Payroll Tip: Deductions from wages
Wage deductions are only lawful if required by statute, authorized in writing by the worker, or specified in their employment contract. Employers must ensure deduction policies comply with the Employment Rights Act 1996, including proper documentation and adherence to contractual terms.
Review: Coaching with Colleagues
This review examines “Coaching with Colleagues,” a rigorous guide by Erik de Haan and Yvonne Burger that bridges academic theory and practical coaching applications. The book explores various coaching methods, coach-coachee dynamics, and the importance of maintaining professional boundaries while facilitating meaningful learning conversations.
How Did I Get Here? Graham Alexander, Supercoach
Graham Alexander, a pioneering UK coaching expert, discusses his strategic approach to business coaching, the evolving role of HR as a business partner, and how organizations can unlock human potential through coaching and employee development initiatives.
Figuring things out: Culture – help or hindrance?
Organisational culture significantly influences business success, with poor culture cited as a key reason why mergers fail and change programmes struggle. Joe España explores how cultural misalignment—when employee behaviours contradict stated values—secretly undermines corporate strategy and restructuring efforts.
Editor’s Comment: The salvation of Investors in People
Investors in People, once branded a ‘useless quango,’ has undergone significant reforms to simplify its people management standard and increase appeal to businesses of all sizes. The 2004 revision reduced complexity through a streamlined three-step framework and greater emphasis on employee involvement and organizational culture.
News in Brief: The week in HR
Stay informed on this week’s key HR developments: age discrimination laws set to transform employment practices from October 2006, BBC’s HR chief faces scrutiny over £313,000 salary amid staff redundancies, and public sector absence rates soar due to workplace stress.
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Finding strength
An HR professional reflects on witnessing colleagues find inner strength during personal crises—from military deployments and tragic losses to natural disasters. These stories reveal how workplace support, compassion, and human connection help people endure their most difficult moments.
Colborn’s Corner: Mind your Ps and Qs
Quentin Colborn examines workplace conduct between men and women, exploring where professionalism ends and political correctness begins. He discusses common courtesies like opening doors and offering compliments, emphasizing that context, tone, and respect are key to appropriate workplace interactions.
What’s the answer? Night shift working
Employers must provide night shift workers with free health assessments under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Failing to comply can result in unlimited fines, personal injury claims, and disability discrimination claims with no maximum compensation limits.
Opinion: The retirement brain drain
As baby boomers retire, many companies lack formal processes to transfer knowledge from departing employees, risking significant brain drain. Over 40% of organizations have no structured approach to capturing the expertise of retiring workers, despite substantial investments in their training and development.
How to: Win the war for talent
Companies wasted £12 billion on poor recruitment last year while unfilled vacancies climbed 6.2%. Attract top talent by using specialist recruiters, widening candidate searches, verifying CVs, and offering flexible working arrangements tailored to employee preferences.
How to: Measure the value of HR
HR measurement focuses on assessing business performance outcomes rather than internal HR metrics. By connecting HR policies to employee performance and departmental results, organizations can demonstrate how human resource management directly impacts business success.
How to: Facilitate a live e-learning session
Learn how to plan and deliver effective live e-learning sessions with practical guidelines covering design, scheduling, agenda planning, and delivery tips. This guide helps both novice and experienced facilitators ensure successful synchronous learning experiences through careful preparation and time management.
How to: Choose the right online collaborative learning tool
Learn the difference between pre-packaged online courses and collaborative learning tools, which enable real-time group interaction without requiring learners to be in the same physical location. This guide explains key terminology and helps you choose the right platform for interactive, flexible online learning.
How to: Avoid presentation and training disasters when using technology
Learn four essential steps to prevent technology failures during presentations: thorough preparation and rehearsal, creating detailed equipment checklists, developing backup plans for critical files and content, and arriving early to test all venue equipment. These strategies help trainers manage common tech disasters.
Applicant tracking software the US way
Applicant tracking systems are used by 90% of Fortune 250 companies in the US compared to just 10% of FTSE 250 firms in the UK. Despite growing online job applications, many UK companies still manually process CVs and lack recruitment cost tracking, missing efficiency gains and professional reputation benefits.
How to: Take control of absence
Chronic absence significantly impacts productivity and costs businesses billions annually. Implementing a positive workplace culture, clear absence policies, health promotion, flexible working options, and monitoring systems can effectively reduce absenteeism while supporting employee wellbeing.
How to: Give and receive employment references
Employment references are crucial for verifying candidate credentials and preventing hiring mistakes, as 71% of businesses report encountering CV fraud. This guide explains how to obtain meaningful references through written authorization, rapport-building with former employers, and asking specific, behavior-focused questions while maintaining confidentiality and legal protections.
HR Tip: Failure to attend a disciplinary hearing
When an employee fails to attend a disciplinary hearing, employers should document attempts to reschedule via formal written communication to their last known address. If the employee continues to miss meetings without valid reason, employers can proceed with the hearing in their absence and potentially dismiss for gross misconduct.
Pedalling towards healthier employee benefits
The Government’s Green Travel Plan includes a tax-efficient bike benefit allowing employers to provide bicycles to employees. This initiative offers significant health benefits, reduces workplace absenteeism, and cuts carbon emissions while enabling employees to purchase bikes at up to 50% discount through salary sacrifice schemes.
