Each workplace has specific needs when protecting eyesight. Occupational Health offers an update on the health and safety considerations when buying prescription safety software.

Performance enhancing drugs could soon be coming to an office near you; Personnel Today discusses the implications.

For those embarking on a career in HR, the range of options is diverse - hot favourites include talent management, employee benefits and payroll - but what’s the best way to get into these increasingly competitive areas?

Acas has published guidance setting out the issues for employers embarking on a job evaluation scheme in the light of increasing equal pay claims.

XpertHR offers a wealth of content directly relevant to the full spectrum of topics up for discussion at the CIPD conference in Harrogate on 15-18 September 2008. We have put together a reading list for each session.

We provide a round-up of case reports added to XpertHR this week, covering: collective redundancies; statutory grievance procedures; statutory dispute resolution procedures; and equal pay claims.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has stressed that the statutory grievance procedures do not apply in cases where the dispute results in the employee's dismissal.

Thirty years after the first known outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976, legionnaires' disease remains a continuing problem for building occupiers.

Have NHS trusts pushed the panic button too soon on surgical gloves and latex allergy? Graham Johnson, operations manager, BUPA Wellness, finds out.

The Employment Bill making its way through parliament will repeal the statutory dispute resolution procedures, replacing them with a “lighter touch” regime based on a new Acas code of practice. Employment Law Bulletin consultant editor Darren Newman examines the practical implications of their abolition for employers.

Paul Lambdin, partner at Stevens & Bolton, explains how employers can deal with employees who plan to leave the company and set up in competition.

When an employee reaches the age of 65 and is going to continue working at the company, do not assume you can renegotiate terms and conditions. Gagandeep Prasad, a solicitor with Charles Russell’s Employment Group, explains.

IRS Pay and Benefits Bulletin is conducting a major survey of UK private sector employers’ practices in setting their annual pay review and reward priorities over the next year. Taking part will allow you to benchmark your expected pay settlements and you will be entered into a prize draw.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman has found UK regulators guilty of causing injustice in their regulations of Equitable Life, and recommends that the government apologise to policyholders and fund a compensation scheme.

The IRS headline measure of pay settlements stands at 3.5% in the three months to 31 July 2008.

Pay and Benefits Bulletin looks at the recommendations of the Review Body on Senior Salaries and parliamentary pay, as well as the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body supplementary report on the defence medical services.

Reward specialists at IRS present their twice-monthly settlement summary table, together with detailed reports of recent pay reviews.

Albion Chemicals Group refocused its training activity in order to integrate with its new parent company, while maintaining and developing its local customer service infrastructure.

Employer branding is a marketing concept, rather than a mainstream HR process, denoting the attributes that make an employer special and worth working for, and is attracting increasing interest as a way of improving the quality and diversity of job applicants.

IRS research into internal communications policies and practice finds that despite the rise in employee representative bodies, team meetings and one-to-ones with line managers are widely considered to be the most effective ways to encourage a dialogue with employees.