HR News

The latest Personnel Today news




Title/Summary

Date Published

HR 'not yet a strategic business partner', say HR directors
Only a small proportion of activities carried out by HR departments are related to business strategy, according to research released this week. A survey published by consultants Mercer, which polled 500 HR directors across
21/01/2011
Pay settlements rise as employers reward staff loyalty
Pay awards concluded in January 2011 are worth more than those for the same period in 2010, according to research published today. According to data from
21/01/2011
Equality Act 2010: Government implements positive action provisions
The Government has confirmed that provisions on positive action will be implemented on 6 April, under the Equality Act 2010. A commencement order published this week permits employers faced with two or more candidates of e
20/01/2011
Freelancers key to SME growth
More than half (52%) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe that freelancers are key to their stability and growth. This is according to a survey of 2,500 SMEs, published by freelance website
20/01/2011
Bribery Act 2010 to be reviewed
The Government has confirmed that the Bribery Act 2010, set to come into force this April, will be reviewed. The Ministry of Justice will reassess the Act as part of the Growth Review, which will look at the how the Govern
20/01/2011
UK unemployment rises to 2.5 million
Unemployment in the UK rose to 2.5 million in the three months to the end of November 2010, according to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figures show that the employment rate in that
19/01/2011
Graduate recruiters demand candidates with work experience
Graduates applying for jobs will find the task far more difficult if they have no previous work experience, with two-thirds of employers saying candidates with no experience are "unlikely to be successful" during the selection process and
18/01/2011
KPMG to pay school leavers' tuition fees in job scheme
School leavers will be given the chance to study accountancy at university without paying tuition fees, in a new scheme offered by professional services firm KPMG. In September 2011, around 75 students will be given the ch
18/01/2011
Health and safety not detrimental to business
Health and safety red tape is not having a detrimental impact on business, with many employers saying that no more work needs to be done to lessen the administrative burden. This is according to a survey by legal firm Nort
17/01/2011
Maternity leave overhaul receives cautious welcome
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has extended a "cautious welcome" to the Government's proposals to overhaul the maternity leave system. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today outlined the plans,
17/01/2011
Government's first priority to protect public sector jobs, says David Cameron
David Cameron said his first priority is to "protect frontline services and jobs", as the Government takes "radical" action to deal with the budget deficit. In a speech on public sector reforms, the Prime Minister today ad
17/01/2011
Pensions Bill 'good news for businesses', says CBI
The Pensions Bill, which will introduce auto-enrolment and bring forward a rise in state pension age, has been described as "good news for businesses" by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Employers will be
13/01/2011
Employers who flout minimum wage law to be named and shamed
Employers who deliberately flout the national minimum wage law will be named and shamed in press notices, as well as being prosecuted. The Government announced the scheme in October and it came into effect alongside
13/01/2011
Government confirms abolition of Default Retirement Age
13/01/2011
Government issues guidance on Equality Act positive action provisions
The Government has published guidance for employers on how to deal with the Equality Act's positive action provisions, and has urged employers to ignore scare stories about the Act's implications for business. Equalities M
13/01/2011
HR teams struggling to keep up with equality legislation
Despite the majority of employers providing diversity training for some members of their HR team, four out of 10 employers are not confident that their HR teams are kept sufficiently up-to-date on equality legislation to perform their
12/01/2011
Former BBC presenter wins ageism claim
Former BBC Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly has won her employment tribunal against the BBC on the grounds of ageism and victimisation but lost her case for sexism. O'Reilly, 53, was one of four women aged in their 40
12/01/2011
Workers' abuse of tribunal system a 'myth', says TUC
The TUC has hit back at claims by business groups that the tribunal system is in "dire need of reform"
11/01/2011
Government welcomes private sector pledge to create jobs
Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with 19 major employers today (Monday), including Microsoft, McDonalds and Tesco, to discuss what the Government can do to help organisations get people into jobs. Downing Stree
10/01/2011
One-third of employers use interviews as sole selection technique
More than one-third (37.5%) of employers rely on interviews as the sole selection tool during recruitment, according to research by XpertHR. Selection interviews were rated as effective by two-thirds (66.1%) of employers&n
10/01/2011