Silver surfers smash stereotype
Older workers are being praised for embracing modern workplace methods and becoming competent with new technology.Findings from the poll by Lifelong Learning UK show that more than half of older employees love new technology and are confident about their level of skills.Chris Ball, chief executive of The Age and Employment Network, said: “It is good […]
DWP calls two-day strike
Civil servants working at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will strike on two days next week unless their pay offer is improved.Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) will stage the protest on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 March 2008. The ongoing pay row centres around the new three-year pay deals […]
Seventy days of salary taken just to clear credit interest
New figures from unbiased.co.uk, the independent financial adviser website, show that employees have worked the last 70 days solid to earn enough money just to service the interest on credit card and loan debt.This does not include re-paying the actual debt itself.Personal loan levels in the UK increased to £9.8 billion, from £2.6 billion last […]
Campaign highlights the dangers of accidents at work
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is launching the ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign to highlight the devastating consequences of simple slips, trips and falls in the workplace.According to HSE figures, every 25 minutes someone breaks of fractures a bone at work. In Great Britain last year, 45,749 people were injured.Sadly, every week, one person dies from […]
The party is over for bosses who fail to meet recession challenge
Over 70% of senior management admit UK bosses have little or no experience of how to deal with a downturn.This is according to a new survey by Pentacle, the virtual business school, which finds that over two-thirds of executives believe the UK is now heading into a recession or serious downturn.Worryingly, the research suggests that […]
Salary sacrifice: Too good to be true?
Ask an employee to ‘sacrifice’ their salary and the prompt response is usually “over my dead body”. Yet bar the unfortunate terminology, the benefits on offer seem rather pleasing. Annie Hayes reports. Tobin Coles, head of flexible benefits at Jelf, a consultancy that specialises in employee benefits, believes that ‘salary exchange’ is a more appropriate […]
Initiative launched to raise status of employer-led training
A new scheme designed to raise the status of employer-based training has officially been launched. Employer Based Training Accreditation (EBTA) is a new initiative that aims to provide organisations with the support and advice needed to raise the status of training. Academic experts in relevant fields will advise employers on workplace learning, and the awarding […]
Dismissing an employee: Employers beware
Barrister Charles Price explains how tribunal cases are up as lawyers blame Alan Sugar’s “you’re fired” mentality. Last year, the original TV business guru Sir John Harvey-Jones launched a blistering attack on The Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar.In the ‘Western Mail’, Sir John accused Sir Alan of ‘exploiting’ his power on the show by humiliating […]
Increasing performance and profitability the psychological way
Organisations that use occupational health psychology and its associated tools are able to work more smartly, become more effective and deliver a wide range of benefits, as Professor Derek Mowbray explains. The role of psychology and its positive contribution to an organisation’s wellbeing and profitability is often under-estimated and invariably understated. Nevertheless, it represents a […]
Corporate Manslaughter: Driving forward a duty of care
On 6 April 2008 the government will implement the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, which will have huge implications for organisations with employees who drive either company or their own vehicles on business. Sandra Beale explains. Following the implementation of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, organisations, not individuals, can be prosecuted and fined for […]
Ask the expert: Pay for work-related stress
An employee has taken a month off work due to stress, but the employer isn’t convinced of their illness. Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise on the employee’s entitlement to sick pay. The question:I have an employee who has taken four weeks off work. This person […]
Female talent drain slows FTSE progress
Numbers of women at management and senior management levels in the FTSE 350 is 20% below that of 2002.This is according to research from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which shows that there is a year-on-year reduction in pay at almost all management and executive director levels in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250, and a resulting widening of […]
Recruiters look to further training opportunities
A snapshot survey has revealed that more than 60% of recruitment consultants believe their company should provide more training. Performance development specialists Lander Associates quizzed 131 recruiters as part of the research, which found that a majority believed that staff would benefit from regular training sessions to allow them to constantly develop their recruiting skills. […]
Maternity returners lack support
New mums face a disappointing maternity return to work with over half feeling their companies do not adequately support them.A new poll by online recruiters Monster has found that only 44% feel that their companies do enough to encourage new mums back into the workplace. In many cases, ‘doing enough’ only amounts to providing the […]
‘Work rage’ spreads as stress takes hold
Anger at work is increasing, according to a law expert that says as many as eight in 10 workers suffer from ‘work rage’.Peninsula employment law service reported that seven in 10 believe verbal and yelling abuse is common in the workplace.In further bad news, 91% of those affected said that co-workers failing to pull their […]
Tech-savvy youngsters denied access
Businesses are underutilising school leavers armed with good IT skills, research has found. Database firm FileMaker revealed that 82% of young people were confident in their general IT computer skills, with over 85% claiming to know how to create a PowerPoint presentation. However, only 35% said they had applied their IT knowledge at work. European […]
Job jitters scarier than dentist
Half of employees starting a new job find it more daunting than a trip to the dentist, a first date or even having a baby.A poll of 1,100 workers, conducted by recruitment consultancy Office Angels, showed first day jitters are causing stress among new employees, with 37% claiming it is more nerve-racking than going on […]
Candidates choose lucky pants over prep
Job seekers are missing out on their dream role by relying on fashion rather than good interview skills and preparation.A study of 5,000 candidates by online recruiters www.jobsite.co.uk found one in three jobseekers failed to receive a single job offer in the past year thanks to ill-prepared interviews and an inability to sell themselves to […]
Why employee engagement pays
Why is it that some companies shine as beacons of light as good employers, whilst others have problems recruiting and retaining staff? Faye Bewley examines what it takes to get it right. The best companies to work for all have one thing in common – employees who are not just committed to their jobs but […]
ACAS staff announce strike plans
Employees at the conciliatory organisation ACAS are to go on strike in a dispute over pay. Members of the Public and Commercial Services union voted almost two to one in favour of the action, which will see staff downing tools over a series of one hour stoppages. A publicly funded organisation, one of ACAS’ roles […]
