Key skills qualifications rise
The number of people getting Key Skills qualifications rose by nearly a quarter last year.Almost 332,000 certificates were awarded – two thirds of them to 16 to 18-year-olds – up 23% on the previous year.In the four years since Key Skills qualifications began, 940,000 have been awarded to 572,000 learners. Some 108,000 people have all […]
Tempers fly as BA loses part-time working case
First Officer Jessica Starmer has won her case against British Airways (BA) for their refusal to allow her to work 50% part time.Starmer, wanted to slash her hours so that she could look after her one year old daughter, Beth.The airline claim the refusal was on the grounds of safety.BA argued that pilots should have […]
Bosses police e-mail activity
A new survey shows that UK businesses are clamping down on the use of personal e-mail.Nearly two thirds of organisations, surveyed by FAST Corporate Services say they have restricted the use of private e-mail accounts, such as Yahoo! and Hotmail.Other findings include: 46% of organisations have banned staff access to personal email accounts completely 12% […]
Board members need more vetting
Organisations should review their criteria for recruiting and appraising Board directors.This was the message delivered at a conference this week at Roffey Park on the dynamics and effectiveness of British Boardrooms.“Some organisations put more effort into recruiting graduates than Board members,” said John Gilkes, Chief Executive of Roffey Park, who chaired the event. “The challenge […]
Win a luxury manicure – competition closes today
It’s a last chance saloon for those looking to win a luxury manicure treatment at The Spa, Chancery Court, London.All you need to do is share your most horrific beauty DIY disaster and you’ll be entered into our prize draw, remember to include your name and email address.You’ve got to be ‘in it to win […]
Editor’s Comment: Can workplaces survive without leaders?
It doesn’t take much scratching around the history of mankind to find that leadership and dominance is a biological universal among all social mammals; Editor’s Comment looks at why we can’t escape from the ‘I lead you follow’ model. According to Nigel Nicholson of Managing the Human Animal leadership in the animal kingdom can be […]
Flexible working tops pay in ‘wants’ list
Work-life balance comes second in importance only to pay for British staff, with 70% wanting their employers to offer flexible working times.The National Employee Opinion Survey found that 46% of British employees find their workplace stressful, while a quarter of the 1,000 respondents believe that work is affecting their health. Nearly a third – 31% […]
Information and Consultation – Jaw, Jaw not War, War
Sarah Smith of Bevans solicitors discusses the new Information and Consultation Regulations that came into force in March. If you are an owner, manager or HR manager of a business with more than 150 employees then March was an important month for you and not because it meant that you had a four day bank […]
Skills shortages bite as jobs pick up
The skills gap is widening as the job market recovers, according to the latest survey from the Recruitment Confidence Index(RCI).The RCI tracks recruitment intentions among UK businesses and is measured as an index where values over 100 imply an increase in recruitment activity. The spring index has risen to 135 from 129 in the last […]
Businesses struggle to kick the smoking habit
As many as 300 people a year in the UK die of lung cancer from passive smoking but despite the statistics businesses are still finding it hard to take the final steps to a blanket-ban in their workplaces.Official statistics from ASH tell us that about 12 million adults in the UK smoke cigarettes. The habit […]
HR Zone Briefing #242 – Traits for HR success …
================================================================ HR Briefing Issue 242 21 April 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. How ‘family-friendly’ are the parties? 2. The ‘how to’ of e-recruitment 3. HR Tip: Expert guidance on ‘reference’ giving 4. Top tips for developing leadership skills 5. Any Answers: ethical behaviour, job opportunities, email policing […]
Colborn’s Corner: Is there a place for ethics in HR?
While going through the fortnightly process of musing over the next topic to address in Colborn’s Corner I couldn’t help but start to think about the rapidly decaying position at MG Rover and the HR issues that flow from it. Those of us who have been involved with site closures and sudden, catastrophic, employment changes […]
HR prepares to party
HR and PR departments are splashing out on corporate events designed to boost staff motivation and lift morale levels.Findings collated at the recent RSVP 2005 show, an event dedicated to parties claim that companies are now spending an estimated £2.5 million a year on corporate events and parties.Tim Etchells, MD of Single Market Events – […]
Working time opt-out is scrapped
By 2010 employers will no longer be able to ask staff to agree to working longer than 48 hours a week.The Employment Committee of the European Parliament has voted to scrap the individual opt-out in the Working Time Directive.Bosses’ group, the CBI were very ‘disappointed’ by the decision claiming that the Committee had failed to […]
Verifile: CV Verification and Background Screening Service
Screening the CVs of potential employees can be a time consuming and expensive process which has just become a lot quicker, easier and cost effective! Verifile, the UK's leading provider of CV Verification & Background Screening services, and an Umbrella Body under the Criminal Records Bureau, enables you make the most informed recruitment decisions, by: […]
Top tips for developing leadership skills
A lack of good leaders is hampering UK Plc’s productivity; just last week HRZone reported on findings from professional body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development who said that the problem is impacting on efficiency and staff morale.In response to the growing issue, JCI UK, part of the global leadership organisation, Junior Chamber International […]
Tardiness is greatest bug-bear
Employee lateness is a serious cause of irritation for 87% of employers but despite the findings few are prepared to introduce disciplinary and monitoring measures to tackle it.Only 30% of bosses monitor lateness while a mere 29% have plans in place to start tracking punctuality.Of the 1751 employees quizzed, 17% admitted to being late at […]
The ‘how to’ of e-recruitment
Internet job boards are increasingly saturating the recruitment market so how can recruiters ensure that their vacancy receives sufficient billing in order to attract the right candidates? Angela Fagan, consultant at online recruitment specialist www.jobbroker.co.uk looks at how employers can make the most of their web recruitment efforts. There are a number of key factors […]
Re-training hopes realized for MG Rover workers
A package including training has been offered to MG Rover workers, following the collapse of the failed car manufacturer.Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt has announced a support package totalling more than £150 million, consisting of: up to £50 million for training for workers made redundant at MG Rover and suppliers (£25 […]
Retirement at 70 to ‘fatten’ pensions … the Tory plan
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary David Willetts has said that he doesn’t ‘mind fat cats as long as there are fat kittens as well.’Referring to pensions provisions for all, Willetts said there should be no upper limit on pension tax relief provided that all employees of a company pension scheme could join on similar terms.According […]
