Stress eats into time off
New research commissioned by Opodo revealed today that nine out of ten of us are stressed out from work, two thirds of us work longer than the standard 35-hour week and just under half of us regularly work unpaid overtime.The report suggests that two thirds (58%) of UK workers never take a proper lunch break […]
New draft code on monitoring of employees available
The Office of the Information Commissioner has produced a draft version of another section of the data protection code, “Monitoring at Work: an Employer’s Guide” and is inviting further submissions. The draft has already attracted criticism for the restrictions it would place on employers’ ability to monitor employees’ emails. There has already been consultation on […]
Teleworking continues to rise across Europe
The number of individual eWorkers (people using new information and communication technologies to work from home or on the move) could reach over 27 million in Europe by 2010, according to the latest EMERGENCE study, Modelling eWork in Europe, published by the Institute for Employment Studies. The Modelling eWork in Europe study concentrates on ‘individual’ […]
Women still choosing between family and career
A quarter of women in top positions in British business have been forced to choose between having the career that they want or having a family, according to research Conducted by Ashridge Business School for cahoot. Over half (53%) have no children.The survey suggests that UK employers and organisations are not meeting women’s needs for […]
Employers protest against review of employment legislation
As we recently reported the government has announced a review of the 1999 Employment Relations Act. Employers’ groups are protesting that further legislative changes are unnecessary and undesirable. This is the second time in a month that employers’ organisations have attemtped to stem the tide of further legislative changes.The CBI responded to the government’s announcement […]
Search for the elusive work-life balance
Susanne Tietze MA MBA PhD of Nottingham Trent Business School examines current thinking on the work-life balance issues. Getting the balance right between work and an outside life can be difficult, but a successful balance can bring enormous rewards for the business and can improve the quality of life for workers. This article was provided […]
Pensions – new views
The Pickering report on simplifying pensions is available, and will be prompting much discussion of how to halt the collapse in saving for retirement which has been so much in the news of late. The government has announced that it will be producing a Green Paper on pensions in the autumn.For good measure, the Treasury […]
DTI: Labour market to become more diverse
Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt has put forward a vision of the labour market of the future, which emphasises bringing more parents, older people and ethnic minorities into fulfilling employment. Ms Hewitt’s comments marked the publication of “Full andFulfilling Employment”.“Full and Fulfilling Employment” sets out three principles:– Full employment. “Jobs are the key to […]
Government announces comprehensive review of employee relations
The government has announced that there will be a review of the 1999 Employment Relations Act 1999, which will look at, among other things, union recognition, the right of employees to be accompanied at disciplinary meetings, the rights of those on strike, and collective agreements.The review will also look at other aspects of the Act, […]
Mum’s the word for better benefits from tonight!
Several newspapers report today that employees who become mums- and dads-to-be from midnight tonight will find themselves with more money and time when the baby arrives.New legislation brought in by the government means that working parents with babies due to be born on or after April 6 next year will benefit from an increase in […]
Long hours increase heart problems
Japanese researchers have published the results of research which shows that long working hours greatly increased the risk of having a heart attack. The research, published in the journal Environmental and Occupational Medicine indicated that men working over 60 hours a week were twice as likely to have a heart attack than those working less […]
Employment law to counter discrimination against gays
Barbara Roche, Minister for Women and Equality, spoke at the TUC’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Conference last week, and drew attention to legal developments:“I recognise that we need to continue to tackle discrimination against the LGB community more widely, so we will be implementing the European Employment Directive to outlaw discrimination (both direct and […]
Employment Bill passed, creating new flexible working conditions
The Government’s Employment Bill has received Royal Assent. It aims to support for working parents, while reducing red tape for employers.The package for parents includes:– six months paid and a further six months unpaid maternity leave for working mothers;– two weeks paid paternity leave for working fathers;– six months paid and a further six months […]
HR Zone Any Answers Digest #11 – organising admin support, working on maternity leave, rewarding volunteers…
================================================================= HR ZONE Any Answers Digest – Issue 11 Tuesday 9 June 2002 http://www.hrzone.co.uk/anyanswers/=================================================================********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********** Organisation of admin support…working while on maternity leave…rewarding volunteers….casual vs temporary – what’s the difference?…beginning a career in HR… Fixed Term workers…********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********** —————————————————————–Do we have […]
Fewer employees take breaks
Employees in Britain are working harder than ever, with only half (52%) taking a break at lunchtime, according to new research from BACS. More than a third of workers (39%) claim that they take fewer breaks today than a few years ago. Workers are leaving the office for 36 minutes on an average lunchtime, when […]
Guide to equal pay launched
The Equal Opportunities Commission has launched a 5-step Equal Pay Review Kit, complete with an introduction, to help companies assess whether they are avoiding discriminatory pay or not.
European action on stress at work
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has launched a campaign against work-related stress, said to be the second biggest occupational health problem in the European Union after back pain, affecting over 40 million employees in the EU.According to a number of major studies, work-related stress affects nearly one-in-three (28%) workers in the […]
UK firms miss signs of corporate wrongdoing
UK companies are neglecting vital safeguards that could prevent the same illegal or unethical business behaviour that has plunged corporate America into crisis, according to The Work Foundation. Its latest survey finds that many employers here are failing to provide adequate internal ‘whistleblowing’ channels for their employees to raise concerns about bad behaviour – such […]
Call for better hearing protection
The TUC has joined forces with the RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) and the European Federation of the Hard of Hearing (EFHOH) to call on Members of the European Parliament and Governments to ensure that the best hearing protection is provided to workers under the Noise at Work Directive, which is under discussion.The […]
Job-seekers use employers’ time
Job hunters use employers’ time to look for alternative work and surfing the Net for jobs during working hours is common practice amongst unsettled staff, according to Parity, the IT services company. Over 60% of those seeking alternative employment do so during work, with peaks first thing in the morning and before hometime. Parity found […]
