Update: PCS threatens further strikes and legal action over pensions
Leaders of the biggest civil service union, the PCS, have warned about the possibility of more strikes and court action if the Government goes ahead with its threat to exclude it from more pension talks. The news came as the GMB, along with 10 other unions, said that they would appeal the High Court’s ruling […]
BMW negotiates with unions over agency worker get-out clause
BMW has entered into negotiations with unions over its use of a legal get-out clause to the Agency Worker Regulations, which would result in it not having to pay temp workers the same as permanent ones. The luxury car manufacturer had intended to employ the so-called ‘Swedish derogation’, which enables recruitment agencies to employ temps […]
Blog: The art of communication in tough economic times
We all felt it. The incredible desire to get 2012 off to a great start, this Olympic year that’s full of hope, only to be confronted with headlines indicating that the next 12 months could in fact be far worse in terms of the economy and employment market than the ones that have passed. Not […]
Cleaning manager hangs himself at Heathrow over job security fears
The manager of a cleaning sub-contractor for the major airlines hung himself at Heathrow Airport over fears about the security of his job. Keith Stone, who was 50 years old, was found hanging from a de-icing vehicle at Terminal 5 in full view of passengers taking off and landing. According to the Sun, the father […]
Capita plans to offshore TV Licensing jobs branded as “callous”
Hundreds of TV Licensing jobs are at risk of redundancy under plans by outsourcer Capita to relocate – and partly offshore – work from Bristol. Capita is proposing to move 350 jobs from its office in the city to alternative sites in Lancashire and India. The Communication Workers Union branded the move as […]
Ask the Expert: Can we sack someone for performing badly?
The question An operations manager recently contacted me and requested that we terminate the employment contract of a member of his team for poor performance. The employee has 13 months service with the firm. I advised him that we should manage the employee’s performance through the company performance management procedures, but he insists […]
Analysis: Did the public sector pensions battle really need to be fought?
The Treasury is attempting to play down suggestions that proposed changes to public sector pensions, which led to the biggest walkout in a generation six weeks ago, are a poor deal for taxpayers. According to pensions consultant John Ralfe, the fight to get public servants to accept a later retirement age was at the very […]
Communication key to morale in face of ongoing pay restraint, advises CIPD
With 2012 set to be marked by constrained and frozen pay, employers must find more effective ways to communicate the rationale behind their decisions to staff in order to keep them motivated, an HR body has warned. According to a survey among 3,056 working adults across all sectors undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Personnel […]
Credit union membership opened up for staff and employers
Changes to the legislation surrounding credit unions will open up membership to employers and geographically-dispersed workers for the first time, enabling them to compete more effectively with banks. The news came to light as a survey published by a housing charity, Shelter, revealed that nearly one million Britons had taken out an emergency ‘payday’ loan […]
Public sector disillusion widespread, warns recruiter
Public sector employees are currently so disillusioned that just over half of those looking for work would be prepared to sacrifice a better pension for perceived higher job security in the private sector. These are the findings of an online poll among 1,380 public and private sector employees and 955 employers undertaken by recruitment firm […]
Blog: Can HR devise rules that stimulate not stifle innovation?
When you look at their end products, service and reputation, you can’t help but associate words like innovation and creativity with the US technology firm, Apple. Having revolutionised mobile phone technology, the business has transformed the way we communicate and managed to wrap all kinds of inventions and creations into one handheld device. So […]
Fit notes more than double days lost to sickness absence
Workers who obtained a fit note from their GPs were off work for more than twice as long as those who failed to follow procedure, a study has revealed. An analysis of 22,086 employee records by absence management services provider, FirstCare, revealed that personnel requesting a fit note were absent from work for an average […]
Analysis: Tribunal reform will lead to more out-of-court settlements, admits Minister
Coalition Government measures to reduce the rising number of tribunal cases will lead to more employers having to pay lump sums to settle claims out-of-court, the Employment Minister has admitted. A key element of the Government’s proposed changes to the employment tribunal system is to encourage workplace mediation when a dispute arises between employers and […]
Update: Royal Mail Christmas temps threaten walk-out
Seasonal temp staff at a Royal Mail sorting office in Birmingham are threatening a second walk-out after delays in paying their wages. According to the BBC, thirty four workers at the postal service’s Newtown depot already walked out on Monday over unpaid or incorrect wage payments as did personnel in Essex. Similar action was taken […]
Update: High Court bid to stop tube drivers’ strike on Boxing Day
The High Court will hear a legal bid to stop tube drivers from walking out for 24 hours on Boxing Day in a row over pay later today. London Underground claims that only 42% of Aslef ‘s members – the largest tube driver union – voted to go take industrial action and so it is […]
Update: Ministers claim pensions deal – even as unions pull out
Agreement in principle to make big changes to public sector pensions has been reached with a majority of trade unions, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has told Parliament. After 10 months of negotiations and following the UK’s largest industrial dispute in a generation, Danny Alexander said that 26 out of the 28 negotiating unions […]
Self-efficacy: Limiting the damage of redundancy
Christmas is a time for giving. But some presents are less popular than others – and that includes the dubious gift of redundancy. Sadly, however, Christmas is a depressingly common time for workers to be handed their notice – Virgin Megastores went into receivership on Christmas Eve, 2008; Woolworths closed the last of its stores […]
Only a third of employers handle staff mental health issues well
Although about a quarter of employees have experienced mental health problems while in employment, only just over a third believe that their employer is supportive of such issues. An online poll of 2,068 UK workers undertaken by YouGov on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development revealed that a worrying one in five […]
CEO Insight: Stinkyink.com’s John Sollars on recruiting for start-ups
One of the most difficult and exciting decisions any new business owner must make is when to take on staff, and even more importantly, in what role, John Sollars, managing director and founder of Stinkyink.com tells our sister publication, www.BusinessZone.co.uk. The key issue is deciding at what point you actually need somebody else to help. […]
Half of UK managers expect redundancies in 2012
Nearly half of managers expect their organisations to cut more jobs in 2012, with more than a third feeling insecure about their own employment prospects. These are the key findings of a survey among 800 bosses in UK companies undertaken by the Chartered Management Institute. The study also revealed that more than half of those […]