Women ‘better leaders’
Women are more likely to have the leadership characteristics essential for high performance in today’s workplace, a new study suggests.The research, from leadership consultants the Centre for High Performance Development (CHPD), suggests that while men believe they are more competent than women, the reverse is true. Chris Parry, CHPD chief executive, said: “Today’s fast-changing and […]
Women shatter ‘union’ glass ceiling
The proportion of women working in trade unions is now 29.3% compared to 29.4% of men, say official statistics from the Labour Force Survey.The findings were revealed at yesterday’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) Women’s Conference in Scarborough.The figures are further evidence of a narrowing gap down from the 3.7% figure reported in 1997. Today the […]
Lessons to be learned from UKeU failure
A skewed focus on technology over market analysis led to the failure of a scheme to offer UK university courses online, MPs have said. The e-University (UKeU) was scrapped last year, having attracted only 900 students – the initial target was 5,600 – at a cost of £50m. The Education and Skills Committee highly-critical report […]
DWP staff man the phones for Comic Relief
Fourteen Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) call centres will open their telephone lines on behalf of Comic Relief this coming Friday.An estimated 1,400 volunteers will be in place for the duration of the seven hour phone-in.Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service and the Disability and Carers service helplines will contribute their ‘out of office hours’ […]
Colborn’s Corner: The 2005 Election – What does it mean for HR?
Quentin Colborn, an independent HR consultant kick starts his new series – ‘Colborn’s Corner’ with a pundit’s view on what a 2005 General Election might mean for the HR function. Nobody knows for certain, but May 5 is being touted as the expected date for the next General Election. Should this concern HR professionals? Do […]
Review: An HR Guide to workplace Fraud
Title: An HR Guide to workplace FraudAuthor: Comer and StephensPublisher: Gower Publishing Limited ISBN: 0566085550Price: £85.00Reviewer: Jonathan SeniorThis is an intimidating and meaty looking volume with a rather austere looking grey and brown cover. However, appearances can be deceptive.It provides a useful guide for the busy manager to combat workplace fraud and deception. Covering such […]
HR languish in diversity ‘darkness’
Only 38% of HR professionals have been trained to deal with the implications of the Employment Equality Regulations 2003.The laws were introduced fourteen months ago and relate to sexual orientation and religion or belief.The survey conducted by Fuel, a provider of e-learning solutions does, however, show an improvement since the same sentiments were tested in […]
Bosses must help smokers quit
Less than half of UK plc offer support to staff to stop smoking.This is despite the fact that smoking in the workplace costs at least £340 million a year in productivity losses and around £70 million per year in expenses incurred through absenteeism.Official statistics from ASH tell us that about 12 million adults in the […]
Skills body vows to plug management deficit
The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has released a study which reveals a yawning gap in top management skills.The problem will be exacerbated by a predicted increase in demand for managers over the next few years according to the body.Certain sectors, such as computing services, could expect to see as much as an 80% rise […]
Case Study: Coaching at Kimberly-Clark
John Faulkes of Team Communications looks at the importance of evaluating coaching, using Kimberly-Clark as a case study and asks ‘what prevents managers adopting a coaching approach in so many organisations?’ Kimberly-Clark Europe Learning and Development Director Rick Woodward sometimes introduces external presentations saying: “If you throw it away, we make it!” This however under […]
Crisis case studies – how would you cope?
UK businesses are ill-prepared to cope with disaster and disruption, and many organisations are no more than “sitting ducks”, according to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).The body issued a report this week which finds that while most organisations have identified the main threats to their business, they have failed to address them; 86% of businesses […]
Equality in danger under pro-family policies
Money, money, money – is it still a rich man’s world? is the apt title of a new report by the Fawcett Society which looks at the impact of family-friendly policies on the plight of women in the workplace.Maternity leave and parental rights have been boosted under Labour, recent proposals include: extensions to maternity pay […]
Opinion: Women in Business – the importance of equality
By Louise Palmer and Jill Foley, joint MDs of niche consultancy 7 daysThe issue of equality in the workplace is now more important than ever before, with even more planned legislation in the works to help organisations support women who want to have a family as well as a career. This issue and the wider […]
Police training under spotlight
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has called for a review of recruitment and development methods to identify personality traits that are unacceptable in police officers. The recommendation came as 12 police officers were set to be disciplined as a result of a BBC documentary – The Secret Policeman, screened in 2003 – showing racism at […]
Payroll Tip: Benefits – Tax and NICs implications
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: How are the tax and NICs liabilities on the provision of employment benefits handled? Does it make any difference if the employer pays the employee’s own private bills? A: There are many […]
Member wire #89 – HR to staff ratios
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 89 8 March 2005 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** SITE HIGHLIGHTS **** 1. The compliance burden – is it really all that bad? 2. Opinion: The case for referral schemes 3. The Couch!? asks, do you need an extreme makeover? 4. HDIGH? Talent and Resourcing Consultant, […]
Review: Financial Accounting and Reporting
Title: Financial Accounting and Reporting Eighth edition Author: Barry Elliott and Jamie ElliottPublisher: FT Prentice Hall Price: £37.99 ISBN: 0273 68540-6 Reviewer: Dr Jeff Wooller Any problems there may have been with this book have been ironed out in the previous seven editions and technically the book is very sound. It is one of the […]
The Couch!? asks, do you need an extreme makeover?
Inspired by a recent study on the HR profession, The Couch?! this week returns to the age old topic of HR stereotypes. Are you competitive, obsessed with record keeping and do you thrive on a good bit of gossip?So which out of these stereotypes do you think are untrue/true?You do fit the stereotype if:-1. you’re […]
The wonders of website marketing
Adrienne Halladay, Business Development Manager at Bevans Solicitors, writes about the Wonders of Website MarketingToo often we spend time looking at and developing a complex business strategy for our businesses without taking into consideration the importance of ensuring that we integrate our web-strategy within this overall business strategy.Questions that need to be asked (using a […]
How Did I Get Here? Victoria Hayden, Talent and Resourcing Consultant Selfridges & Co
Victoria Hayden describes the moment of ‘enlightenment’ when she realised that a career in retail management wasn’t for her and how her new role in HR involves large-scale recruitment; recently Hayden co-ordinated the assessment centres for 500 potential sales staff – here’s her story. 1. What is your current job title? Briefly describe your current […]
