Age diversity – How prepared is your organisation?
Nearly half of UK employers lack age diversity policies ahead of December 2006 legislative changes. Companies must review recruitment, promotion, retirement, and redundancy practices to comply, but government delays in publishing regulations have created uncertainty and shortened preparation timelines.
HR Tip – Breach of notice period
When an employee breaches their notice period and leaves early, you have legal grounds to sue for breach of contract. However, courts typically award minimal or no compensation, assuming you can mitigate losses by hiring a replacement, making legal action impractical once legal costs are considered.
UK’s most prestigious business accolade: The Queen’s Awards
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2005 are now open for applications, recognizing exceptional business achievements in international trade, innovation, and sustainable development. Winners gain royal endorsement and significant competitive advantages, with the prestigious award helping companies enhance their market reputation and business opportunities globally. The application deadline is October 31, 2004.
Leadership and branding
Senior managers significantly influence company brand image, either as valuable assets or liabilities. When leaders’ actions contradict brand values—as exemplified by Martha Stewart’s legal troubles damaging her company’s revenue and readership—the consequences can be financially catastrophic. Leadership and branding share core characteristics like clarity, consistency, integrity, and vision, making leaders’ reputations directly impact organizational brands.
DTI to give masterclasses in efficient working
The DTI is offering nine free masterclasses across the country to help companies improve working practices and reduce inefficient long hours cultures. The sessions will showcase how organizations have successfully implemented flexible working arrangements, tackled presenteeism, and maintained productivity while improving staff control and work-life balance.
IIP Champions Show Benefits of Staff Development
Sixteen UK companies have been selected as IIP Champions for demonstrating how staff development boosts business performance. These organizations, ranging from Nationwide Building Society to smaller employers, will share their expertise through presentations, mentoring, and site visits to help other businesses align people development with their goals.
Accountants are they workaholics?
A recent survey reveals that accountants take fewer sick days than other UK workers, with fewer than 1 in 10 willing to take false time off. Despite increased workplace pressures and legislative changes, accountancy staff demonstrate exceptional commitment to their roles.
SMEs Face Skills Gap
Small and medium businesses struggle to recruit skilled workers due to limited local talent pools, poor transport links, and workforce availability issues. Though 30% of SMEs believe flexible working could help attract staff, two-thirds don’t currently offer it, missing an opportunity to expand their recruitment reach.
Secondhand smoking: HR managers support ban
HR managers overwhelmingly support a workplace smoking ban to protect employees from secondhand smoke exposure. A survey found nearly three-quarters of HR professionals backed smoke-free workplaces, citing health risks and fairness concerns for the approximately 3 million UK workers regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
What do Employees Really Think About E-Learning?
A major international survey of employees across 14 countries reveals that e-learning is highly valued, with 98% recommending it to colleagues. Employees appreciate the flexibility to learn at their own pace and find it effective for developing IT and business skills, with 87% applying their learning on the job.
Employers crack down on email abuse
Nearly a third of UK employers have dismissed staff for email or internet abuse, according to a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey. The study found that 60% of organizations reported misuse problems, with email abuse being far more common than internet misuse.
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE –START BY RECRUITING THE RIGHT STAFF
Excellent customer service starts with hiring the right people. A BP case study reveals how proper candidate selection dramatically improved retention rates for entry-level customer service roles, demonstrating that recruiting unsuitable applicants wastes training resources and harms both employers and employees.
Opinion: ‘HR needs to start thinking like a recruitment consultant’
HR departments should adopt recruitment consultant strategies by building and actively managing talent pools, maintaining candidate relationships over time, and treating candidate databases as valuable marketing tools to achieve cost-effective, targeted recruitment and improved retention.
Work sampling for selection
Work sample tests are among the most effective predictors of job performance, replicating real work tools and environments to assess candidates’ existing skills. While resource-intensive and potentially costly, they’re particularly valuable for evaluating tasks completable in short timeframes when used as part of a comprehensive selection process.
HR Tip – Notice for senior staff
Employment law requires a minimum of one week’s notice per year of service for employees with one month’s service, up to twelve weeks maximum. However, employers can set longer notice periods in employment contracts for senior staff based on business needs, though longer required notice may discourage employees from providing it.
Widespread use of drugs in the workplace
One in three UK employees are aware of drug use in the workplace, with Media and Service industries most affected. Cannabis is the most commonly used drug at work, though concern is growing about acceptance of illegal substances among workers.
Working time consultation – have your say!
The UK government launched a consultation on working time regulations, specifically examining the 48-hour working week opt-out clause. The deadline for submissions is September 22, 2004, with focus on improving how the opt-out operates and considering alternatives like flexible working arrangements.
Managers admit to having ‘no energy’
A new survey reveals that nearly half of UK managers feel overloaded with work, with a third admitting to having no energy on weekday evenings. The findings highlight the need for organizations to improve management styles, workplace flexibility, and employee engagement to boost motivation.
Union urges change to two tier workforce code
The GMB union is demanding the government change the two tier workforce code to protect pensions for public sector workers transferred to private sector roles. The union criticizes inadequate pension schemes offered by private employers compared to local government pensions, calling Labour’s promise to end two tier workforces hollow without reform.
Revised ACAS Code on disciplinary and grievance procedures
The revised ACAS Code on disciplinary and grievance procedures will take effect on 1 October 2004, providing guidance on new statutory procedures and best practices for handling workplace discipline and grievance issues.
