Strasbourg votes to end working time opt-out
The European Parliament voted to end the individual opt-out from the EU’s 48-hour maximum working week, with 345 MEPs voting in favor. The decision also counts on-call time as working hours. The European Council will make the final decision in June.
Employee satisfaction versus increased profitability: do you have to choose?
Employee satisfaction and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive in call centres. Intelligent workforce management software that balances staffing requirements with employee scheduling preferences can reduce turnover, improve retention, and boost productivity while maintaining service quality.
Member wire #98 – The top five HR issues
Member wire #98 explores top HR challenges including war for talent, HR faddism, performance management, age discrimination, and diversity initiatives. The newsletter highlights key issues affecting HR professionals across different sectors and invites readers to share their priority concerns.
CSR and beyond: Doing ‘good’ with HR
Corporate responsibility in HR starts with fair employment terms and clear disciplinary procedures consistently applied. Leading companies integrate responsible practices directly into HR operations rather than treating CSR as a separate function, with employee feedback revealing whether these policies are genuinely fair and well-understood.
Payroll Tip: Pay and jury service
When an employee serves on jury duty, employers can certify the net loss of earnings to the court, which then pays a juror allowance. Some employers continue full pay during jury service, while others allow the court allowance alone, though there’s no statutory requirement to pay during this period.
Opinion: The value of outplacement
Outplacement services play a vital role in talent management strategy, affecting employer reputation, creating boomerang talent pools, and supporting employee career transitions. Organizations should integrate career transition support into broader talent strategies rather than treating it as a standalone HR transaction.
How Did I Get Here? Dr Judith Ellis, Director of Workforce Development at Great Ormond Street
Dr Judith Ellis, Chief Nurse and Director of Workforce Development at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, shares how workplace bullying shaped her career and leadership philosophy in this candid interview about navigating NHS challenges and workforce development.
The Couch?! HR Nightmares
HR managers face daily workplace challenges from awkward conversations about employee hygiene to conducting investigations and navigating employment tribunals. This article explores the top ten HR nightmares that professionals in the field dread most, inviting readers to share their own frustrating experiences and amusing anecdotes.
Editor’s Comment: Sugar … I’m fired!
The BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’ concludes with Tim Campbell winning a £100,000 salary and mentorship from Sir Alan Sugar. The show’s competitive selection process offers insights into hiring practices, revealing how situational challenges expose candidates’ business acumen and team dynamics, though experts warn that rewarding political maneuvering may not always identify the best leaders.
Is the Royal Mail draw the right way to cut down on sickies?
Royal Mail’s attendance incentive scheme, which rewards staff with prizes like a Ford Focus car for good attendance records, faces legal risks including potential discrimination and detrimental treatment claims. Employment law experts warn that such schemes may unfairly penalize employees exercising legitimate rights to sick leave.
Colborn’s Corner: Internal communication – who told you about that?
Effective internal communication requires targeted, multi-channel approaches and genuine two-way feedback, not one-size-fits-all messages. Organizations often struggle because they prioritize broadcasting information over listening to employees and ensuring equitable access across all staff.
Feature: Beating the bullies
Workplace bullying in the UK has become increasingly prevalent, causing significant absenteeism and health issues. A behavioral psychotherapist examines the causes of bullying, its effects on employees, and practical strategies for addressing persistent workplace harassment through documentation and escalation.
Case Study: Assessment tools help Costa get the right blend
Costa reduced shop-floor staff turnover by nearly 20% using a custom personality questionnaire for recruitment. The UK coffee chain later introduced a separate assessment tool for store managers to measure personal qualities and development potential, helping ensure rapid expansion doesn’t compromise hiring quality.
Feature: Re-engineering the recruitment supply chain
Organizations apply rigorous standards to supply chains but overlook recruitment as a critical supplier, leading to costly hiring mistakes and high turnover. Outdated recruitment incentive models reward speed over candidate quality, necessitating a fundamental redesign of how employers, suppliers and recruiters collaborate to improve hiring outcomes.
Member wire #97 – Living to work or working to live?
Explore the debate on working until 70 as a solution to the pensions crisis, and discover why lifelong learning may offer an alternative path to financial security in retirement.
HR Tip: Employee handbooks
An employee handbook’s status in your employment contract depends on explicit documentation. To avoid confusion, clearly classify handbook sections as contractual or non-contractual, separating binding requirements from easily-amended organizational rules.
Opinion: Is training really the answer?
Training alone cannot solve all workforce performance issues. Organizations should focus on hiring candidates with essential skills already in place, rather than relying solely on training courses to address fundamental capability gaps.
Bosses expect to pay out for pensions
UK employers are preparing for mandatory pension contributions, with most expecting to contribute an average of 5% of payroll. A survey of 430 firms shows flexible benefits schemes have doubled to 10%, though fixed benefits remain the dominant option at over 60%.
Editor’s Comment: Living to work or working to live?
Britain faces a £57 billion annual pension shortfall due to longer lifespans and declining birth rates. Lifelong learning offers a potential solution by enabling older workers to continue contributing to the economy beyond traditional retirement age, while challenging age-related myths about learning capacity.
The Couch?! cooks in hells kitchen
The Couch?! team invites you to share your worst dinner party disasters, from forgotten ovens to hilarious cooking mishaps. Inspired by Hell’s Kitchen, they’ve compiled the top ten cooking shockers and want to hear your own stories of culinary chaos.
