TUC call for equal pay ‘reality’
Despite 35 years since the Equal Pay Act, the TUC warns equal pay remains a distant reality, with women earning nearly 20% less than men. The union calls for stronger legal reforms, including allowing group cases and mandatory pay audits, to close the persistent gender pay gap.
Revenue targets eBay traders
The Inland Revenue is targeting eBay traders who fail to report their tax liabilities. While casual sales of personal items may be exempt, regular buying and selling for profit constitutes trading and requires tax declarations on earnings.
Mid-sized firms dominate HR outsourcing
Medium-sized businesses with 5,000-25,000 employees are leading HR outsourcing adoption this year, marking a shift from larger enterprises that historically dominated the market. Industry analysts predict HR outsourcing will go mainstream in 2005, driven primarily by these mid-sized organizations.
Labour market buckles under weight of contradictions
UK employment reached its highest level since 1971 at 28.49 million, yet unemployment and benefit claimants remained elevated despite job vacancy increases. Wage growth accelerated to 4.2% including bonuses, raising inflationary concerns though remaining below the Bank of England’s danger threshold of 4.5%.
Call centre training achieves top grade
Contact Centre Professional has received an “outstanding” grade 1 rating from the Adult Learning Inspectorate for its call centre training programmes. The Newcastle-based organization trains unemployed adults in customer service and employability skills through a five-week course.
Cold baths ‘antidote to working stress’
Research shows cold baths and outdoor training can build mental toughness and help workers manage stress. A Hull University study found that exposure to cold water combined with challenging situations increased resilience in facing stressful scenarios.
HR Zone Briefing #226 – Rights for temps at 6 weeks rocks industry
Euro MPs are close to voting on the EU Agency Workers Directive, which would grant temporary staff the same rights as permanent employees after just six weeks. Industry leaders warn this legislation could seriously damage the temping market.
Feature: Internal communications – mind the gap
Internal communications success depends on clear responsibility and avoiding gaps between HR and marketing functions. Rather than relying solely on newsletters or formal briefings, effective communication requires engaging people to actively participate and change behavior to support organizational initiatives.
Risk-takers reap financial rewards
Research from Cranfield School of Management reveals that risk-taking entrepreneurs achieve higher sales growth, but excessive confidence can harm profitability. The study of 50 UK small business owner-managers found that balanced risk-taking combined with measured judgment produces the best financial results.
Workers get a life
Employee satisfaction with work-life balance has improved significantly, rising from just over half in 2001 to nearly two-thirds today, according to ORC International data. However, many workers remain hesitant to discuss balance concerns with their employers, despite growing business focus on the issue.
Businesses quake under threat of six-week ‘temp’ rights
The EU Agency Workers Directive could grant temporary staff the same rights as permanent employees after just six weeks, prompting concerns from recruitment firms and the CIPD that the change would increase hiring costs and damage the temping industry by forcing employers to rotate staff frequently.
Public sector recruitment reaches lowest ebb
Public sector recruitment intentions have reached their lowest levels according to a CIPD survey, with zero net hiring expected this quarter compared to positive figures in the private sector. Over half of employers anticipate ongoing recruitment difficulties, primarily due to lack of specialist skills and insufficient applicants.
Review: The Situational Mentor
This international review examines mentoring competencies and capabilities through diverse perspectives from leading academics and practitioners. Edited by Clutterbuck and Lane, it explores what drives mentoring success, covering topics from virtual mentoring to ethical dimensions, and includes real-life scenarios and insights from both mentor and mentee viewpoints.
How Did I Get Here? Sandra Nixon, Head of Training at QVC
Sandra Nixon, head of training at QVC, leads the HR development and training function, working as a consultant with managers across the business to identify development needs and design management solutions. She balances strategic training planning with responsive solutions to emerging needs, while managing NVQ accreditation programs and demonstrating training’s impact through data-driven reporting.
Experience is rated over natural ability
A Chartered Management Institute report reveals job experience is now rated more highly than natural ability for workplace success, challenging the belief that leaders are born rather than made. The study of 1,000 managers shows employers increasingly link management development to business strategy, with most seeking skills in leadership, people management, and change management.
Payroll Tip: Maternity suspension
Employers must follow a three-stage process when pregnant employees face workplace health and safety risks: first attempt to modify working conditions, then offer suitable alternative work, and only suspend on full pay if neither option is feasible. Pre-pregnancy risk assessments are legally required for roles involving women of childbearing age.
Member wire #82 – Lighting the torch for jobs creation in 2012
Explore key HR trends for 2012 including jobs creation strategies, NLP skills development, HR influence expansion, and work-life balance priorities. This HR Zone members newswire covers emerging workplace practices and professional guidance for human resources leaders.
Opinion: Judge people on their merits – and profit from doing so
Judging people on their merits rather than background is essential, but many organizations confuse diversity with inclusion. True inclusion requires recognizing and valuing individual differences, not just hiring from diverse backgrounds.
Early-bird jobseekers are best candidates
Early job applicants demonstrate stronger verbal and numeric skills and are more likely to be hired than those who apply later, according to a survey of 11,000 graduates by psychometric assessment provider SHL.
£100k earners picked for Liberal Democrat tax rise
The Liberal Democrats propose raising the top tax rate on earnings over £100,000 to fund tuition fee abolition, elderly care, and council tax replacement. Party leader Charles Kennedy said the policy would affect only 1% of the wealthiest taxpayers while funding key public services.
