http://www.personneltoday.com/en-gbWed, 03 Dec 2008 14:22:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48605/cipd-praises-decision-not-to-put-flexible-working-extension-on-hold.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48605/cipd-praises-decision-not-to-put-flexible-working-extension-on-hold.html CIPD chief executive Jackie Orme has praised the government for "holding itsWed, 03 Dec 2008 14:22:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48598/cyber-cynicism-grows-as-employers-remain-suspicious-of-new-technology.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48598/cyber-cynicism-grows-as-employers-remain-suspicious-of-new-technology.html 'Cyber cynicism' is taking hold across UK organisations, and employers are failing to capitalise on the business benefits offered by technology, a survey has claimed. <A href="http://www.managers.org.uk/client_files/user_Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:21:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48597/employment-law-campaign-will-save-employers-418m-a-year-in-costs.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48597/employment-law-campaign-will-save-employers-418m-a-year-in-costs.html Employers will save a combined £418m a year in the cost of dealing with employment law by May 2010, according to new government estimates. A campaign that aims to reduce the time and money employers spend on compliance wasWed, 03 Dec 2008 13:02:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48599/queens-speech-workplace-equality-flexible-working-welfare-reform-and-skills-all-on-the-agenda.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48599/queens-speech-workplace-equality-flexible-working-welfare-reform-and-skills-all-on-the-agenda.html Measures to increase workplace equality, extend flexible working rights, reform the welfare-to-work process and boost skills featured in the Queen's Speech<STRONWed, 03 Dec 2008 12:44:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48596/it-staff-would-resort-to-haggling-bribery-and-blackmail-to-keep-jobs.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48596/it-staff-would-resort-to-haggling-bribery-and-blackmail-to-keep-jobs.html IT staff are so desperate to keep their jobs they would resort to haggling, bribery and blackmail, a survey has shown. Global RecessWed, 03 Dec 2008 10:58:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48595/damian-green-case-is-stark-reminder-to-tighten-confidentiality-policies.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48595/damian-green-case-is-stark-reminder-to-tighten-confidentiality-policies.html The Damian Green fiasco serves as a stark reminder to employers to tighten up their confidentiality and whistleblowing policies, legal experts have warned. Linda Jones, partner at Pinsent Masons, said the <A href="http://wWed, 03 Dec 2008 10:31:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48594/queens-speech-phone-lie-detectors-to-be-used-to-stop-benefit-cheats.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48594/queens-speech-phone-lie-detectors-to-be-used-to-stop-benefit-cheats.html Telephone lie detectors will be used to stop benefit cheats as part of the government's welfare crackdowns in today's Queen's Speech. <A href="http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2008/081202_fair_rules.Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:58:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48592/recruitment-hits-record-low.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48592/recruitment-hits-record-low.html Demand for both permanent and temporary staff has plummeted to a record low, a comprehensive report revealed today. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs showed that last month saw the sWed, 03 Dec 2008 09:31:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48622/pub-trade-foreign-language-initiative-fails-to-pull.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48622/pub-trade-foreign-language-initiative-fails-to-pull.html Pub landlord wannabes, whose first language is not English, are failing to take up the offer of sitting an important exam in their own tongue. Staffordshire compaWed, 03 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48590/axa-line-managers-participate-in-role-play-training.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/03/48590/axa-line-managers-participate-in-role-play-training.html Thousands of line managers at insurance giant Axa have taken part in role-playing scenarios as part of a company-wide culture change programme. More than 3,000 employees in management roles participateWed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48579/tribunal-award-and-statutory-redundancy-limits-raised.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48579/tribunal-award-and-statutory-redundancy-limits-raised.html The government has announced the new limits that will apply for calculating compensation awards granted by employment tribunals. The annual increases in maximum limits of compensation have been laid before Parliament under Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:15:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48559/nhs-unite-members-to-work-to-rule-in-pay-dispute.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48559/nhs-unite-members-to-work-to-rule-in-pay-dispute.html NHS staff are pressing ahead with plans to hold a day of action tomorrow in protest at the government's "derisory" pay offer. Unite the union said its NHS members would hold a <A href="http://www.personneltoday.com/articleTue, 02 Dec 2008 10:02:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48558/union-fury-as-hsbc-confirms-500-uk-job-cuts.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48558/union-fury-as-hsbc-confirms-500-uk-job-cuts.html HSBC's decision to cut more than 500 jobs so close to Christmas has been branded a disgrace by unions. Yesterday (1 December) the banking giant confirmed it would cut 500 UK positions across the country, <A href="http://wwTue, 02 Dec 2008 09:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48557/600-jobs-to-go-at-aston-martin.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48557/600-jobs-to-go-at-aston-martin.html Aston Martin has become the latest victim of the credit crunch, as it announced plans to cut up to 600 jobs in the UK on 1 December. The luxury car maker said sales had been hit by the global economic downturn, and confirmeTue, 02 Dec 2008 09:20:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48556/apprenticeships-could-hit-government-targets-with-public-sector-support.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48556/apprenticeships-could-hit-government-targets-with-public-sector-support.html The government's apprenticeship targets fall far short of what could be achieved if all public departments and agencies offered just 20 new schemes, a senior figure has insisted. Speaking at the <A href="http://www.pspeveTue, 02 Dec 2008 09:08:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48555/recession-hit-firms-face-damage-from-survivor-guilt-after-redundancies.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48555/recession-hit-firms-face-damage-from-survivor-guilt-after-redundancies.html The biggest challenge for HR professionals over the next 12 months will be dealing with survivor guilt, an expert has warned. Robin Wood, managing director for HR service provider CMC, said survivors' feelings of guilt afteTue, 02 Dec 2008 08:55:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48554/queens-speech-employers-await-2009-agenda.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/02/48554/queens-speech-employers-await-2009-agenda.html The government is said to be re-writing its plans for next year to ensure Wednesday's Queen's Speech has the maximum impact on the economic crisis. Since the Draft Queen's Speech was announced in May,Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:10:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48553/baby-p-report-condemns-hr-processes-at-haringey-council.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48553/baby-p-report-condemns-hr-processes-at-haringey-council.html The damning independent report into the death of Baby P has highlighted a number of HR issues at Haringey Council. The council's head of children's services, Sharon Shoesmith, was sacked in the wake of the <A href="http://Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:19:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48552/100000-manufacturing-jobs-at-risk-in-2009-as-recession-bites.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48552/100000-manufacturing-jobs-at-risk-in-2009-as-recession-bites.html Almost 100,000 manufacturing jobs will be lost next year as the UK plunges into recession, according to a report. The December 2008 Engineering Outlook survey by employers' body the EEF and advisory firm Grant ThorMon, 01 Dec 2008 14:33:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48551/raise-minimum-wage-to-6.10-urges-tuc.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/12/01/48551/raise-minimum-wage-to-6.10-urges-tuc.html The TUC has called for a 37p increase in the adult national minimum wage to help fight the credit crunch. The union umbrella body wants the rate tMon, 01 Dec 2008 14:22:00 GMT