Home workers cause security ‘headache’
Working from home is threatening businesses security, a cost that is estimated to be around £8.5 billion a year.This is the claim from IT security expert, Novell who say that home workers pose a new threat dubbed ‘security teleshirking.’Those that are ambivalent to security issues, four out of five according to the survey, are vulnerable […]
Survey reveals culture of ‘lookism’
A personal trainer could be as important to career development as any professional training, according to employment experts at law firm Eversheds.A survey, conducted by the Employment Law Alliance (the world’s largest network of employment lawyers), found a culture of discrimination against those deemed overweight, unattractive or unconventional in appearance. The survey, conducted in the […]
HR Tip: Providing basic details for references
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: When asked to provide a reference we only give the dates of employment and the title of the job or nature of the work. Is this alright? A: The essential criteria for […]
How ‘family-friendly’ are the parties?
Family-friendly policies are at the centre of the election battle; Alison Wallace, head of employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson looks at what the three main parties have to offer. The ConservativesWorking families: The Conservatives propose more flexible statutory maternity pay (SMP), giving mothers a choice of whether to receive SMP over nine months, or […]
Member wire #95 – Leadership the Ramsay way
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 95 19 April 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. Editor’s Comment: Leadership the Ramsay way 2. Opinion: Going East to plug the skills gap 3. Case Study: Investors in People Champion ClinPhone 4. Rover redundancies soured by ‘fat cat’ pay news5. Any […]
Free Graduate Recruitment for Selected Companies & Agencies
Due to the recent success of our previous promotional offer which saw hits on our website double and companies such as Shell and The Caudwell Group sign up to our services, Search4Grads has now decided to extend its exclusive promotional offer to selected Companies and Recruitment Agencies.For the chance to receive a full and free […]
UK pays out for top managers
Just lagging behind Switzerland, UK managers are the next highest paid in Europe.These are the latest findings from a Watson Wyatt report.While Swiss senior managers earn an average 200,524 euros, UK senior managers’ take home pay is just shy of that at 195,879 euros.The report authors predict that the biggest movements will be seen in […]
Rover redundancies soured by fat-cat ‘pay’ news
Thousands of workers face up to the reality of redundancy following the collapse of ailing car manufacturer MG Rover. Controversy over alleged accounting irregularities and a £400m, black hole has angered workers who will have to survive on statutory redundancy payouts.The initial findings of a Government-backed inquiry into the accounts at MG Rover may be […]
Racism ruins careers for black workers
Rampant workplace racism is preventing black workers from advancing in their careers.This is the claim from a new Trades Union Congress (TUC) report launched last week.According to the TUC, black workers consistently miss out on training opportunities.While 28% of black and minority ethnic workers (BME) are graduates, 20% are never offered training. This compares to […]
Case Study: Investors in People Champion ClinPhone
Since putting in place the Investors in People (IiP) Standard Clinphone Group has won an American Business Award, two Queen’s Awards for International Trade and Innovation, and was ranked 47th in the 2003 “Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For.” Read on to find out how and why it became an IiP Champion. The […]
Boom time for HR outsourcing
Most companies are satisfied with outsourcing and plan to outsource more in the next three years.These are the findings from HR consultant and outsourcing provider, Hewitt who say that HR outsourcing is on track to continue record growth in the United States.The most commonly outsourced HR functions include: outplacement services (91%) employee assistance programmes (89%) […]
Skills gap hits 12 year high
Skills shortages are at a 12-year peak, according to the Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Corporate. Over half (52%) of the companies who responded said they had faced sustained difficulty in recruiting skilled staff in the last year – the highest level since the survey began. Across the sectors, finding skilled employees is […]
Editor’s Comment: Leadership the ‘Ramsay’ way
A critic once accused chef hot-head, Gordon Ramsay of being capable of ‘bayoneting the wounded’ and it would be fair to say that television series including ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ have done much to reinforce this image but beyond the bravado you find a man passionate about food and simply striving for the best; Editor’s Comment finds […]
Leadership development is top skills challenge
Developing potential leaders, enhancing managerial and supervisory skills, and dealing with competitive pressures are at the top of the list of challenges faced by HR and training executives, according to the 2005 Business Issues Survey conducted by The Ken Blanchard Companies.Respondents were asked to define their organisation’s top management, employee development and business challenges from […]
Jobless count soars
Unemployment has risen by 4.8%, a rise of 29,000 people over the quarter while the claimant count has also soared by 11,000 to a total of 828,700 over the same period.Despite the gloomy news, however, official figures from the Office of National Statistics show a hike in the employment rate of 148,000 over the period.The […]
Liberal Democrats flag single tax-raising measure
The Liberal Democrats have declared that their priorities for the next parliament include “an end to the unfair Council Tax – because the amount you pay should be based on the amount you can afford.”Charles Kennedy said at the launch of the party’s manifesto: “We say no hidden taxes. We have only one tax raising […]
‘Under-management’ epidemic, at large
A shortage of good leaders is impacting on productivity levels and staff morale.These are the findings from professional body, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).According to their research, two-thirds of organisations are suffering from a shortage of effective leaders, a problem the CIPD has dubbed ‘the under-management epidemic’.Dr Carolyn Martin, RainmakerThinking Inc commented: […]
Opinion: Going East to plug the skills gap
Keith Robinson, Commercial Director for Totaljobs.com looks at how Britain can plug the skills gap using talent from Eastern European and assesses the impact this will have on the UK’s labour market.Tesco recently announced its recruitment plans to hire staff from Eastern Europe for its distribution centres and to drive its delivery vans. This comes […]
Rover workers petition PM; MGSR up for grabs
At least one part of the MG Rover group is looking like a desirable stand alone prospect investment buyer: MG Sport and Racing Limited (MGSR.) On Tuesday 12 April, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) partners Steven Pearson and Rob Hunt were appointed joint administrators of the standalone racing business, which employs 48 people at a separate site at […]
Labour pledges no increase in income tax rates
The Labour Party has launched its general election manifesto and pledged not to increase the basic or top rate of income tax.The party has promised to continue to make “targeted tax cuts for families” but there is no mention of national insurance contributions in the 112-page manifesto.The manifesto said at page 16: “Labour believes tax […]
