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Pet names at work – what’s your policy?
The pet names debate – are they appropriate at work?
Brighton resident Jo Walter’s letter to the local bus company has caused a stir in the past couple of weeks; Jo expressed that she disliked the use of pet names by bus drivers, and the company responded decisively by asking its drivers to avoid such terms – causing much controversy and debate in the local and then national media. Continue reading  Tips for Avoiding Employee Holiday Scheduling Issues
Earlier today we published a blog offering guidance to employers on staff leave over this year’s extra bank holiday for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. With this event and many employees looking ahead to organise their holidays for the year, this guest blog from Ann Reed offers some practical advice to ensure scheduling mishaps are avoided. Ann is a writer and human resources professional who spends her days devising new innovative strategies for attendance tracking and leave scheduling. Holiday entitlement for the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday
Do we need to allow staff the Diamond Jubilee bank holiday off work?
Also see today’s guest blog post – Tips for avoiding employee holiday scheduling issues The Diamond Jubilee takes place this year, marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign. This year the early May Bank Holiday will be moved back to Monday the 4th of June, joining an additional bank holiday for the Jubilee on Tuesday the 5th to make a long weekend. Schools in England and Wales will be able to close on these bank holidays. Organising their leave for the months ahead, some employees may want to know if they will be given the Tuesday bank holiday off and whether they will be paid. Government plans to overhaul ICT in schools are well overdue
Why Michael Gove’s plans to overhaul the ICT curriculum are a welcome move
The ICT curriculum in schools has been under scrutiny in the past few weeks, with Michael Gove declaring last month that it is presently a ‘mess’ and in need of some radical revamping. He warned that for teachers and industry leaders the current curriculum is ‘off-putting, demotivating and dull’. ICT is presently compulsory but this may change following the government’s curriculum review. Gove proposed that computer science GCSEs could be included as part of the Government’s flagship English Baccalaureate, with students focusing on areas such as programming and coding (see the full Independent newspaper report here). Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), did express concern that the timescale for changes is unrealistic and that ‘school leaders are becoming increasingly frustrated by the stream of contradictory and seemingly ad hoc announcement about the curriculum and qualifications’. Whilst Gove’s focus on coding was criticised by many, the solution could be a more adaptable ICT curriculum, with teachers encouraged to teach lessons on a wide range areas – such as web design or programming – according to their own specialisms. Rather than a ‘slap in the face for ICT teachers’, as Chris Keates general secretary of the NASUWT teachers’ union fears, such changes could have the potential to empower teachers. What do you think? We’re interested to hear how HE professionals feel about the proposed changes. Time management: an example training exercise
Do you need as much time as you think you do?We ran a Time Management workshop for a group of architects, in a firm undergoing growth and needing greater efficiency from its existing workforce. During the session we repeated a short activity to demonstrate how the delegates – generally with very high attention to detail and a tendency to be perfectionists – may not need as much time as thought in order to complete the essential aspects of a task. We asked them to sketch their manager in 5 minutes, then later in the workshop we gave them 3 minutes to do the same, and finally we gave them just 1 minute. Take a look at the photos below – the important parts are featured in each example. Leadership and Management funding 2012 – last chance
Apply for Train to Gain replacement “Leadership and Management Advisory Service” – offering up to £1000 of matched funding – before the end of this financial year.Skills South East, who provide the funding service for the south-east of England, note that whilst funding remains and should be renewed in the following financial year, the terms may change in April. So businesses wishing to take advantage of the current offer should aim to apply by early February. The Leadership & Management funding can be used for a range of development solutions including coaching, workshops, bespoke training and qualification based training. You can find further information on your Leadership and Management funding eligibility on our website. If you would like to dicuss how the funding can be used or request details of your regional provider please contact us on 01273 590232 or by email – enquiries@lcp.org.uk Caption competition: the future
LCP’s Caption Competition: The future- £5 Amazon vouchers for the winner!This month’s newsletter looks at the HR trends for 2012 and outlines the key employment law changes (view them in full here) – if you’re reading this before the 27th of January, sign up for your copy. The theme for our first caption competition of 2012 is simply ‘the future’ - look forward to seeing what you come up with! We’ll pick our favourite on Friday 10th of February- just check back here or follow LCP’s Natasha or Claire on Twitter to hear the results. Thanks to Tobyotter for the image.
Most businesses not planning for effects of the 2012 Olympics
Research finds most businesses are not making plans ahead of 2012′s Olympic and Paralympic Games |
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