Whistleblowers need more protection, say MPs
Whistleblowers should be offered legal and counselling services and “swift sanctions” should be imposed on staff who victimise them, a group of MPs has said today. The Public Accounts Committee said that whistleblowers are often subjected to bullying and harassment and more should be done to protect them and help encourage them to come forward. […]
Personnel Today Awards 2014 shortlist unveiled
The shortlist for the Personnel Today Awards 2014 is revealed today, with a record number of organisations securing their place at the annual ceremony later this year…
Absence rates continue to fall
Employers’ efforts to reduce absence are paying off, according to ongoing research by XpertHR. Successive XpertHR surveys on absence rates show a gradual decline in the number of days taken as sick leave by employees. In 2007, the median was 7.4 a year per employee but latest figures record a drop to 5.2 in 2013 …
Employment tribunal fees “severely limit” workers’ access to justice
The introduction of employment tribunal fees has “severely limited access to justice for workers”, with worrying consequences for the future of employment law, according to new research. Employment tribunal claims have fallen dramatically since fees were introduced, with 79% fewer claims in the period from October to December 2013 than in the same period in 2012, […]
A novel approach to leadership coaching
Poor leadership is often at the heart of business failure. So how do you train managers to become inspirational leaders? Leadership coach David Ferrers explains his story. If management is mainly concerned with the design and implementation of process, and leadership is about getting the best out of the people who will implement the process, […]
Test yourself: Which non-religious beliefs have been protected by discrimination laws?
We round up an eclectic list of beliefs that claimants have argued constitute “philosophical beliefs” under equality legislation before employment tribunals…
A minute with… Elanie Kruger, Africa HR director at G4S
How did you get into HR? I studied economics at the University of Stellenbosch and was determined to become an economist. However, in my third year, I had to do an assignment on career psychology and I found it extremely interesting. With industrial psychology as a major, I decided to continue my postgraduate studies in […]
Funding pressures force wage growth to remain subdued
Pay awards continue to stagnate at an average of just 2%, according to analysis from XpertHR. The figures for the…
Contractor announced for new national sickness absence service
The Government has announced the company that will run a new national service aimed at cutting long-term sickness absence by offering employees health assessments and return-to-work plans. The Health and Work Service (HWS) in England and Wales will be delivered by occupational health (OH) provider Health Management, which is owned by the multinational government service […]
Tribunal watch: Sharon Shoesmith receives £680,000 payout over dismissal
Reports suggest that Sharon Shoesmith, former director of children’s services for the London Borough of Haringey, has been awarded more than £600,000 following her successful judicial review over the procedural unfairness of her dismissal. Sharon Shoesmith judicial review: XpertHR resources Dismissal of Sharon Shoesmith following death of “Baby P” was void and unlawful Podcast: Sharon […]
Shared parental leave
Shared parental leave webinar: Preparing your organisation for the new right
Available on-demand. Audrey Williams and Camilla Palmer join Rob Moss to discuss how the shared parental leave rules will work.
HR backs shared parental leave plans
HR professionals support the new right to shared parental leave due to come into force in 2015, but have concerns about how it will work in practice, according to new research.
Who cares at work? Ten things every employer should know about carers
Three million people in the UK combine work with care. An ageing population means that this figure will rise significantly....
Flexible working requests
Flexible working for all: work-life balance at Asda
As the right to request flexible working is extended to all employees, Asda’s Hayley Tatum explains why organisations should welcome...
How to avoid discrimination claims with flexible working requests
The line manager of a small but important department in the business is approached by a couple of members of...
Zero hours contracts: how might the Government “crack down on abuse”?
Consultant editor Darren Newman asks how the Government might go about strengthening protection for workers on zero hours contracts, and...
Elsewhere on the web
Legal
Employment tribunal fees “severely limit” workers’ access to justice
The introduction of employment tribunal fees has “severely limited access to justice for workers”, with worrying consequences for the future...
Tribunal watch: Sharon Shoesmith receives £680,000 payout over dismissal
Reports suggest that Sharon Shoesmith, former director of children’s services for the London Borough of Haringey, has been awarded more...
TUPE: Can transferring employees bring consultation claims against the transferee?
In DLA Piper’s latest case report, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that employment tribunals have no jurisdiction to entertain...
Tribunal watch: Worker argues frustration over wasted public money is philosophical belief
Can a public sector worker's passionate view that his employer should not waste public money count as a "philosophical belief" under discrimination legislation?
Severely obese staff may gain disability rights
Morbid obesity could be considered a disability under EU law, a top European legal official stated this week. The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) stated that, while EU...
Tribunal watch: Met Police covered up officer’s race and sex discrimination allegations
Stephen Simpson rounds up last week's tribunal cases to make the headlines...
Opinion
Brendan Barber: Do organisations expect too much of line managers?
The onus is often on the line manager to fulfil many core workplace objectives, from productivity to wellbeing. Brendan Barber,...
There’s nothing soft about soft skills: six ways to foster emotional intelligence
With the pace of change intensifying all the time, leaders with emotional intelligence are better equipped to manage it, argues...
Appraisals undervalued? Then calculate their return on investment
After last week’s claims by former BBC HR director Lucy Adams that appraisals do not work, Ian Lee-Emery suggests that...
Personnel Today Awards
Personnel Today Awards 2014 shortlist unveiled
The shortlist for the Personnel Today Awards 2014 is revealed today, with a record number of organisations securing their place at the annual ceremony later this year...
PT Awards profile: engagement is the only way for Essex
Essex County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the UK, looking after around 1.4 million residents. Like...
PT Awards profile: Valuing difference at EDF Energy
In 2008, EDF Energy realised that it “looked and felt the same everywhere”. Its workforce was predominantly white and male,...
XpertHR Editors Choice PTOD feed
- Podcast: Tricky questions on fixed-term contractsIn this week's podcast, we answer some of the trickier questions on fixed-term contracts.
- Introduction of employment tribunal fees is "severely limiting access to justice"The sharp fall in employment tribunal claims has worrying consequences for the future of employment law, according to new research.
- Sign up to the XpertHR Small business newsletterXpertHR is producing a monthly Small business newsletter, highlighting resources of particular relevance for small business employers.
Transforming L&D 2014, a series of articles, now includes a round table discussion on employing young people, in association with learndirect.
