Blog: Discretion denied – The implications of change to indefinite leave to remain rules

Before launching into this article, we’d like to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year! We hope that 2013 brings you all success and thank you for following the Newland Chase blog throughout the last year.  As ever, we encourage you to get involved and comment below with your own thoughts and experiences […]

News: Older workers valued least in the workplace, reveals study

Even though older staff are considered to have a better work ethic and attitude towards working hard than other generations, they are still being subjected to age discrimination when trying to get a job. According to a survey conducted by cognitive neuroscientist and age diversity specialist, Dr Lynda Shaw, respondents believed that people over 60 […]

News: Public sector is still a good place to work, say staff

Despite all of the recent cuts and job losses, the public sector is still a good place to work, new research has revealed. A huge 90% of public sector workers said that they would recommend a career in public service to graduates and school leavers, according to a survey of 2,500 staff conducted by from […]

Analysis: Stringfellows wins unfair dismissal appeal against dancer

Former Stringfellows lap dancer Nadine Quashie lost her claim for unfair dismissal after the Court of Appeal found in the nightclub’s favour last month. For almost two years, the case has been making waves in the tabloid press and in HR, legal and accounting circles because of its implications for other employment status situations, including […]

News: Govt unveils “traineeships” to make youth work-ready

The coalition government plans to launch a new “traineeship” scheme, which is intended to ensure that 16-to-24 year olds are ready for the world of work. It has just published a discussion paper laying out its “vision” for the initiative and is asking employers and training providers to comment on the proposals before the fine […]

Blog: DWP sackings reinforce need for robust social media policy

It has just been revealed under a Freedom of Information Act request that 11 civil servants at Iain Duncan Smith’s Department for Work and Pensions have been sacked for using Twitter or Facebook, with 116 DWP employees who have faced disciplinary action for blogging and social networking offences since 2009 and been issued with a […]

News: Female solicitor warned off having relationship or babies, tribunal hears

A female solicitor has accused a former “bullying” boss of sacking her unfairly due to her gender after she began a relationship against his wishes. Kate Baker, who qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and had been earning £45,000 per year, attested that she had been warned both against having a relationship or having babies. […]

News: Wanted – One wolf boy/girl, with circus skills and all their own hair

Wanted: One “wolf boy/girl”, with “strong circus skills” and all of their own hair. This is the essence of a job advert posted on Directgov’s Universal Jobmatch web page by Circus of Horrors, which were finalists in the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ TV programme a couple of years ago.   The group is looking for candidates […]

News: Law firm’s ‘be in the office by 9.15am or else’ email causes storm

An email from a British manager at a global law firm which demanded that lawyers in his Shanghai office stop coming into work late has caused a storm after going viral. In a lengthy memo circulated to all associates and staff that was subsequently leaked to a legal blog, Andrew McGinty, a managing partner at […]

News: Top 10 professions most likely to be caught speeding unveiled

Chief executives, surgeons and barristers are among the top 10 professions most likely to be caught speeding, with an apparently direct correlation existing between having a high-powered job and the likelihood of committing an offence. According to an analysis of 14 million car insurance quotes given last year and analysed by MoneySupermarket.com, it emerged that […]

HRD Insight: GGHT’s Gary Cookson on hiring the long-term unemployed

As a housing provider with a social mission, we recruit lots of staff who are long-term unemployed.  This means that many of our employees – particularly our plasterers, joiners, electricians, plumbers and housing management officers – have often had little experience of the workplace.   A large proportion of our workers are also our tenants, […]

News: Deloitte’s Bersin buy signals HR’s growing strategic importance

In recognition of the HR function’s growing strategic importance, Deloitte Consulting has acquired analyst company, Bersin & Associates, in a bid to access a new customer base. The aim is to keep the existing Bersin team intact and run it as a business unit under the moniker of ‘Bersin by Deloitte’, with the aim of […]

News: Low income NHS staff “not paid properly” since transfer to outsourcer

Low income, non-medical staff at a hospital in Brighton have not been paid properly since they were transferred to a private outsourcing company, according to a union. The GMB told the BBC that the workers who include cleaners, porters and caterers at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have experienced payment problems since being taken on […]

News: Christians cannot refuse to work on Sundays, rules judge

Individual Christians do not have any protection in law against being fired if they refuse to work on Sundays, a High Court judge has ruled. The judgement by Mr Justice Langstaff, president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, upholds an earlier decision by a London tribunal that taking Sunday as a day of rest was not […]

News: Child benefit cuts will ‘incentivise parents to work less’

The introduction of child benefit cuts on Monday could incentivise individuals to either work fewer hours or contribute more into private pensions to try and avoid punitive tax rates, a think tank has warned. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, households in which one person earns more than £50,000 per annum will face higher […]

News: Bribery Act awareness suffers north-south divide

Just under half of UK employers have not heard of the Bribery Act, with manufacturing and automotive firms in the north of England being particularly unaware. A survey conducted among 50 procurement managers by the Fraud, Investigations and Disputes Services team at management consultancy Ernst & Young revealed that a mere 56% had heard of […]

News: Employadam campaign garners mixed response

Graduate Adam Pacitti's decision to pay £500 for a Central London billboard to push a self-promotional website in his quest for work has provoked a mixed response among members of the twittersphere. The 24 year old who has a first class honours degree in media production said that he made the move after having spent […]

Legal Insight: The potential impact of employee shareholder schemes

At the Conservative Party conference last year, the Chancellor George Osborne unveiled plans to create a new employment status – the ‘employee-owner’.  The government promoted these proposals as part of its drive for growth and to give business more flexibility to hire and fire staff.    Some commentators were quick to dismiss them as political […]

News: Cost of commuting continues to outstrip wage rises

Although real pay may finally have returned to positive growth at the end of last year, the cost of commuting is continuing to rise faster than either wages or inflation, resulting in an ongoing salary squeeze for many workers. As a result, according to Hay Group’s PayNet UK Salary Tracker, train fare rises of 4.2% […]

News: Top 10 talent trends for 2013

From the continued impact of the difficult global economic situation on HR departments to a growing focus on workforce diversity, 2013 looks set to be a dynamic and exciting year. Recruitment consultancy Futurestep, a Korn/Ferry company, outlines the top 10 trends that it expects to see in the talent management arena:   1. To outsource […]