Is it worth bothering with a CIPD qualification?
Although a CIPD qualification isn’t always requested by employers, there are always some hiring managers who include it as a prerequisite on their job specs and adverts. If you already have an HR-related degree or extensive industry experience, the CIPD may be less of a necessity – but it’s a well-respected qualification that could open […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways to ensure a positive relationship with the unions
Philippe Ferrie, worldwide employee relations coordinator at Vallourec, which makes specialist tubes for the oil and gas industry, has a long history of dealing with the unions. Here he offers his advice on the best way to ensure that you have a smooth and productive relationship with them too: 1. Show respect I’ve […]
News: Blacklisted construction workers lodge claim against Sir Robert McAlpine
The campaign by blacklisted construction workers has stepped up a gear, after a High Court claim was lodged against Sir Robert McAlpine which has been branded the worst offender. The legal action follows an official complaint lodged earlier this month with the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development by the Blacklist Support Group against five […]
Ask the Expert: What to do with someone whose role has mostly been offshored?
The question We are a company with five permanent staff. One role has ‘lost’ much of its workload after the work was moved offshore. The person fulfilling that role is now left trying to find enough things to do much of the time. What are my options here? Can I legally redefine the role […]
Blog: The 10 most effective ways to lose your team’s respect
Sometimes the best way to eliminate bad habits in leadership is to see them parodied. So in that spirit, here are the ten quickest ways to ensure your team are demotivated and your leadership is always in question: 1. Always over react, rather than not react So something has gone wrong and you’re not […]
How to administer pay cuts in times of austerity
Last week, Reuters reported that the Spanish royal family, surrounded by high unemployment and scenes of public workers striking, had offered to take a pay cut. The move is intended to reduce the €8.3 million annual cost to Spanish taxpayers of keeping them by some €100,000. Leading the way is the Spanish King, Juan […]
Blog: Four survival tips for when the company loses its CEO
Recognise This! – Build a strong culture based on core values that mean something to individual employees. We’ve all read the stories of the new CEO stepping into a strong company culture. The good CEOs express various concerns around wanting to preserve what is strong in the culture and company, etc. Now think how […]
News: Govt launches 3-step mental health plan to save employers £10bn
Ministers have called on employers to take three steps to boost the mental health of their workers in a bid to save the UK economy £30 billion per year in lost productivity. Mental ill health such as depression and anxiety costs UK business more than £1,000 per employee each year, mainly in lost production as […]
News: Border Agency strike on eve of Games called off
Industrial action by Border Agency staff has been called off at the eleventh hour following union claims that the Home Office now intends to create 1,100 new jobs. The move came only an hour before the government was due to launch a high court challenge against a planned one-day strike by members of the Public […]
Talent Spot: Philippe Ferrie, head of HR at Vallourec
When a global company has a decentralised culture, it can be hard to persuade people to accept standardisation that is handed down from head office, even if it makes their work lives easier. This was the situation that Philippe Ferrie, worldwide employee relations coordinator at Vallourec, found himself in when the company chose to implement […]
Blog: Seven reasons to employ a pregnant CEO
Last week’s announcement that Marissa Mayer had been appointed CEO at Yahoo! while pregnant should send a message to the Lord Sugar brigade; business leaders who believe that you shouldn’t employ women of a certain age in case they get pregnant. We’ve been thinking about the benefits that employing a senior woman while she is […]
News: Employers delude themselves over staff engagement levels
Employers appear to be deluding themselves that workplace relations are positive and staff morale high when in fact two thirds of employees don’t trust their bosses and 58% are indifferent to their work. According to a survey entitled ‘Facing the Future’ undertaken among 319 employers by the CBI and recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, just under […]
News: RIP Jackie Orme, former head of the CIPD
Jackie Orme, former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, died yesterday evening after losing the battle with pancreatic cancer. Orme, who was only 46, headed the organisation from April 2008 until her condition was diagnosed in the summer of 2011. She had worked in HR for 17 years, starting […]
News: Home Office strike threatens to hit Olympics
The government has condemned a planned strike by immigration officials over job cuts and pay that threatens to disrupt services during the Olympics. In a ballot by the Public and Commercial Services union among its 15,700 Home Office members, which include most workers from the UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal […]
News: Start-up scheme targeted at redundant public sector workers
Public sector employees facing redundancy are being encouraged to start their own business with the help of a new government-backed initiative. The Ready for Business scheme, funded with £15 million from the Regional Growth Fund and £1 million from Barclays, is targeting areas "disproportionately affected by the downturn in the economy". It is offering […]
Legal Insight: How to accommodate Ramadan
Over recent years, workforces have become increasingly diverse. This means that employers now need to take account of a wider range of cultural and religious sensitivities, not least for staff motivation purposes. One important such consideration among Muslim workers is Ramadan, which starts this year on Friday 20 July. Ramadan takes place during the […]
News: Whitehall cleaners demand living wage from ministers
Government ministers and the most senior judge in England and Wales were presented with letters from their cleaners yesterday asking to be paid a London Living Wage. The initiative, which is the latest in a series to be organised by campaign group, London Citizens, saw more than 150 cleaners across Whitehall sign and personally deliver […]
Blog: Is an anti-bullying policy enough?
Recognise This! – Bullying is a cultural issue that cannot be addressed through a policy in the employee handbook. Have you ever been bullied at work? To some, this is a sensitive question to ask. Some don’t want to acknowledge having been bullied out of fear it will make them seem weak. Others, perhaps, […]
News: National Grid boss publicly accused of sexual harrassment
The boss of National Grid was yesterday publicly accused of ruining the fledgling career of a female employee because of a failure to satisfy his “sexual demands”. The allegation was made by an audience member at Marks & Spencer’s annual shareholders meeting, of which the Grid’s chief executive, Steven Holliday, has been a non-executive director […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips to motivate yourself and others
For Gill Crowther, HR director at the registry for all .uk internet domain names, Nominet, a key part of the job is trying to ensure that people love coming to work. The way to do this, she believes, is to give them roles that play to their strengths, but are also challenging. But her […]
