Five principles to ensure successful conflict resolution
The hidden cost of conflict is underestimated in many organisations. Indeed, one recent survey by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution put the cost of conflict at £40 billion each year. Grievance probes that are handled by inexperienced or poorly trained investigators can also lead to a spiral of appeals and reinvestigation, but the […]
News: Employers join with working mums to slam proposed maternity leave cuts
Employers and working mums have joined together in slamming coalition government proposals to cut default maternity leave from 26 to 18 weeks in order to share the remaining entitlement between both partners. Legislative changes to maternity and paternity leave, which are expected to be announced in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday 9 May, were greeted […]
Ask the Expert: What is the legal status of union-appointed safety reps?
The question Under The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 and The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996, only trades unions can appoint safety representatives – they can do this whether the employer wishes them to or not and indeed they can appoint as many safety representatives as they want. These […]
Legal Insight: Health matters part 3 – Tackling presenteeism
‘Presenteeism’ can have many meanings. On the one hand, the term can refer to employees who feel that they need to be at the office for longer than everyone else in order to show the boss how dedicated they are. On the other, it can apply to staff members who turn up for work […]
Blog: How to hold on to good employees – Part 2
In my last HRZone blog entry I set out the five main reasons why employees leave their companies. Today I’m going to describe some corresponding employee retention strategies: 1. Create and maintain a working environment that attracts, retains and nourishes good people The issues you need to attend to include developing a corporate […]
News: Kate Bleasdale v Healthcare Locums case turns dirty
The former chairman of Healthcare Locums, Alan Walker, has denied “sexual impropriety” with dismissed chief executive Kate Bleasdale amid allegations of accounting irregularities at the company. Bleasdale, who is representing herself at the London employment tribunal, is suing Walker – and HCL’s board members – for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal. The medical staffing […]
Legal Insight: Health matters part 2 – Dealing with ‘problem absences’
In the first instalment of this three-part guide to managing sickness absence, we considered both the importance of developing a good policy and how to manage sickness absence on a day-to-day basis. And in this second article, it will become all too clear exactly how important these initial stages are when you are presented with […]
Ask the Expert: Should car allowances be included in sick pay?
The question I have a case of someone who is taking long-term sickness absence (eight months). They were paid a combination of statutory sick pay and company sick pay for the first six months, which included their monthly car allowance in full. Their manager has now decided to stop paying the car allowance, saying […]
Case Study: Kent Fire and Rescue optimises staffing with time and attendance system
As one of the busiest in the country, Kent Fire and Rescue Service was keen to maximise the number of operational fire crews that it had available to attend incidents, especially during key holiday periods. The Service has 66 fire stations and 120 fire engines as well as 1,700 operational members of staff, who deal […]
Mental ill-health issues cost employers £30 billion per year
Mental ill-health issues cost the UK economy £30 billion each year in lost productivity, half of which results from people taking a total of 91 million days off work, according to a charity. The Centre for Mental Health indicated that the other £15 billion was accounted for by employees turning up for work when they […]
Blog: How to hold on to good employees – Part 1
If you want to attract and retain good employees, you need to (1) understand why employees leave a company, and (2) implement employee retention strategies to get them to stay. This article examines the reasons why employees leave their companies. In my next article, I will set out five strategies for keeping hold of your […]
Blog: What economic impact is ‘gross national happiness’ likely to have?
Happiness is a tangible outcome! Because of my commitment to great people management and engagement, I was heartened to discover that the UN conference on happiness and wellbeing which began in New York City on 2nd April came to the conclusion that good performance on GNP (Gross National Product) didn’t automatically mean that GNH (Gross National […]
Legal Insight: Health matters part 1 – Managing sickness absence
Doom-and-gloom tales about the state of the ailing economy are prevalent at the moment and companies large and small are reportedly taking drastic steps to save money. But if panic has not yet set into your organisation and there are no full-scale redundancy programmes in the offing, consider taking alternative action by reducing costs from […]
In a Nutshell: Seven tips for managing stress-related illness
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest NHS organisations in the UK, providing health services for those living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Board employs around 14,500 staff and manages nine hospitals and 17 health centres among other responsibilities. Its aim is to take a preventative approach […]
Mini workers threaten strikes after claims of being denied loo breaks
Thousands of Mini workers are threatening to strike over a “strings attached” pay deal as it also emerged that they were facing shorter breaks and had to “ask permission” to go to the toilet. Unions have already balloted almost 2,000 of their members who work at the BMW-owned plant in Oxford over what the car […]
Blog: Attendance bonus schemes – money wasted or money well spent?
For small and medium size companies workforce costs are one of the largest expenditures. It’s no wonder why, in the current challenging economic climate, so many business owners get increasingly frustrated if the attendance of their employees is poor. Employee absenteeism costs UK businesses £32 billion per year and therefore forward-thinking companies are proactively […]
NHS Academy set up to train next generation of leaders
A national centre has been set up to train new generations of NHS, public health and social care leaders in a bid to improve patient care. Plans for the NHS Leadership Academy were unveiled by the secretary of state for health, Andrew Lansley, in July last year, and its aim is to train doctors, nurses, […]
Do UK workers get too many bank holidays?
The two Easter bank holidays just gone cost the UK economy £4.7 billion, with the figure rising to a huge £19 billion if all eight annual breaks are taken into consideration. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, if the country’s regular bank holidays were axed, annual GDP would rise by 1.3% as […]
A day in the life of…an HR professional
Twenty years ago, most office workers arrived for work for 9am, took an hour’s break for lunch and clocked off at five. Fast forward two decades, and the average UK worker now spends an extra 73 minutes at work and takes 31 minutes and 29 seconds less time for lunch – and HR professionals are […]
Most employers believe fit notes don’t work, studies reveal
The majority of employers do not believe that fit notes work effectively in cutting sickness absence rates, two studies have revealed. An online poll undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professonials discovered that a huge nine out of ten employers felt that ‘The Statement of Fitness for Work’, which replaced the old ‘sick note’ […]
