Editors Blog

Budget 2010: HR must lead on public sector cuts

Whoever wins the General Election there will be a meltdown in public finances and the  £11bn cuts to public services announced in last week's budget  is the tip of the iceberg. Public sector HR chiefs need to get to grips...

Posted by Noel O'Reilly on March 29, 2010 11:48 AM

Visteon dispute: A dangerous precedent to be set?

As I write, former Visteon employees across the UK have their fingers tightly crossed as they await the outcome of a second meeting today between Unite union representatives and Ford. Despite meetings between Unite and the 'powers that be' at...

Posted by Kat Baker on April 16, 2009 8:58 AM

Neutron Jack and the value of HR

You wouldn't think that Jack Welch would be one of HR's strongest advocates. This is the guy who when in charge of GE in the 1980s earned the nickname Neutron Jack for his ability to eliminate employees while leaving buildings...

Posted by Mike Berry on April 9, 2009 10:48 AM

Redundancy tactics a question of balance

There's no escaping redundancy news at the moment. As the dreaded 'R' word is discussed behind closed office doors nationwide, the debate about the planned increase in statutory redundancy pay has been more open. From HR's perspective, anything that eases...

Posted by Dawn Spalding on March 16, 2009 11:02 AM

Jobs cull and recession equals boom time for Penna

Firms cutting thousands of jobs is bad news for them and their workforce, but good news for HR consultancy Penna. The group - which helps financial services and other blue chip firms manage redundancies - has boosted its profit forecast...

Posted by Mike Berry on February 27, 2009 9:43 AM

Job cuts and pay freezes - as well as snow - piling up on HR's doorstep

The UK's beleaguered workforce, having suffered the misery and disruption of last week's blizzards, now faces being hit by a double whammy of rapidly increasing job cuts and a squeeze on pay. Quarterly CIPD research of employers' recruitment and redundancy...

Posted by Mike Berry on February 9, 2009 7:58 AM

Ford job cuts more bad news for car industry

Yet more job cuts announced this morning in car making industry. Ford says it will cut 850 jobs across its UK operations by the end of May. Bosses are blaming the recession and with new car registrations falling by 30% in...

Posted by Mike Berry on February 5, 2009 10:42 AM

Redundancy increasingly based on individual performance

At the time of writing, Personnel Today's redundancy tracker - regularly updated on www.personneltoday.com  -  shows that over 90,000 UK jobs now face the chop. As more employers get pushed into this situation, it seems the basis for making redundancies is...

Posted by Helen Williams on February 2, 2009 8:00 AM

Statutory redundancy pay and unfair dismissal awards rise

The limits on payments and awards made to workers by employment tribunals in certain employment rights cases will rise from today (1 February). The increased limits affect:* statutory redundancy payments* the basic and compensatory awards for unfair dismissal* the limit...

Posted by Mike Berry on February 1, 2009 8:48 AM

Employers trying new ways to avoid redundancies

New data from the CIPD shows the range of alternative policies some employers are pursuing as alternatives to redundancy. With yet more job cuts announced this week, the report reveals half of employers have introduced recruitment freezes to offset the...

Posted by Mike Berry on January 21, 2009 7:58 AM

Job cuts - no escaping the uncomfortable truth

'Green shoots of economic recovery' aren't exactly the words most people would use to describe the current business climate, following announcements of thousands of job losses last week. And government minister Baroness Vadera's 'insensitive' and 'embarrassing' remarks on the economy...

Posted by Dawn Spalding on January 19, 2009 11:53 AM

Redundancy tips for employers

Redundancies are difficult for employers, and one mistake may result in severe consequences, financial or otherwise, for the organisation.  Here are some top tips from jobs board Monster and Insala, talent management software provider, on tackling redundancy situations. Establish an...

Posted by Mike Berry on December 10, 2008 2:31 PM

Acas reports big rise in redundancy advice queries

Further evidence that the recession is hitting UK employers hard with the news that the number of businesses and employees seeking advice on redundancy, lay-offs and business transfers hit a high in November. Figures released by Acas, the employment relations...

Posted by Mike Berry on December 3, 2008 2:35 PM

Redundancies | Christmas sack race will test HR

'Tis the season to make redundancies... if the massive job cuts of the last week or so are anything to go by. As the nightmare before Christmas becomes more of a reality by the minute for many firms, it's perhaps...

Posted by Dawn Spalding on November 17, 2008 11:22 AM

Economic crisis | HR's ability to lead will be closely scrutinised

The antics of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross were enough for many papers to shift the economic crisis off the front page last week, but for the HR community the challenges persist. Talking to senior HR professionals at Personnel Today's...

Posted by Mike Berry on November 3, 2008 8:23 AM

Community spirit is alive and well in your HR Space

September plays host to the biggest occasion in the HR calendar. I refer not to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's final convergence on Harrogate (16-18 September), but to the launch today of HR Space, an exciting new online...

Posted by Rob Moss on September 1, 2008 9:48 AM