News

May 2008

Legislation v Good Practice

Suddenly we seem to have had a flurry of legislative changes, case law and other important employment law updates....
Click to read article

Corporate Manslaughter

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008. The new Act is...
Click to read article

Discrimination by Association

A landmark opinion given by an advocate general at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Feburary established...
Click to read article

New System for Immigrant Workers

Radical changes are being introduced into all aspects of Business Immigration. From 29th February a new...
Click to read article

Benefits during Maternity Leave

Following an EOC ruling in 2007, UK Maternity pay and benefits regulations are to be changed to meet EU requirements...
Click to read article

Sexual Harassment legislation change

From 06 April 2008 employers must protect their staff from sexual harassment by customers, suppliers and others...
Click to read article

Quality of Life

Psychologists at the University of Portsmouth have developed a new psychometric tool to help companies boost...
Click to read article

Healthy staff, healthy business

A Standard Life survey has highlighted the important link between supporting staff wellbeing through a healthy...
Click to read article

Facebook and Recruitment

While employers are within their rights to prevent employees using work time to access social networking sites...
Click to read article

Out of Hours Working and dishonesty

It may not be as costly as the well publicised £billions lost by a money market trader, but weekend workers...
Click to read article

April 2008

Minimum Wage Rise

On 5 March the government announced that the annual increase in the minimum wage, to take effect 1 October 2008,...
Click to read article

SMP and SSP Increase

From 6th April 2008, SMP increases to £117.18pw (from £112.75), and SSP increases to £75.40pw...
Click to read article

March 2008

Immigrant Workers

Immigrant Workers - changes from 29th Feb 2008

Radical changes are being introduced into all aspects...
Click to read article

February 2008

Legislation

1 Feb 2008 Employment Rights (Increase of Limits Order 2007). This increases the limits...
Click to read article

Acas Redundancy Booklet

This booklet is intended to provide impartial guidance for anyone dealing with or affected by the process of...
Click to read article

We're Moving!

Our new address is:
Unit 60, Airport Business Centre
10 Thornbury Road
Estover
Plymouth ...
Click to read article

A Little Distraction

A new test may be just what you need for recruitment. Psychologists have devised a computer based assessment...
Click to read article

Virtual HR Support

Businesses often need help with human resources, even those with an HR manager or access to Hardwick HR's expertise....
Click to read article

NI Benefit Increases April 2008

The annual draft order increasing social security benefits confirms proposals to increase the standard rate...
Click to read article

Employment Contracts - an investment

When you've taken the decision to find a new member of staff, you want the process of recruitment and induction...
Click to read article

Just Teasing

There is a fine dividing line between good natured teasing and harassment. And everyone will draw it in...
Click to read article

Salary Sacrificing

In order to attract and retain the beat staff many organisations are considering different reward packages. ...
Click to read article

Rise in Employment Tribunal Awards

The current maximum weekly pay that employment tribunals can take into account for various awards will rise...
Click to read article

The Cost of Holidays

It has been estimated that the increase in holiday entitlement that came into force in October 2007 will increase...
Click to read article

Wage Rates

VocaLink, market leader in electronic payments, reported that UK take home pay increased 3.4% in October, slightly...
Click to read article

Your Worries

A recent survey of 200 line managers revealed their top five worries at Christmas:

1. too many sick/duvet...
Click to read article

Scary Statistics

The Federation of Small Businesses found that 78% of small business owners and entrepreneurs have no help when...
Click to read article

September 2007

Legislation

Weekly working time limits for doctors in training reduced to 56 hours, 1 August 2007.
The...
Click to read article

Bank and Fixed Term Contracts

Following recent enquiries regarding zero hours, bank and fixed term contracts, here is a mini guide to both...
Click to read article

Size Doesn't Matter!

HR issues affect us all. Micro business or multi-national, your employees are your most important resource. ...
Click to read article

Smoking Out Trouble

The introduction of the smoking ban may cause difficulties for employers, who can no longer allow employees...
Click to read article

Skill Shortages

Research by Archer Mathieson and HSBC reveals that senior business professionals in a variety of industry sectors,...
Click to read article

Training for Success

Small businesses are not offering training to their staff even though increasing skills will make them more...
Click to read article

Skills Pledge Review

In December 2006 Lord Sandy Leitch recommended to the government that by 2010 all employers should sign a pledge...
Click to read article

Just a suggestion

Suggestion schemes can produce impressive results according to a survey by the not for profit organisation,...
Click to read article

Summer of Red Tape

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has highlighted the new legislation that comes into force in 2007, and the...
Click to read article

Resolving Disputes

The 3 step statutory dispute resolution procedure introduced three years ago has, contrary to intentions, increased...
Click to read article

Consultation on Paternity Leave and Pay

The government proposes that fathers would be allowed to take some of the mother's statutory maternity leave...
Click to read article

Sacking Poor Performers

A survey by Personnel Today produced an estimate of £30m a year wasted by UK employers on under-performing...
Click to read article

What's the Difference?

In the first case of its kind, the EAT has ruled on whether the job offered to a teacher on her return from...
Click to read article