BT pays this year’s biggest sexual harrassment award to telesales worker
A BT telesales worker who was sexually harassed by a “dangerous” boss has been granted the highest employment tribunal award of the last 12 months at £290,000. Up to 10 women have already sued the telecoms provider for sexual harassment allegedly suffered at the hands of different men while working for its ‘Customer Street’ telesales […]
Microsoft paid £1 million to silence female exec passed over for top UK job
Microsoft paid more than £1 million to silence a female executive who allegedly was unfairly passed over for the top job at its UK arm. According to the Telegraph, Natalie Ayres – a married mother who had worked at the high tech firm for 15 years – missed out on getting the managing director’s post […]
Analysis: First three UK employers accredited for inclusive recruitment practices
Some 18% of working age people are disabled, yet only 48% of disabled people are employed as opposed to 78% of those without a disability. Despite some really well-intentioned employers working hard to attract and retain disabled people, research has revealed that, among the 220 or organisations questioned, there were still barriers to inclusion, primarily […]
First five employers sign up to voluntary gender reporting scheme
Five employers have already signed up to a voluntary gender reporting scheme following coalition government claims that more effective use of women’s skills could add £15-23 billion to the UK economy each year. At an event to launch the ‘Think, Act, Report’ initiative yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May cited Tesco, BT, National Grid, Enterprise Rent-A-Car […]
Women may not be able to ‘have it all’, warns female chief exec
The head of a network that seeks to boost the number of women in senior corporate positions has warned that females need to accept that ‘having it all’ may be unachievable. Heather Jackson, chief executive of An Inspirational Journey, said that, as female graduates enter the workplace, they quickly realise that their career expectations are […]
Business has talent – and much of it over 65
Imagine you had access to the pick of global talent, to some of the most successful business people in the world. Imagine if, in your organisation, you could harness the abilities of any of the following business leaders: Warren Buffett, David Rockefeller, Amar Gopal Bose of Bose Corporation, Gordon Earle Moore of Intel, Bob Oatley […]
Three UK firms win global awards for older worker practices
Three UK companies have won global acclaim for innovative HR and workforce practices that support older employees of 50 plus years. Centrica, Marks & Spencer and The Coop Group were among 15 organisations around the world that were recognised in the 2011 ‘Best Employers for Workers over 50’ awards. The event is sponsored by […]
Simple steps to help women reach the top
Gender equality remains a problem at the top of UK business. While there is a general consensus that Lord Davies’ call for more of it at board level is a good thing to aim at, many people believe the road to that particular promised land will be much longer and far more arduous than first […]
Female unemployment to jump again from 23-year high
Even as it became clear that Lord Davies’ boardroom gender targets were being ignored by most UK companies, the TUC warned that female unemployment rates were set to jump further from current 23-year highs. An analysis of official statistics undertaken by the union umbrella organisation revealed that, because the number of women employed in the […]
Legal Insight: The religious discrimination issue
The Church of England recently attempted to re-open the long-running debate over the issue of religion (and religious expression) in the workplace. But the legal position is far from straightforward. How far employers should go in accommodating the religious needs and requirements of staff is an issue that typically polarises opinion. The Church believes that […]
Going for gold – the role of HR in Olympic tenders
With less than a year to go until the Olympics, much is being written about the expected impact on the workforce, including an increase in sickness absence and requests for flexible working. But another much less discussed issue is the stringent tender process that companies are having to go through to be considered ‘fit to […]
Female bosses to wait a century for equal pay, says CMI
Female bosses in the UK will need to wait nearly a century to be paid the same as their male counterparts, although women are already earning more than men in the most junior management positions. These are the key findings of a poll undertaken among 34,158 executives by XpertHR on behalf of the Chartered Management […]
Modern Workplaces consultation: the view from payroll
Back in May, the government launched a four part consultation on Modern Workplaces to explore the pros and cons of four key regulatory proposals. These proposals comprised: the introduction of a system of flexible parental leave a right for all employees to request flexible working changes to the Working Time Regulations affecting the interaction of […]
Employers must “challenge status quo” for women to reach the top
Employers need to challenge the status quo and revamp out-moded working patterns if they are to give women as much chance as men of getting to the top, according to experts. A report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission entitled ‘Sex & Power 2011’ earlier this week revealed that, at current rates of […]
The value of on-the-job assessments when managing older workers
Although Employment Minster Ed Davey hailed the abolition of the Default Retirement Age as ‘great news for older people, businesses and the economy’, not everyone agrees. As Mary Clarke, chief executive of Cognisco points outs, some business leaders and lobby groups have voiced concerns that businesses may be saddled with an ageing and incompetent workforce, […]
Consultation on modern workplaces
The “Consultation on Modern Workplaces” launched by the Government in May 2011 proposes radical changes for 2015 to maternity and parental leave, which could create a huge administrative burden on employers, and shifts the focus of diversity measures away from women, toward equal treatment for both parents, plus additional paid leave. Employers don’t need to […]
First Default Retirement Age test launched
In what may prove a test case on new laws abolishing the default retirement age, a principal at a Scottish university has started tribunal proceedings after rejecting claims made by his employer that he had retired. Abertay University reportedly circulated an email to staff in error a couple of weeks ago ahead of an official […]
Older workers neglected in training and performance
If employers fail to tackle the current widespread neglect of older workers’ training and performance management requirements, they will leave themselves open to discrimination claims when the default retirement age is phased out in October. This is the warning issued by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development after publishing a survey of 2,000 respondents, […]
Case in point: Treating maternity leavers too favourably
Caught between a rock and a hard place: too favourable a treatment of employees on maternity leave during a redundancy process can lead to discrimination issues. The Employment Appeal Tribunal decision in Eversheds Legal Services Limited v Mr J De Belin has highlighted the difficulties facing employers who, in a bid to avoid discriminating against […]
Under 30s feel exploited and disengaged
The under-30s are the most disengaged age group in the workforce, feeling forced to do jobs they are not interested in as a result of the current economic climate as well as put upon by exploitative employers. According to a survey among 30,556 adults in 29 countries undertaken by market research firm GfK Custom Research, […]
