Firms are putting job-seekers through extra tests
Job-seekers face extra assessment tests compared to three years ago, according to new research.Three quarters of the 8,493 job-seekers surveyed on reed.co.uk, say they are undergoing many more tests and assessments when seeking new jobs than in Y2000, according to the research. What’s more, over half of the 250 HR professionals surveyed, agree they are […]
Firms urged to update policies in advance of new mobile phone legislation
From 1 December 2003 businesses that permit their employees to use hand-held mobile phones whilst driving, will be committing a punishable offence under the Road Traffic Act. Present laws governing mobile phone use mean that motorists can only be prosecuted for using hand-held mobiles while driving, if it means that they fail to keep control […]
Employers discipline staff over e-mail and Internet misuse
While the majority of UK employers still appear relaxed about e-mail and Internet misuse at work, there is a growing trend to punish workers for breaches in organisational policy, according to new research. The IRS survey, based on responses from 63 private and public sector employers, revealed that almost a third had dealt with between […]
Tackling stress-related absence
Paul Roberts, Healthcare Consultant, at IHC, looks at the actions that should be taken to support employees who are absent with stress and encourage an early return to work. When an employee calls in sick because of flu, it is relatively straightforward for a company to predict when that employee might return to work. But […]
HR Tip – Bank Holiday working
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: Can we force employees to work on Bank Holidays? A: When offering employment you can require candidates to work or to not work on certain days, provided you allow them at least […]
ACAS publishes sexual orientation and religion guides
December sees the coming into force of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 which outlaw discrimination in employment and vocational training on the grounds of sexual orientation and religion or belief respectively. ACAS has now published the final PDF versions of its guides to sexual […]
Stress audit
HR Zone member Paul Flavin shares his opinions about some of the causes of stress within an organisation and the HR practices which can help to resolve them. Stress is a difficult topic. It is widely recognised that there is a definite need for positive stress as the catalyst, enabling people to perform to the […]
10 top tips to combat stress
Sue Howson, Managing Consultant, Penna Consulting, Southampton, recommends that businesses take heed of the following ten guidelines to minimise stress in the workplace. 1. Have a clear stress policy in your employee handbook.2. Adhere to it when issues of stress arise.3. Show you take stress seriously.4. Be understanding towards people who admit to being under […]
Employers back Pay Commission report
Employers agreed to back the recently published independent Local Government Pay Commission Report at their first official meeting to discuss its findings held last Friday.The independent Pay Commission was set up in the wake of last year’s council workers strike to look at pay and rewards. The report’s endorsement for national pay negotiations, while rejecting […]
“We can all do something about stress”
70% of the UK population believe themselves to be suffering from stress, according to the results of a survey by KitKat Kubes undertaken last month.Organised for the sixth year running by the International Stress Management AssociationUK (ISMAUK), the theme for today’s National Stress Awareness Day™ is “We can all do something about stress”. See HR […]
Stress in the workplace
5 November is National Stress Awareness Day, so we’ve provided you with a round-up of HR Zone’s recent stress related features, news items and community questions. Any Answers postings Stress – how does your company manage it?I would really appreciate it if any members out there could come back to me with any success stories, […]
Government publishes Task Force report on human capital
The Accounting for People Task Force has now published their conclusions and recommendations in a report to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt.The report is the result of a five-month consultation on how organisations should go about reporting on their “human capital”, including activities such as training, recruitment, staff turnover and […]
Effective employee communication linked to greater shareholder returns
Employers looking to increase shareholder returns and reduce employee turnover might want to look at how well they are communicating with workers, says a new Watson Wyatt study.It found that companies with the most effective employee communication programs provided a 26% total return to shareholders (TRS) from 1998 to 2002 compared to a -15% TRS […]
Which careers are set to significantly change?
Longevity consultants and nano-technologists are set to become as familiar as shop keepers and accountants, as new technology and changing lifestyles conspire to transform the UK job market, new research claims.City & Guilds, the vocational awarding body, has forecast which careers are set to emerge, thrive or significantly change over the next decade. While postal […]
Employers support voluntary human capital management reporting
While 87% of managing directors and HR directors agree that companies should report externally on their human capital management (HCM), 71% are strongly against the Government introducing legislation or regulation requiring companies to report on defined people management issues, claims new research. This research, conducted in 200 UK companies, by The Penna Board Partnership, comes […]
DTI Partnership Fund announces latest winners
Projects aimed at improving working conditions in charities, hospitals, offices and factories are to share £2.5m from the DTI Partnership Fund.Announcing the latest round of winners, Gerry Sutcliffe, Employment Relations Minister, said: “Good employers know that only by valuing people can you boost productivity and encourage innovation. Working together makes good business sense and is […]
New ACAS guidance on holiday pay
ACAS has issued a revised guide: Holidays and Holiday Pay It provides guidance on issues, such as: how a part-time worker’s holiday is calculated the right to paid leave on public holidays rights of agency/casual workers leave accrual dealing with requests for extended leave. ACAS has also revised its handbook: Discipline and Grievances at Work […]
“Emotional audits” help managers deal with “toxic emotions”
The need for emotional audits is greater now than ever given the increasing reports of stress in the workplace and the need to pinpoint what these reports really mean, argues Dr Rob Briner, Reader in Organisational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London. Briner believes that regular emotional audits may help managers deal with “toxic emotions” […]
How Did I Get Here? Keith Luxon , Laurel Pub Company
Keith Luxon, HR Policy and Reward Director for the Laurel Pub Company, shares his experiences of working in HR to date. What’s your current job role?I am HR Policy and Reward Director for the Laurel Pub Company. We employ around 10,000 people in 600+ pub retail outlets nationwide. The role covers all aspects of ER […]
National Stress Awareness Day
Wednesday 5 November is National Stress Awareness Day™. Organised for the sixth year running by International Stress Management Association UK, (ISMAUK) and the theme for this year is “We can all do something about stress”. Free workshops to help organisations To help businesses deal with stress, ISMAUK is organising free local workshops around the UK […]
