XpertHR > Strategy & Practice > News & Indicators

Dyfed-Powys Police to revise expenses policy after credit card abuse
Date: 09/05/2008
A Welsh police force has vowed to change its internal expense claim policies after its former chief constable was found guilty of misusing his corporate credit card.

MPs condemn junior doctors recruitment fiasco
Date: 09/05/2008
A damning report into last year's junior doctor jobs fiasco has recommended employers in the NHS play a greater role in medical training and recruitment.

Strikes and pensions reduce profits at Royal Mail
Date: 09/05/2008
Strike action and massive pension payments have contributed to a big drop in profits at Royal Mail, according to the group's preliminary financial results.

Staff transferred to new unitary councils will be covered by TUPE
Date: 08/05/2008
Local government staff transferring to new unitary councils in April 2009 will be protected under TUPE legislation, the government has confirmed.

Government approves sport, creative and hospitality skills academies
Date: 08/05/2008
Skills minister David Lammy has expanded the National Skills Academy network with the approval of three new academies: Sport and Active Leisure, Creative & Cultural and Hospitality.

Pension buyout market boom expected as firms shed responsibility for pensioners
Date: 08/05/2008
Ten companies listed on the FTSE 100 are actively considering pension buyouts as the credit crunch makes passing off retirement liabilities ever more attractive, it was revealed this morning.

More than £38bn spent on training to beat skills shortages
Date: 07/05/2008
Training spend per employee hit a record high last year, latest figures show.

Lack of training to manage remote workers prevents flexible working
Date: 07/05/2008
Half of small business managers struggle to control home or remote workers' performance, research has revealed.

Few agency workers would benefit from CBI’s ‘rights after one year’ proposal
Date: 07/05/2008
Fresh claims that agency workers should be given equal treatment within the first few weeks have emerged, after a report found the average length of time such workers stay in their jobs is less than five months.

Prejudice rife over people with facial disfigurements
Date: 06/05/2008
An overwhelming majority of people prejudice those with facial disfigurements, a survey has revealed.

Flexible working request delay called for by manufacturers
Date: 06/05/2008
Manufacturers have urged the government to delay plans to extend the right to request flexible working to more employees.

British Energy chief tasks HR with the job of finding staff for new nuclear plants
Date: 06/05/2008
British Energy chief executive Bill Coley has placed his HR team at the heart of the company's bid to provide the UK's new nuclear power stations.

Skills crisis looms as flow of migrants from Eastern Europe dries up
Date: 02/05/2008
UK employers face being left in the lurch as the current flow of Eastern European migrants continues to dry up, a major report has warned.

HR offers to come clean on salaries to promote pay parity
Date: 02/05/2008
HR professionals are prepared to reveal their own salaries in a bid to eradicate pay inequality, new research has indicated.

Company cars lose allure as more employers switch to cash allowances
Date: 01/05/2008
UK companies are moving away from company cars, choosing to provide a cash allowance instead, new research has revealed.

Geoff Armstrong wins PPMA award for services to HR
Date: 01/05/2008
Outgoing CIPD director-general Geoff Armstrong has been presented with the 2008 Public Sector People Manager's Association (PPMA) award for outstanding contribution to people management.

IT companies look to fill vacancies with recruits from diverse backgrounds
Date: 01/05/2008
IT firms are increasingly turning to career changers to fill vacancies, according to a training provider.

Skills and temp rights are main cause for concern so far in 2008
Date: 30/04/2008
We may be just four months in to 2008, but already there have been plenty of flashpoints for the HR profession. Whether it be skills, diversity, flexible working, temp rights or the interminable debate over HR's relevance to profit and loss accounts, the debates rage on.

HR is vital to reduce health and safety disasters warns work and pensions secretary
Date: 30/04/2008
Work and pensions secretary James Purnell has warned chief executives that good people management is vital to avoid disasters such as the Buncefield oil explosion.

NHS patients suffer as nurses spend a million hours a week on paperwork
Date: 30/04/2008
Nurses spend more than a million hours every week on paperwork which prevents them from frontline care, research has revealed.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce calls for workforce development
Date: 29/04/2008

Teachers and support staff up 20,100 on last year
Date: 29/04/2008
There are now 20,100 more teachers and support staff in schools than 12 months ago, official figures have revealed.

Blackburn & Darwen Council in last ditch talks over equal pay dispute
Date: 29/04/2008
Unions will hold last ditch talks tomorrow with Blackburn & Darwen Council to prevent strike action by council workers in a dispute over equal pay.

Oil workers at Ineos’ Grangemouth refinery start 48-hour strike
Date: 28/04/2008
Hundreds of oil workers at Ineos' Grangemouth refinery began a 48-hour strike yesterday, following a dispute over pensions.

Automated facial recognition in airports could mean passport officer job losses
Date: 28/04/2008
The trial of automated facial recognition technology in airports in the summer has raised concern for passport officer job losses.

Senior HR figures reject claims that future of profession is in doubt
Date: 28/04/2008
Senior figures have rushed to the defence of the HR profession following a major report that claimed its very future was in doubt.

Microsoft rallies IT troops in bid to boost UK’s basic skills
Date: 25/04/2008
Software giant Microsoft has called on the IT industry to "roll its sleeves up" and help improve workers' basic computer skills so they can apply for jobs.

Productivity suffers as UK’s workaholics admit to timewasting
Date: 24/04/2008
A culture of 'presenteeism' among UK employees is having a negative affect on productivity, new research has revealed.

Union threatens to name and shame minimum wage abusers
Date: 24/04/2008
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has threatened to expose media firms that break the law by using so-called work experience placements to cover full-time jobs.

E-mail and text widely used to duck awkward work confrontations
Date: 23/04/2008
UK workers are hiding behind text messages and e-mail technology to avoid 'sticky situations' research has revealed.

Most business travellers are not prepared for trouble
Date: 23/04/2008
Three out of five business travellers in the UK and US would not expect assistance from their employers if caught up in local violence or a natural disaster while working abroad, research has indicated.

Unions increase pressure on Brown over public sector pay
Date: 23/04/2008
Trade unions have ramped up the pressure on prime minister Gordon Brown, insisting he must increase public sector pay after controversially scrapping the 10p tax rate.

Credit crunch starting to impact on staff numbers outside finance
Date: 22/04/2008
The effect of the credit crunch is beginning to have a real impact on the headcount of firms outside the financial sector, new research has revealed.

MPs claim under-resourced HSE fails to do its job properly
Date: 22/04/2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is lacking the cash and staff to do its job properly, according to a report by a group of MPs.

Employers steer clear of potentially pregnant recruits
Date: 21/04/2008
Three-quarters of British bosses would not take on a new recruit if they knew they would fall pregnant within six months of starting work, new research has indicated.

Employers are tackling barriers to sending gay staff abroad
Date: 21/04/2008
Diversity chiefs have insisted they are actively tackling the challenges of sending lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) staff to countries where homosexuality is strongly frowned upon.

Maternity law changes may lead to bigger pension costs
Date: 21/04/2008
Changes to maternity law introduced earlier this month could see employers lumbered with huge costs in forking out for unforeseen pension payments for women on maternity leave.

Employment figures show older workers are on the increase
Date: 18/04/2008
Older workers are the big winners as the UK enjoys record levels of employment.

Prison Service acts to address management failings regarding Muslim extremists
Date: 18/04/2008
The Prison Service has launched a training programme for managers, in the wake of a report that criticised staff dealing with extremist Muslims who were radicalising other prisoners, at one of the UK's high-security jails.

UK Vision Strategy targets employer attitudes towards blind staff
Date: 18/04/2008
The UK will be missing out on thousands of talented workers unless organisations radically change their attitude to employing blind people, leading campaigners have warned.

Graduates fear recession will lead to jobs squeeze
Date: 17/04/2008
The majority of students graduating from university this year fear that a potential recession would hit their job prospects, according to a new study.

Average pay for health service HR directors tops £80,000 for first time
Date: 17/04/2008
HR directors working for the NHS now earn an average of £80,151, which is a rise of 3.3% on last year's figures.

Attracting and retaining top talent is key to surviving economic downturn
Date: 17/04/2008
In the current financial climate, the attraction and retention of skilled employees is regarded as the pivotal source of competitive advantage for businesses, new research has suggested.

People in work reaches record high of 29.5 million
Date: 16/04/2008
The number of people in employment has reached a record high of 29.5 million, new statistics out today have revealed.

Prison officer training needed to combat radicalisation threat from Muslim cells
Date: 16/04/2008
Lack of staff training in dealing with Muslim prisoners at one of the UK's high-security jails risks fuelling extremist behaviour, the prisons watchdog has warned.

Minister moves to strengthen protection for pension schemes in buyouts
Date: 16/04/2008
The government is aiming to increase protection for people whose company pension schemes become involved in a buyout.

Works Council Directive revision talks fail to get under way
Date: 15/04/2008
Talks aimed at securing a revision of the Works Council Directive have collapsed before they even had a chance to begin.

CBI claims gender pay gap is not caused by discrimination
Date: 15/04/2008
The gender pay gap gets worse with age because of the jobs women are employed in, not because of discrimination, according to the CBI.

Civil servants to join teachers in strike over pay
Date: 15/04/2008
More than 100,000 civil servants are set to strike on the same day as teachers in a continuing row over low pay.

Talent management is most critical HR challenge worldwide
Date: 14/04/2008
Talent management is the most critical HR challenge worldwide and is set to remain at the top of executive agendas for the foreseeable future, according to a global study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations.

Government falls behind its apprenticeship schedule
Date: 14/04/2008
The government is failing to take on apprentices, despite its plans to double the number of apprentices to 500,000 a year by 2020, new figures have revealed.

Flexible working report comes under fire
Date: 14/04/2008
Employers' groups have attacked a "one-sided" report that suggests flexible working legislation has proved ineffectual for many employees since its introduction five years ago.

Financial services sector faces 'tough' job market for 2008
Date: 11/04/2008
Analysts have warned that the job market in the financial services sector will be 'tough' for the remainder of 2008, after new figures revealed a severe decline in new employment in London's financial district.

Chronic diseases set to have major impact on business
Date: 11/04/2008
The cost to business of dealing with employees suffering from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer is set to escalate dramatically, according to a new study.

Flybe launches recruitment drive to boost its expanding business
Date: 11/04/2008
Low cost airline Flybe has unveiled a number of new HR initiatives in an attempt to further boost its profile.

Council workers’ equal pay claim thrown out by Sheffield tribunal
Date: 10/04/2008
Hundreds of female workers have had their test claims for equal pay against Sheffield City Council rejected by a tribunal.

Switch to greener cars could save UK firms £3bn a year
Date: 10/04/2008
UK companies could save £3bn annually by switching to greener company cars, new research has suggested.

Companies plan to replace pension schemes with personal accounts
Date: 10/04/2008
At least 300,000 UK employees will be deprived of their existing pension scheme benefits when the government introduces its new personal accounts in 2012, research has suggested.

UK managers failing to motivate their staff
Date: 09/04/2008
UK managers trail behind their global counterparts when it comes to motivating their employees, new research has found.

Police 'flawed' when handling crimes against business
Date: 09/04/2008
Police are "fundamentally flawed" in the way they handle crimes against business, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has claimed.

NHS staff report better job satisfaction and support from managers
Date: 09/04/2008
NHS staff have reported improvements in managerial support and high levels of job satisfaction and training opportunities.

Training managers predict rise in popularity of e-learning
Date: 08/04/2008
A third of training managers have predicted e-learning will account for up to half of an organisation's training methods within three years, a survey has revealed.

High Court says 2006 changes to skilled migrant rules were unlawful
Date: 08/04/2008
Campaigners opposing the government's changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) have won their High Court battle.

Pensions minister urges employers to encourage gradual retirement
Date: 08/04/2008
Employers must help over-55s to retire gradually rather than encourage a 'sudden stop' approach to work, the pensions minister has urged.

Temps equality Bill could exclude IT and engineering contractors
Date: 07/04/2008
A controversial Bill that would give temps and agency workers equal rights with permanent employees is likely to exclude high-earning IT and engineering contractors, after intense lobbying by recruitment agencies.

Nurses offered three-year pay deal worth 8%
Date: 07/04/2008
Nurses and other NHS workers have been offered a three-year pay deal worth 8% by the government.

Transsexual truck driver wins sexual discrimination case
Date: 07/04/2008
Vikki-Marie Gaynor, the transsexual truck driver who was forced out of her job when she started dressing as a woman, has won her case aginst her former employer.

Employment minister sees future in Local Employment Partnerships
Date: 04/04/2008
Companies looking to boost the numbers of black and minority ethnic (BME) staff they employ should sign up to a Local Employment Partnership (LEP), according to the employment minister.

HR job fears as Citigroup centralises function in wake of ‘credit crunch’
Date: 04/04/2008
Moves by one of the world's largest banks to centralise its HR function has sparked fears that other banks may follow suit, leading to HR job losses.

School of Service Industries aims to plug Olympic skills gaps
Date: 03/04/2008
A London college has launched a series of courses designed to plug the skills gaps threatening the city's Olympic dream.

Two London NHS trusts outsource ‘bank’ staff
Date: 03/04/2008
Two of London's largest NHS trusts have signed a three-year, £45m deal for the supply of nursing and midwifery agency staff.

Remploy boss claims union unrest is all in the past
Date: 03/04/2008
Departing Remploy chief executive Bob Warner has insisted the disability employer has moved on from its bitter dispute with trade unions over factory closures.

Teachers and postal staff both set to strike over pay and pensions
Date: 02/04/2008
Teachers and postal workers could both strike in separate rows over pay and pension changes.

EHRC publishes single equality scheme three months late
Date: 02/04/2008
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has finally published its single equality scheme - three months late.

CSR managers 'becoming part of the scenery' of British business
Date: 02/04/2008
Managers working in the emerging corporate social responsibility (CSR) profession can expect to earn between £40,000 and £60,000 a year.

One in two managers suffers bullying at work
Date: 01/04/2008
Nearly half of managers claim to have been bullied in the past year, new research has revealed.

Immigration levels hit low-paid work and training provision
Date: 01/04/2008
The huge influx of migrants has hit low-paid workers and training for younger staff, an influential House of Lords committee has warned.

Outrageous expense claims cost UK businesses £1bn a year
Date: 01/04/2008
Plastic surgery, a diamond ring, escorts, council tax, a honeymoon, Viagra and a goat are just some of the outrageous expenses claims uncovered by a survey from Travelodge.

'French-style' staff consultation laws threatened by EU
Date: 31/03/2008
UK employers are being threatened with French-style staff consultation laws as part of an EU review into employment directives.

Purnell pleads with employers to stand by back-to-work schemes
Date: 31/03/2008
Work and pensions secretary James Purnell has insisted that employers should keep faith with the government's employment ambitions despite the closure of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

NHS staff face tough new employment checks
Date: 31/03/2008
Tough new employment checks for all NHS staff are to be introduced tomorrow (1 April).

Most employers don't check Facebook when screening applicants
Date: 28/03/2008
Three in four employers don't use social networking sites as recruitment tools, research has revealed.

HR chastened by bosses’ poor perception of profession
Date: 28/03/2008
HR chiefs told last week of their "disappointment" in the profession's inability to convince chief executives of the value the function adds to businesses, after a damning report from consultancy Pricewaterhouse Coopers, (PwC).

Tesco tabloid launched to deliver company news
Date: 28/03/2008
Supermarket giant, Tesco is to publish the first edition of its new staff newspaper, The One, today (28 March).

New sexual harassment laws will be a challenge for employers
Date: 28/03/2008
New sex discrimination laws, which tighten the rules when it comes to protecting staff from sexual harassment, will present a real challenge for employers, a legal expert has warned.

British Chambers of Commerce sign Leitch skills pledge
Date: 27/03/2008
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has agreed to support the government's skills pledge, despite its recent criticism of the closing of its main skills funding vehicle, the Learning and Skills Council.

Serious complaints against recruitment agencies fall
Date: 27/03/2008
The number of serious complaints against recruitment agencies fell in 2007, the latest annual report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has revealed.

UK manufacturing lacks management skills
Date: 27/03/2008
The greatest skills gap in the UK manufacturing sector lies in general management, research suggests.

New corporate manslaughter laws will make prosecutions more likely
Date: 27/03/2008
Investigations into workplace fatalities could become more intensive after new corporate manslaughter law comes into force, experts have warned.

Skilled migrants’ contribution to UK economy set to grow
Date: 26/03/2008
The influx of skilled migrants into the UK will contribute a record £77bn to the UK economy by 2012.

Top universities oppose business-friendly degrees
Date: 26/03/2008
Leading universities are against government plans to introduce intensive, business-friendly degrees, a Financial Times study has suggested.

Corporate manslaughter law still causing headaches for HR
Date: 26/03/2008
Getting to grips with the new corporate manslaughter law is still causing headaches for HR practitioners - just weeks before its introduction.

HR professionals in high demand despite grim economic outlook
Date: 25/03/2008
HR professionals are bucking the grim economic conditions by remaining in high demand, according to experts.

'Prehistoric' jobs websites mean retailers miss out on top talent
Date: 25/03/2008
Top retailers including Marks & Spencer, O2 and House of Fraser are losing out on thousands of talented job candidates because of badly designed websites, research has revealed.

Many UK workers change careers several times, retraining as they go
Date: 25/03/2008
A large number of working Brits have looked to pursue a different career path at least three times, new research has found.

Most firms offer coaching support but few evaluate its benefits
Date: 25/03/2008
Almost three quarters of UK firms now offer coaching, most using it to tackle poor performance and general personal development.

Harman considers law change to allow positive discrimination
Date: 20/03/2008
The government last week refused to rule out a change in the law to allow employers to discriminate in favour of black or female job applicants.

Training moves up the agenda for UK employers
Date: 20/03/2008
UK employers are increasingly offering training to employees to boost performance, research has revealed.

Diversity association plan branded a ‘waste of money’
Date: 20/03/2008
The government project that recommended setting up a new diversity association may have been a "waste of money", leading practitioners have warned.

Northern Rock aims to work with unions to minimise impact of job losses
Date: 19/03/2008
Northern Rock's new chairman Ron Sandler has promised to "work sensitively" with staff and trade union officials to minimise the impact of up to 2,000 job losses.