HR to play vital role in managing public service change

Public sector employers must ensure that they have the right HR capabilities in place to ensure staff engagement and manage industrial relations during a period of unprecedented change, an Acas report has warned. A discussion paper commissioned by the conciliation service entitled ‘A new era of public service employment relations? The challenges ahead’ pointed out […]

Ask the expert: Redundancy and re-employment

The question: Redundancy and re-employment   "Is there a minimum time after a redundancy that employers can re-advertise for the same post, I’ve seen a lot of conflicting advice some companies wait three months, others six. I’d appreciate any advice please."   Legal advice:   Esther Smith, partner, Thomas Eggar "Well, the answer generally depends […]

Graduates focus on money, not idealism

Contrary to conventional wisdom, salary and other financial considerations are now top of the list for graduates when making their career choice, with idealism apparently having gone out of the window with the recession.  According to a study undertaken by talent management consultancy Hay Group, a huge 93% of university leavers now see base pay […]

Top of Acas list of things to do: deal with unfair dismissal

While pay remains the single biggest cause of large-scale industrial disputes, unfair dismissal is the most common reason for individuals to use its conciliation services, says arbitration service Acas.   Although the number of large, collective disputes rose by 15% last year to 1,054, a huge 91% were either resolved or saw both parties move […]

Rail union considering legal action over lost contract

A leading rail union is considering whether to take legal action over the decision not to award Bombardier the Thameslink contract in a bid to save 1,400 jobs at the train manufacturer.  The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said it was taking legal advice over a potential challenge on the grounds that the tendering process […]

AA accused of ‘corporate bullying’

The Automobile Association is indulging in “corporate bullying” by attempting to ‘performance manage’ 450 staff out of their jobs in a bid to replace them with cheaper, lower skilled workers, the GMB union has claimed.  Patrollers across the country have allegedly been called into meetings and given a “take it or leave it” offer of […]

Two councils to sack entire payroll in order to meet cuts

Two local councils plan to sack their entire workforces in drastic moves they say are the only way to meet cuts targets. Shropshire County Council has already P45-ed its entire workforce to try and force through a salary cut of 5.4% and reductions in sick pay, while Southampton City Council says it will do the […]

Employees have too much holiday, say 25% of SMEs

Around a quarter of small-to-medium employers believe that workers get too much holiday and would like to prune their entitlement by about four days in a bid to cut costs.  According to a survey among 403 SMEs undertaken by BDRC Continental Research on behalf of insurance company MetLife, some 27% believe they are too generous […]

Redundancy payments top £13 billion since recession

Employers have shelled out a huge £13.4 billion in redundancy payments over the last three years following job losses as a result of the recession and subsequent sluggish economic growth.  According to a report by Wedlake Bell, a City law firm that obtained the figures via a Freedom of Information request to Her Majesty’s Revenue […]

Lloyds to cut back office function to save money

Lloyds Banking Group is to axe a further 15,000 jobs in a bid to make annual savings of £1.5 billion by 2014, with most of the cuts likely to come from middle management and back office functions.   The organisation has already announced 27,500 job losses since its merger with HBOS in 2009, but said […]

‘Don’t strike’ Cameron plea to public sector

David Cameron will make a last ditch appeal to public sector workers today not to go on strike on Thursday after talks between the coalition government and the unions broke down last night.  The Prime Minister is to address the Local Government Association’s annual conference two days before a walkout of an expected 750,000 teachers, […]

Ask the expert: Am I really redundant?

This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether this HR practitioner is being made redundant fairly.     The question: Am I really redundant? I have worked for my current employer for 19 years as their HR/Payroll & Benefits Manager. Four weeks ago I was called into a meeting with the […]

Transparent top pay catches out 10% rise union leader

The ongoing controversy over executive salaries took a new twist this week after a union leader was criticised for taking a 10% pay rise and top mandarins lost their battle to keep their wage details secret.  Christine Blower, head of the National Union of Teachers which is taking part in a national strike next week […]

Police officer sacked after Facebook comments

A Metropolitan police officer has been sacked for acting like a “nasty schoolyard bully” after posting offensive messages about a fellow officer on Facebook and abusing a female colleague both verbally and by text.  The 35-year old constable, who was based in Islington, posted “deeply offensive” comments on the social networking site on 18 June […]

What your CEO is thinking and may not be telling you

How well do you know your customers? How well do you know the competition? The answers to those questions can have a significant impact on how your CEO perceives you and your department and how much stock he/she puts into your recommendations.  According to a recent CareerBuilder.co.uk survey of 194 UK business leaders, 30% of […]

Charity alliance to push Government over forced labour convention

An alliance of charities and unions is to launch a high profile campaign to try and persuade the coalition government to change its mind about backing an international convention on domestic workers rights.  The UK was one of only a handful of member countries at the International Labour Organization’s conference in Geneva yesterday to refuse […]

‘Sticky’ skilled workers create talent gaps

Despite high levels of unemployment, shortages of managerial, specialist and technical skills are resulting in a renewed talent war as individuals remain reluctant to change jobs due to the ongoing economic uncertainty.  These are the findings of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s annual Resourcing and Talent Planning survey, which is produced in conjunction […]

Teaching unions vote to strike

Up to 750,000 public sector workers could take co-ordinated industrial action on 30 June after two teaching unions voted to strike yesterday and a third union is expected to follow suit today.  The Public and Commercial Services Union has said it anticipates that the vote will come down overwhelmingly in favour of strike action when […]

Calls for government to engage with unions to avoid unrest

Rather than making threats against the unions, the coalition government would do better to actively engage with public sector staff if it wants to avoid mass industrial action this autumn, employment experts have warned. The recommendations came after business secretary Vince Cable was booed and heckled at the GMB union’s annual conference in Brighton yesterday, […]

Council off shoring move leads to Union anger

Unions warned that Birmingham City Council’s plans to offshore 100 IT roles to India were only the “tip of the iceberg” as members began voting on strike action over job cuts and changes to pay and conditions.   In what the Local Government Association said was the first move by a local authority to outsource […]