Redundancy: It’s a psychological thing
Redundancy is a deeply difficult and disruptive experience for employees and organisations alike. Rob Bailey and Jenny Kidby explore how psychometric tools can bring clarity, and kindness, to redundancy situations. For decades, psychometrics have given employers a reliable and scientific basis to make difficult people decisions. Objectivity in these can easily become contaminated […]
The HRzone.co.uk Recession Clinic with Acas
Below is an archive of our Recession Clinic web chat, with Stewart Gee from employment relations service Acas, that took place on Monday. He answered all your questions on coping with the impact of the recession in the workplace, whether it be redundancy and restructuring, performance management, or contracts of employment. Click in the box below to view a […]
Video: Exclusive interview with Ed Sweeney, Acas
Ed Sweeney, chair of Acas, talks to Verity Gough about the issues HR faces when dealing with workplace disputes during a recession.
Ask the expert: Notice period when dismissed for misconduct
A sick employee stated on Facebook that she was out socialising on the night of one of her sick days, and she was dismissed immediately. Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise whether she is entitled to pay in lieu of notice. The question We recently dismissed an employee after she was off sick for […]
Why some survivors don’t survive
The survivors of a redundancy programme need to be nurtured and treated with respect within an open and honest environment, otherwise they will think with their feet and work elsewhere, says Andrew Leigh. In a much earlier incarnation, I once worked for an up-and-coming advertising company which made use of my services […]
Ask the expert: Dismissed on capability grounds
An employee, who was signed off work due to stress and depression, was dismissed on capability grounds after 10 years’ employment. Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise if this was fair. The question: I have been working for a company for just under 10 years and just before Christmas, I went off work […]
HR tip: Defining redundancy
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Recently, a woman took advantage of our voluntary redundancy scheme and left us but I find that, following a reorganisation, her job still needs doing. As her job clearly was not redundant, […]
Opportunities for HR with the ‘New Normal’
In the wake of the credit crunch, relationship management and the ‘soft stuff’ are now more important than number crunching and commercial offerings. Neela Bettridge discusses HR’s role in ‘The New Normal.’ There is a huge opportunity for human resources professions emerging in the wake of the credit crisis. And there is a new term […]
New redundancy alternative announced
A controversial move to quell the numbers of redundant workers has this week been proposed by business leaders. The CBI has called for a shake-up in the way companies deal with redundancy by proposing the “Alternative to Redundancy” (ATR) scheme. Workers would receive about £130 a week, paid equally by the government and the employer […]
Managing the redundancy survivors: A constant challenge
The impact of redundancy can be felt for quite some time afterwards, and it is HR’s job to successfully manage those who remain, as they are key to your success, says Judith Leary-Joyce. When redundancy hits, everyone is affected. There are no winners, no smiling faces. A little relief maybe – ‘thank heaven it wasn’t me’ […]
Summer holidays: A source of stress?
Many employees have to work significantly harder before leaving for, and returning from, their summer holiday. Melodie Gilbert outlines the measures employers can take to limit this stress. It’s that time of year when employees’ minds begin to turn to sun-drenched beaches and time out from their everyday jobs. We all look forward to a break […]
The Stringer case: Much ado about nothing?
The long-awaited House of Lords decision on the Stringer v HMRC case was issued on 10 June 2009. However the judgment did not deliver the expected outcome on long-term sickness and statutory annual leave. Pam Loch considers the case further. The background The House of Lords decision in Stringer and others (which includes Ainsworth) […]
Unemployment figures hit a 12-year high
UK unemployment has hit the highest level since 1997, with the numbers of jobless having risen to 2.261 million in the three months to April, the Office for National Statistics has said. The official figures published today show that the UK employment rate has fallen to 73.3 percent, down 0.8 from the previous quarter and […]
Staff development is weapon of choice in recession
Employers are choosing to focus on retention rather than recruitment in response to current resourcing issues, finds the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) Recruitment, Retention and Turnover survey. This year’s report revealed that 73% of organisations find a lack of necessary specialist skills remains the key resourcing challenge, whilst 56% of employers are […]
HR agenda critical to UK economic success
HR’s role in the effort to keep the UK economy afloat during the recession should not be under estimated, was the key message from the Acas and CIPD ‘Resilience Through Recession’ conference held today in London. Keynote speakers, including Lord Young, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; Ed Sweeney, chair […]
HR tip: Unfair versus wrongful dismissal
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: What, if any, is the difference between unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal? Answer: They reflect the why and how of dismissal respectively. Dismissal is unfair if it is for reasons other […]
Leaders urged to take their five-a-day in people management
Acas and the CIPD have teamed up to publish a ‘five-a-day’ manual in a bid to encourage business leaders to take a stand against poor people management – a significant factor in the UK’s productivity gap. The joint guidance covers management fundamentals developed from CIPD and Acas research and offers practical experience of management development grouped […]
Paternity leave plans put on hold
Proposals to let parents share a year of leave to help raise a child have been put on hold by business secretary Lord Mandelson, due to the economic crisis. Despite backing by Equality Minister Harriet Harman, the plans to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months and allow fathers to share up to six months […]
HR tip: Termination arrangement for struggling employee
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "One of our long-serving employees is struggling to cope with work. We had no intention of dismissing him but he has said that he would like to leave and would do so […]
HR tip: Reporting sexual harassment
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "I have been told that a couple of women in my section are being sexually harassed but are reluctant to report the matter to me, a male, as I will not take […]
