Risk for employees as businesses cut insurance
Desperation to cut costs has led to some organisations skimping on insurance, leaving employees and businesses at risk, claims new research from AXA and British chambers of Commerce (BCC). Only a third of businesses understand their legal requirement to cover employees with employer’s liability insurance, leaving over half a million employees uninsured, according to […]
Disciplinary and grievances in the aftermath of redundancy
Dealing with redundancies for businesses can be tough, but staff who remain pose challenges of their own. Laura Livingstone and Christopher DelaMare examine the correct procedures for dealing with employees using the ACAS Code. For many employees, job security seems like a thing of the past. Staff may be demoralised or fearful of […]
How to be a great HR director
All leaders want it, many aspire to possess it, and without it, few succeed. Having courage is vital if you want to be a successful HR director, says Andrew Leigh. Recently, Battalia Winston International, an organisation that employs over 5,000 people worldwide, wanted to appoint a human resources director. If you had fancied the job, you would need to have been: […]
Power methods for developing HR staff
Are you using the most effective methods to develop the skills and careers of your HR team? Jan Hills discusses which methods work best and how you can combine these to achieve more results for your investment. Recent surveys suggest that some 80 to 85% of medium to large companies have already, are in the process […]
Thinking of becoming a consultant?
John Pope outlines everything you need to consider before taking the plunge into consultancy work. During the recession, you may be frustrated at the resistance to your ideas for change; you may be upset at the way management has failed to take your advice or has ignored your warnings. You may envy the […]
Rewarding the recession-weary
During these tough times the question around how to keep the troops motivated is on everyone’s mind. The HayGroup’s latest study reveals how rewards can boost engagement. The latest study: World at Work has given some great insights into the reward practices companies are planning in the future. Of the 763 organisations surveyed in 66 […]
Undercover Boss: Paying lip service to the skills gap
In the final episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss, Steven Martin, CEO of construction giant Clugston goes incognito to find out how his employees really feel about their jobs – and the firm. Penny de Valk shares her views. "Every boss needs to do something like this. Thing is I’m not convinced they want to […]
HR tip: Personal hygiene problem
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: I have been told that one of my employees has a body odour problem. His colleagues have told me that it is unpleasant working near him. They have dropped hints but to […]
Staff development is weapon of choice in recession
Employers are choosing to focus on retention rather than recruitment in response to current resourcing issues, finds the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) Recruitment, Retention and Turnover survey. This year’s report revealed that 73% of organisations find a lack of necessary specialist skills remains the key resourcing challenge, whilst 56% of employers are […]
HR agenda critical to UK economic success
HR’s role in the effort to keep the UK economy afloat during the recession should not be under estimated, was the key message from the Acas and CIPD ‘Resilience Through Recession’ conference held today in London. Keynote speakers, including Lord Young, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; Ed Sweeney, chair […]
Leaders urged to take their five-a-day in people management
Acas and the CIPD have teamed up to publish a ‘five-a-day’ manual in a bid to encourage business leaders to take a stand against poor people management – a significant factor in the UK’s productivity gap. The joint guidance covers management fundamentals developed from CIPD and Acas research and offers practical experience of management development grouped […]
Office de-stressing exercises
When suffering from stress at work, tension can accumulate in the most vulnerable areas of the body such as the upper back, shoulders, neck and head, leading to an uncomfortable range of physiological grumbles, aches and pains. While gin or even a bit of shouting can both often be effective cathartic techniques, they are not […]
Jaded jobseeker pledges to work 365 jobs in 365 days
A 30-year-old unemployed father of three from Lancashire is attempting a record-breaking challenge by working 365 different jobs, one each day, for an entire year. Jamie Dodd, supported by online recruitment resource Monster.co.uk, decided to set up ‘Project-365’ in an attempt to find his dream career after getting disheartened by the job-seeking process. The project […]
Emails you wish you hadn’t sent
Most people will know the sinking sensation one feels as an email blunder zips its way across cyber-space, your embarrassment moving irretrievably towards its destination at light speed. We’re not going to give you another list of email etiquette dos and don’ts – we want to hear about interesting and entertaining email mistakes you’ve witnessed, and […]
No time for silence: Breaking news to employees
No news is good news – but sometimes breaking bad news to employees is unavoidable. Rob Ashton explains how to do it and provides five steps to effective employee communication. It’s bonus time. And your employees are waiting for their yearly salaries to be topped up with performance-related pay. The trouble is that sales have […]
HR tip: Recovering training costs from departing employee
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question:"We paid for a new employee to go on an expensive four-week training course. Two weeks later, he handed in his notice and is joining another company on the basis of his newly […]
Are we unmoved and apathetic?
Along with several hundred other practitioners, I read interesting and challenging articles here. What I can't understand is why there is so little reaction, so few comments. I know for sure that most of us have strong opinions (especially over a glass of something!) so why are we so quiet on HR Zone? Are people […]
Is the CIPD annual conference and exhibition worth the effort? By Annie Hayes
Billed as the premier people management event of the year, the annual CIPD event this October is a surely unmissable occasion, even if only to indulge in the array of tempting freebies, from pots of honey to free shots of flavoured oxygen. Annie Hayes asked members whether the pilgrimage to Harrogate is worth the trip. […]
HR career management: Taking control
Best-selling careers author John Lees shows you how to become your own career coach in this exclusive feature for HR Zone. Who’s in charge?Most of us navigating the 21st century workplace are using career thinking at least a generation out of date. Since very few students take careers advice before graduation (or find it less […]
Book review: City Slackers: Workers of the World – You are Wasting your Time!
Title: City Slackers: Workers of the World … You are Wasting your Time!Author: Steve McKevittPublisher: Cyan Communications Ltd.ISBN: 1-904879-72-1Price: £9.99Reviewer: Angela Busby The very fact that the back of the book jacket identifies this as a Business / Humour selection should have been my first clue that this was not going to be the usual […]
