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 […]
High cost of office politics
According to new research by Reed, based on the opinions of temporary workers, the average workplace loses more than an hour’s productivity a day through office politics. One in four temps questioned have experienced office politics in every temporary job they have done. ‘Power Struggles’ were cited as the most frequent cause of office politics […]
Few companies accommodate working mothers
British women are putting their health at risk as they struggle to cope with the exhausting and constant demands of juggling work and home, and their employers don’t make things easier. More than three-quarters of the 5,000 women questioned in a national survey of work and lifestyle attitudes said that overworking was damaging their health […]
Management still unrepresentative
A report on race and diversity in corporate Britain covering 2.75 million UK employees in 99 private and public sector organisations (including 18 of the FTSE 100) has revealed a noticeable lack of black and Asian managers, particularly at the most senior level. “Race: Creating Business Value” draws on a comprehensive survey of members of […]
Employers unite against further employment legislation
British and Italian employers have formed an alliance in a bid to stave off further “heavy handed” EU laws on employment and social affairs. Britain’s CBI and Italy’s Confindustria met prime ministers Blair and Berlusconi this week to present a joint statement on labour market policy, timed to influence the EU summit in Seville.The statement […]
Employers urged to support women taking public roles
Patricia Hewitt, Trade Secretary and Cabinet Minister for Women, is encouraging women to apply for national public appointments on some of the UK’s 1,000 public bodies, and suggesting that their employers should support them.Of the FTSE 100 firms, only 6% of women hold directorships and 43 firms have no female directors. It is also suggested […]
Call for smoother transitions into retirement
According to Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith, people should be allowed a gradual downshifting from work into retirement. “Many people resent the sheer cliff edge between work and retirement – that on Friday they are deemed to be valuable members of the workforce but the following Monday they are shuffled off into retirement.“We need […]
HR Zone Any Answers Digest #10 – Training attendance, non-smokers, whistleblowing, hours…
================================================================= HRZONE Any Answers Digest – Issue 10 Tuesday 25 June 2002 http://www.hrzone.co.uk/anyanswers/=================================================================********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********** Encouraging training attendance… Hiring non-smokers… Whistleblowing by any other name… Part-time hours… online performance management systems… Language tests… Learning incentives********** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ***** THIS WEEK’S TOPICS ********** Editorial=========The World Cup draws to a […]
UK workers lack security
The UK is right down at the foot of the job security league, according to a new TUC report looking at the globalisation debate published ahead of this week’s G8 summit.Figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development show that UK workers are some of the most concerned about their job security but the […]
Feeling in control is essential for working lives – research
Achieving a balance between our working lives and our home and personal lives is something many people are constantly striving for. Work is not just paid employment, carers (e.g. parents) and housewives and husbands are also workers, searching for a sense of balance.The Wellbeing 2002 research by Boots The Chemists showed that of the 5 […]
Call for better national childcare strategy
The GMB, Britain’s General Union and Daycare Trust today call on the government and employers to provide childcare for all children, as a new survey shows that 6 out of 7 children under the age of 8 do not have access to childcare. Daycare Trust research shows that in areas where childcare is available, parents […]
Fathers are working harder
On top of this week’s news about fathers feeling guilty about not seeing their children, there are new indications of the amount of work they are putting in. New figures from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) reveal that the average number of hours dads spend at work is on the increase. Commenting on the figures, […]
