As reported last week, a ground breaking decision has been made in a London Tribunal, which has ruled that drivers working for the online Uber app are workers rather than self-employed individuals, as Uber maintained prior to the Tribunal outcome. Since the verdict, it has emerged that couriers working for Deliveroo have sought to unionise and claim employment rights. Is this the end of the so-called ‘gig economy’? In the Uber case, two drivers, James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam, argued that their actions were controlled by Uber, which mea... Continue reading

Workplace by Facebook is a collaborative platform run by Facebook, which launched on 10 October 2016. It can be used to communicate via groups or to chat with colleagues, and offers the traditional social networks features in a corporate environment. Is this further blurring the lines between employment and personal lives, or is it an innovative new communication system for the workplace? Jennifer Dunlop, Senior Solicitor at MacRoberts LLP takes a look. The creation of social media has blurred the lines between the employee–employer rel... Continue reading

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” Robert Swan, Polar explorer and advocate for protection of Antarctica Research shows that in today’s competitive market, the perception that a company is socially and environmentally responsible can be a major point of differentiation for consumers.  Without a good reputation it is increasingly difficult for businesses to operate. All businesses, large and small, can have an impact on the environment, and you can contribute to the reduction of this... Continue reading

This week marks 21 years since International Workplace (in various guises) first started business. The company has been in existence almost as long as I have been working in HR, which is a long time! I once overheard a CIPD student say to her colleague after I had introduced myself to the training group, “Well, if that’s what 21 years in HR does for you, I’m getting out now.”  To this day I am still not sure how to take that comment! 21 years in HR is certainly a long time and along the way I have managed to pick up a lot of tips... Continue reading

The observance of World Values Day in October has raised greater awareness of the importance of good values – not just as individuals but as teams and managers in the workplace. The event, supported by key industry organisations such as the CIPD and the Wellbeing at Work Event, also held this month, highlights that values play a significant role in our lives, including helping us to ‘make better choices in life, develop healthy patterns of behaviour, and form and maintain meaningful personal relationships. With values we know where we a... Continue reading