Employing agency workers? Know their rights
Paul McQuade, senior solicitor in the employment team at Brodies LLP, explores the proposed new regulations and their ramifications. After a decade of deliberation in the EU, the 2008 Directive on Temporary Agency Work is due to be introduced as law into the United Kingdom. New rights for agency workers will be established before […]
HR tip: Can we withdraw notice?
We gave a worker his notice, but would now like to continue his employment. Can we take back the notice? Withdrawing notice Because our order book has dried up a bit, we recently gave notice to three of our short-serving employees but we now find that we want to keep one of them after all. […]
Defining an engaging leader
Andy Lowe provides an exploration of the kind of qualities HR need to cultivate to harvest a crop of great leaders of the future. When it comes to leadership, there are so many questions to be answered. Test yourself: what criteria do you use to decide how to you invest in tomorrow’s leaders? Do you […]
Beat stress on National Stress Awareness Day
National Stress Awareness day is a chance for HR to show they care by helping their employees manage their stress. This year why not help your managers spot and deal with stress? Stress has become a major factor in many people's lives as the recession has increased employment and financial worries. It is reported that […]
Ask the expert: Paternity leave starts…now
If a worker is a birthing partner at a prolonged labour, where do the employers stand? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on when and how paternity leave comes into effect. The question: When a woman goes into labour but does not have the baby until the following day can an […]
When opposites frustrate – don’t give up!
Diversity can bring huge benefits to an organisation, but are you getting the most from it? Matthew Hill gives advice and guidance on managing diverse teams. When the pressure is on within a team, the cracks will begin to show. This is often evidenced by escalating displays of emotion and tension. Sometimes a negative spiral […]
Top 10 tips: Engagement for managers
For your employees to be productive, motivated and loyal, it is vital that the line manager is engaged and knows how to lead a team. Doug Shaw shares his top ten tips on how to be a successful manager. 1. Create the ‘right’ culture. Pretty much everything you do as a manager impacts the […]
Views on HR news: Engagement and productivity
Jon Ingham trawls the net to provide his round-up of the great and the good of HR thought and opinion, so you don’t have to. This month, he reviews posts on employee engagement and workforce productivity. My favourite posts this month have focused on employee engagement and productivity. Engagement Did you […]
Twelve creative routes to talent engagement
Having a low level of employee engagement in your organisation is a crime, says Andrew Leigh, who explains how to uncover high levels of talent engagement in the workplace. Talent engagement goes beyond the basics of talent management. It deals with the two essential questions: What does this person need to make a […]
Legislation update: Continuity of employment with a company in administration
Richard White considers a recent appeal in which an employee challenged the decision not to allow him to claim for unfair dismissal after his employer went into administration. In recent months, there have been many reports of companies going into administration. Employees can suddenly find themselves unemployed with no comeback, as they are deemed not […]
David Fairhurst interview: Managing the workforce in a recession
Lucie Mitchell talks to David Fairhurst, HR chief at McDonald’s, about his views on the importance of employee engagement and talent management during the current downturn. David Fairhurst, senior vice president, chief people officer at McDonald’s Northern Europe, knows a thing or two about human resources. Recently voted as HR’s most influential […]
Seven deadly wins in employee motivation
Lucie Mitchell speaks to seven HR experts to find out their top tips on ensuring your employees are engaged, productive and motivated in the current economic climate. Retention of your key talent is vital in a recession, which means that HR professionals need to ensure that those employees who have survived redundancy remain engaged, […]
Hold a coffee morning to engage employees
The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, a fundraising event organised by Macmillan Cancer Support, is being seen as an excellent tool for team building and boosting staff morale. As one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK, Macmillan is encouraging employers to hold a coffee morning in the workplace on Friday 25 September 2009, to […]
MacLeod Review: What the experts said
Some worthy recommendations came out of the MacLeod Review this week, so HRzone.co.uk has gathered opinion from a range of HR experts to find out what they think of the review and what business should be doing to ensure employee engagement remains at the top of the agenda. The MacLeod Review of employee engagement, launched on Thursday, has […]
Driving employee engagement higher
How does an organisation increase employee engagement? Jack Wiley identifies four ‘pillars’ of engagement which need to be addressed, and outlines the significant role played by managers. Research has shown that employee engagement is linked to improved productivity and commitment, higher levels of employee retention and reduced absenteeism, not to mention enhancements […]
Employee engagement is key to future business success, finds MacLeod Review
The MacLeod Review of employee engagement, launched today, has recommended that employers must fully involve their staff in the future of the business if they are to innovate and secure new opportunities. The review also highlighted the need for more government support and more cooperation by UK organisations to ensure the employer-employee relationship is central […]
Employee engagement and motivation: What not to do
Tim Holden examines the approaches businesses should definitely not be taking if they want their employees to remain motivated, loyal and engaged throughout the recession and beyond. Keeping levels of employee engagement at a satisfactory level is one of the biggest challenges employers face in the UK at present. Pay cuts, pay freezes, […]
Keeping your survivors engaged
Despite firms wanting to retain their key talent, up to 10% of the workforce can leave a company after keeping their jobs through the redundancy programme. Chris Philips explains how best to engage – and keep – talent. Recent weeks have seen optimistic predictions that the worst of the recession is over and that the […]
Colborn’s Corner: Pay and benefits – will they ever be the same again?
This month Quentin Colborn addresses the issue of the employee relations legacy that is being built for the future. In the news this week, we read of BA staff apparently rejecting a deal that would have resulted in pay cuts as part of the plan to get BA onto a firmer financial footing. They are […]
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 […]