What’s happening with the Women’s Unit and Equality?
Funny old things seem to be happening within the Government’s Cabinet Office at the moment.In the run-up to the election, the Head of the Women’s Unit of the Cabinet Office, Baroness Jay, stepped down from her post amidst behind the scenes murmerings that she was somewhat out of favour. Baroness Jay had come under increasing […]
Morris: More money for IT in FE
Education and Skills Secretary, Estelle Morris, yesterday announced £84 million in funding to help Further Education colleges develop IT infrastructure and increase the uptake of Information Learning Technology.Speaking at Lewisham College in London, Ms Morris said:Today I am pleased to announce that the Government will provide £42m in 2002-3 and a further £42m in 2003-4 […]
Role-playing turned man into a nervous wreck
The British Stammering Association is supporting a workman previously employed by Walkers Crisps as he claims constructive dismissal and disability discrimination at a Newcastle Employment Tribunal.40-year old Kevin Alderson worked as a packaging technician at the Walkers factory in County Durham for 23 years before resigning in May last year after the company allegedly forced […]
Heads we win, Tails you lose.
Returning from the Training Solutions show, this week’s guest column from FTdynamo looks at more tortuous developments in the murky world of remuneration and optionsThe British firm Marconi, better known under its previous name GEC, has announced that, after recent market turbulence, it wants to re-price the options it had made available to staff. Currently […]
GMB calls on government to end “disgraceful situation”
The GMB, today called upon the government to “take urgent steps to end the disgraceful situation” whereby term-time only workers, such as school dinner ladies and cleaners, are unable to claim jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) during those periods when they are laid-off without pay.Responding to a decision in the House of Lords yesterday afternoon that term-time […]
DTI announces Work and Parents taskforce
Working hours that can be made to measure and make life easier for millions of busy mums and dads moved a step closer, as Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt appointed a new taskforce to look at how flexible working practices can be introduced in a business friendly way.The Work and Parent Taskforce will examine […]
Minister welcomes New Deal figures
Minister for Work Nick Brown has welcomed the latest New Deal for Young People figures which show that 299, 150 young people have moved off benefit and into work – up almost 6,000 since last month.Mr Brown said: “New Deal is continuing to be a great success throughout the country, helping to reduce long-term youth […]
David Lammy appointed as PPS to Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris has appointed David Lammy MP as her Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS).Ms Morris said:“David is joining the team at a crucial time with the introduction of new legislation to deliver higher standards in education. He will play a key role in helping us achieve our goal of providing a high quality of education to […]
Child benefit to be run by the Tax Man
The Inland Revenue is to run the Child Benefit Centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.The Prime Minister announced the transfer in response to a Parliamentary question from Bridget Prentice MP.Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said the move would enable Child Benefit in Great Britain to be […]
£1.8 million aid package for steelworkers
Redundant Corus steelworkers across England are to get help finding new jobs thanks to a £1.8 million grant from the European Social Fund (ESF), Nick Brown announced today.The Minister for Work said: “As part of the Government’s package to help the areas hit by Corus redundancies, we have been working with the Corus unions to […]
The value of ONE
Two new reports, published today by the Department for Work and Pensions, examine the attitudes of employers to recruiting benefit claimants, and the impact of the ONE service on clients’ attitudes and behaviour in relation to work and claiming benefit. Both pieces of research took place in the ONE pilot areas. The survey findings are […]
The ONE Service
ONE is a new service for delivering benefits to people of working age. It brings together the Employment Service, the Benefits Agency and Local Authorities to deliver a more integrated benefit service, providing clients with a single point of entry to the benefit system. New and repeat benefit claimants are allocated a Personal Adviser, with […]
Minister McCartney: When I’m 64!
New Pensions Minister Ian McCartney promised to be a national ambassador for the skills and needs of older people today.He told the Employers Forum on Age that he would tackle age discrimination and champion better services for the over 50s at national and local levels.Mr McCartney said: “Older people have a lot to offer employers […]
Diversity best practice? Ask the civil service!
Two pieces of independent research published today show that the Civil Service is a leading UK employer in its drive to increase the diversity of its workforce and ensure equality.This research examines staff perceptions of working in the Civil Service and their views on the equality of performance appraisals. Commissioned by the Civil Service working […]
Morris: End the culture of leaving education at 16
An award which would recognise the achievements of young people by the age of 19 was proposed by Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris today as she set out her vision of education for 14-19 year olds.The suggested over-arching award would not require additional tests or exams, but be presented to students upon completion of […]
Women should not be afraid to seek senior posts
Women are being urged today to use their skills and experience to benefit hundreds of national public bodies from English Partnerships to the Audit Commission. Speaking at the Public Appointments seminar in London today, Appointments Minister for the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Sally Keeble, told delegates that women should not be […]
Holidays are coming – for freelancers and short-term contract holders
A change in UK law relating to holiday entitlement is likely following an European Court of Justice ruling in Luxembourg which grants paid holidays to millions who have not had them.The Luxembourg court declared that UK rules requiring workers to be continuously employed for at least thirteen weeks by the same employer before being entitled […]
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6.5 million sick days through stress
News agency Ananova reports today that around half a million people are believed to be suffering from stress or a stress related illness and that some 150,000 people have had at least a month off work from stress. Workers between the ages of 35 and 44 showed the highest levels of stress with the problems […]
Why not ask the staff?
This week’s guest column from FTdynamo un-ashamedly asks what’s so wrong with the recently passed EU Directive on Consultation?A minor management earthquake rumbled through the European Union this month, but thankfully no-one was hurt. The EU Directive on Consultation has finally been passed, with the UK falling into line after years of opposition. The ‘subsidiarity’ […]
