London Underground Ltd v Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) FACTS This case concerned proposed industrial action relating to a dispute over payments to tube drivers for working on Boxing Day. The union notified Londo  More...
29 February 2012 15:35

The presence of trade unions in workplaces could be saving employers in the private and public sectors as much £701 million per year, in large part because such workplaces are safer and workers are better trained and motivated as a result, a report by t  More...
27 February 2012 10:09

One-third of employers say that they have prohibited relationships between managers and subordinates, according to preview findings from the 2012 XpertHR survey of workplace relationships. On Valentine's Day, the initial findings highlight the rathe  More...
14 February 2012 00:01

When the Government first announced that the public sector would have to make severe cuts, Richard Crouch, HR director of Somerset County Council, suggested that some HR teams would lack the necessary negotiation skills to deal with the changes.   More...
09 February 2012 16:28

The Government today announced the latest step in its attempts to reform the employment tribunal system - a pilot scheme for two regional mediation networks for small businesses. The pilot networks will be located in Cambridge and Manchester, where   More...
23 January 2012 16:42

Public sector unions have lost their High Court battle over alterations to how pensions are calculated. George Osborne announced in his emergency Budget in June 2010 that, with effect from April 2011, pensions would be uprated using the consume  More...
02 December 2011 16:21

Employee support for public sector cuts has fallen but many still believe striking public workers will lose sympathy if they cause disruption, a report has found. According to research by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD),   More...
24 November 2011 00:01

In unfair dismissal claims, employment tribunals take the "Acas code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures" into account where relevant and may increase an award of compensation by up to 25% for an employer's unreasonable failure to   More...
17 November 2011 13:50

In June 2011, the Pensions Bill passed its way through Parliament, resulting in the state pension age now moving closer to beyond 65 years of age. But, despite the increased likelihood of an older workforce, research has shown that older workers are oft  More...
07 November 2011 00:01

EXCLUSIVE  The Unison ballot, in which members voted yes to a strike over public sector pensions, could be "fatally flawed", meaning that employers could put a stop to the planned "day of action" on 30 November.   More...
03 November 2011 15:58

Public sector unions have said that they are "firmly committed" to continuing preparations for a planned day of industrial action at the end of the month, despite a new offer from the Government on pensions. The Government set out details of its new  More...
03 November 2011 09:13

The Government could put a stop to coordinated strike action in the public sector by encouraging employers to challenge the walkouts in court. This is the claim of Stephen Blunt, partner at law firm Clyde & Co, who was quoted by Reute  More...
01 November 2011 16:58

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provides those involved in disagreements with an option to avoid stressful legal procedures, say Linda Goldman and Joan Lewis. In March 2011, Acas welcomed the Government's proposal for potential empl  More...
01 November 2011 12:47

While there's a mountain of literature showing that engaged employees deliver better performance, there is little discussion about what it actually is that people engage with at work. Angela Baron explains that it's not just the organisation, it's the p  More...
25 October 2011 11:23

I am in the middle of an employment tribunal dispute with an employee who has claimed that a decision not to promote him was discriminatory, but has not resigned. His solicitors have suggested mediation - is that a good idea or will it be just more lega  More...
15 September 2011 11:24

Unions are ramping up efforts to recruit minority workers, according to the  TUC Equality Audit   published this week. The audit, conducted every two years, looks at trade unions' internal activities and how they are building equali  More...
13 September 2011 15:28

Almost one employee in three (31%) would report colleagues to managers if they thought that they had been seriously underperforming, even if they considered those colleagues to be friends. According to the global poll by job site Monster, a qua  More...
15 August 2011 16:35

Managers in Northern Europe create more supportive and collaborative working environments than their Southern European counterparts, according to research from Hay Group. The global consulting firm found that Northern European managers took   More...
28 July 2011 16:08

Acas has seen a 15% rise in demand for conciliation in large-scale disputes, such as those between unions and the British Airports Authority (BAA), the BBC and London Underground. The conciliation service's 2010/11 annual report showed that Acas had   More...
28 July 2011 00:00

After the recent widespread public sector strikes, and with the potential of more industrial action still looming, private sector employers would be well advised to consider whether or not they have the right contingency plans in place to effectively ma  More...
19 July 2011 11:25