Budget 2005: At-a-glance
Gordon Brown side-stepped most of the controversial issues to concentrate on pre-Election giveaways and once again focused on the parental vote with some ‘early years’ investment. Here’s our “at-a-glance” summary of the Budget Report compiled in conjuction with sister sites TrainingZone and AccountingWeb. Click on the links below to jump down to specific measures in […]
Review: Managing Change Across Corporate Cultures
Title:Managing Change Across Corporate CulturesAuthors:Fons Trompenaars and Peter Prud’hommePublisher:CapstoneISBN:1-84112-578-4Price:£14.99Reviewed by:Sharon Cooper, HR Director EMEA, IPC Information Systems Trompenaars is one of the foremost writers in the field of cross-cultural management and his co-author in this book is Peter Prud’homme who has been published extensively on business culture. “Managing Change Across Corporate Cultures” is one of […]
WTC: Payment by employers to end next year
The Government has indicated that employers will not be responsible for paying working tax credit after 5 April 2006.The Treasury said in chapter 3 of the Budget Report: “Following consultation with representatives of employers and other interested parties, the Government will phase out the payment of Working Tax Credit via employer (PVE) between November 2005 […]
E-Learning strategy gathers pace
The government’s new e-learning strategy pledges to target socially-excluded groups, provide a personalised online learning space and e-portfolio for every learner and embed e-learning in work-based learning. Harnessing Technology: Transforming Learning and Children’s Services is the first joined-up approach to utilising technology across the education system, including schools, colleges, universities and adult and community learning […]
TUC court support for bank holiday bonus
Claire Ward, Labour MP for Watfordis will be presenting a 10 minute rule Bill to the Government arguing the case for a further bank holiday on Friday 18 March.The UK currently has eight days bank holiday.Watfordis will make the case for an additional day’s leave to be granted on the third Monday in October. The […]
The best company to work for
The Sunday Times’ have awarded their annual gong to the Nationwide Building Society.The organisation beat other household names including Asda, Mothercare and Cadbury Schweppes.The paper commented: ““Scruples come first for the staff of Nationwide. Respect for customers and each other are the bricks and mortar of this mutual building society. Creating a happy, motivated front […]
Brown’s plans to get claimants back to work
With a long-term target of getting 80% of the eligible population into work, Gordon Brown revealed new measures to get lone parents and those claiming incapacity benefit back in employment.To encourage lone parents to look for work, the government is piloting a £20-a-week Work Search Premium in eight areas across the country, available to single […]
PMD should spearhead election debate
People management and development should be at the forefront of the pre-election contest.The call comes from professional body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) who say that labour market realities have catapulted ‘people’ issues onto the political agenda.Ministers, senior civil servants and politicians of all parties were sent a Public Policy Agenda by […]
Brown touts employment record
Delivering his spring Budget, Chancellor Gordon Brown was proud to play the ‘employment record’ card in a sign that electioneering is well under-way.According to the Chancellor employment has risen by over two million since 1997 while unemployment has fallen to 4.7%.Timely labour market statistics out today support Brown’s claims.Figures show that the UK has the […]
Budget’s skills package
Chancellor Gordon Brown unveiled a range of measures aimed at boosting Britain’s skills.Brown said that in the face of global competition the key to Britain’s future prosperity would rely on making “the right decisions to be world leaders in science, enterprise and education.”He announced his support for the new Union Learning Academy and a further […]
Budget 2005: Speech highlights
12.32pm – Gordon stands up to deliver speech.We’re in the UK’s longest period of sustained growth. Long term prosperity is only secured if we make the right decisions.My Budget choice is to lock in stability and strike balance of tax cuts and investment. At all times putting families first.EconomyInflation has been less than 3% for […]
Prudent Chancellor turns ‘family friendly’ with CTC
Vowing to give ‘Every child the best possible chance in life’ Brown produced some sugar-coated offerings in the form of Child Tax Credits and Child Benefits.As announced in December’s Pre-Budget Report, from 6 April 2005, the child element of Child Tax Credit will be increased by £65 per year to £1,690 per year, in line […]
Personal allowances confirmed as child credits rise
In his Budget speech, Chancellor Gordon Brown confirmed the rates he indexed increases for personal income tax allowances announced in December’s Pre-Budget Report.The basic personal allowance will be £4,895 – a £150 increase to allow for inflation. The age-related personal allowances have been increased in line with earnings to £7,090 for those aged 65 to […]
Half a million employers will ‘do it online’
A “whopping” 500,000 employers have already registered to use the Inland Revenue’s online services for 2004/05, the Revenue has announced.Fourteen thousand agents and payroll bureaux have also registered for the service, which the Revenue claimed is simple, secure and convenient.It also claimed that “our new system means that this year we will be accepting more […]
Staff critical of managers’ skills
More than half of British workers think their manager does not have the skills required to do their job, according to a new survey.The poll of 200 workers found that: 25% said their managers needed to brush up on their communication skills 10% felt that their manager’s language skills could be improved. Nearly 20% felt […]
Leadership: Visionary, popular or sledgehammer?
Years of working with companies in a variety of industries has demonstrated to me that leaders come in three guises. All the various psychometrics examining leadership styles and behavioural preferences suggest that leaders should lead and be less like managers. However, this approach has always begged the question – whose doing the managing while everyone […]
CSR and beyond: What’s all the fuss about?
Leo Martin is a director and founder of GoodCorporation, the corporate responsibility standard and is the principal character in the BBC’s series, Good Company, Bad Company and author of the BBC Learning Book: From Principles to Profits; in this the first of a new series ‘CSR and beyond’ Martin dispels the myths and sets out […]
Member wire #90 – It pays to see Red
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 90 15 March 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. Editor’s Comment: The Vox Pop of Volunteerism 2. What does HR leadership offer you? 3. Colborn’s Corner: The 2005 Election 4. The Couch?! It pays to see Red 5. Any Answers: car allowances, […]
HR Tip: Excessive home-to-work travel
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 intends to move to a cottage in the country. It sounds all very nice but is 40 miles away from work. Do we have grounds for dismissing him? […]
Refugee and asylum seeker talent ignored
Britain’s skills gap prevails despite a wealth of highly qualified refugees and asylum seekers.The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) revealed the position on Monday.According to CARA the cost of getting a refugee doctor up to scratch and ready for practise in the UK is as little as £1000 compared to £250,000, the cost of […]
