Joblessness on the cards says Bank chief
Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England has warned that Britain faces the possibility of higher inflation and rising unemployment. UK inflation rates are amongst the lowest within the EU since the start of 2000. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate in the UK fell to 1.1% in September, a figure which is […]
Unemployment falls but jobs market stagnates
Official labour market statistics show that the unemployment rate fell by 51,000 between June and August to 1.39 million, a figure down 105,000 from a year earlier; despite this good news professional body the CIPD argue that the jobs market is at a standstill.The Office of National Statistics latest labour market report looks to be […]
CIPD say migrant labour is essential
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) quarterly indicators say that restrictions on immigration could hinder UK firms; the warning has been supported by Ram Gidoomal, chair of the Employability Forum who has denounced calls for a migration halt as ‘nonsense’.According to the HR professional body, employers are avoiding the upwards pressure for wage increases […]
TUC calls for compulsory pension contributions
The news that we are living in a populous ‘fool’s paradise’ with a serious pension shortfall for the 2020-2030 retiree generation is chilling news even for the most relaxed of workers; the message is clear we have three choices pay more tax, save more or work longer; the TUC say the UK faces a stark […]
HR Tip: Frequent absence with plausible reasons
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: We have an employee who is regularly absent on Mondays and Fridays. He always self-certifies with a plausible reason. What can we do? A: The first thing you should do is talk […]
£57 billion a year pension gap revealed
A report by the chairman of the Pensions Commission and former Director-General of the CBI, Adair Turner says that the pensions problem is becoming so serious that taxes will have to be raised to pay for better provision while people will have to be encouraged to save more or workers persuaded to work on past […]
New NHS minimum wage tabled
Unison, the union representing workers in the public sector is to put its acceptance of new NHS proposals to ballot; its 450,000 health members will vote on the far-reaching recommendations which if elected will result in the biggest shake up of pay and conditions since the NHS was created.The Agenda for Change had cast fears […]
Feature: Homeworking – benefit or burden?
By Alison Wallace, head of employment practice, Steptoe & Johnson Homeworking has a long way to go before it gains acceptance by UK employers according to a recent survey or 640 companies across Europe; the survey shows that two thirds of UK employers do not trust their staff to work from home for fear of […]
HR Zone Member wire #69 – Can Royal Mail rise above the taunts?
================================================================ HR Zone Members Newswire Issue 69 12 October 2004 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ SITE HIGHLIGHTS ***** SITE HIGHLIGHTS ***** SITE HIGHLIGHTS 1. Editor’s Comment: Can Royal Mail rise above the taunts? 2. HR Tip: Frequent absence 3. CBI calls on government to address pension crisis 4. HR outsourcing market set to expand 5. Any Answers: custom […]
Finance leader involves staff in a ‘taste-off’
The Funding Corporation, a financing firm are asking all 450 staff to take part in its selection for a canteen caterer.Staff will vote for their favourite top nosh provider in a ‘taste-off.’“It sounds trite, but there are four directors and 446 staff, so the staff get to choose the caterers. If we made the choice […]
Office politics is not a game of chance
Office politics is often portrayed as negative or damaging to an organisation generally thought of as the domain of backstabbers, gossip mongers or empire builders, but says a new report it can actually bring positive benefits.In a turnaround from Roffey Park’s original findings in 2002 which found that office politics can reduce organisational productivity, create […]
Incapacity Benefit claimants falling
In May 2004 official statistics showed that there were 2.7 million Incapacity Benefit claimants; of this group only 1.478 million actually receive payments a number which has fallen by nearly 400,000 since 1995.There are three Incapacity Benefit rates paid to people unable to work due to illness or disability. The payments range from £55.90 and […]
Insurance giant to axe 1,200 jobs
Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA) today announces that it is to transfer 1,200 roles to India over the next two years; claims that the ‘offshoring’ trend will cost jobs are refuted by official statistics which show that call centre employment in the UK is rising. Transferring front line customer service and back office administration staff […]
Fitness First shapes up to meet targets
Gym chain, Fitness First has announced a restructure of its management to be headed by new front man, Peter Boddy; commentators say the move is part of a strategy to prepare the business for an early return to the stock market.Boddy takes over the role of Managing Director today. Mike Metcalf, Chief Executive of Fitness […]
Smoking ban backed by EU Commissioner
Commissioner Designate and former Cypriot minister, Markos Kyprianou vowed to protect Europe’s youth from the ‘scourges of tobacco’ saying he would go as far as to roll-out a total EU smoking ban; the comments have caused concern among some businesses.Speaking at a European Parliament confirmation hearing, Kyprianou answered a series of questions aimed to assess […]
CIPD calls time on classroom training
The classic model of classroom training is failing modern business needs, instead organisations need to promote a learning culture, according to a new report from the CIPD. ‘Helping People Learn: Strategies for moving from training to learning’ concludes that the dominance of the classroom-based training is no longer appropriate for a global economy where change […]
Employers vow to adopt holistic reward approach
Non-financial rewards including career development and flexibility, as well as pay have the greatest influence on employee behaviours; reveals a new report.The Watson Wyatt Total Reward Survey 2004 found that two out of five employees are considering moving on within the next year.Respondents’ reasons included a lack of career development, promotion prospects and a poor […]
CBI calls on government to address pension crisis
Employers’ group the CBI is due to unveil figures which highlights the level of pension commitment by employers and asks the government to correct the perception that UK Plc is the ‘villain’ of the pensions’ crisis.Digby Jones, Director-General of the CBI says that employer contributions rose by £19bn to £37bn between 1997 and 2003. He […]
Softworld feature: Selecting and implementing HR software
Paul Priddle, a SAKS Consulting Principal, is speaking at the forthcoming Softworld HR & Payroll event on ‘Selecting and implementing HR software for beneficial business change’. In a preview to the seminar, HR Zone quizzed Paul on planning processes, preparing a business case, key market trends and navigating the vendors. HR Zone: What is involved […]
Editor’s Comment: Can Royal Mail rise above the taunts?
By Annie Hayes, HRZone EditorRoyal Mail has been abused, criticised and cursed by the press for some time now – its high-profile attendance reward scheme has been ridiculed, it was laughed at for failing its own set of 15 performance targets and its deputy chairman’s severance package has been labelled as ‘obscene’; Editor’s Comment takes […]
