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 […]
BT prepares for strike ballot
Telecoms giant BT is preparing itself for its first period of industrial unrest in 25 years as the Communications Workers Union readies plans for a strike ballot over pay. According to an internal email seen by the BBC, managers are being asked to provide details of their broader skills, even if rusty, by Wednesday 26 […]
NHS saving for ‘brutal job cuts’
The NHS in England is setting up a £2 billion fund to cover redundancy costs as staff brace themselves for “brutal” job cuts to help plug a £20 billion financial hole. For the first time, this year’s national operating framework, in which the Department of Health sets out the NHS’ priorities, requires the country’s 152 […]
Layla’s on the case: The bullying line manager
Layla investigates real-life cases and brings the conclusions to HRzone.co.uk, shedding light on important employment law issues. This month: is a company under an obligation to take disciplinary action against a line manager for bullying when the complainant was intially happy with an apology but has now changed her mind? The case:An employee has raised […]
BA strike called off – for now
Although an eleventh hour court order has put a stop to 20-days of planned strike action by British Airways cabin crew, disruption is still expected to hit up to 100,000 passengers this week. The High Court ruled at 6pm last night that the walkout by 12,000 staff had to be called off due to a […]
Coping with the ash cloud: a guide for HR
Extreme weather is an issue HR must learn to cope with. With recommendations flying in from all angles, we’ve gathered the top advice to make one digestible guide. With the Icelandic ash cloud making reappearances over the past few weeks, and historic data reminding us that last time the volcano erupted it poured out ash […]
Migration cap ‘needs consultation’ says CIPD
An influential HR body has called for employers to be consulted on the new government’s proposed migration cap because it could leave them struggling to hire the talent required to “survive and thrive” in a still-tentative economic recovery. Stephanie Bird, director of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said that members had expressed […]
‘Dire’ job figures signpost tough times ahead
‘Dire’ official jobs figures mean that the new government needs to take swift and decisive action to get Britain working again, according to a prominent HR body. Data from the Office of National Statistics indicated that the number of people out of work in the three months to March rose by 53,000 to 2.51 million […]
PCS wins high court bid
A union has won its High Court bid to halt government measures that would have cut redundancy pay for civil servants in order to save it £500 million over three years. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union had called for a judicial review after changes to the Civil Servant Compensation Scheme were introduced without […]
BA strike fears continue
Unite union leaders have been urged to call almost three weeks of strikes at British Airways as they prepare to meet cabin crew representatives today to discuss next moves. The recommendations were made by some union officials to their leadership after Unite members voted overwhelmingly – 81%, on a turnout of 71% – on Friday […]
Lawyer takes firm to tribunal after redundancy during sick leave
A former partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers has taken the firm to an employment tribunal over claims of disability discrimination after he was made redundant while on sick leave caused by workplace stress. Colin Tenner was a former equity partner, who specialised in public sector consultancy for the Belfast branch of the company. He attested to the […]
Ask the expert: Should redundancy payment include bonus?
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether redundancy pay should include a ‘set bonus’ and ‘travel allowance’. The question: Should redundancy payment include bonus? My friend works for a building company and has just been made redundant. He has been offered redundancy pay based on his basic weekly wage. For the past three years […]
Employer branding and total reward
In a volatile business environment, it is important that firms are able to harness the value of a defined employer brand to remain competitive. An employer brand is how an organisation markets what it has to offer to existing and potential employees. An effective employer brand can help ensure that an employer’s workforce is not […]
Pregnant partner sacking ruled fair due to papertrail
A Liverpool-based law firm accused of sacking one of its partners because she was pregnant has been cleared of sexual discrimination. An employment tribunal dismissed all of the allegations against DLA Piper, even though it was described as an ‘old boy’s club’ by Sarah Sweeney. The 36 year-old former real estate partner at the company […]
Are your employees aware of your sickness policy?
A survey of 500 businesses has revealed up to 1/4 do not routinely tell employees about any benefits of the sickness policy, leaving many employees unaware of any benefits to them if they fall ill. When asked to elaborate, eight per cent of businesses questioned had a policy in place but preferred to maintain secrecy […]