Interview Checklist

Looking to improve your hiring process? An interview checklist helps standardize candidate evaluation across all departments and positions. Share your successful templates and best practices by contacting Denise Halton.
Budget Day: How you can keep upto date – follow the beast!

AccountingWEB is providing comprehensive budget coverage and reporting today. Visit their dedicated budget pages for in-depth analysis and updates on the latest financial announcements.
Shake up continues in financial services: another 2,000 jobs go

Britannic Assurance is closing its direct salesforce with the loss of 2,000 jobs, following Prudential’s similar move last month. The restructuring reflects ongoing consolidation in financial services as regulatory pressures and competition from banks reshape the industry.
Minimum wage to rise to £4.10

The UK government has accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to raise the National Minimum Wage to £4.10 per hour from October 2001, with a further increase to £4.20 planned for October 2002. The rise will benefit approximately 1.4 million workers, with 70% being women, and represents an 11% pay increase for those currently on the £3.70 minimum wage.
Developing best practice in exployee exits

Develop effective employee exit processes by collecting structured feedback, maintaining confidentiality, and integrating exit data with suggestion systems and performance reviews. Learn best practices for conducting exit interviews and leveraging insights to improve retention and workplace culture.
Disability Rights to be extended

The Government will extend the Disability Discrimination Act to provide increased legal protection for people with cancer, cover nearly seven million previously excluded jobs, and impose a legal duty on public bodies to ensure equal opportunities for disabled people.
Summer holiday of discontent

UK passport office workers will vote on strike action this week after rejecting a 5.6% pay offer deemed to have “too many strings attached.” The PCS union is pushing for 7% and warns potential strikes could disrupt Easter holiday travel plans.
External Training Policy

An external training policy can include provisions for recovering course fees if employees leave shortly after training. This approach requires careful legal consideration regarding employment contracts, tax implications, and fairness to employees to avoid potential disputes.
Legal documents available online

The HR Zone Resource Centre now offers legal documents online through a partnership with LawRights.co.uk. Templates covering employment, business contracts, partnerships, housing, immigration and wills are available at individual prices, with some free options, all legally valid in England and Wales.
HR Zone Workshop Alert – live from Atlanta!

Join an HR Zone online workshop live from the 2001 Training Conference and Expo in Atlanta on March 6 at 13:00 GMT. Workshop host Peter Cox and contributors will discuss emerging learning and development trends, technologies, and ideas shaping the future of training.
Looking back in anger – an interview with Brayton Bowen

Unresolved workplace anger affects one in four workers and is taking a significant toll on productivity, customer relations, health, and employee commitment, according to consultant Brayton Bowen, who explores solutions for creating healthier work environments.
TUC: Mothers want more money and time off – and it’s affordable

The TUC says extending maternity leave to 26 weeks with enhanced pay is affordable, costing just £1 billion annually. New mothers surveyed support longer leave and higher pay rates, with 73% likely to take full leave if paid 90% of earnings throughout the period.
Welcome to FedEE members

HR Zone welcomes Federation of European Employers members and offers comprehensive support services including HR news, job vacancies, expert guides, payroll and tax services, recruitment tools, and access to over 300,000 training events through the Learning Campus.
Breach of contract

A company terminated an employee’s contract unilaterally without formal discussion or performance review. The employer claims no breach occurred despite lacking a disciplinary procedure, though a grievance process exists. The employee received three months severance but was denied explanation, responsibility acknowledgment, and accrued holiday pay.
Should employers be responsible for at-work road safety?

A new discussion document seeks public views on whether employers should be responsible for managing at-work road safety, as research suggests up to a third of serious road crashes involve someone working at the time.
National Minimum Wage set to rise by 10%

The UK national minimum wage is set to rise by approximately 10%, increasing from £3.70 to around £4 per hour. Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers will announce the increase as part of next week’s Budget, marking the second rise since the minimum wage’s introduction two years ago.
HR Weekly Watch – February 2001

HR Weekly Watch for February 2001 covers major employment news including job losses at Bradford and Bingley, meat processing layoffs due to foot-and-mouth crisis, Vauxhall plant strikes, and industry disruptions. The roundup aggregates HR-related stories from leading news sources with links to original reporting.
Keeping your IT Training up to date!

Keeping IT staff and trainers current with technology is essential for modern organizations. TrainingZONE offers comprehensive IT training resources, news updates, and job listings through a free IT Training Newswire to help professionals stay informed on the latest developments.
Roffey Park or Top Guns?

Roffey Park’s MSc in People and Organisational Development is a two-year, part-time programme for senior HR and development professionals. Using self-managed learning and monthly Learning Sets, participants tailor the programme to their organisational needs while gaining consultancy-level insights from experienced practitioners.
EU approves new rules on professional qualifications

The EU has approved simplified rules enabling professionals in medicine, dentistry, architecture, and other regulated fields to more easily work across member states. The directive streamlines qualification recognition, requires faster decision-making on requests, and accounts for professional experience gained elsewhere in Europe.