XpertHR > Strategy & Practice > News & Indicators

Record number of government staff dismissals overturned
Date: 19/11/2008
A record number of sacked government workers successfully overturned their dismissals last year, with total compensation breaking the £1m barrier for the first time.

Bank bonuses under fire as think-tank reveals five CEOs' £52m top up
Date: 19/11/2008
Unions are calling for a complete overhaul of remuneration in the financial sector after research revealed that five banking chief executives received pay and bonuses worth more than £52m over a four year period.

Credit crunch inspires CIPD to launch damage limitation training for HR
Date: 19/11/2008
Two courses to help HR staff and line managers handle strikes and redundancies better have been launched by the CIPD.

Stressed women workers driven to the edge by credit crunch
Date: 18/11/2008
Female employees are more stressed at work than their male counterparts because of pressure caused by the credit crunch.

Minimum wage awareness campaign launched by Lord Mandelson
Date: 18/11/2008
A new campaign to boost employee awareness of the increased national minimum wage was launched on 18 November.

NHS work-to-rule vow as Unite continues fight against pay deal
Date: 18/11/2008
Unite has vowed that its NHS members will hold a day of action in December over the government's NHS pay offer.

Landmark tribunal ruling paves way for loss of earnings claims
Date: 17/11/2008
A landmark tribunal ruling has paved the way for unfairly sacked employees to claim for loss of future earnings even when claiming incapacity benefit.

Overworked HR teams face burnout unless line managers help ease burden
Date: 17/11/2008
The economic crisis threatens to overload already stretched HR departments if they don't train line managers to ease the burden, an expert has warned.

Unsung HR defended despite being a mystery to most employees
Date: 14/11/2008
Commentators have rushed to defend the HR profession after a damning poll showed that just a third of employees believed their HR team made a valuable contribution to the business.

Microsoft’s HR chief aims to inspire new breed of 'IT girl'
Date: 14/11/2008
Microsoft's new HR chief has vowed to get more women into IT jobs at the software giant as one of her first priorities.

Striking statistics reveal underlying unrest in public sector
Date: 14/11/2008
The number of people taking part in strikes has almost doubled in the past year, according to official figures.

Graduates abandon degree topics in bid for job security
Date: 13/11/2008
Half of graduates and students plan to look for work unrelated to their degree discipline to ensure they get a job, with four in 10 expecting less pay than they originally hoped for.

Productivity hit by personal finance stress
Date: 13/11/2008
More than one-third of workers are suffering from stress due to problems with personal finances, research has found.

10,000 BT jobs to go by March 2009
Date: 13/11/2008
BT has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs by March 2009.

Unemployment soars as recession bites
Date: 12/11/2008
The number of unemployed people rocketed in the third quarter of 2008, pushing the total figure closer towards two million jobless by Christmas, new figures have revealed.

Prime-time TV ads aim to boost take-up of Train to Gain initiative
Date: 12/11/2008
The government has launched a TV advertising campaign to encourage employers to continue training staff during the economic downturn.

Redundancy shake-up call as TUC challenges government to update law
Date: 12/11/2008
The TUC has called for major law changes in Alistair Darling's forthcoming Pre-Budget Report to force employers to pay out more money when making workers redundant.

Government slashes 200,000 migrant worker jobs
Date: 11/11/2008
The number of jobs available to migrant workers will be slashed by 200,000 later this month, the government announced today.

Boat manufacturer cuts staff hours to stay afloat
Date: 11/11/2008
Luxury yacht builder Fairline Boats has drastically cut the hours of hundreds of workers due to the economic crisis.

Nursery and childcare work should be seens as positive career choice
Date: 11/11/2008
Poor pay and conditions for nursery and childcare workers is jeopardising efforts to improve skills levels and the overall quality of services, a report has warned.

Probably the worst decision in the world - unions blast Carlsberg over job cuts
Date: 10/11/2008
Unions have accused brewing giant Carlsberg of misleading staff after it announced the closure of its Leeds brewery - just weeks after hundreds of staff members had attended three days of compulsory "career development" training.

Recruitment stalls as employers remain gloomy about economy
Date: 10/11/2008
Employers are extremely gloomy about the economy, with the creation of new jobs at a virtual standstill, the latest quarterly figures by CIPD/KPMG reveal.

Sainsbury’s offers staff health and safety qualification
Date: 10/11/2008
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is offering its 150,000-strong workforce the chance to gain formal qualifications in stock-control and health and safety.

Muslim Tesco truck driver loses religious discrimination case
Date: 07/11/2008
A Muslim fork-lift truck driver who sued Tesco for religious discrimination because he was asked to handle alcoholic drinks as part of his job at the company's Lichfield goods depot has lost his case, it has emerged.

Christmas parties will be thrown by majority of employers in 2008
Date: 07/11/2008
Christmas parties are still on the agenda for the majority of employers despite the economic crisis, according to research.

Poor management leaves bullying at work unchecked
Date: 07/11/2008
Bullying in the workplace is still too high and employers stand accused of failing to tackle the issue effectively, according to a report published to coincide with the Ban Bullying at Work Day (on 7 November).

Vacancies and appointments hit an 11-year low
Date: 06/11/2008
Job vacancies and appointments have plunged to the lowest level for at least 11 years.

NHS employers optimistic after morale-boosting staff survey
Date: 06/11/2008
NHS HR chiefs are optimistic about the year ahead, with nearly half claiming that staff morale has improved over the past 12 months, according to an internal poll.

Hands-on learning touches a nerve with employees
Date: 06/11/2008
Being shown how to do things has been rated as the best way to learn according to the latest CIPD Who Learns at Work? survey.

Gordon Brown to work with Barack Obama to get UK and US out of recession
Date: 05/11/2008
Gordon Brown has congratulated Barack Obama on his election victory and said they would work together to get Britain and the US out of the economic downturn.

CBI calls for MEPs to keep working time opt-out
Date: 05/11/2008
MEPs must reject proposals that would ban people in Britain from choosing to work more than 48 hours per week, the CBI has urged.

Staff put health at risk by working extra hours to beat credit crunch
Date: 05/11/2008
Employees are risking their health by working longer hours in a bid to fight the credit crunch, research from financial services firm Friends Provident has revealed.

Downturn will hit productivity as pressure dents leadership skills
Date: 04/11/2008
Line managers will come under pressure during the economic downturn, affecting their teams' productivity, an expert warned.

Protect Lloyds and HBOS jobs, union urges Mandelson
Date: 04/11/2008
The takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB must not result in thousands of compulsory redundancies, unions have warned.

Tesco sends money guide to all employees
Date: 04/11/2008
Tesco is sending all 280,000 of its UK employees a guide to managing their money as it ramps up its efforts to help them through the economic crisis.

Employers and universities urged to co-operate to improve competitiveness
Date: 03/11/2008
Collaboration between employers and universities could help the UK to maintain its competitive edge, according to a CBI report.

Redundant professionals in no hurry to find work
Date: 03/11/2008
People made redundant during the credit crunch are taking a break from their careers, according to an employment law expert.

CIPD pensions shortfall makes £5m dent in cash pile
Date: 03/11/2008
A steep increase in pension liabilities has wiped £5m off the value of the CIPD in 12 months, its annual report has revealed.

Local government pay dispute likely to push into 2009
Date: 31/10/2008
A council representative has quashed trade union hopes of an end to the local government pay dispute this side of Christmas.

Weekly pay idea snubbed by HR
Date: 31/10/2008
HR professionals have rejected calls for employers to pay lower-paid workers weekly during the economic crisis.

Migrant worker rules spark employer fears of government crackdown
Date: 31/10/2008
Fears are growing that the government will take a tough stance on enforcing new immigration laws.

Muslim twins' discrimination case could lead to record payout
Date: 30/10/2008
A major test of the UK's religious discrimination laws next week could see a record compensation payout, according to reports.

Steria faces strike action over plans to transfer IT jobs to India
Date: 30/10/2008
French IT services firm Steria faces industrial action over its plans to transfer jobs working on a contract with the Co-operative banking group to India.

Illegal migrant worker fines net government £700,000
Date: 30/10/2008
The new points-based system for bringing skilled workers into the UK has added more than £700,000 to government coffers since April.

Workplace death toll still too high warns HSE
Date: 29/10/2008
More than 200 people were killed at work in the 12 months to April 2008, official figures revealed today.

Dispute resolution revolution could lead to big rise in tribunals
Date: 29/10/2008
Tribunal hearings could increase rather than decrease when the UK's new workplace dispute resolution system is introduced, an influential figure has admitted.

Employers underestimate absence levels by almost 20%
Date: 29/10/2008
Most employers underestimate absence levels by almost 20%, experts have claimed.

IBM and Somerset County Council £400m shared services deal gets go ahead
Date: 28/10/2008
The Audit Commission has given the thumbs up to Somerset County Council's 10-year £400m shared services deal with IBM.

Private sector staff received highest pay rises in 2007-08
Date: 28/10/2008
Private sector employees enjoyed considerably higher pay rises than their public sector counterparts during 2007-08, research has shown.

Unison hoping to secure local government pay deal before Christmas
Date: 28/10/2008
Public sector union Unison is hoping to secure an end to the long-running local government pay dispute before Christmas.

Stress, injury and illness are major safety concerns in UK workplaces
Date: 27/10/2008
Stress, injuries and illnesses caused by working on computers are the biggest safety concerns for employees, according to a survey of safety representatives.

Credit crunch sees £160bn wiped off UK pensions pots in past year
Date: 27/10/2008
Nearly £160bn has been wiped off workers' personal pensions pots in the last year, research has shown.

Working time opt-out may be under threat from MEPs
Date: 27/10/2008
Fears have grown for the UK's cherished opt-out from the Working Time Directive, with claims that even Labour MEPs will vote against it at a crucial vote in the European Parliament in December.

HR role in City meltdown sparks debate on HR Space
Date: 24/10/2008
The debate over HR's role in the banking crisis raged on last week.

Agency workers entitled to statutory sick pay
Date: 24/10/2008
Agency workers will be entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) from Monday (27 October) after a change in the law.

Civil service staff to stage one-day strike
Date: 24/10/2008
Tens of thousands of civil service workers are to hold a one-day strike on 10 November.

Northern Rock staff in line for bonus bonanza if payback targets are hit
Date: 23/10/2008
Northern Rock staff could receive generous bonuses if targets for paying back a £26bn government loan are met.

Fathers’ failure to take up family friendly rights to be investigated
Date: 23/10/2008
A £320,000 project that aims to boost awareness of employment rights among low-paid fathers has been given the green light.

65,000 manufacturing jobs to be axed in the next six months
Date: 23/10/2008
As many as 65,000 manufacturing workers will lose their jobs in the next six months, according to research by the CBI.

Agency workers all-clear gives UK temps same rights as permanent staff
Date: 22/10/2008
The Agency Workers Directive has been passed by the European Parliament - giving temporary workers in the UK equal rights to permanent staff after 12 weeks with an employer.

Facial disfigurement in spotlight as man shunned for being 'too ugly'
Date: 22/10/2008
An unemployed man with a facial disfigurement claims he is being discriminated against by employers for being "too ugly".

Hewlett-Packard chief on course for collision with unions over jobs cull
Date: 22/10/2008
Union members are protesting at Ascot race course this morning against Hewlett-Packard's (HP) decision to axe 3,400 UK jobs.

Lloyds TSB defends decision to continue paying staff bonuses
Date: 21/10/2008
Lloyds TSB has denied there is anything wrong with continuing to pay staff bonuses despite promises by Gordon Brown to crack down on bankers' pay.

Working Time Directive opt-out under threat
Date: 21/10/2008
The UK is struggling to keep the Working Time Directive opt-out clause it thought it had secured with concessions on agency workers, according to a key figure.

New law introduces harsher penalties for health and safety failings
Date: 20/10/2008
Managers and directors across the UK have been warned that they risk imprisonment for health and safety failings after a new law was passed.

CBI calls on government to control numbers of migrant workers
Date: 20/10/2008
The CBI has insisted the government needs to "actively manage" the influx of foreign workers after new immigration minister Phil Woolas promised a crackdown.

Male personnel chiefs admit women get raw deal on top HR jobs
Date: 20/10/2008
HR chiefs have admitted that men are favoured over women for the profession's top jobs.

HR team averts job cuts with consultancy service
Date: 17/10/2008
A private sector HR department is bringing in revenue and limiting redundancies during the economic downturn by working as a consultancy.

Jobs boom at Jobcentre Plus as government retrains temps for full-time roles
Date: 17/10/2008
The government is to give 2,000 temporary staff permanent roles at Jobcentre Plus to help cope with lengthening dole queues.

Interim pay rise for local government staff set to be announced
Date: 17/10/2008
An interim pay award is expected to be unveiled this afternoon by local government employers and unions to tide staff over the Christmas break, it is understood.

Online recruitment slumps to 18-month low
Date: 16/10/2008
Online recruitment has fallen for the fourth consecutive month, according to the Monster Employment Index.

Councils’ Iceland cash gamble could lead to training and welfare cuts
Date: 16/10/2008
Local government authorities may be forced to move funds from training and employee welfare to cover salaries following the fallout from the banking collapse in Iceland, experts have warned.

Border Agency apologises for skilled migrant blunder at Heathrow
Date: 16/10/2008
The Home Office had admitted it will retrain an immigration officer who harassed an Indian migrant worker returning from holiday.

British Airways crucifix row reignited by employee appeal
Date: 15/10/2008
A devout Christian who was put on unpaid leave in October 2006 when she refused to hide or remove a crucifix while working at Heathrow Airport has appealed against an employment tribunal ruling that found British Airways not guilty of religious discrimination.

Skilled migrants under spotlight again as HSMP faces second judicial review
Date: 15/10/2008
Campaigners have officially filed for a second judicial review against the government's handling of changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP).

Economic crisis offers mums more opportunity for flexible work
Date: 15/10/2008
The economic crisis presents a great opportunity for mums to find flexible work, according to an expert.

Bonus growth rates halved in past year
Date: 14/10/2008
The rate of growth in bonuses has halved in the last 12 months, research has shown.

Low Pay Commission interim chair appointed
Date: 14/10/2008
The government has appointed Sir George Bain as the interim chair of the Low Pay Commission, the body which advises on the rate of the national minimum wage (NMW).

Staff fail to receive employment tribunal awards
Date: 14/10/2008
More than 1,000 workers each year fail to receive money awarded to them by employment tribunals, according to a report out today.

Icelandic banking crisis could mean no wages for UK council staff
Date: 13/10/2008
Several councils could be unable to pay their staff at the end of this month, it was reported yesterday.

Lammy warns employers that skills tax could resurface
Date: 13/10/2008
David Lammy signed off as skills minister last week with a warning to employers that they could yet be slapped with a skills tax.

Women and ethnic minorities to be fast-tracked to top at NPIA
Date: 13/10/2008
A national development scheme for high-potential police officers will be launched this week by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to help speed up promotion opportunities for all staff.

Prison Service must improve relations with Muslim inmates
Date: 10/10/2008

Emergency measures for credit crunch job losses revealed
Date: 10/10/2008
The government is preparing for huge job losses because of the economic crisis, with emergency plans revealed yesterday.

Skilled migrant rules could lead to UK chef shortage
Date: 10/10/2008
Hoteliers may struggle to find home-grown labour to replace low-skilled migrant workers when the new immigration system takes hold, HR directors have warned.

Agenda for Change court challenge could lead to flood of equal pay claims
Date: 09/10/2008
A tribunal case that could lead to more than 13,700 equal pay claims against the NHS Agenda for Change pay system is under way.

Training budget surveys serve up wildly different responses to downturn
Date: 09/10/2008
Two recent surveys of' training budgets at UK organisations reached sharply contrasting conclusions.

Councils slash back office costs by £1.2bn
Date: 09/10/2008
Local authorities have saved a total of £1.2bn through changes to back office functions such as HR, according to the public sector spending watchdog.

Doctors' revalidation team established with £1m funds boost
Date: 08/10/2008
More than £1m in funding has been provided by the government to set up a team that will work to ensure UK doctors meet expected standards.

Train to Gain tops 100,000 companies as B&Q signs up
Date: 08/10/2008
Home improvement retailer B&Q became the 100,000th company to sign up to Train to Gain, but employer groups say more should join.

Workers fiddle expenses to cope with rising living costs
Date: 08/10/2008
Dishonest workers are increasingly fiddling expense claims to make themselves extra cash as rising prices in the shops and at the petrol pumps take their toll, legal experts have claimed.

Staff suggest ways to boost engagement during economic downturn
Date: 07/10/2008
Workers have called for more praise, encouragement and recognition to help boost morale during the tough times, according to a new survey.

Graduates shun financial sector in search of 'safer' jobs
Date: 07/10/2008
New graduates are shunning careers in the financial sector and opting for 'safer' jobs in the marketing, media and creative sectors, according to a new survey.

Temps and contractors will be casualties of downturn
Date: 07/10/2008
Temporary staff and contractors need to review their working styles or risk falling behind as employers re-evaluate their staffing levels, a survey suggests.

TUC urges Mandelson to focus on protecting jobs
Date: 06/10/2008
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has called on controversial new business secretary Peter Mandelson to focus on protecting jobs.

London Mayor sets up racism inquiry at Met Police
Date: 06/10/2008
London mayor Boris Johnson is to set up an inquiry into racism claims at the Metropolitan Police Force, according to reports.

Employers group backs decision to scrap forced retirement of junior civil servants
Date: 06/10/2008
The Employers Forum on Age has welcomed the decision to scrap the retirement age for junior ranks of the Civil Service, announced by the Cabinet Office last week.

Jackie Orme vows to work with government to raise profile of HR
Date: 03/10/2008
Jackie Orme, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), has pledged to work with the government to improve the standing of HR professionals in the boardroom.

Peter Mandelson returns to Cabinet as business secretary after exile in Europe
Date: 03/10/2008
Peter Mandelson will return to his old stomping ground as business secretary following a government reshuffle.

Staff who take extended sick leave more likely to die
Date: 03/10/2008
Employees who take extended sick leave are more likely to die than healthier co-workers, a study has found.