Unions mount legal challenge to Government pension changes
A new front will open up tomorrow in the ongoing battle over public sector pensions between unions and the Coalition Government when a judicial review hearing kicks off in the High Court. The aim of the legal challenge, which has been mounted by the UK’s six largest public sector unions, is to question the lawfulness […]
Staff education and training are critical to corporate security
Earlier this year, a security firm called RSA was embarrassed by a major breach that led to information about its user authentication token technology leaking out. The company not only faced a huge bill to physically replace its offerings, which were now useless, but also attracted unwanted column inches from press around the world. Just […]
Ask the Expert: How can I legally sack an employee with a disability?
The question We have a member of staff who is bi-polar (declared and fully supported since November 2009). Recently, however, there have been changes to his mood and behaviour. He suffers from depression, feelings of self-harm, hallucinations. On occasion, the staff member has also sent inappropriate and racist emails to some colleagues and demonstrated […]
MoD spends £9m on armed forces recruitment as redundancies mount
The Ministry of Defence has spent £9 million on recruitment advertising for the armed forces despite being in the process of laying off thousands of troops over the next four years. According to figures revealed in a written Parliamentary answer to shadow defence minister Kevan Jones, the government department has forked out £5.19 million in […]
Public sector job cuts hindering not helping deficit reduction, warns CIPD
Chancellor George Osborne has been urged to postpone continuing public sector job cuts because they are a “false economy” that is hindering rather than helping deficit reduction plans. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development today warned that the Coalition Government was cutting too far, too fast, after a survey by the organisation revealed […]
Legal Insight: How to tackle a Tevez
These days, it seems that footballer Carlos Tevez is never far from the latest controversy. During a recent Champion’s League match against Bayern Munich, the Manchester City player apparently refused to come on as a substitute, ignoring his manager’s request to do so (although he put it down to a misunderstanding). While his antics […]
Ask the Expert: Is nicking something from the fridge corporate theft?
The question This is a bit of an odd situation that I’ve not come across before. Employees have been commenting for a while that food has been going missing from the fridge in the staff room. In fact, one member of staff stuck a note on a tub of salad saying ‘if you like […]
Tory Conference: Fujitsu strike called off at eleventh hour
This week’s Tory party conference proceeded untroubled by pickets from unhappy Fujitsu employees amid union promises that further action would also be suspended for the time being. Workers at public sector ICT supplier Fujitsu in Manchester had voted to go on strike and to demonstrate during a presentation at the party conference by the supplier’s […]
Stress now most common cause of sickness absence at work
Stress is now the biggest cause of long-term absence among UK workers across all sectors, overtaking cancer as the main reason for taking time off due to sickness. But according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and private health insurance provider, Simplyhealth, staff absence in the public sector have rocketed […]
Two new enterprise zones created to help BAE jobless
The coalition Government is to create two new enterprise zones in the areas where BAE Systems’ workers are being made redundant. Chancellor George Osborne said the zones, which give tax breaks to businesses that set up within them, will be created near Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire and Brough in East Yorkshire, home to the […]
Ask the Expert: Is it OK for staff to smoke e-cigs in the workplace?
The Question ‘E-cigs’ are electronic cigarettes. Basically, they look like cigarettes but work by heating a solution that contains nicotine. This produces an odourless vapour that is inhaled. The user inhales this and gets their nicotine hit. When they exhale, you see a ‘vapour’, which looks like smoke. In fact, the units look just […]
Temporary workers still registering in recruitment plans
One in five employers plan to increase their use of temporary staff between now and the end of the year despite the impending introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations, according to a new report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. The Confederation said a survey of 600 firms also showed that just under two thirds planned […]
HP axes second leader in a year
Hewlett-Packard was subject to more top-level upheaval today after announcing that the former head of eBay was to replace incumbent Leo Apotheker as president and chief executive, less than a year after he took the job. The high tech giant has appointed Meg Whitman, who has been a member of its board since January, as […]
Ask the Expert: Are staff due a holiday after sickness and maternity leave?
Question I’m looking for some guidance on accrual of holidays when an employee has been on long-term sick leave, then returns to go on maternity leave. Is she entitled to accrue almost two years’ holiday? Legal Advice Esther Smith, a partner at Thomas Eggar The short answer to this question is […]
Alternative pension proposals could undermine public sector strike case
A local authority lobby group has come up with plans that it claims could save the Government £900 million a year in public sector pensions without immediately increasing employee contributions. According to the BBC, Local Government Employers, which represents the interests of England and Wales’ 375 local Councils, has written to the Communities’ Secretary Eric […]
Legal Insight: Tackling gender pay gap reporting
The recent settlement of the long running saga of Gibson and Others v Sheffield City Council, otherwise known as the ‘dinner ladies’ case, highlights the limitations of the UK’s equal pay legislation. After 40 years of being in force, we are still seeing test cases, where legal issues relating to whether workers are entitled to […]
Sheffield Council settles equal pay claim out-of-court
Just as an equal pay claim made by hundreds of women at Sheffield Council has been settled out of court, Birmingham Council employees have started a one-day strike over new employment contracts. Some 900 female Sheffield City Council staff, who include dinner ladies and care workers, were due to have their case heard at the […]
BT pays this year’s biggest sexual harrassment award to telesales worker
A BT telesales worker who was sexually harassed by a “dangerous” boss has been granted the highest employment tribunal award of the last 12 months at £290,000. Up to 10 women have already sued the telecoms provider for sexual harassment allegedly suffered at the hands of different men while working for its ‘Customer Street’ telesales […]
HRD Insight: Paul Duncan on managing change at Swissport
When I joined Swissport International as interim HR director in December 2008, the UK arm of the €1.3bn airport ground services business was in the initial stages of a turnaround. This activity was being led by chief executive Mark Faulkner, who had arrived two months earlier from another company in the Ferrovial group, which was […]
Blog: Bullying, politics and manipulation – is it happening in your company?
Do you know what corporate politics, hidden agendas and manipulation are costing your business right now? You might think, "But it doesn’t happen in my company". Well, that’s why they’re called ‘hidden’ agendas. You’re not supposed to know what’s going on. If you did, you’d try to put a stop to it. You […]