Moves to speed up equal pay cases announced
Plans to streamline equal value tribunal cases that will help cut down the time cases take has been announced. These tribunal cases involve workers claiming equal pay on the basis that they are doing work of equal value to that of someone of the opposite sex, rather than the same or a similar job. Currently […]
In dispute – out of pocket?
With new dispute resolution regulations due to come into force later this year, Nichola Upperton-Evans, partner at Rowe Cohen Solicitors warns employers to prepare for the new legislation. The Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 are due to come into force this Autumn. The purpose of this legislation is to impose a minimum standard […]
CSR activities aid retention and boost performance
High performing businesses show a strong correlation between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and stronger performance in terms of productivity and profitability than other businesses, according to new research. The report, Achieving High Performance: CSR at the Heart of Business, published today, argues that there is now strong evidence to indicate that building CSR activities […]
Firms failing to align business strategy with HR
Firms are failing to align their managers' personal goals and reward packages with the strategic people management objectives of their organisations, according to research published today. The IRS research, based on a survey of 49 public and private sector organisations, found that while senior managers' goals and reward packages are closely linked to the delivery […]
HR Tip – Moonlighting
HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR tips. This week’s tip looks at moonlighting. Q: One of our employees works in a night club. Can we stop him from doing so?A: You need to consider three things: First, the employee’s right to freedom in his private life. Banning […]
HR is burdened with cost control issues
In three-quarters of UK companies, budget for staff is spread widely across many different departments making cost control a daily burden for heads of HR, says new research investigating human capital management control in Britain’s biggest companies. Companies are failing to control employment costs, according to the Professional Staff Solutions research which found that poor […]
How Did I Get Here? Joanne Darling, Cooper Parry
As part of our How Did I Get Here? series, Joanne Darling, Senior HR Consultant at Cooper Parry, outlines her career path with roles including Personnel Officer and Employee Resourcing and Overseas Liaison Manager within the car industry (Peugeot).Current job titleSenior HR ConsultantDescribe your initial training within the profession Human Resource Management was a core […]
Final Dispute Resolution Regulations published
The final version of the Employment Act (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 have been approved by Parliament. The Regulations introduce new statutory minimum dismissal and disciplinary procedures and statutory minimum grievance procedures to encourage the resolution of disputes in the workplace.The new provisions will come into force on 1 October 2004.In January, ACAS published its new […]
80% of over 50s have experienced ‘ageist rejection’
Four out of five people over 50 feel their job applications have been rejected solely because of their age, and nearly half say employer perceptions are their major barrier, according to new research.Yet 48% of the 3000 over 50s surveyed hope to work on past the State Pension Age (SPA) according to the research by […]
Staff at BAE Systems bring teenagers to work
BAE Systems put its own twist on a national initiative to help youngsters make choices about their future careers by encouraging its employees to bring their teenagers to work for a day.The event, held yesterday, was based around a campaign organised by the Girl Guides called Bring a Daughter to Work Day, but BAE Systems […]
2004-2005 tax rates and allowances
Take a look at the Inland Revenue tax rates and allowances, National Insurance Contributions and other tax and duty rates for 2004-2005. Rates and allowances for income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, stamp taxes and the pension schemes earnings cap are set in this document.The following leaflet has also been updated:IR64 – […]
Employment tribunal cases double
Employment tribunal cases have increased by 50% in five years, according to a survey by the EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation.Last year alone the number of cases handled on behalf of its 6000 members increased by 3% to 2206 cases, compared with 1450 cases handled by EEF in 1998 when membership was at the same level. […]
Update your occupational road risk policies
Three in four employers think recent legislation banning the use of handheld mobile phones while driving does not go far enough, according to a new survey. Three-quarters of health and safety professionals who took part in the Croner Web poll thought that other potentially distracting activities such as eating and drinking, smoking and listening to […]
Thousands of civil service jobs axed
Thousands of civil service jobs are to be axed by 2008 as a result of cuts in budget and the merger of Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced today. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is having to cut 40,000 staff posts and redeploy 10,000 posts over the next […]
So what does the 2004 Budget mean for HR?
Despite announcements to axe civil servants jobs, ways to help people into work along with reforms to reduce regulatory burden were key themes to emerge in today’s Budget.Chancellor Gordon Brown announced a range of initiatives aimed at helping people into work, including pilots providing help for lone parents seeking employment and help for people on […]
Budget report: At-a-glance
AccountingWEB, HR Zone’s sister community site, is on hand to guide you through Brown’s maze – examining the impact of new measures on small and medium-size businesses and drawing together all the budget announcements and analysis. See https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/budget for more information.Below is an at-a-glance summary of the measures contained within the Budget Report. A full […]
70% of firms fail to measure business impact of training
More than two-thirds of organisations have no formal measurement practices to assess the impact of training on their business performance, according to a new study.The survey of training managers by IT Training and e-learning providers’ network Global Learning Alliance, found that just 30% of companies measured the impact of training on business performance.It also found […]
What are the key strategic HR tasks?
So we all know that the strategic contributions of an HR professional help to drive the success of an organisation but which tasks are HR called upon most to contribute to organisational bottom-line success?A Society for Human Resource Management survey, based on the responses of 267 randomly selected HR professionals from the SHRM membership, revealed […]
New three tier minimum wage is “discriminatory to young people”
Patricia Hewitt, Trade and Industry Secretary has announced that 16 and 17 year-olds will, for the first time, be brought under the protection of the National Minimum Wage from 1 October 2004, with a new £3 minimum hourly rate.The Government has also accepted recommendations from the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Minimum Wage […]
Managers raise major concerns about ‘Accounting for People’
Organisations will face major challenges in meeting Government-backed recommendations on human capital management reporting if the findings of a new survey are anything to go by.While most of the 200 UK board directors, senior finance managers and other managers surveyed said they are comfortable with basic HR metrics, few are focusing on broader performance issues, […]
