Is there reward after recession?
Catherine Chubb considers the impact of changes to rewards as we emerge from recession. During the recession, surveys showed that around half of UK workers experienced a cut in pay, working hours or a loss of benefits. The most common cost-cutting approach taken by employers during the downturn was a salary freeze. But what is […]
The new face of reward – grasp the opportunity
With reward and bonuses hitting headlines, now is the time to reconsider how your reward system works and make it more effective than ever. The recession has brought the issue of bonuses and salaries into sharp focus. Whilst the majority of the attention has been focused on the financial sector and bonuses being given to […]
Public sector pay freezes ‘unsustainable’
A post-election government of any stripe will find it difficult to sustain public sector pay freezes because both private sector wages and inflation rates are now picking up, a study has warned. The report by the Labour Research Department (LRD), an independent research organisation that provides information to trade unions, found that a slight increase […]
Ask the expert: Should redundancy payment include bonus?
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether redundancy pay should include a ‘set bonus’ and ‘travel allowance’. The question: Should redundancy payment include bonus? My friend works for a building company and has just been made redundant. He has been offered redundancy pay based on his basic weekly wage. For the past three years […]
Total reward: the holistic approach
Recent research highlighted that 80% of public sector workers have never heard of total reward packages, despite recognition that a holistic approach to health and wellbeing significantly improves staff retention and increases productivity. Public Sector organisations are increasingly expanding their rewards package to their employees, over and above their basic salaries. Do those benefiting from […]
Employer branding and total reward
In a volatile business environment, it is important that firms are able to harness the value of a defined employer brand to remain competitive. An employer brand is how an organisation markets what it has to offer to existing and potential employees. An effective employer brand can help ensure that an employer’s workforce is not […]
Do you need to pay employees stranded by volcano?
The Icelandic volcano has left tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad. ‘In case of volcano’ isn’t a phrase you often see on a contract or in terms and conditions, but the question must be: seeing as many employees simply cannot get home, should they be paid? Much like the snow situation last year when […]
Tribunal ‘fast track’ scheme announced
The Ministry of Justice is implementing a new Employment Tribunal Fast Track Scheme in an attempt to clamp down on the huge four out of ten rogue employers that fail to pay staff awards. Research published by the MoJ last year indicated that some 39% of people granted awards by tribunals had not been paid […]
Unpaid interns ‘may be illegal’
Employers may be breaking the law by not paying as many as one in three interns the national minimum wage even though they qualify for it, according to the TUC. The union umbrella organisation warned that any intern who is not simply observing and shadowing paid employees but is instead undertaking work-related tasks with set […]
Landmark agency and permanent staff wage equality
Asda’s landmark deal to ensure that agency workers in its meat and poultry supply chain are paid the same as permanent staff is likely to pile pressure on other supermarket chains to follow suit. The retailer’s move comes ahead of a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission looking into working practices in the […]
Cost of living rise will put pressure on business, says CIPD
A surge in cost-of-living inflation is coming at the “worst possible time” for pay bargaining as it may trigger wage rises that many UK employers can ill afford, warns an HR professional body. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the annual inflation rate as measured by the headline Retail Prices Index (RPI) rose […]
Bonuses – a balancing act
How do you maintain your well-earned reputation as a competitive employer and, at the same time, comply with the new tougher public and regulatory expectations? It is no easy task striking a balance between legal requirements and commercial pressures when putting together an effective remuneration package. The answer is that remuneration should be aligned with […]
Council pay freeze leads to thaw demands
Unions are urging local councils to reconsider a decision to impose a pay freeze on their 1.5 million workers, which they claim was made without negotiation. The year-long freeze, which is due to come into force from April, flies in the face of the 2.5% or £500 increase – whichever was greater – that Unison, […]
Snow pay: should you dock wages of snowed-in workers?
Although employers may have a legal right to withhold workers’ pay if they do not come into work because of the snow, such action could not only be challenged but could also hit morale. The legal lowdown stands as follows: staff members are legally obliged to get themselves to work and companies are entitled […]
PwC: Bonus culture clash is contagious
It’s not only the financial sector which is at the sharp end when it comes to criticism over bonuses and incentive payments. Public opinion is unlikely to change towards these renumeration policies and the consequences will have a high impact across FTSE-listed companies, according to experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers. While the stated focus of the one-off […]
HR tip: Christmas overtime rates?
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 rates of overtime are payable for working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day? Reply: Unless you are subject to some form of collective agreement that determines these matters, the matter is […]
The whole bunch of carrots: what is an employee value proposition?
Dr Anton Franckeiss explains Employment Value Proposition, how to strengthen yours and why you should always keep your promises. An Employment Value Proposition (EVP) defines what an employee receives from their employer in return for the effort and performance they give. In a nutshell, the EVP is the ‘what’s in it for me?’ as […]
Equal pay: Slow burning issue of the century?
Equal pay legislation has been around for 40 years – so why are we still struggling with it, asks Ian Milton. For most HR professionals, equal pay is a topic that seems to rear its head every few years, cause a degree of concern and then quietly go on the backburner. The legislation is been […]
Bonus question – what is the answer?
With the news this week that RBS, the failed bank at the heart of the banking crisis, is to be heavily reinvested in by the Government to the tune of £39m, there remains much speculation over the future of bonuses. Stephen Overell of The Work Foundation spoke to Charlie Duff about the situation. Money has […]
Colborn’s Corner: Want to leave a tip?
October 1 sees a few changes in employment law. Firstly, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is increased and secondly, changes to the ways tips are treated in terms of their role in remuneration. This month in Colborn’s Corner Quentin looks at the the role of NMW and questions how far legislation should impact on how […]
