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 […]
CIPD warns UK must prepare for 10% public sector cut
The CIPD has estimated that the UK should be braced for a 10% cull in the public sector workforce in the lifetime of the next government – whoever wins the May 6 General Election. The cut would bring the current 5.8 million roster of such jobs down by at least 500,000, says the CIPD (Chartered […]
Opening up talent for business success
Diversity should be threaded through all talent management activities and strategies so organisations can reap the benefits of accessing and developing talent from the widest possible pool. This is the main finding from our new CIPD research report, Opening Up Talent for Business Success: Integrating Talent Management and Diversity. Our research draws upon focus groups […]
Graduates: Less is more
An HR body has called on the government to review its “over-promotion” of university education and to focus more on providing vocationally-based diplomas at a time when nearly six out of ten graduates are unable to find suitable employment. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned that government targets desiring 75% of […]
Recession continues to strain employee-employer relations
The number of monthly calls being made to the conciliation service Acas’ helpline has doubled since September last year as the impact of the recession continues to put increasing amounts of strain on employer-employee relations. By the end of February, Acas had referred 8,034 pre-claim conciliation cases to its early conciliation service since launching its […]
Gas workers may strike over bullying
British and Scottish Gas workers are being balloted for strike action over claims of macho management and bullying by their employer. The GMB union has sent the ballot papers out to 8,000 of its members employed mainly as gas service engineers, central heating boiler engineers and distribution depot workers. The process is due to close […]
Scotland lays down anti-violence guidelines
Scottish local authorities have issued what are believed to be the UK’s first guidelines to try and help protect staff from physical and emotional violence in the workplace. The guidelines called ‘Managing Occupational Violence and Aggression in the Workplace: Tools and Strategies’ were devised by NHS Scotland’s Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, the […]
