Industry News - March 2011

• "Sham" marriages up 66 per cent
  - The number of marriages arranged only to keep one or both partners in the UK has increased by some 66 per cent
• Staff altercations more likely to cause sick days
  - Employees are more likely to take sick days following an unpleasant experience with a colleague, according to new research
• Importance of absence management plans advocated
  - Businesses have been urged to implement contingency plans to fall back on in case of a crisis
• Credit checks a must for employers
  - All employers should include credit screening within their pre-employment checks, according to an industry expert
• Payroll details of 200 workers leaked
  - The confidential payroll details of some 200 employees were accidentally leaked in an email, according to MudefordVillage.co.uk
• Managers advised to "prevent overload"
  - Managers should work pro-actively to "prevent overload," according to one expert writing for The Telegraph
• Personal allowance on tax increased in Budget
  - The personal allowance on tax afforded to each British employee has been raised by around £630 by the government, HR Magazine has reported
• Absence an "uncomfortable topic" for many
  - Absence management has proven to be an "uncomfortable topic" for many working in the HR industry
• Private sector morale high
  - Private sector employees are enjoying a boost in morale at their company and offices, reports HRMagazine.co.uk
• Cumbrian restaurants targeted for illegal workers
  - A number of illegal workers have been caught operating as members of staff at several Cumbrian eateries
• Helping businesses to cope with the Royal Wedding
  - An expert has offered some advice on how companies can cope effectively with all the Royal Wedding hype and the absence management required during the holiday period
• Companies can organise HR review without limitations
  - There is nothing wrong with companies undertaking full HR reviews at short notice, according to one expert
• HR directors need to "get under the skin" of companies
  - HR directors walking into new roles must "get under the skin" of their new company, in order to fully understand its culture and processes
• HR has "flourished" in recent years
  - Human resources has "flourished" in recent years, thanks to the ever-popular "consulting culture" seen in Britain
• HR professionals could brush up on people management
  - HR professionals could improve the way in which they manage their employees' competencies, according to Cath Everett, writing for HR Zone
• Pre-employment checks should be a priority
  - Pre-employment checks should be a key priority for businesses, according to one expert
• CIPP rolls out new pension training ahead of 2012
  - A new range of training courses and qualifications are to be rolled out to payroll, human resources and financial staff by professional bodies in order to prepare for pension payroll changes which come into force next year, reports Professional Pensions
• More over 65s in work than ever before
  - Despite the recession, more people over the age of 65 are opting to stay in employment, according to government research
• HR staff share doubled bonus pot
  - Human resources professionals were paid £3.5 billion in bonuses last year, double the amount from 2009, says payrollworld.com
• ASDA employees to share £27m bonus
  - ADSA employees will be looking forward to their next pay day, as £27 million of staff bonuses will pass through the payroll, The Mirror has reported
• Surveys highlight candidate blunders
  - A survey has highlighted some of the biggest blunders committed by candidates in Britain