HR ineffective at conflict resolution
Although workplace conflict is on the up as a result of the stress caused by increasing workloads, less than one in five employees would turn to the HR function to bring about a resolution. According to a study among 1,000 UK workers commissioned by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), some 87% of […]
Podcast: Working with unions
Whether you have never dealt with unions before, have forged a good working relationship or actively love to hate them, for many HR practitioners, dealing with unions is likely to become part of your job. In this podcast Croner discuss what HR professionals need to be aware of given possible union activity in the coming […]
CIPD: 1.6 million jobs will go in UK
The private sector will lose more jobs than the public sector following the coalition government’s spending cuts and VAT rise and will struggle to create a targeted 300,000 posts per year by 2015-16. The warning from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) came as researchers revealed that graduate unemployment had hit the highest […]
Ask the expert: Providing a reference – what’s our duty to the employer?
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether a reference given should be updated to take account of a recent disciplinary hearing. The question: providing a reference – what’s our duty to the employer? About a week ago, we supplied a reference to a prospective employer of one of our employees. Our […]
The employer’s guide to: Redundancy
With the announcement of the public sector spending review the British public are braced for an age of austerity. This will almost certainly lead to extensive redundancy rounds, affecting both the public and also the private sector. This article looks at how an employer should go about getting a redundancy process right and minimising the […]
Public sector job cuts likely to hit three quarters of a million
Public sector job cuts are likely to hit three quarters of a million rather than the implied 490,000 over the next few years as the coalition government looks to completely restructure service provision in the UK, an HR body has warned. The chancellor in his Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announcement said that planned real cuts in […]
Supporting employees out of the public sector
Reducing staff numbers is never easy, and is a problem most public sector organisations will face. The NHS has implemented an idea for employees to help lighten the load. The recent introduction of the Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS), which has since been adopted by a number of NHS organisations, shows how the NHS is […]
Employers back government’s minimum threshold on strike ballots proposal
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Three quarters of employers back coalition government proposals to introduce a minimum threshold on strike ballots over fears that increased levels of industrial action following swingeing budget cuts could stifle the UK’s economic recovery. These are the findings of a study among 507 senior UK decision […]
Public sector workers say striking worth the public perception risk
Although just under three in five public sector workers understand that they risk losing public sympathy if they cause disruption through strike action, 49% believe that they must do what is necessary to protect their jobs. But according to a survey of 2,000 UK private and public sector workers undertaken by the Chartered Institute of […]
Should UK brace for winter of discontent?
With the spending review due to be announced this week and last week’s announcements of quangos to be closed down sparking talk of a ‘quango bonfire’, union action is expected over government cuts – but how soon and in which sectors remains to be seen. Tomorrow (Tuesday 10 October) the TUC will hold a rally […]
Ask the expert: Notice period holiday
The experts, Neil Gill and Esther Smith advise on whether it can be made compulsory to take remaining holiday when serving notice. The question: Notice period holiday Can employers include a clause in their employment contracts which states that any outstanding holiday entitlement must be used up during notice periods? For example, if an […]
Ask the expert: Sickness and holiday pay
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on working out holiday leave for a sick employee. The question: Sickness and holiday pay Situation: Employee off on sick leave for 7.5 months. Received Full pay for 6 months, half pay for the remaining 1.5 months. Company policy) Returned to work on a fit note […]
Strike action threatened over pay and conditions
Unions have warned of potential industrial action if Northampton Borough Council tries to impose changes in terms and conditions that they claim would hit the salaries of the local authority’s lowest paid workers. The Council’s approval of new pay structures and cuts in allowances led more than 200 angry workers to stage a demonstration outside […]
Cuts cause ‘bullying tactics’ accusations from unions
Unions have condemned Birmingham City Council’s “bullying” tactics after warnings that new contracts imposing cuts in pay and conditions on nearly 26,000 staff were to be introduced as part of a bid to save more than £330 million by 2014. Stephen Hughes, chief executive of the country’s largest local authority, has sent legal notices to […]
Union calls for civil disobedience to beat cuts
The Trades Union Congress is expected to overwhelmingly back a composite motion today to ‘support and co-ordinate campaigning and joint industrial action’ at a national and local level in response to proposed public sector budget cuts. Union leaders warned the Financial Times that public sector pensions are shaping up to be the most “combustible” issue, […]
Sexual harrassment at work widespread and unreported
While almost one in ten women feel sexually harassed at work, just under half report the situation to HR or managers over fears that their career will be affected or they will not be taken seriously. The most common complaint, cited by one fifth of female workers, was being subject to sexist comments from male […]
Employees win over lack of redundancy consultation
About 60 workers made redundant in January after their employer went into liquidation have been awarded 90 days’ back pay due to inadequate consultation over the situation. Electrical contractors J&G Engineering had debts of around £2.3 million when it went into liquidation just after Christmas. But Unite brought a case against it because staff were […]
Ask the expert: Is this redundancy fair?
This week the experts, Martin Brewer and Esther Smith, advise on whether this redundancy selection is fair. The question: Is this redundancy fair? The shop floor team consists of five employees working 42 hours per week (full time), three employees working 35 hours per week (part time) and six employees working a variety of […]
Tube strikes after ACAS talks break down
The London Underground network is set to be crippled by a wave of 24-hour rolling strikes from today after talks at the conciliation service Acas to avert industrial action collapsed last week. Some 10,000 members of London Underground’s two biggest unions, the RMT and TSSA, began preparations for strike action from 5pm on 6 September […]
Over 2/3 of organisations fail to evaluate training
In order to boost the performance of their coaching initiatives, organisations need to introduce well-thought through programmes and evaluation processes that are aligned with business strategy. According to the ‘2010 Learning and Development’ survey undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), however, more than two thirds of organisations currently fail to evaluate […]