UK - Older workers

Companies' Attitudes to Older Workers Must Change, say Hewitt

Hewitt is calling for a radical re-think by companies to their approaches to reward, organisation and development.

Canada (Saskatchewan) - Trade Union Act

Saskatchewan - Proposed Amendments to the Trade Union Act Passed
Employees and employers now have a mechanism to ensure first collective greements are settled in a timely fashion.

Canada (Saskatchewan) - Whistleblower protection

Saskatchewan - Improved Whistleblower Protection Passed
Employees who report wrongdoing now have even stronger protection following amendments to the Labour Standards Act introduced by the Saskatchewan government on November 19, 2004.

UK - Trade union recognitions

Union recognitions stabilise
179 union recognition agreements were achieved in 2004, according to a TUC report.
This compares with 166 recognition deals in the previous year, suggesting that the five year old legal right to recognition is settling in.

HR Outsourcing

HR Outsourcing
Outsourcing basic human resource services can be the key to achieving a more influential and strategic role for the HR function. But the decision has to be taken carefully.

USA - Commitment

A new index page of articles related to the topic of Commitment at Work has been posted at:
www.hrmguide.com/commitment/

HR Technology

Two new articles:

Kenexa bStrategic Designed for Informed HR Business Decisions
Kenexa bStrategic goes beyond simple reporting, allowing users to access data from third party sources including: recruiting systems, performance management systems, financial systems and human resource management systems.

Control Module Adds Wireless Functionality and Four-Inch Graphic Display to its Genus Terminals
The company claims that with a four-inch graphic screen, employee self-service is extremely user-friendly and provides employees with access to their personnel information, including results of their shifts, vacation schedules, work orders, 401K status and company medical benefits forms.

USA - Top perks

Forget the company car - laptops are the best perk
A survey of 994 outplaced employees and managers found that far more of today's job hunters want to receive a laptop than a company car from their next employer.

Canada (Ontario) - Absenteeism case

Attendance Management Human Rights Versus Lean Operations - Lessons Learned from Keays v. Honda Canada Inc.
Attendance management is a perennial problem for human resource managers. The problem is compounded when the employee purports to have a medical condition that is poorly understood, hard to prove (or disprove) and is intermittently absent. Honda Canada Inc. made some terrible mistakes in the case of one of its employees, Kevin Keays. A trial judge awarded the employee two years notice and $500,000 in punitive damages.

This is a fascinating article with implications for anyone interested in the management of absenteeism - not just for people in Canada. Might make a useful seminar case.

Is Your Resume On Target?

Is Your Resume On Target?
The most qualified candidate is not always the one to get an interview - the one with the strongest resume is.

Canada (Ontario) - Disability severance

Ontario Court of Appeal Overturns ESA Severance Exclusion for Disabled
On May 4, 2005, in a precedent-setting decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a provision in the Employment Standards Act that allows employers to deny severance packages to disabled workers who can no longer continue in their jobs
because of an illness or injury that "frustrates" the employment contract.

Canada (Nova Scotia) - Safety

New Safety Programs for Employers
Nova Scotia has one of the highest workplace injury rates in Canada.

Canada (Quebec) - Pension Plans

Upcoming Changes to Pension Plans
On May 5, 2005, the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity for Quebec tabled proposed legislation, Bill 102, An Act Respecting the Funding of Certain Pension Plans, to temporarily relax certain rules relating to the funding of defined benefit pension plans and defined benefit contribution plans.

What is strategy?

The page on What is strategy? has been revised.

USA - HR People

LivHOME Appoints Maureen Kehan Vice President of Human Resources
Maureen Keehan's appointment supports the continuing growth of a leading at-home assisted-living services company.

Australia - Disability

Work a major source of self-esteem for people with disabilities

Welcoming Federal Government’s intention to encourage people with disabilities to join the workforce, the Australian Psychological Society warned that long-term support is needed to ensure this change does not become a repeat of deinstitutionalisation.

HR People - John Gordon appointed Corporate VP of Human Resources at Millipore

John Gordon appointed Corporate VP of Human Resources at Millipore
John Gordon will lead a global HR organization supporting a workforce of 4,400 employees in 31 countries.

Canada - Unemployment statistics

Unemployment rate down to 6.8% in April
Statistics Canada reports that unemployment edged down by 0.1% to 6.8%. This is the lowest unemployment rate since December 2000.

How to Ask for the Job

How to Ask for the Job
Most candidates are intimidated to ask for the job because they are afraid of a "no" response. But there are a few ways you can broach the subject without actually saying, "Can I please have the job?"

Canada - Wage Earner Protection Program

Wage Earner Protection Program
This program is intended to help protect workers by providing a guaranteed payment of wages owed up to $3000 should their employer declare bankruptcy.

Australia (New South Wales) - Employee surveillance

New South Wales - Legislation on employee surveillance
The Workplace Surveillance Bill was introduced in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. It will make it an offence for employers to engage in covert surveillance of emails and website access or the use of tracking devices without a court order.

Survey Finds Writing is Key to Workplace Success

Survey Finds Writing is Key to Workplace Success
A recent survey of America's top businesses reveals that being able to write well is essential for success, especially in industries that will have the greatest growth in the future.

'Whole Person' Hiring Assessments

'Whole Person' Hiring Assessments
Brainbench roll out assessment tools designed to predict employee success more accurately by measuring the specific mix of personality, skills, abilities and past employment behavior for over 150 jobs.

Canada - Employee Rights During Bankruptcies

Employee Rights During Bankruptcies
There are roughly 10,000 bankruptcies per year, many of which leave behind employees who are owed back wages, benefits and pension contributions.

Webhire Workforce Intelligence

Webhire Workforce Intelligence
'Webhire Workforce Intelligence enables corporate executives, hiring managers, recruiters and other talent stakeholders to fine-tune hiring practices and talent management programs by analyzing critical talent management metrics and trends against internal and external benchmarks.'