PersonnelToday.com - All HR news storieshttp://www.personneltoday.com/en-gbFri, 04 Jul 2008 15:28:00 GMTFriday podcast: absence costing tools, tax breaks for diverse employers and training cutshttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46315/friday-podcast-absence-costing-tools-tax-breaks-for-diverse-employers-and-training-cuts.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46315/friday-podcast-absence-costing-tools-tax-breaks-for-diverse-employers-and-training-cuts.html HR news and analysis including: what employers can do to help tackle violent crime and help inner city youths find employment how a new tool for HR directors can show how much money illness is costing the workplaFri, 04 Jul 2008 15:28:00 GMTMigrant worker ban looms for unregistered employershttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46600/migrant-worker-ban-looms-for-unregistered-employers.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46600/migrant-worker-ban-looms-for-unregistered-employers.html Thousands of employers could be banned from hiring migrant workers for certain jobs within weeks, legal experts have warned. From this autumn, organisations wishing to hire foreign staff covered by tiers two and five of theFri, 04 Jul 2008 12:10:00 GMTNHS must come clean on training says Darzihttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46595/nhs-must-come-clean-on-training-says-darzi.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46595/nhs-must-come-clean-on-training-says-darzi.html Every NHS organisation that receives government cash will have to publish how much it spends on staff training each year, under plans unveiled in Lord Darzi's flagship report on the future of the health service last week. AFri, 04 Jul 2008 09:59:00 GMTLocal Employment Partnerships a winner for Nissanhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46594/local-employment-partnerships-a-winner-for-nissan.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46594/local-employment-partnerships-a-winner-for-nissan.html Nissan's HR director has hailed the value of Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) after scooping the prizeFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:42:00 GMTAnother racism review will just slow progress, warns Tipladyhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46593/another-racism-review-will-just-slow-progress-warns-tiplady.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46593/another-racism-review-will-just-slow-progress-warns-tiplady.html Another review of institutional racism in the Police Service is not needed and will only stand in the waFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:36:00 GMTSpoof retirement letters sent to MPs by Employers Forum on Agehttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46592/spoof-retirement-letters-sent-to-mps-by-employers-forum-on-age.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46592/spoof-retirement-letters-sent-to-mps-by-employers-forum-on-age.html MPs have received spoof retirement letters as the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) ramps up its campaign to scrap thFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:02:00 GMTMinimum wage prosecution leaves butcher with large billhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46591/minimum-wage-prosecution-leaves-butcher-with-large-bill.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/04/46591/minimum-wage-prosecution-leaves-butcher-with-large-bill.html Another employer has fallen foul of the government's crackdown on enforcing the National Minimum Wage. The owners of a Sheffield butcher's shop have been ordered to pay more than £11,000 to two former employees after they fFri, 04 Jul 2008 00:22:00 GMTVodafone Foundation offers chance to work for charitieshttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46588/vodafone-foundation-offers-chance-to-work-for-charities.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46588/vodafone-foundation-offers-chance-to-work-for-charities.html Vodafone HR director Matthew Brearly will get involved in a new kind of recruitment activitThu, 03 Jul 2008 16:05:00 GMTWhistleblower guidance marks decade of Public Interest Disclosure Acthttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46587/whistleblower-guidance-marks-decade-of-public-interest-disclosure-act.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46587/whistleblower-guidance-marks-decade-of-public-interest-disclosure-act.html Employers have been urged to adopt a new code of practice launched to mark the 10th anniversary of landmark legislation designed to protect staff who blow the whistle on organisations' wrongdoing. The <A href="http://www.Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:54:00 GMTWelfare-to-work partnership scheme threatened by economic uncertaintyhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46586/welfare-to-work-partnership-scheme-threatened-by-economic-uncertainty.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46586/welfare-to-work-partnership-scheme-threatened-by-economic-uncertainty.html Stagnating job growth is threatening the success of a government-backed welfare-to-work programme - and high-profile names have called onThu, 03 Jul 2008 15:26:00 GMTEmployment partnership success acknowledgedhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46585/employment-partnership-success-acknowledged.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46585/employment-partnership-success-acknowledged.html Awards recognising outstanding contributions made by employers and employees working with the Local Employment Partnership (LEP) were handed out to Tesco, Mariott Hotels and Debenhams this week. The inaugural awards ceThu, 03 Jul 2008 10:56:00 GMTTougher safety laws would save lives, says construction unionhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46584/tougher-safety-laws-would-save-lives-says-construction-union.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46584/tougher-safety-laws-would-save-lives-says-construction-union.html A leading construction union has accused the government of complacency about workplace safety which is putting employees' lives at risk. Ucatt warned that the government's failure to toughen up company directors' responsibiThu, 03 Jul 2008 10:47:00 GMTEuropean Works Councils restructuring to boost unions’ powerhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46583/european-works-councils-restructuring-to-boost-unions-power.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46583/european-works-councils-restructuring-to-boost-unions-power.html Trade union power in Europe could be boosted by the European Commission's plans for European Works Councils. The commission has unveiled plans to overhaul laws on European Works Councils<Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:21:00 GMTOccupational pensions in sharp declinehttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46582/occupational-pensions-in-sharp-decline.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46582/occupational-pensions-in-sharp-decline.html A dramatic fall in the number of private sector employees paying into workplace pension schemes has been revealed. Figures released by the Office for National StatThu, 03 Jul 2008 09:55:00 GMTTrauma management needs a rethink by HR professionalshttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46572/trauma-management-needs-a-rethink-by-hr-professionals.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/03/46572/trauma-management-needs-a-rethink-by-hr-professionals.html HR professionals need to rethink the way they manage staff after a disaster or traumatic event<STRThu, 03 Jul 2008 08:02:00 GMTEmployment relations minister pledges to save HR £1m per day in legal feeshttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46567/employment-relations-minister-pledges-to-save-hr-1m-per-day-in-legal-fees.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46567/employment-relations-minister-pledges-to-save-hr-1m-per-day-in-legal-fees.html Employment relations minister Pat McFadden this morning pledged to save HR professionals across the UK £1m per day in consultancy fees.</Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:21:00 GMTSexual harassment of men rife in the UK workplacehttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46558/sexual-harassment-of-men-rife-in-the-uk-workplace.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46558/sexual-harassment-of-men-rife-in-the-uk-workplace.html The fairer sex may not be playing fair after all, with four out of five male workers being harassed by women at work, according to researchers. According to a study by employment law firm Peninsula, 77% of male workers hadWed, 02 Jul 2008 13:18:00 GMTCompany car scheme slump mirrors economic downturnhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46543/company-car-scheme-slump-mirrors-economic-downturn.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46543/company-car-scheme-slump-mirrors-economic-downturn.html The number of employers offering company car schemes has fallen dramatically, according to a survey by Personnel Today's sister publication Employment Review. The benefit is now provided by just 24% of orgWed, 02 Jul 2008 12:12:00 GMTUnite union to merge with US-based United Steelworkers’ unionhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46544/unite-union-to-merge-with-us-based-united-steelworkers-union.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46544/unite-union-to-merge-with-us-based-united-steelworkers-union.html Trade union Unite is to merge with the US-based United Steelworkers' union (USW), creating a new body called Workers Uniting. The new labour body will have a combined membership of about three million workers. The merger iWed, 02 Jul 2008 10:39:00 GMTFlexible working finds favour as 40% of engineering firms adapt to changehttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46540/flexible-working-finds-favour-as-40-of-engineering-firms-adapt-to-change.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/07/02/46540/flexible-working-finds-favour-as-40-of-engineering-firms-adapt-to-change.html Half of the UK's engineering firms are now offering flexible working, with 40% allowing homeworking, according to research by the UK's biggest engineering consultant. The study by Atkins found that holiday entitlement coulWed, 02 Jul 2008 09:43:00 GMT