Agency workers: looking less attractive
The Government has published detailed guidance on the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (“the Regulations”) which are due to become law on 1st October 2011. During the recession many employers have taken advantage of the greater flexibility and cheaper costs associated with agency workers on short term temporary contracts. However, after the Agency Workers Regulations become […]
Communicating with your employees – don’t be anti-social!
Employee engagement should be high on business leaders’ agenda, especially given the economic uncertainty of recent years. This has been particularly challenging with a number of companies being unable to offer their staff a pay increase to maintain levels of engagement. However, an attractive employee benefits scheme can be a cost-effective alternative to a pay […]
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, […]
Report reveals engagement more complicated than we thought
The problem with trying to motivate employees and ensure that they remain motivated is that engagement consists of many different facets and is a movable feast, according to a new report. The research undertaken by Kingston University’s Employee Engagement Consortium Project on behalf of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development revealed that staff engagement […]
BA employee sacked after YouTube threats to poison ‘scab’ pilot
A British Airways employee was sacked after threatening to poison a strike-breaking pilot’s food and posting a series of other sinister threats on YouTube, an employment tribunal has heard. Bryan Benning, who was based at Heathrow’s Terminal Five, is suing the airline for unfair dismissal, claiming that it was his brother rather than himself who […]
Engagement matters – HR and L&D can work together when they get engaged
At the Plateau Insights user conference – which took place in the ancient city of Rome – learning experts took on an age-old issue. Is the LMS dead? Plateau CEO, Paul Sparta, quizzed the panel of Clive Shepherd, Donald Taylor and Nigel Paine for their expert knowledge. One of the themes they picked up […]
The naked office is recruiting
A software company in Amersham has shown naked ambition by advertising jobs for “attractive, young” sales people and web programmers who are happy to work in the buff. Nude House, which was set up in 1977 by naturist Chris Taylor and is a division of a larger firm Songbird, sells a promotional ecommerce application called […]
95% of agency workers have no insurance
Industry sectors subject to high numbers of staff injuries such as waste and logistics are starting to be hit with higher premiums because their temps do not take out personal accident or life insurance. A survey undertaken by temp recruitment consultancy de Poel revealed that a huge 95% of agency workers across all industries have […]
Taskforce set up to increase employee engagement
A government-sponsored taskforce has been set up to try and tackle the staff engagement issues identified in the MacLeod Review in order to boost the productivity and competitiveness of UK organisations. The taskforce, which includes representatives from both the public and private sector, will be chaired by David MacLeod himself, who wrote […]
Encouragement from managers increases staff engagement
There is a direct correlation between staff engagement and the amount of guidance, feedback and autonomy that managers are willing to provide workers, according to research. In general terms, employees feel more supported if their bosses focus on what they do, feel good about themselves in their role and act in a way that demonstrates commitment […]
Overworked employees napping in the office
One in ten office workers have slept overnight at their desks over the past year, with a further 10% calling it a day between 12pm-3am as they try to tackle ever-growing workloads. According to a poll undertaken by officebrokers.com, which helps companies find office space, some three out of five also regularly started work ahead […]
Employee engagement – align organisational aims with employee desires
Tim Casserley explores employee engagement and finds it is not as simple as some make out… The steady rise of ‘engagement’ as a way of capturing the hearts and minds not just of employees but of customers, local communities and other stakeholders has been mirrored by ever-decreasing levels of public trust in organisations. […]
Future looks bleak for employee relations
Deteriorating employee relations will be a hallmark of the year ahead as longer working hours for no additional remuneration, growing skills shortages and worsening relations with management lead to increased levels of stress and disengagement. According to a survey among 550 HR professionals undertaken by King’s College London and law firm Speechly Bircham, 46% saw […]
Employee engagement – finding the missing link
It is a truth, almost universally acknowledged, that an organisation full of engaged employees will outperform its competitors. Universally acknowledged it might be, but it seems that few organisations are achieving this. This is despite a great deal of effort including compelling vision and mission statements, leadership training, performance management systems and incentive schemes. Russell […]
What are you doing to prepare for the agency workers regulations?
This year will see the introduction of the new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) on 1 October 2011. This new piece of legislation is set to have a significant impact on business and performance. But what are HR professionals doing to prepare themselves and their organisations for this change? This new law means that temporary agency […]
Engagement – what’s Sir Isaac Newton got to do with it?
As the effects of the Comprehensive Spending Review now filter into the real economy, and with most organisations facing the challenge of doing the same amount of work with less resource, there has probably never been a more important time to engage the workforce. There is plenty of research that makes the connection between engagement […]
Mums at disadvantage in tough employment market
As unemployment continues to rise, the number of UK employers planning to hire working mums has plummeted over “prejudiced” concerns that family commitments will take precedence over workplace ones. A survey among 1,000 companies undertaken by Regus, which provides outsourced office space, revealed that only just over a quarter intend to hire working mothers over […]
Employee engagement surveys ain’t no fad – there’s too much evidence that proves their worth
Employee engagement has been high on employers’ agendas for a few years now. Last year even the Government got in on the act by publishing the independent MacLeod Review. The HR community has been discussing the review widely ever since. The report was published at a time when private sector companies were addressing the damage […]
Sealing the black hole in HR and careers advice
There is a looming black hole in HR, careers advice and skills development that could blight a generation. HR professionals, in particular, will be facing some of the most challenging conditions seen in the UK since the 1930s. The UK government wants to help but funds are limited. It wants people to embrace the […]
Profit-sharing affects female employee-boss relationships
Relations between female workers and their bosses deteriorate markedly when profit-sharing schemes are introduced, although the same is not true of men, according to research. A paper released by Dr Colin Green from Lancaster University’s Management School revealed that males were largely unaffected by pressure from their line managers and colleagues to hit group […]
