HR Advice from the HR Girl
Welcome to HR Girl, the site where I discuss HR related issues and developments that I have come across in my work, as well as current news stories from the world of employment. I hope you find it interesting and useful.
Click on the categories above to find blog posts that I have added relating to different subjects. The site covers a variety of HR subjects, so whatever you’re looking for, chances are you’ll find something of interest here. If you have any thoughts on any of the blogs, I’ll be really happy to hear them. Just fill in the comments box at the bottom of the post.
Latest HR Articles
How hot?!?!?!July 2, 2009 / filed under Health and Well being
It can’t be escaping many people’s attention that there’s a heatwave throughout the UK this week, especially if, like me, you work in an office with no air conditioning and the sun shining directly through the windows all day like some sort of greenhouse! Excessive heat at work is an important issue that employers need to consider at this time of year. Whilst many sick days during the summer may be sceptically attributed to the opportunity to... Read more »
Recession dramatically changes employment practicesJune 26, 2009 / filed under HR Practice
The CBI and recruitment specialists Harvey Nash have carried out research into the current working environment in the UK, and have found there have been quite dramatic changes due to the economic climate. The survey was carried out on 704 companies, covering 3 million employees across the country. A key move by many businesses is the attempts to work with the workforce to reorganise working patterns and payments in order to save money rather than... Read more »
Impact of stress related illness surpasses 70s industrial actionJune 25, 2009 / filed under HR Practice, Health and Well being
According to recent research carried out, the UK economy is suffering heavily at the hands of work related stress, and the cost of this is actually higher than the money lost to strikes that took place in the volatile period of industrial action during the 1970s. The ever-rising problem of work related stress and mental ill-health is now costing industry around 13.5 million working days each year. In the 1970s the highest number of working days lost... Read more »
More trouble at Lindsey!June 19, 2009 / filed under Employee Relations, News/General
After large-scale walkouts at the Lindsey Oil Refinery and other supporting plants earlier in the year, more trouble has now broken out which has led to the dismissal of nine hundred construction contractors for illegal and unofficial industrial action. Walkouts took place this week at the oil refinery in protest of 51 redundancies which were carried out as a piece of work had been completed on a construction project taking place at the site. Workers... Read more »
Recruitment and Retention
Office chairs – make sure they’re fit for purpose
May 6, 2009 Recruitment and RetentionBack problems are one of the biggest causes of sickness absence in UK workplaces, and an awful lot of these problems are actually caused by the workplace. In offices, this can be related to the office chairs provided for staff that sit at desks all day. The set up of the desk space is very important... Read more »
The Equality Bill: more legislation and box-ticking or real change?
April 27, 2009 Recruitment and RetentionI’ve just read about the Equality Bill, which has been unveiled today by Minister for Equality Harriet Harman. The aim of the bill is to tackle workplace discrimination, particularly in relation to women, older workers and people from the working classes. In order to expose the gender pay gap, the... Read more »
Employment Law
M&S ‘whistleblower’ claims human rights
May 14, 2009 Employment Law, News/GeneralNot long ago I wrote about Margaret Haywood, the NHS worker who was struck off after filming a secret documentary for the BBC which highlighted the poor treatment of elderly patients at a Brighton Hospital (NHS case highlights whistleblowing legislation, 20th April). This was an interesting case because... Read more »
NHS case highlights whistleblowing legislation
April 20, 2009 Employment Law, Policies and ProceduresIn the news last week was a story about Margaret Haywood, a former NHS worker who was struck off after secretly filming a BBC Panorama programme about the treatment of elderly patients. The programme was filmed in 2005 at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton, and highlighted some horrific practices... Read more »
Learning and Development
Everyday learning
June 12, 2009 Learning and DevelopmentAs we all know, budgets for things like benefits, recruitment and training are currently a lot smaller than this time last year in many companies, so HR professionals are having to be more strategic and clever with the cash they have in order to keep their organisations healthy during the recession and... Read more »
McQualifications prove popular option for 2500 staff
May 13, 2009 Learning and Development, News/GeneralOver a year ago there was a big news story about McDonalds being accredited to offer qualifications equivalent to an A Level (See McQualifications – the new A levels? 6th Feb 08) as well as Network Rail and Flybe. This development was designed to give young people the chance to gain work based skills... Read more »