E-procurement: Are you ready yet?
Only 15% of financial services companies use e-procurement for HR goods and services, despite its proven cost-reduction benefits. Adoption rates vary by sector, with banking at 25% and financial broking at 45%, suggesting widespread uncertainty about technology implementation among organizations.
Investing for the future – can you be bothered?
Most British workers prioritize their current job performance over planning for retirement, with only 3% rating future investment as their top priority. Despite mandatory stakeholder pension provisions taking effect, surveys show workers remain focused on immediate concerns like career success and healthy living rather than long-term financial security.
DfEE Expenditure Plans
The DfEE’s expenditure plans for 2001-02 and 2003-04 are available as PDF documents on the Official Documents website. These plans were presented to Parliament in March 2001.
Workshop Report: Teleworking – the agony and the ecstacy
Explore teleworking’s benefits and challenges in this workshop discussion. Participants share experiences on remote work advantages like eliminating commutes and working undisturbed, while discussing communication strategies for distributed teams and reducing isolation.
Workshop: Teleworking – the agony and the ecstacy! 5 June 2001
Join this online workshop exploring the benefits and challenges of teleworking and homeworking. Discover insights on isolation, management practices, health and safety regulations, and cost benefits for companies in remote work environments.
Virtual teams bring real benefits
Virtual teams reduce travel expenses and boost productivity through video conferencing and teleconferencing technology. However, businesses should carefully assess their communication needs and team relationships before implementing these tools to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Shares may not encourage managers
Research shows that performance-related share schemes for top managers raise executive pay but fail to boost shareholder value significantly. Long-term incentive plans don’t address the core agency problem of ensuring managers act in shareholders’ interests.
The Case for Stakeholder Dialogue
Stakeholder dialogue—genuine two-way communication with employees, customers, and communities—helps companies understand societal expectations and build legitimacy. Unlike market research, true dialogue moves beyond corporate preconceptions to discover stakeholder values, making it essential for authentic social responsibility and employer branding.
TUC and CBI welcome government moves on flexibility
The TUC and CBI have welcomed a government task force to address workplace flexibility for working parents, with both organizations viewing it as a positive step toward improving employee rights while maintaining business competitiveness.
The land of learning: Industrial Society Manifesto
The Industrial Society launches a manifesto calling for work to be recognized as a priority issue alongside education and health. The manifesto advocates for world-class workplace learning, companies that balance profits with employee welfare, and workplaces free from discrimination based on age, gender, disability, and ethnicity.
Oh Big Brother! Penny’s peepshow puts job in peril
An English teacher known as “Penny” on Channel 4’s Big Brother risks losing her job after being filmed in accidental nude shower scenes. Her headteacher warned the contestant that further similar incidents could result in contract termination at her all-girls school.
Happy Mondays
A new book challenges the notion that workers universally hate their jobs, arguing that many secretly enjoy work and find fulfillment in their careers. The analysis raises questions for managers about whether they’re creating engaging, enjoyable workplaces.
Student Internet Use: The difference in spin
Two surveys on US student internet use sparked conflicting headlines: one warning that online activities harm academic work, the other celebrating students’ connectivity. The difference reveals how data interpretation depends on perspective and client expectations rather than the underlying facts.
Will £60,000 attract the top graduates?
Phones4U is offering starting salaries of up to £60,000 to attract top graduates amid fierce competition for talent. The mobile retailer hopes the lucrative packages will help fill skills gaps as it pursues ambitious growth targets, with other firms also raising offers to recruit exceptional candidates.
College lecturers strike causes day of chaos
A national strike by approximately 30,000 college lecturers affiliated with Natfhe disrupted classes across 290 further education colleges in England and Wales, with widespread cancellations and support services affected. Striking lecturers cite years of pay constraints and say the action demonstrates their resolve to address ongoing workplace grievances.
Directors’ pay increase doubles thanks to bonuses
Company directors’ pay rose 12.9% last year, with bonuses nearly doubling from £20,856 to £28,071, according to the Institute of Management survey. The increase reflects growing business confidence across the UK.
Npower receives shock from disabled customer
Disabled woman Valerie Dexter won £850 compensation after npower required her neighbour to countersign her gas and electricity contract without permission. The utility company’s policy of requiring disabled and older customers to have contracts countersigned was ruled discriminatory and unlawful by Swindon County Court.
Retaining High-Flyers
Retaining high performers requires more than competitive pay. Research shows employees join companies for salary and challenging work, but stay for personal development, work culture, and feeling valued as individuals. Employers can improve retention through better hiring practices, aligned development programs, and compensation packages that support work-life balance.
Surviving redundancy
When redundancies loom, businesses face more than financial challenges—organizational dysfunction spreads as fear triggers defensive behavior, siloed departments, and short-term thinking. Clear, regular communication and protecting managerial loyalty are essential to maintaining performance and morale during economic downturns.
FE Colleges face biggest strike in a decade
Further Education lecturers in the UK are striking Tuesday over pay disparities, marking the sector’s biggest industrial action in over a decade. College lecturers earn significantly less than schoolteachers despite increased workloads and student numbers, with most employed on insecure part-time contracts.
