Disability discrimination changes on the way
Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) comes into force in October 2004, yet many businesses still appear to be unaware of its requirements. If you have not already begun to ensure your workspace is compliant with part III of the DDA this must be one New Year’s resolution that is high on your […]
Synchronised employment law commencement dates
The DTI has published details of the employment regulations that are due to take effect in 2004.From 2004, domestic changes will only be implemented on two days each year: 6 April, the start of the tax year, and 1 October, when the national minimum wage is reviewed. Changes to employment law and practice: 6 April […]
HR slow to adopt B2E initiatives
<img src="/files/siftmedia-photolib/logo_softworld.gif" alt="Softworld" height="73" width="165"Only 18% of HR professionals currently use employee self-service/B2E initiatives, despite the fact that over half have no trouble justifying IT spend on the department, according to new Softworld research. The survey, which questioned 100 HR and payroll professionals and was conducted last month, also revealed that over 70% of HR […]
Outsourcing call centre jobs ‘cuts quality’
Call centre workers in the UK are more efficient than their counterparts in India, a new study claims.The study of over 300 UK and Indian call centre operations, by research firm ContactBabel, places a huge question mark over the credibility of the decision by many company directors to outsource thousands of UK call centre jobs […]
Amendments to employment agency regulations
The DTI has published unexpected amendments to the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 so they now include the category of workers who supply their services through a limited company. This will mean that many more recruitment agencies and businesses will have to comply with the regulations – whose main provisions will […]
Any Answers questions on recruitment
To tie in with this month’s theme on recruitment, we take a look at recent recruitment-related topics that HR Zone members have been discussing in the Any Answers area of the site. Here’s a selection… Data protection policy – recruitment and selectionWe are reviewing our Data Protection policy in regards to Recruitment and Selection and […]
Softworld HR & Payroll – 3-4 March 2004
HR employee portals, online recruitment, mandatory e-filing of employee returns – all require considerable change to the HR and payroll department and its corporate infrastructure.Softworld HR & Payroll 2004 (3-4 March 2004, Grand Hall, Olympia, London) will tackle these issues head-on with its ‘business focus’ masterclass stream offering free expert and independent advice to HR […]
Employers reject ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ to selection
Employers are conducting more tests and contacting potential recruits far earlier in the recruitment process, as selection becomes more streamlined and focused, new research claims. The IRS survey conducted among 208 employers, found that employers are recognising their shortcomings when it comes to the interview processes – such as outside influences and human error or […]
Training trends 2004
The annual training trends survey has become a tradition on HR Zone’s sister community site, TrainingZONE, and this month carries the 2004 version. Training Trends 2004 aims to find out how much has changed for workplace training and learning in the last 12 months.Please take a few minutes to complete the survey with your own […]
Forward features list for 2004
From January we’ll continue to publish a range of information on a variety of HR topics but we also plan to bring you a monthly focus on some of the key subjects you’ve told us you’re interested in. The list of subjects we plan to cover in 2004 is below.January: RecruitmentEmployment law February: RewardRetentionPayroll and […]
January’s themes on HR Zone
Throughout January on HR Zone we will be publishing news, features and case studies that focus on recruitment.In response to feedback from members, we’ll also be launching a new employment law channel on HR Zone later this month so that it’s easier for you to navigate to find the employment law related features on the […]
Graduate recruitment trends
There is guarded optimism over graduate vacancies – with the outlook in some sectors rosier than last year, according to the Graduate Trends Survey 2003/4, by graduate careers publishers GTI. The study of 500 companies found that in most sectors, students responded to a challenging market by delaying their applications, often until after graduation.Key findings: […]
New employment agency regulations
The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations will be coming into force on 6 April 2004. Rachael Heenan, Associate with Beachcroft Wansbroughs’ national Employment practice, summarises the main changes. It is estimated that around 700,000 agency workers and 17,000 agencies and employment businesses in the UK will be affected by the new rules. […]
Top 10 Any Answers postings in 2003
In 2003, HR Zone members posted a total of 547 questions and 1252 answers – double the number posted in 2002! So, what were the hot topics that members were discussing in 2003? Here’s a round-up of some of the most popular ones… Does a large HR department really add any value in the recruitment […]
Consultation on working time
The European Commission has opened a consultation on working time with a view to future revision of the legislation. It is concerned about the definition and calculation of working time and of the “opt-out”, which allows individuals to waive their rights under the Working Time Directive. More Member States are making use of the opt-out […]
2004 set to bring tougher recruitment challenges
Recruitment and retention of skilled staff remains HR’s biggest challenge with 9 out of 10 organisations reporting difficulties in filling vacancies in 2003 – compared with three-quarters in 2002, according to a review of HR prospects.The CIPD reports that 54% of organisations cite ‘skill shortages’ and ‘finding applicants with suitable experience’ the most common reasons […]
Don’t wait for age discrimination legislation – act now!
One in five people have been discouraged from applying for a job because it contained an age restriction, according to a new report from the CIPD, The Challenge of the Age, to be published later this month. Although age prejudice is much worse for people over 40, one in 12 under-35s have been told they […]
HR admits to lack of awareness over diversity
A staggering 69% of HR staff are not aware of the new diversity legislation and only 10% have been trained for it, a new survey claims.The survey of 293 HR managers and executives from the public and private sector, by fuel Group, an e-learning specialist, was carried out between 7 and 19 December 2003, just […]
Minimum wage for young workers
The minimum wage may be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds, according to a report in The Independent. Apparently, ministers are considering including an extension of the minimum wage in the Labour Party’s next election manifesto. The new minimum wage for young workers is likely to be less than the present £3.80 hourly rate for workers […]
Paternity leave may be extended to six months
New fathers could be given six months off work to care for their babies.Since April, new mothers have been entitled to higher maternity pay for six months and six months’ unpaid extra leave, bringing the total to a year. However, according to a report in the Times, the Trade and Industry Secretary is considering allowing […]
