Tackling prejudice at work
With the number of workplace discrimination cases rising, it is vital that HR professionals confront, tackle and remove prejudice in the workplace, but how should they go about it? Nick Golding finds out. The number of workplace discrimination cases, where workers drag their employer through the courts over alleged unfair treatment because of their age, background […]
The business case for diversity
Does greater diversity equal greater profits? Bella Mehta explains how diversity can deliver and make a positive impact on your bottom line. We’ve long thought that diversity was a ‘good thing’, something we should be doing. Now, though, we have concrete evidence that not only does diversity have the feel-good factor, but it […]
Opinion: Working beyond retirement age
As a 74-year-old who is still working, John Pope share his views on the issues around the raising of the state pension age, mandatory retirement rules, and the loss of talent to business. At present, retirement age for men is 65, soon to be raised to 66. That leaves about 45 years to generate the wealth that has […]
It’s about a sticky floor, not a glass ceiling
Gender discrimination is holding women back from the very start of their careers, long before they reach the supposed ‘glass ceiling’, says Mary-Rose Lines, who explains what HR can do to help women progress. What caused the war for talent? Many things including demographic changes, globalisation, skills shortages and increased competition. Have any of […]
Mandatory retirement: The case against
The default retirement age is simply not needed, says Chris Ball, who shares his thoughts on why scrapping mandatory retirement can be extremely beneficial to organisations. The case for or against mandatory retirement is not just an HR issue. It involves the individual worker and the national and international economy as […]
The benefits of a default retirement age
Matthew Lawrence outlines his views on why the default retirement age should not be removed and warns that a change to current policy could have serious financial implications for employers. At the outset it is important to state that workers over 65-years-old are often an invaluable resource of knowledge and experience, something sorely needed in […]
Huge gender pay gap in City
Women working in the UK’s financial sector receive around 80% less in performance-related pay than men, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The commission’s Finance Sector Inquiry found that women employees earned an average of £2,875 in bonuses, compared to an average of £14,554 for men. The inquiry included a survey of […]
Diversity at B&Q: The people business
Retail chain B&Q is well known for its success in employing a diverse workforce. So what is its secret? Lucie Mitchell speaks to the organisation’s diversity advisor to find out. Home improvement retailer B&Q is well known for its diversity policies. It has earned a reputation for employing older workers and has […]
Engaging all the generations in our workforce
Karen Frost explores the key differences between each of the four generations and explains how to overcome the challenge of Generation Y. If you stop and think about it, we currently have four generations of people in our workforce. This has always been the case, but the needs and aspirations of each […]
Create a diverse workforce for business success
Equality and diversity must be seen as a business issue, despite the recession, because promoting a diverse workforce can bring many benefits to both employer and employee, says Sarah Williams Gardener. The total benefits to the UK economy of reducing the gender segregation of jobs and increasing women’s employment has been estimated as anything up […]
Default retirement age review to take place in 2010
A review of the default retirement age is to be brought forward by a year, the government has announced. The review had been expected to take place in 2011, but will now take place next year in response to changing demographic and economic circumstances, ministers said. Denise Keating, chief executive of leading age campaigners […]
Legislation update: Climate change and philosophical beliefs
Richard White discusses a recent case in which the employment tribunal held that an employee’s belief in climate change could be considered a religious belief, rather than an opinion. In the recent case of Nicholson v Grainger PLC and others, the employment tribunal held that Mr Nicholson’s belief in climate change could […]
Equality in the city: Women in charge?
Equalities minister Harriet Harman was recently criticised for suggesting that the Equality Bill could be used to appoint more women to senior positions in the City. Alex Denny and Christabel Oh discuss the issues concerning ‘positive action’, one of the new measures contained in the Bill. The Equality Bill has been hailed as an important move […]
Ask the expert: Alcohol policy and religion
An employer would like to develop an alcohol policy that takes into account employees who cannot drink due to religious reasons. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise. The question: We have two scenarios :- A manager may invite their team out after work to celebrate a fundraising success. We may crack open a bottle of champagne in […]
Paternity leave plans put on hold
Proposals to let parents share a year of leave to help raise a child have been put on hold by business secretary Lord Mandelson, due to the economic crisis. Despite backing by Equality Minister Harriet Harman, the plans to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months and allow fathers to share up to six months […]
The drive towards equality in the workplace
Cases involving discrimination on the grounds of age, religion and belief or sexual orientation are on the increase. Pam Loch discusses the opinion as to whether some equality rights are more equal than others. Since 1975 and the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act, there have been many challenges in tribunals and courts which have clarified […]
A week in HR: Discrimination, data and Women’s Day
This week, Neil Davey reports on the mixed feelings surrounding the European Court of Justice's ruling on forced retirement, the rising number of unfair dismissal claims and a disturbing case of data misuse. Age discrimination was the top story last week. First of all it was revealed that the number of unfair […]
Overcoming age bias in recruitment
In the current economic climate, both older and younger individuals face even greater difficulties than usual in obtaining or changing jobs. Dianne Bown-Wilson comments on how improvements to the recruitment process might help cut down on age discrimination. Age discrimination in employee recruitment continues to be rife despite legislation which should by now have resulted […]
Women in the workplace: A career in interim management
This article forms part of our series on women in the workplace. Take a look at the full content series for more information, including insight into impostor syndrome, sick leave and much more. One reason why there is a lack of women in the boardroom is because many are becoming interim managers, which allows them to work at […]
HR tip: Retiring an elderly employee at 70
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 wish to retire a 70-year-old employee. Our normal retirement age is 65 but we let him stay on. Do we need to do anything other than give him notice? And at […]
