Star Office
Bill Peters seeks training providers in the UK for Unix-based office systems including word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and email. He asks if existing providers offer such courses or if someone can help develop them.
Development at Work
An assessment centre for process worker recruitment needs to evaluate dexterity and machine safety skills. This post explores simulation-based testing methods to assess the physical capabilities required for safe machine operation in manufacturing environments.
Minister for Work announces 90 million to combat discrimination and disadvantage
Minister for Work Nick Brown announced £90 million in funding to combat workplace discrimination and disadvantage. The EQUAL programme will support over 70 organizations across Great Britain in testing new approaches to improve employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups through partnerships and European expertise sharing.
Is training tax-deductable?
Training expenses may be tax-deductible if they maintain or improve skills required for your current job. However, costs for education leading to a new career generally aren’t deductible. Consult a tax professional to determine eligibility for your specific situation.
Chasing Pygmalion – Why Expectations Matter
During economic downturns, workforce morale suffers significantly due to the Pygmalion effect—a psychological phenomenon where managers’ expectations directly influence employee performance. Front-line managers who communicate low expectations, whether consciously or through body language, create self-fulfilling prophecies that undermine success and team motivation.
CIPD survey: nearly two-thirds of employees are disengaged
A Gallup survey reveals that 63% of UK employees are disengaged and 20% are actively disengaged, costing the economy £39-48 billion annually. Only 17% of workers report full engagement, with disengagement increasing the longer employees stay with organizations.
‘Graduates get workplace satisfaction’ says CIPD report
A CIPD survey of 2000 graduates found high workplace satisfaction, with 87% feeling secure in their jobs and 92% positive about career prospects. However, the research reveals a significant gender pay gap, with male graduates earning substantially more than female counterparts in their first year of employment.
Unemployed workers’ centres ‘get ready’
Unemployed workers’ centres across the UK are preparing for increased demand amid concerns of job losses following the US terrorist attacks and potential economic slowdown. These centres provide employment support, skills training, welfare advice, housing assistance, and community facilities to help jobless individuals.
CBI: LSC should listen to business
CBI chief Digby Jones called on the Learning and Skills Council to genuinely listen to business needs rather than simply including business representatives on local councils. He highlighted three priority areas: tackling basic skills deficiencies, raising workforce attainment levels, and encouraging small firms to invest in employee skills development.
CBI: inflation is in check as pay awards fall at service firms
Service sector pay awards fell to 3.7% in the three months to September, down from 4.1% in June, indicating inflation remains under control according to the CBI’s latest survey. Manufacturing pay awards also remained subdued at 2.9%, suggesting limited wage pressure across the broader economy.
Softworld HR & Payroll Annual Forum 2001 Preview
The Softworld HR & Payroll Annual Forum takes place October 17-18, 2001 at the NEC, featuring educational sessions led by PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG alongside exhibits from 15 leading HR and payroll software vendors. The event includes masterclass workshops and breakfast briefings covering system selection, employee self-service, and payroll outsourcing strategies.
Law to include access for people with disabilities
New regulations require UK service providers including shops, restaurants, banks, and government departments to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, effective October 2004. The law aims to remove physical barriers that prevent disabled people from accessing services, with an estimated 8.5 million disabled people in the UK having significant spending power.
How to: Crack the job market
Most job seekers rely too heavily on job advertisements and recruiters. Expand your search strategy by networking contacts, writing directly to target companies, focusing on growth industries, exploring small firms, and customizing applications to increase your chances of landing a job.
Managing Information
Learn essential information management strategies including analyzing personal and customer information needs, understanding the costs of poor data handling, and organizing information effectively in your workplace.
TUC welcomes requirements on employers to prove they have not discriminated
The TUC welcomes new Employment Tribunal rules requiring employers to prove they haven’t discriminated based on gender, shifting the burden of proof from employees. The change takes effect today but the TUC says additional measures like statutory pay audits are needed for meaningful impact.
Health and safety ‘disgrace’
Agricultural deaths rose sharply to 53 last year, prompting the Health and Safety Commission Chair to call the situation “disgraceful” and demand urgent action. Common preventable causes include vehicle strikes and falls from heights, with concerns also raised about child deaths and widespread occupational illness among farm workers.
New law means FE and HE have to monitor race relations
Further and Higher Education institutions must now monitor staff recruitment and progress by race under new regulations from the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The requirement aims to eliminate racial discrimination and promote equality across colleges and universities.
Temps could miss out on equal rights
UK temporary workers, including students and college staff, risk missing out on equal rights protections if the Government weakens its implementation of the EU Fixed-Term Contracts Directive. A TUC report warns that pay and pension equality may be excluded, affecting 1.7 million temporary, casual, and agency workers.
EU ‘consultation’ proposals attacked by CBI
The CBI has challenged EU proposals to strengthen worker consultation legislation, opposing new sanctions that could suspend business decisions and allow employee representatives to postpone corporate actions. The organization plans to lobby MEPs to drop the amendments before the European Parliament votes later this month.
Time to improve accident record local authorities told
The GMB union is challenging local authorities to improve workplace health and safety performance by implementing safety audits, training managers, improving occupational health, and selecting contractors based on safety records rather than lowest cost.
