Opportunities for the HR World

We were not lucky enough to attend the sessions being held at the CIPD conference this year, but Ri5, Recruitment Intelligence Services, made a point of attending and their recent release said this;

"Ri5 made a point of attending some of the key sessions - both in the main conference auditorium and in the exhibition's recruitment & talent management zone. As usual, for those who were unable to attend all the sessions, we offer a selection of edited highlights."

For the purpose of our Simply HR Jobs Blog, we bring you Ri5's highlights from the keynote session that was introduced by CIPD chief executive Jackie Orme.

"She took the opportunity to explore some of the changes facing the HR world and to explain how the Institute was preparing to adapt to and support developments in the profession. She sees today's environment offering a huge opportunity to raise the status of HR.
As business leaders now concentrate more on the values and ethos of their organisations (and on employer branding) than on what the organisation actually does, so HR must work on building organisations that talented people will fight to join, with culture, rewards and organisational design among the priorities. The Institute has undertaken a study of the profession and is preparing to announce changes in its membership structures that provide the flexibility to accommodate zigzagging generalists moving in and out of HR, as well as functional experts and specialists."

CIPD, Annual Conference - we were there

On 16th-18th September, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development held its annual conference and exhibition in Harrogate for the final time, as of next year the event will be held in Manchester. The conference offered dozens of seminars, workshops, master classes, showcases and keynotes designed to keep the profession abreast of the latest thinking and developments. After 60 years in the North Yorkshire spa town, the 2009 dates are Tuesday 17th - Thursday 19th November 2009.

Mark & Scott from http://www.simplyhrjobs.co.uk/ and http://www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk/ exhibited and ‘manned’ our stand at the event, here’s a nice pic of them both! What were your thoughts on this years event? Will you be going to Manchester next year?

Is your Place of Work Hazardous??

We read in the ‘Executive PA’ recently an interesting article about the Top 10 hazards in a workplace. We’ve summarised this for you;

1. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) “The same old routine”; we all know what it is but good posture and limiting time in stressful working conditions can help prevent or halt the progress of the disorder.

2. Under Pressure; Not dealing with pressure in the workplace can lead to stress which affects performance. 30-40% of absences from work are stress related and as many as 5million people in the UK admit to being stressed at work.

3. Back Pain; is the biggest single cause of sickness resulting in absence in the UK. Wow, didn’t know that! The Dept of Health put a conservative estimate of 11 million working days lost each year due to back pain.

4. A sight for sore eyes!; Working at a computer requires constant eye movement and re-focusing. This stresses the muscles and can lead to vision problems. 46% of office workers spend six or more hours in front of their computer screens a day and the majority (51%) of these are not scheduling appropriate breaks. Guidance from the (HSE) suggests it's better to take shorter breaks more often (eg; a 5-10 minute break after 50-60 minutes continuous screen and/or keyboard work).

5. Are you getting your 5-A-Day? What you eat has a direct impact on how well your brain works. Make sure you eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day and drink plenty of water.

6. Germs! With more and more of us lunching at our desks it’s important that we regularly clean our workstations and in particular our keyboards. A recent Which? Computer study found a computer keyboard can harbour five terms more bacteria, such as E.coli, than a toilet. OMG, that is gross!

7. Long Hours sat at your desk; Recent studies have shown that working at a desk for eight hours a day or spending three successive hours or more sitting down can double the risk of you getting a blood clot. Although most commonly associated with long haul flights Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in the workplace is becoming more common.

8. Common Cold; Coughs & sneezes …. spread diseases. The office is the perfect environment for a virus to thrive and although there is still no cure for the common cold there are things you can do to minimise the risk of getting one. A healthy immune system is vital to keeping coughs and colds at bay. Make sure your workplace is well ventilated, there is nothing a virus likes more than a stuffy room crammed full of stressed people!

9. The Office Printer; Research has found that office printers could damage your health. Printer inks are known to contain carcinogens which can affect a person’s health in much the same way as passive smoking. Really? That’s a new one on me!

10. Office Smog; Research by Imperial College London has found that the electronic “smog” generated by electrical office equipment may be exposing workers to raised levels of pollutants and bacteria.

As a HR Professional you will need to be aware of all of these issues to be in a position to carry out your role effectively, and ensuring everyone else in the company does the same. With more emphasis than ever before on employers’ ‘duty of care’ it is essential that companies constantly monitor the health and safety of their employers and ensure that management are not unwittingly neglecting the health and safety of their staff. At the very least, this could lead to absenteeism but it could also result in costly compensation claims and damaged reputations.

HR Event of the Year: Quick Reminder

Tomorrow sees the start of the ‘HR Event of the Year' in Harrogate. Simply HR Jobs are exhibiting from 16th - 18th September inc.

Please do come and visit us on Stand K70. If you'd like to book an appointment with us then call today: 01772 639031.