Jobcentre Plus gets a plus with improved services

With the help of HR and behavioural change specialists, Jobcentre Plus has begun work to offer business a better recruitment option.  The pilot programme, which took place in Greenwich, focused on addressing the additonal pressure on the nationwide service because of the recession. No longer is the jobcentre dealing with typical jobseekers alone: the recently […]

Going postal – the role of HR in a strike

The industrial dispute which has engulfed Royal Mail in recent weeks has led many commentators to predict another 'winter of discontent'. Kevin Dougall explores the role of HR and how to avoid bitter disputes in the first place.  Many younger HR workers will not remember the strikes which blighted the 1970s and 80s, but recently […]

Home grown leaders preferred, say UK employees

When hiring your next CEO or director, bear this in mind: research has revealed that ‘growing your own’ creates better perceived, more highly regarded leaders than hiring externally.  A majority of UK employees have more respect for leaders who have worked their way up through an organisation. Two thirds of the employees surveyed considered ‘home-grown’ […]

Recession continues: Don’t forget your workforce

Many were expecting news of a small, but not insignificant, recovery of the recession when the lastest quarterly results were released. When, in fact, the economy was found to have contracted by a futher 0.4% it was a surprise to many who had predicted ‘green shoots’, and not without evidence. According to the recent 2009 […]

Size acceptance – hard to stomach?

The recent demonstration by the Size Acceptance Movement has raised some thought-provoking issues. Unlawful or not, there is no doubt that size-ism and look-ism go on in workplaces, but what can realistically be done? James Williams offers a legal perspective. The Size Acceptance Movement held a demonstration in front of the Mayor of London’s office […]

Tesco picking up pieces of ‘woeful’ education system

Standards are so low in schools that employers and HR departments are forced to pick up the pieces, claimed Tesco’s chief executive in a recent speech to grocery retailing body IDG. Tesco’s chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy, called on the government to increase schooling standards and simplify the education system for the sake of British […]

Views on HR News: HR’s Role in the Social Business

Jon Ingham trawls the net to provide his round-up of the great and the good of HR thought and opinion found on the web, so you don't have to. This month, he reviews HR’s role in the ‘social business’.   I have been writing this bulletin over the last six months or so to help […]

Autumn fall in recruitment

A small dip in recruitment opportunities occurred in September following a small fall in August, according to the Monster Online Employment Index. Year-on-year hirings are down by a third: the highest fall last month was seen in the public sector, which fell by 10%. Technology continues to suffer with less opportunities available in IT and […]

Risk for employees as businesses cut insurance

Desperation to cut costs has led to some organisations skimping on insurance, leaving employees and businesses at risk, claims new research from AXA and British chambers of Commerce (BCC).   Only a third of businesses understand their legal requirement to cover employees with employer’s liability insurance, leaving over half a million employees uninsured, according to […]

Success in a recession: Politics

It certainly has a bad name, but politics is a fact of life in the business world and, rather than being ignored or denied, maybe it is time to celebrate politics and learn to play the game, says Blaire Palmer. We live in a time when it is acceptable, if not required, to dismiss politics […]

Tribunal report shows redundancy claims up

The report from the Employment Appeals Tribunal into claims made between 2008 and 2009 showed that a failure to inform and consult on redundancy led to a rise in those types of Tribunal claims, despite cases falling overall. Key findings from the EAT report into tribunals from 2008-2009 revealed an overall decrease in claims accepted […]

Now is the time for a new role

David Barnard examines the various ways in which managers must adapt their role to the recession, and explains how to lead teams successfully through the crisis.   At ten o’clock last night, the tandoori restaurant on the corner of my road was empty. Unheard of. Each evening, I walk home down a street full of restaurants. The […]

Success in a recession: Is talent really that important?

Research shows that it is determination and knowing what to do with the talent you have which really count. So Blaire Palmer asks, should we be placing ‘talent’ further down the list of priorities?     Most of us are in the business of developing talent. And yet, how much do we really know about what talent […]

Colborn’s Corner: The end of civil service redundancy cheques?

There are plans to cut generous redundancy payments for the 500,000 civil servants in Britain. Quentin Colborn examines the issue and questions what employers are trying to achieve by such payments.   If one topic has been on the lips of HR people over the last year then ‘redundancy’ has to be close to being top of […]

Is your HR department ready for the economic upturn?

The Institute of Chartered Accountants has predicted the UK economy will grow by 0.5% in the third quarter, sparking reports Britain is coming out of recession. Denis Barnard asks, is your HR department ready for the good times? According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants, which recently surveyed 1,000 chartered accountants across the UK, business […]

Success in a recession: The kitchen cabinet

Successful people rely on a network of close allies who guide and challenge them. So how do they select those in their cabinet and how can HR professionals encourage the right kinds of teams to form around leaders? Blaire Palmer has the answers.   Successful people do not become successful alone. We know this is true, which […]

Unemployment leaps to 2.43 million

Unemployment soared by 220,000 over the three months to June, official figures have revealed. This takes the total number of people unemployed to 2.43 million, the highest level since 1995, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This means the jobless rate is now 7.8%, higher than the expected 7.7%, and […]

Building trust and confidence in a recession

Trust amongst the workforce can be shaken when redundancies are made, so Lorne Armstrong explains how businesses can ensure confidence is not lost and trust remains intact during a downturn. Everyone has experienced the change and uncertainty the recession has brought, and we’ve witnessed first-hand the dramatic loss of trust in business leaders and government.   […]

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 […]

Managing performance in a recession

Alyson Pellowe explains how HR professionals can ensure the performance of those employees left behind after a redundancy is managed effectively, and what measures can be put in place to help staff perform well.     So what is performance management? It is actually quite straightforward. It’s about using a range of methods to manage individuals’ work […]