This
week’s news in brief
PwC
balancing tools
PricewaterhouseCoopers
has developed a "work-life balance toolkit" that helps its employees
achieve a better balance between home and working life. Based around a series
of formal policies, it encourages such things as jobsharing and time off to be
with dependants, alongside health checks and home-based technologies.
HR
passed down line
Many
chief executives want line managers to take responsibility for HR, a CIPD
report claims. Voices from the Boardroom shows that although senior executives
believe good people management can increase profitability, they think line
managers are best placed to deliver it. More than a third of the 48 senior
executives polled claim that people management should be a line manager’s
responsibility.
Cisco
learns online
Staff
retention at Cisco has been reinforced by enabling employees to manage their
jobs online. Ian Ruddy, head of HR UK & Ireland for Cisco, said the
computer company uses a self-service HR system via its intranet that he
believes has been crucial in keeping its staff turnover rate below 9 per cent
for over a decade. "Our culture is to give the employee a high level of
trust," he said.
CIPD
fears rigidity
The
CIPD is urging Brussels not to make the information and consultation directive
less flexible for employers. It is concerned that moves by the European
Parliament to change the June agreement on its phased implementation could
delay business decisions in Europe. It has called for consultation with
business over its implementation in the UK, and wants a taskforce set up to
oversee it when it is adopted.
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A
matter of manners
Forget
bonuses, just saying "thank you" could be the best way of rewarding
staff. A finding from internal British Airways research shows that
acknowledgement by managers can be the most appreciated reward. "Informal
‘thank yous’ don’t cost anything, but they do add lots of value to the
business," said Lucy Dunn-Simms, rewards manager at BA.
