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 […]
Case study: Handling large-scale redundancies
Countless organisations have had to make job cuts in the last few months, making HR’s job a particularly tough one. Nick Golding talks to Buckinghamshire County Council to find out how they are handling their large-scale redundancy process. Back in January this year, the 14,000-strong workforce at Buckinghamshire County Council was confronted with the news […]
Ask the expert: Dismissal process with less than one year’s service
An employee, with just five month’s service, is not performing well and the employer wants to dismiss him. Esther Smith and Matthew Whelan advise on the correct process to follow. The question: If a member of staff has less than one year’s service (only five months in fact), can we dismiss him without following a […]
HR tip: Proof of drunkenness
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 supervisors sent a man home for turning up to work drunk. However when we held a disciplinary meeting, the man insisted that he was not drunk and that we […]
HR tip: Workplace affairs
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: "Can we stop people having affairs at work? We think that one of our supervisors is having an affair with a married woman." HR tip: Generally speaking you should not moralise but […]
HR tip: Pin-ups in the machine shop
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: "The lads in our packing department have some quite racy pin-ups on the walls. A female member of staff, who works in another department and never needs to go into packing, nevertheless […]
The Christmas party: You simply can’t please everyone
Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at the problems an HR director experienced whilst trying to accommodate the needs of the organisation's diverse workforce when planning the office Christmas party. You've got to feel sorry for her… FROM: Pauline, Human Resources DirectorTO: All EmployeesDATE: 21st October 2008RE: Christmas Party I'm happy to inform you that the company […]
Dear Santa: HR’s Christmas wish list
With gloomy economic predictions and the prospect of job losses for many in 2009, HRZone.co.uk spreads some Christmas cheer and asks the experts what's on their HR wish list. Verity Gough reports. What would you like to see change next year, to make your working life easier? "I would like to see candidates being treated […]
The employee engagement dilemma
In today's rapidly changing economic climate, many employers are facing an acute dilemma – how do they make the necessary people changes to improve performance and profitability, whilst maintaining employee motivation and engagement? Ben Thornton has some answers. There is a wealth of evidence linking business performance and employee behaviour. A recent […]
HR tip: Gross misconduct v misconduct
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: "When does misconduct become gross misconduct?" HR tip: Gross misconduct is any action that strikes at the heart of the employment relationship and makes its continuation impracticable. You should give examples in […]