NIACE moves to protect adult learning
A decision to put the educational needs of teenagers before the needs of adults is distorting lifelong learning policy according to the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). NIACE is giving its full support to the national Protecting Adult Learning campaign led by the Association of Colleges (AoC), aiming to safeguard funding for adults. […]
Review: Accounting for Business Studies
Title: Accounting For Business StudiesAuthor: Aneirin Sion OwenPublisher: Elsevier 2003ISBN: 0 7506 5834 7Price: £24.99Reviewer: Simon Johnson In today’s business climate, a little financial management knowledge can go a long way. The healthy demand for accountancy knowledge by non-specialists is evident by the straining bookshelves offering an insight into what many non-accountants view as a […]
Alan Sugar’s ‘The Apprentice’ sparks leadership debate
BBC Two’s reality TV hit, ‘The Apprentice’ in which fourteen hopefuls fight it out to become the six-figure protégé of the AMSTRAD chief has triggered debate on what characteristics make the best leaders.According to consultants, Mercer Delta those that focus on power and politics might get to the top but aren’t always the best for […]
Yawning European pay gap closes in
According to a report published by the Federation of European Employers (FedEE) the pay gap across Europe is narrowing. FedEE point to a number of contributory reasons: EU members are increasingly developing a more coherent labour market as people are enabled to move and work in different countries more easily. Western European countries are struggling […]
IFS challenges Lib Dems’ income tax estimates
The Liberal Democrats’ estimates of the additional revenue that a higher rate of income tax would raise may be too optimistic, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.The party announced further details of its proposals for an alternative Budget on Monday. It reiterated pledges to introduce an effective 50% top rate (comprising income tax at […]
Letting people go: off the record
Confidential discussions about an employee’s performance have to be handled carefully – or could backfire. Employment lawyer Ann Bevitt looks at the issues. As an employer, you may sometimes want to talk to your employees "off the record". For example, you may have an employee who has been performing poorly recently. Ideally, you do not […]
Compass CEO new Chair of People 1st
CEO of Compass plc Don Davenport is the new chair of People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries.Brian Wisdom, CEO of People 1st, described Davenport as widely-respected in the industry and Compass as one of the skills council’s strongest corporate supporters. “Don has been chosen as Chair because he […]
Newcastle tops the league for ‘sickies’
Workers in Newcastle take the most sick days of any region, according to employment law firm, Peninsula.Workers from the area were absent for an average 11 days last year, while those in Birmingham took the least with just eight.Other regions in the study notched up absences that averaged between the two: Dublin: nine days(2004) – […]
MBA courses need the ‘feminine’ touch
Researchers from Brunel University’s Business School are calling to ‘feminise’ the MBA by incorporating softer skills into the curriculum.Condemning the current structure as largely ‘masculine’ Brunel argue that ‘harder’, analytical skills are prioritised to the detriment of more ‘feminine’ skills relating to personal and interpersonal development. In particular, they have identified listening, trust building skills […]
How Did I Get Here? William Barribal, CEO, In2Vista
William Barribal, describes his path to the top of the recruitment industry and explains why his initial training was akin to a ‘baptism of fire’. 1. What is your job title? Briefly describe your current role.I run a small but rapidly growing managed service business, In2Vista as the CEO. We provide a unique solution which […]
HSE scam revisits UK
A Manchester-based accountancy firm is warning that scam operators are preying on unsuspecting businesses across the UK. The scamsters are sending letters and faxes purporting to be from the Health and Safety Registration Enforcement Division.The official looking letter from a Bradford address demands payment of either £199 or £249 for registering the recipient with ‘The […]
Review: Iris “HR Manager”
Iris “HR Manager” by Iris Business SoftwareReviewed by Denis W BarnardDo you believe that by paying a lot more you actually get more in the same proportion?If you hire one of the big consultancies for £100K instead of a smaller one for £20K, are you getting five times the value and content? (no mention of […]
Bosses alarmed by maternity leave reform
Panic set in yesterday as trade and industry secretary, Patricia Hewitt announced far-reaching maternity reforms that could see businesses grapple with extended leave and further calls for family-friendly working.The proposal include: extensions to maternity pay from six to nine months by April 2007 with the goal of a year’s paid leave by the end of […]
HR Tip: Victimisation
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: What exactly is victimisation in the workplace? Is it illegal? A: It certainly is unlawful. Victimisation is recognised in law as a manifestation of race or sex discrimination. If you, a white […]
Bosses shirk payment for voters
Staff are twice as likely to get paid time off to get their boiler fixed as they are for voting during working hours.Just 4% of bosses told IRS that they would give paid time off for workers to visit the polling station.Other key findings include: In the past two years, almost one-third of survey respondents […]
The Couch?! asks “Are you a workaholic?”
Inspired by The Trades Union Congress (TUC) ‘Work Your Proper Hours" day, The Couch?! would like to know how many hours you spend in the office? Are you a work bore? Do you work in the evenings and weekends? Have your family/friends forgotten what you look like? Are your colleagues your closest friends? Do you […]
HR leadership elite series: why do we need HR leaders?
In his second series for HR Zone, Paul Kearns an outspoken critic of HR practices that cannot clearly demonstrate the value they add to organisations, looks at leadership and asks why do we need HR leaders? Why we need HR leadersDo you know why unions still exist? Because no one has convinced unionised organisations that […]
Get recognised at National Training Awards
Learning and development professionals interested in this year’s National Training Awards can hone their entries at a series of workshops.The free half-day NTA workshops are run by experienced training professionals and will be taking place across the UK.Dr. Graeme Hall, the newly appointed Chief Executive of UK Skills, the organisation which runs the National Training […]
Top companies to share in diversity mentoring scheme
HBOS, Centrica, Co-operative Group, PepsiCo, BskyB, Deloitte, KPMG and Ford Europe are amongst the first companies to sign up to a new organisational diversity mentoring scheme. Due to be launched by diversity consultancy, Performance Through Inclusion (PTI) on 8 March, the scheme will enable companies to share best practice on diversity issues.Kate Headley, director and […]
Business groups hit out at minimum wage rise
Government measures to increase the minimum wage will be fiercely resisted, business groups have told sister site AccountingWEB. The Low Pay Commission is reported to want to increase the minimum wage (currently £4.85 per hour) to £5.05 in October, and £5.30 in 2006. A spokesman for the Federation of Small Business (FSB) told AccountingWEB that […]
