Identifying the leaders of tomorrow
It’s that time of year again. The process of graduate recruitment begins and, once again, we find ourselves with mountains of CVs from the would-be leaders of tomorrow, professing great interest in a career in…oh the virtues of the Find & Replace function! With more graduates on the market than ever before, all with a […]
Tribunal hears first UK caste-based discrimination claim
In the first case of its kind in the UK, an Indian couple is claiming unfair constructive dismissal from their legal jobs due to caste-based discrimination. Because of the precedent-setting nature of the lawsuit, Home Secretary Theresa May is believed to be watching the case carefully and considering whether to add a section covering caste […]
School leavers lack necessary workplace skills
Whether school leavers obtain the A-Level results they hope for today or not, almost half of employers do not believe that they have the necessary skills to work in a business environment. A survey of 2,000 micro-companies undertaken by the British Chambers of Commerce revealed that 47% would be ‘fairly’ or ‘very nervous’ of hiring […]
Too much fire-fighting stops L&D teams being strategic
Seven out of ten learning and development teams are too busy fire-fighting and dealing with day-to-day challenges to focus on strategic talent and learning issues, our sister site www.trainingzone.co.uk reports. The survey of 104 L&D managers, carried out by managed learning company KnowledgePool, asked respondents about their perceptions of training in their organisations. Key findings […]
More employer training levies will stifle staff development, warns CBI
Employers lobby group the CBI has warned that government plans to extend employer training levies would hinder further investment in learning and development programmes, our sister site www.Trainingzone.co.uk reports. The organisation said the levy systems, which operate by charging employers in certain sectors a specified proportion of their wage bill, which is then pooled and used […]
UK riots: Tottenham and Croydon given £20m job creation fund
The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced a £20m ‘enterprise and growth package’ for two areas of London most affected by the recent riots and looting in England, reports our sister site, www.businesszone.co.uk. Eric Pickles, the communities and local government secretary announced the London Enterprise Fund aims to “breathe new life” into Tottenham […]
UK IT workforce at its biggest ever
More people than ever before are now employed in ICT, unless they work in the public sector, which is seeing an overall relative decline, reports our sister site, www.publictechnology.net. According to just-released data from ICT sector skills body e-skills UK, www.e-skills.com/bulletin, on the state of demand and supply of ICT labour and skills in the […]
Blog: Long service awards are out of date
The traditional view of long service is out of date. ALL service, loyalty and achievements deserve recognition. Rewards for 20, 25, 30 years plus service are all very well in principle, but are increasingly out of date in today’s business environment where more than 10 years service is quite rare. Of course loyalty should still […]
The value of on-the-job assessments when managing older workers
Although Employment Minster Ed Davey hailed the abolition of the Default Retirement Age as ‘great news for older people, businesses and the economy’, not everyone agrees. As Mary Clarke, chief executive of Cognisco points outs, some business leaders and lobby groups have voiced concerns that businesses may be saddled with an ageing and incompetent workforce, […]
Part-time worker numbers hit record high
A lack of full-time jobs saw the number of people working part-time hit a record high as unemployment levels took an unexpected leap last quarter. According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, the number of people out of work rose to a peak not seen since February 2010. Unemployment jumped by […]
Second wave of enterprise zones to create 30,000 high-tech jobs
The Coalition Government has announced its second wave of enterprise zones, which are intended to kick-start the UK’s sluggish economy and create 30,000 jobs in high-tech industries. The first 10 zones located in English cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle were named in the spring, but a further 11 have now been added to […]
Encouraging green employee action can help cut costs
By understanding and complying with environmental regulations, you can not only save the planet, but also cut costs in your organisation. Ellie Dart, senior communications officer at NetRegs.gov.uk, explains how. Your workplace environmentRecent estimates say that UK businesses generate over a third of the UK’s CO2 emissions. So how are they doing it? Energy and […]
Government consults over adult learning overhaul
The Coalition Government has launched a consultation setting out its proposals for the overhaul of adult learning in the UK. According to our sister site www.Trainingzone.co.uk, the consultation document entitled New Challenges, New Chances includes proposals ranging from informal adult and community learning to data requirements on colleges and is a follow-up to the Government’s […]
Service Birmingham aims to hire city’s disadvantaged
Service Birmingham claims it is on target to recruit 720 people from "some of the most disadvantaged communities in the city” by 1 April 2013 – 126 of them this year alone. According to our sister site www.publictechnology.net, in sharp contrast to now cancelled plans to offshore staff, the joint venture between the UK’s biggest […]
Blog: Do non-competition clauses work in a social media world?
Social networks have taken the business world by storm. In a few short years, they've become powerful tools for finding customers and strengthening existing relationships. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google + and others have become indispensible for professional networking by employees and businesses alike. They also can be a source of legal trouble if you're not […]
Too many rules are bad for employee relations
I saw an ad the other day stating that failure to have comprehensive written policies can leave employers vulnerable to claims at employment tribunals, which have powers to levy fines of up to £5,000 plus compensation. The advert listed some 21 different documents that should be in place. I am not a specialist in employment […]
Benefits must be tailored to age to attract top talent
Benefits must be tailored to workers’ age profile if such packages are to help employers attract and retain top talent effectively, a study has shown. According to a survey among 2,000 UK adults undertaken by YouGov and commissioned by workplace consultancy Croner, issues such as flexible working, company reputation and workplace culture were highly valued […]
Proposed MBNA sale puts 5,000 UK and Irish financial services jobs at risk
The recent contraction in the financial services sector appeared to tighten further following Bank of America‘s announcement that it is to sell its MBNA credit card business, putting 5,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland at risk. MBNA claims to be the largest credit card provider in Europe, employing a total of 4,000 staff, supplying […]
Union ballots Fujitsu’s ICT staff for strike action over pay
The Public and Commercial Services union is balloting 750 ICT staff working on contracts for five major government Departments and agencies for strike action over pay. According to our sister site www.publictechnology.net, the conflict centres on supplier Fujitsu and its outsourcing work for HMRC, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, the Office of National Statistics and […]
Blog: What to do about bullies in the workplace
Recognise This! – Fire bullies. That is the only reasonable course of action. News about bullies in the workplace seems to come up fairly regularly. In his “Business Performance” blog, Leslie Allen recently reported on a CareerBuilder.com survey on bullies: “The survey carried out by CareerBuilder.com between February and March of 2011, which involved […]
