Employment tribunal task force looks for improvements
The Employment Tribunal Taskforce has commended the system’s performance, but recommended some changes to improve it: “The Employment Tribunal system is generally well thought of and respected, despite the strain that rising caseload has placed upon it over the last decade. Our recommendations for moving forward should be seen in the context of a system […]
Smoking bans in workplaces encourage smokers to quit
According to findings published in the British Medical journal, smoke-free workplaces not only protect non-smokers from passive smoking, but also encourage smokers to quit. The research summary states: “Totally free smoke-free workplaces are associated with reductions in prevalence of smoking of 3.8%, and continuing smokers smoke 3.1 fewer cigarettes a day. The combined effects reduce […]
ACAS annual report shows state of employment relations
The Advisory, Arbitration and Conciliation Service (ACAS) has released it’s annual report, detailing cases handled.Summary– There were 100,878 applications to tribunals (compared to 105,909 in 2000/01) covering 165,093 different complaints. Of these, 75% were settled or withdrawn so went no further than the Acas stage (compared with 71% last year). Unfair dismissal continues to be […]
You can find love in the office
According to research by Fish4jobs, you are just as likely to meet your partner at work (25%) as meeting through friends/relatives (27%) or in a bar/club (21.5%). The industry sectors with a high proportion of single men are the hotel & restaurant industry, banking, sales, retail and IT. While you are likely to find more […]
Holidays improve productivity
Nearly two thirds of UK workers feel more productive after going on holiday, according to research released today by Reed. The survey of over 2,500 workers throughout the country found that 64 per cent of respondents feel more productive when they came back from holiday. Holidays also increase creativity. Over three-quarters of workers (78 per […]
Fall in number of work-related fatalities
New figures from the Health and Safety Executive for the year 2001/2002 show a drop of 15 per cent in the number of fatal injuries among Britain’s workers, with 249 deaths compared to 292 in 2000/01. The rate of fatal injury dropped from 1.03 to 0.88 per 100,000 workers over the same period. The number […]
Free staff absence cost calculator and other absence resources
Want to know just how much employees’ absences cost? Download the free Cost Recovery Spreadsheet, created by Augment. Change the numbers to suit and it will calculate the cost in different cases. You can also find some useful information on the Managing Absence website.
Investment in childcare centres welcomed
The Government has announced substantial investment in children’s centres as part of a new plan for childcare and early years services over the next decade. The extra funding will support the expansion of childcare places across the country, with enhanced services to be provided for children, including to improve the life chances of those from […]
Flexible benefits grow in popularity
One in seven companies offers some form of choice regarding employee benefits, according to a report by consultants Watson Wyatt. Flexible benefits allow employees to exchange holiday entitlement for extra pension contributions, or have childcare provision instead of a company car. The research showed that senior staff are the most likely to be offered full […]
Moves to improve rehabilitation from workplace injury
According to the TUC there are seven steps which employers should take to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. These health problems are estimated to cost the British economy £14 billion annually, 14.5 million days of sickness absence, and 27,000 workers leaving the workforce permanently every year. The TUC found that even in the workplaces where […]
Workers want to ease into retirement
New research from Penna Sanders & Sidney – now Penna – and the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) suggests that older employees are keen to extend their working lives – but only if employers respond to their changing needs. "Generation Flex" indicates that 85 per cent of employees say their needs change throughout the life cycle of […]
HR Zone Any Answers Digest #12 – Work/life balance, flexible hours, TNA, mobile phones…
================================================================= HR ZONE Any Answers Digest – Issue 12 Tuesday 23 July 2002 http://www.hrzone.co.uk/anyanswers/ ================================================================= ********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********* Work/Life balance… sick days… mobile phones… perceptions of HR… accrediting training… flexible hours… TNA ********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********* Motiva Corporate Development —————————————————————- Leadership development experts Motiva […]
Employees look to bosses for investment advice
Over half the working population (54%) would trust their employer, rather than any other business, to offer them reputable financial products and services, according to new research from youatwork. Nearly half (46%) of workers questioned said that they are more likely to take notice of benefits information that is provided by their employer, more than […]
European agreement to fix standards in teleworking
Following on from the Institute of Employment Studies work on the number of teleworkers in Europe, an agreement has been forged to formalise and protect their working conditions. ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation), UNICE / UEAPME (European Employers Groups) and CEEP (European Center of Enterprises) have put forward someprinciples to balance security and flexibility. The […]
Age Equality Contract launched
The charity Age Concern have launched an Age Equality Contract, and challenged the government to respond by dealing with age discrimination, which they describe as “increasingly urgent in the light of our ageing population and workforce, the crisis in pensions funding and recent calls for raising the state retirement age”. The contract aims to identify […]
Stress eats into time off
New research commissioned by Opodo revealed today that nine out of ten of us are stressed out from work, two thirds of us work longer than the standard 35-hour week and just under half of us regularly work unpaid overtime.The report suggests that two thirds (58%) of UK workers never take a proper lunch break […]
New draft code on monitoring of employees available
The Office of the Information Commissioner has produced a draft version of another section of the data protection code, “Monitoring at Work: an Employer’s Guide” and is inviting further submissions. The draft has already attracted criticism for the restrictions it would place on employers’ ability to monitor employees’ emails. There has already been consultation on […]
Teleworking continues to rise across Europe
The number of individual eWorkers (people using new information and communication technologies to work from home or on the move) could reach over 27 million in Europe by 2010, according to the latest EMERGENCE study, Modelling eWork in Europe, published by the Institute for Employment Studies. The Modelling eWork in Europe study concentrates on ‘individual’ […]
Women still choosing between family and career
A quarter of women in top positions in British business have been forced to choose between having the career that they want or having a family, according to research Conducted by Ashridge Business School for cahoot. Over half (53%) have no children.The survey suggests that UK employers and organisations are not meeting women’s needs for […]
Employers protest against review of employment legislation
As we recently reported the government has announced a review of the 1999 Employment Relations Act. Employers’ groups are protesting that further legislative changes are unnecessary and undesirable. This is the second time in a month that employers’ organisations have attemtped to stem the tide of further legislative changes.The CBI responded to the government’s announcement […]
