography. The author first met this ‘role model of management’ idolised by many […]
CSR and beyond: Is it a myth?
Leo Martin balances the books between a rising tide of CSR and high-profile campaigns including Tesco’s ‘computers for schools’ with falling interest and support for charitable organisations. Research conducted by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) shows a gap in public perceptions about charity and non-governmental organisations funding and the actual figures. Just 4% […]
Member wire #106 – Member of the month; HR Diary – dress codes
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 106 5 July 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. Member of the month 2. HR Practitioner’s Diary: Tribunal teasers 3. Payroll Tip: Credit cards 4. News In Brief: The week in HR 5. Any Answers: restrictive covenants, redundancy alternatives SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** […]
The Couch?! Gets into the festival spirit
Festival season is well and truly underway and inspired by a recent outing to Glastonbury, (or mudstock as we now refer to it) this week The Couch?! gets into the spirit of the summer by addressing the issues surrounding festivals. Are you still recovering from a recent festival visit? How was it for you? Or […]
How Did I Get Here? Lisa Hodges, Human Resources Department Supervisor
Lisa Hodges describes her worst training moment when a delegate burst into tears at the description of a medical condition. Find out what she learnt from this delicate situation. How did you come to work in training?I originally wanted to become a primary school teacher, so I went to university with the intention of training […]
Strategy: Bridging the skills gap
A lack of basic skills can cost a medium-sized business over £150,000 a year while a failure to invest in staff skills results in higher operating costs, lost orders, poor customer service and a loss of business to competitors; on top of this and contrary to popular belief, staff turnover is much lower for companies […]
News In Brief: The week In HR – 27/06/05
See our at-a-glance round-up of all the latest HR news including pay deals back in the doldrums, Blair urged to make ‘poverty history’, why the carriage clock is losing favour and why working with a woman and living with a man is the best recipe for success. Blair urged to make ‘poverty history’Ahead of next […]
