Parents to share maternity leave, says Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown has announced that the government will go ahead with plans to allow parents to ‘split’ maternity leave after six months. The prime minister outlined the proposals, which were put on hold by Lord Mandelson earlier this year, at the TUC conference in Liverpool today. Under the new scheme, mothers will be able to […]
HR tip: Wearing shorts at work
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: Some of our employees, men and women, have started coming to work in shorts on hot days. Frankly some of them, the men especially, look dreadful. Are we entitled to stop this […]
Are they being served?
With HR’s attention well and truly focused on managing redundancies and pay cuts, has it taken its eye of the ball when it comes to employee engagement? HR certainly has its hands full at the moment. If it’s not calming the waters post redundancy it’s pacifying those who may have pay, benefits or training cuts. […]
Ask the expert: Return from maternity leave
A maternity returner failed to give the required eight weeks’ notice to confirm her wish to return to work, and wants to decrease the days she works, which may not fit the needs of the business. Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on how to reach a compromise. The question: I have a bit […]
Celebrating National Work from Home Day
To coincide with National Work from Home Day, Mick Hegarty discusses new research on remote working and highlights why home working is helping both employees and UK businesses. On National Work from Home Day, it is safe to say that the uptake of remote working practices has rocketed over recent times. In the last year, a growing number […]
HR Tip: Foster parents and flexible working
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: “A woman has requested flexible working hours to enable her to look after a three year old child. However she is only the foster mother. Does she have any entitlement?” A: Yes. […]
How ‘family-friendly’ are the parties?
Family-friendly policies are at the centre of the election battle; Alison Wallace, head of employment practice at Steptoe & Johnson looks at what the three main parties have to offer. The ConservativesWorking families: The Conservatives propose more flexible statutory maternity pay (SMP), giving mothers a choice of whether to receive SMP over nine months, or […]
Feature: Homeworking – benefit or burden?
By Alison Wallace, head of employment practice, Steptoe & Johnson Homeworking has a long way to go before it gains acceptance by UK employers according to a recent survey or 640 companies across Europe; the survey shows that two thirds of UK employers do not trust their staff to work from home for fear of […]
Reversing a flexible working arrangement
If a flexible working request is agreed, it operates as a permanent variation of an employee's contract. So what should you do if your employee wishes to revert to the pre-flexible working arrangement? Anthony Thompson, Head of the Employment Department at Webster Dixon and a member of The Law Society’s Equal Opportunities committee, considers the […]
Less than half UK workforce able to work flexibly
The TUC and The Industrial Society joined forces yesterday to condemn the UK’s long hours culture, and urge employers to adopt a more positive approach to work/life balance. At the launch of Changing times – a new TUC guide to flexible working and Get the balance right – the Industrial Society/TUC video training pack on […]
Industrial Society: Cut absenteeism by being more flexible
The Industrial Society says that flexible annual leave and working hours, along with the ability to work from home, can all help to cut down on the number of days taken off by employees. The research which led to the Industrial Society's report results from a survey of 300 firms. The results indicated that where […]
Women who mean business
Dr Mo Mowlam, Minister for the Cabinet Office joined forces with The Adelaide Group, a networking forum for women business leaders, yesterday to discuss women's equality. Speaking about her experience in government and listening to women's views Mo Mowlam said, "We probably all share the belief that our economy will only be truly successful if […]
Flexibility and the right work-life balance deliver real business benefits
Launched at the Chartered Institute of Personel and Development, (CIPD) National Conference yesterday, a new report – 'Getting the Right Work-Life Balance' – reveals that managers who use flexible working report significant benefits. Organisations implementing family friendly policies in the workplace cite the reason for the move as being the need to retain staff the […]
