‘Nuclear options’ must be considered by Government to avoid strike action

The CIPD urges the government to consider ‘nuclear options’ to tackle unions if necessary but to realise that engagement and trust will win greatest advantages.  The warning came only days after the RMT transport union tabled a motion to be heard at the TUC conference in September, calling for co-ordinated national strike action in protest […]

Unions may coordinate action against cuts

The prospect of a general strike moved a step closer yesterday after the RMT union tabled a motion calling for co-ordinated industrial action in protest at the coalition government’s proposed public sector jobs and pension cuts.  The transport union’s motion will be heard at umbrella organisation the TUC’s Congress, which takes place from 13 to […]

The end of team bonding down the boozer?

Although nearly three out of five managers take staff to the pub for team-building purposes, just over half of employees are unenthusiastic about going out with their colleagues and one in five actively dislike it.  These are the findings of study entitled ‘Health of the Workplace’ undertaken by insurance firm Aviva. The research also revealed […]

20% claim they are bullied by boss

In somewhat of an indictment of UK business leadership, just over one in five UK workers claim to be bullied by their boss, while almost a third believe their manager is incompetent.  A study among 1,298 staff commissioned by HR consultancy Reabur.com also revealed that a further 22% of respondents felt their manager was ‘under-qualified’ […]

Unite union prepares for court battles

Unite is to sue British Airways under European human rights legislation for withdrawing travel perks from cabin crew who took part in strike action earlier this year at the same time as it prepares for legal action against Ford.  The union believes that the move by BA was taken without proper disciplinary procedures being followed. […]

Better communication with the DISC system

Body language expert Peter Clayton looks at the complex subject of profiling and how it can help you better understand how to communicate with your audience whether you are delivering a training programme to managers, presenting to the board or giving a speech at an HR event. Most of us take in knowledge and analyse […]

CIPD in ‘wildly inaccurate’ policy paper row

A leading HR body has found itself at the centre of a PR storm following the publication of a policy paper about skills quangos, which has been branded “wildly inaccurate” and “unprofessional”.  The report entitled ‘Quangos in the Education and Skills System’, which was published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) last […]

Out of date policies putting businesses at risk

Too many companies are failing to revise internal procedures in order to comply with new equality and anti-bribery legislation, leaving them open to potential prosecution, lawyers have warned. According to a survey of more than 100 HR directors undertaken by law firm Pannone, just under two thirds of respondents still routinely use pre-employment health questionnaires […]

No break for SME bosses

Three out of five bosses in small-to-medium enterprises plan to remain in daily contact with staff during their summer break this year, a situation fuelled by concern over increasingly complex HR and payroll issues.  According to a poll of 293 owners of small-to-medium businesses undertaken by internet service provider Eclipse Internet, while 73% plan to […]

Summer and autumn of direct action ahead

The head of the RMT union has called for a general strike and co-ordinated community direct action in protest at proposed government cuts as ministers brace themselves for a summer or autumn of discontent.  General secretary of the transport union Bob Crow issued a “call to arms” at the RMT’s annual conference in Aberdeen yesterday, […]

Interns need ‘training wage’ says CIPD

The CIPD says all employers should be obliged to pay interns a guaranteed ‘Training Wage’ to prevent exploitation.  A policy paper entitled ‘Internships: To Pay or Not to Pay?’ published today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) proposed that all interns regardless of their occupation or industry sector be paid £2.50 per […]

Emergency budget – what it means for HR and employers

This ‘emergency’ budget, delivered by Chancellor George Osborne (flanked by two Liberal Democrats to prove how well the coalition is working and how much cross-party support the financial plan has) could be significant for managers and HR, according to business leaders and the CIPD. John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel […]

TUC says tighter strike rules are “charter for exploitation”

The TUC has branded CBI calls to tighten up strike rules and cut the consultation period for redundancy as a “charter for exploitation” and in likely breach of the UK’s human rights obligations.   The employers’ lobbying group is appealing to the coalition government to change existing ballot rules to ensure that industrial action can […]

Summer strikes may bring country to a halt

The provision of key UK infrastructure looks set to be hit by waves of industrial action this summer as London train drivers prepare themselves for the “mother” of all strikes and BT workers begin voting on a potentially lengthy walkout.  The RMT union last night condemned proposals, leaked to the BBC, to axe all train […]

Now is not the time for employers to short-change staff over outplacement support

With its recent decision to take its outplacement support in-house, RBS is missing an opportunity, says Richard Alberg. Replacing the cost of external expertise in this way may appear more cost-effective but I fear they are in fact short changing ex-employees. It is difficult to criticise any employer that is making an effort to assist […]

CIPD: unemployment to hit three million by the second half of 2012

Government plans to focus on spending cuts rather than tax increases will stall any recovery in the jobs market later this year and cause unemployment to hit three million by the second half of 2012.  This is the stark warning that John Philpott, chief economic advisor for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development will […]

Union anger at HP plan to axe 9,000 jobs

Hewlett-Packard’s decision to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide in a bid to save up to $700 million per year has outraged unions, which claim they were not informed of the decision. The IT vendor intends to slash the posts at part of the ongoing restructuring of its EDS services acquisition, which was purchased 20 months ago […]

BA union launches new strike ballot bid

Unite, the union representing British Airways’ cabin crew, is expected to announce plans for a new strike ballot today, leaving passengers facing a summer of chaos.   Tony Woodley, Unite’s joint general secretary, will announce at the union’s first policy conference in Manchester that a ballot could take place as early as next week due […]

CIPD: For fewer on benefits, address job and skill problems

While government proposals to tackle welfare dependency make sense in theory, addressing structural problems such as poor management, lack of skills investment and too many low-paid and insecure jobs will be vital to make the dream a reality.  According to John Philpott, chief economic advisor at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the […]

Sleep: the elephant slumped in the corner of the room

If the proverbial elephant is like many employees in the UK it’s tired, exhausted and unable to perform at its peak, hence the slumping. Tiredness and fatigue is an increasing epidemic so much so that Professor Russell Foster of Oxford University recently described Britain as a “Zombie Nation.” The main cause of tiredness and fatigue […]