Disability discrimination: caution for SMEs
According to employment law specialists a recently passed ruling regarding discrimination against disibility could lead the way for a potential torrent of unfair dissmissal claims. The ruling was passed in favour of a Scottish road sweeper who was dismissed due to a physical disability.In light of the fact that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA […]
Higgs opens boardroom door for non-executive recruitment
Reforms to corporate governance rules have set off a surge in non-executive recruitment, particularly for candidates with relevant financial experience to take on demanding audit committee work. In the past week alone, two accountants have taken non-executive directorships at listed companies, including: National Grid Transco group FD Steve Lucas was appointed NED at Compass Group. […]
Risks and Rewards – Guidance for RSL Boards
Emma Burrows, employment law specialist at Trowers & Hamlins Solicitors, takes a look at new guidance for Boards of RSLs. New guidance for Boards of RSLs in relation to pay and conditions for senior executives has just been issued by the Housing Corporation. In its Good Practice Note dated June 2004, the Corporation focuses on […]
MEP wants women in business back in the kitchen
UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom introduced himself in the Strasbourg parliament on Wednesday with a warning to small businesses against employing women of child-bearing age. “No self-respecting small businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a lady of child-bearing age,” he said. Having been appointed to the European Parliament’s women’s rights committee […]
Case Study: Royal Mail’s Home Computer Initiative
“The real beauty of an HCI scheme is that it delivers so much more than computer equipment. It’s a way of helping employees and their families get the most out of every area of their lives.”Tony McCarthy, Group Human Resources Director, Royal Mail Royal Mail has more than 200,000 employees, most work in operational centres […]
Review: Managing Yourself
Author: Morgan, Paul Publisher: Pearson Professional Education Momentum ISBN: 1843040239 Price: £19.00Reviewer: Denis W Barnard Ever come away from a training session or seminar, and thought: I knew most of that already? Human nature is such that you always instinctively know what has to be done, it’s in the discipline of doing it, whether it’s […]
“Without Prejudice” – An Empty Phrase?
Emma Burrows, employment law specialist at Trowers & Hamlins Solicitors, takes a look at employment relationships. Employment relationships come to an end in many different ways; often it will be the case that an employer follows its own procedures to dismiss an employee, but in other circumstances (perhaps because of the seniority of the individual, […]
How Did I Get Here? Alison Clarke, Quantica
Recruitment Consultant at Quantica, Alison Clarke, spills the beans on her career to date. All the previous career profiles can also be seen in the special How Did I Get Here?page. Current job titleRecruitment Consultant – A specialist in HR appointments Describe your initial training within the professionI joined the recruitment industry having already qualified […]
Disability Awareness DVD
Trainers can get a free copy of a new DVD looking at the needs of disabled students.The DVD, called Learners’ Experiences, was produced by the Learning and Skills Development Agency and aims to help those working with disabled students to understand their needs more clearly in the light of the new statutory requirements in the […]
UK tied up in red tape
Red tape is still tying down UK business according to a major new survey by the Institute of Directors (IoD) released today. Petty rules and regulations, incompetence and misplaced ‘assistance’ continue to hinder business expansion and job creation, members of the IoD reveal in a series of candid case studies. For the first time, 45 […]
Making the Business Case for E-Learning
Robin Hoyle Chief Learning Architect at EBC explains why identifying the problem is as important as designing the solution when persuading senior managers to fund training. Having recently worked with a range of learning champions I was struck once again by how difficult trainers and learning and development professionals find making a business case for […]
Share option warning for employees
When an employee obtain shares by reason of his employment, and he pays less than market value for those shares, it is very likely that there will be a charge to Income Tax. The relevant legislation which imposes the charge is found in ITEPA Part 7.Berg Kaprow Lewis LLP notes that when an employee comes […]
Economic upturn fuels recruitment growth
According to a survey published by Reed Executive plc a greater number of U.K. employers are seeking to recruit staff and fewer are looking to cut jobs. Over one thousand respondents revealed recruitment demand overall has risen 10 percentage points compared to the last quarter, with 88 per cent of organisations planning to recruit in […]
CIPD Survey Shows Acute Skills Shortages
The CIPD said it expects skills shortages and tough recruitment conditions to continue despite the recent rise in unemployment figures.The comments come as the CIPD’s own survey showed that 40% of employers claim to find it hard to find staff with the specialist skills they needed.John Philpott, Chief Economist at the CIPD called the 30,000 […]
The Way I See It… How E-Learning Can Spare the Blushes
Claudine Mclean of Structured Training explains the benefits of e-learning for a manager’s skills and ego. Senior or expert employees are often reluctant to publicly admit their need for skills input in areas where they feel they ‘should’ know everything already. Having reached a responsible management position on merit, it can be tough for high-ranking […]
Recruiting new staff – is there a right way?
A recent article in some business journals highlighted the fears of UK businesses in relation to recruitment. Two of the most frequently quoted barriers to effective recruitment by business owners are the lack of time and quality candidates!Debbie Taylor, HR specialist at training providers, Mercia Group says a clear and objective process combined with sound […]
Unemployment figures surprise increase
UK unemployment levels rose in May, according to official figures released yesterday. Around 6,000 more people were seeking employment in the three months to May compared to the previous period, to 1.43 million, although the jobless rate remains at 4.8%. The last rise was in June to September last year.However, employment levels also fell by […]
Case Study: Diversity Training at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust has run a series of diversity action-planning sessions for its Board/management executive and for over 100 senior managers, clinicians and professional staff from its 11 directorates. “In the past, diversity had been HR-led and we wanted to mainstream it throughout the organisation,” said Carolyn Norgate, the Trust’s Head of […]
HR Tip – Probation periods
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: All our new employees start on a six month probation period and, if satisfactory, we keep them on. Does this probation period count as part of their service? A: Yes, their service counts […]
New Asylum and Immigration Rules
Emma Burrows, employment law specialist at Trowers & Hamlins Solicitors, takes a look at the employment of overseas workers. The Government has introduced new measures to tackle illegal working. These measures are in addition to existing requirements for the employment of overseas workers, and place more onerous obligation on employers in terms of the checks […]
