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EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

Survey: Employers’ business continuity plans

Last year’s floods have helped remind organisations of the importance of making contingency plans to cope with emergencies. Our survey examines the practices of 51 employers and finds that HR professionals can expect to take on important roles in the event of a crisis.

Case study: In-depth research shapes Vodafone’s employee engagement

Mobile telecoms company Vodafone has introduced a large-scale employee involvement strategy that ranges from professional development opportunities to improving the physical working environment. As our case study shows, its efforts are based on a robust programme of research that differentiates the key engagement drivers.

Disaster contingency model policy

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Employee engagement during a downturn

April pay awards are heading for a fall

PAY AND BENEFITS

Features

The IRS headline measure of pay awards is 3.5% in the three months to March 2008, but a preview of April pay deals reveals that they could be heading for a fall.

The gender pay gap

With latest official data suggesting that the gender pay gap narrowed by more than a quarter between 1997 and 2007, we take a detailed look at statistical evidence on progress towards achieving pay equality in the UK.

Total reward takes off for City HR specialists

News

The methods used by London financial firms to attract the best HR candidates are investigated in a survey from international recruitment consultants Robert Walters.

HR must communicate the value of the reward package

How employers might change their reward packages in response to the credit crunch is investigated in a survey from pensions and employee benefits consultants Hymans Robertson.

Engineers and technicians: below-inflation salary rises

The latest survey from Remuneration Economics details salary rates and rises in the engineering sector.

Fired executives paid 'at least' £10.5 million in 2007

Research by law firm Pinsent Masons reveals the extent of payments made to executives who resign, or are forced out, for poor performance.

Clerical salary growth outpaces operatives' rises

Pay increases and salary levels are detailed in the latest biannual survey from Croner Reward.

Local government's HR chiefs stand by their £100,000-plus salaries

The wage packets of local council HR executives are featured in a so-called Town Hall Rich List compiled by pressure group the Taxpayers' Alliance.

Pensions experts warn of poor outlook for UK’s army of non-savers

If employees continue to cut their retirement savings as living costs rise, employers face the prospect of having a poverty-stricken workforce who are unwilling to retire, pensions experts have warned.

Engineering construction industry: second-stage increase lifts rates by 4.4%

Pay reports

Flat glass industry: rates increased by 3.5%

Forestry Commission: 3.5% average salary increase

Pay review update: 25 April 2008

The latest pay review update table contains pay settlements at the Bank of England, Argos, Wilkinson and many more.

Statistics and forecasts

The datafile contains the most recent inflation, earnings and labour market statistics, pay settlement data and inflation and earnings forecasts. Our panel of City and academic forecasters expects headline inflation to fall gradually from an average 3.9% in the first quarter of the year to 2.7% by the year end. Average earnings growth is expected to remain in the region of 4% over the remainder of 2008.

Pay Intelligence April 2008

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Latest IRS Pay and Benefits Bulletin

Survey: How recruiters use absence records and health checks

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE

In two linked surveys we investigate the ways in which employers conduct background checks on their recruits and candidates. In the first of these, research by IRS sheds light on how employers obtain information about the absence and medical details of their potential recruits, what recruiters do with these details and the costs involved.

Background checks in recruitment: employers’ current methods

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Survey: How recruiters check up on job candidates

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

The second of our linked surveys provides an overview of employers’ background checking procedures together with a closer look at their use of references and Criminal Records Bureau disclosures.

Background checks in recruitment: absence records and health assessments

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This month's round-up of decisions on discrimination from the courts

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Features

Implications of recent rulings about discrimination relating to pregnancy, sexual orientation, race and paternity leave.

Changes to sex discrimination law and maternity rights

We provide guidance on the recent amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008. The changes relate to harassment, including third-party harassment, the definition of discrimination on grounds of pregnancy or maternity leave and rights during maternity leave.

Pregnancy and work: updated BERR guidance

News

The government has published updated guidance summarising the rights of pregnant employees and their employers and their responsibilities towards one another.

Acas to conciliate after fixed period has ended

Acas has announced the removal of the fixed period of conciliation for employment tribunal claims that are live or received on or after 1 April 2008.

Okonu v G4S Security Services (UK) Ltd

Casenotes

Race discrimination

The EAT holds that the shifting burden of proof provisions in s.54A of the Race Relations Act 1976 are restricted to claims based on race or ethnic or national origin, and do not apply to claims based on colour or nationality.

Ashcroft v Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School

Time limits

The EAT holds that an employee who learnt the outcome of his appeal against dismissal only six hours before the expiry of the normal three-month time limit for bringing a tribunal claim was entitled to an extension of time.

Employee wellbeing policy

Model policies and documents

Use this document to set out your organisation’s commitment to managing staff health and wellbeing.

Employee assistance programme

Use this document to set out an employee assistance programme to support employees experiencing work or personal problems.

This week on the XpertHR/IRS blog

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EMPLOYMENT INTELLIGENCE

Many and varied are the issues that have caught our attention recently, including recent postings from our staff on:

BENCHMARKING WITH IRS SURVEYS

Taking part in our IRS surveys provides a fast, free and easy way to benchmark your HR policies and practices against competitors and other employers. In return, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of the relevant survey’s findings. We are currently researching:

Details of these and other benchmarking projects of ours are available on our redesigned IRS surveys website, together with links to Celre salary surveys. Our site also offers a registration facility that ensures you will be notified of forthcoming surveys in your areas of interest.

Celre joins XpertHR Group

Do you need authoritative pay and benefits benchmarking data? If so, you'll be interested to hear that the specialist salary and benefits survey company Celre is now part of the XpertHR Group.

IRS Masterclass and Conference: Employment Law

IRS CONFERENCES

14-15 May 2008, London

Find out about recent changes to employment law, what is coming in 2008/09 and how it will affect your HR policies

The conference on 15 May will focus on the following four major areas of employment law:

the Employment Law Simplification Review;
discrimination law;
employment status; and
the law relating to dismissals and redundancy.

In addition, the one-day masterclass on 14th May is designed to complement the conference by covering the latest developments in the dispute resolution procedures and the management of disciplinary and grievance processes.

Visit the conference website for further information.