Wage settlements running at 3-4%
Independent research company, Incomes Data Services have today released their latest IDS Report on pay in the UK for the quarter July to October 2000.Most pay recent pay awards are in the 3 to 4 per cent range. However, a slightly higher proportion of settlements are being recorded at or above 4 per cent – […]
Signs that you’ve had too much of the 90’s
Once again I’m grateful to Mr D. – otherwise known as Dennis DeSimone for the following bit of light heartedness in the day!Have these signs of the nineties happened to you? You try to enter your password on the microwave.You haven’t played patience with real cards in years.You always call playing patience “solitaire”.You have a […]
employee panels
I have been asked to provide a training workshop for a new employee panel (just being introduced by the company) Can anyone suggest ideas as to what I should include in the session? Or where I should look for info on training material? Nick Oliver
What is the best recognised course certification?
I am the trainer at a manufacturing site offering in-house IT training courses in Desktop applications (there is a very wide range in competency from analysts to machine operators), currently people receive a certificate (more for attendance than reaching a standard) at the end of the course. Currently, I am investigating the industry standard certification […]
Women are key to unlocking ICT skills gap
More women need to be recruited into careers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to redress the skills gap, Margaret Jay, Minister for Women, said today (Thursday 10 Nov.).Margaret Jay was speaking at the Women’s Unit‘s Women in IT seminar involving leading employers including Microsoft, IBM and Sun Microsystems, as well as academics and women […]
Government funding to help ex-offender training and employment
Employment Minister Tessa Jowell today announced more support to help offenders back into work. An investment of £3m over the next three years will help the transition from custody to work through improved links between prisons and the Employment Service. This will make a difference because of evidence which shows that employment is a key […]
Discrimination and women police officers
Women police officers must not be discriminated against in recruitment, retention and progression in the police service, Home Office Minister Charles Clarke told the National Senior Women Police Officers Conference in Blackpool today.In his speech, Mr Clarke outlined a range of initiatives which the Home Office was currently undertaking to improve working practices for women […]
Role players help win new business at Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton, the business adviser, is using professional role players to help it win new business.The firm has been working with Steps Role Play, the drama-based training company, since 1995. Steps now provide role players to supplement 30-40 days of training per year, ranging from sales training and influencing skills to partner development.“Much of our […]
Carers and Disabled to have increased benefits
A new £200m yearly package of extra financial help for carers and disabled people was announced yesterday by Alistair Darling, Secretary ofState for Social Security.Mr Darling placed high priority on delivering substantial improvements for carers and disabled people as part of the annual uprating of benefits.Three targeted benefit rises, over and above the Retail Prices […]
Organise 2000, New Ways to Win
Identifying new ways that trade unions can appeal to new members, particularly young people and women, is one of the subjects up for discussion at Organise 2000 next weekend (Saturday 18th). London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, is the key speaker at the event that will look at how trade unions can make the most of recent […]
£10 Million for Equal Opportunities in the Fire Service
£10 million to help Brigades promote equality in the fire service was announced yesterday by Home Office Minister Mike O'Brien at the Fire 2000 Conference in Manchester. The Government has announced a 67% increase in capital funding for the service. The Minister gave a commitment that £10 million of the £59.7 million credit approvals for […]
50,000 New Jobs in Creative Industries in the next three years
Around 50,000 new jobs are set to be created over the next three years in the UK's creative industries, Film and Broadcasting Minister Janet Anderson said yesterday. And the jobs boom will not be confined to the capital – cities like Manchester, Sheffield, Huddersfield and Birmingham will benefit as the sector, which includes advertising, design, […]
Disproportionate job losses among disabled people
One in three disabled people find themselves out of work within a year of starting a new job – while one in six people in work who become ‘limited in daily activities’ lose their jobs within a year. These new statistics, derived from official survey data, highlight the need for a different approach to tackling […]
The Chancellor’s speech to the CBI
The following is the text of the speech given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference. The main themes of the speech are: a continuation of fiscal prudence the need to avoid short-termism the need to only join the European Monetary system when the five conditions […]
Supervisory support is critical for supporting stress and post-trauma incidents
Research published today reports that a large proportion of police officers describe 'good, supportive supervision' as the best way of being assisted following a traumatic incident. The research, led by Dr Margaret Mitchell of the Police Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, found that the most common form of post-incident support provided by UK police services […]
“Winning with Integrity:” A report on Corporate Social Responsibility
A new report spelling out the advantages of being a socially responsible business was welcomed today by Corporate Social Responsibility Minister Kim Howells. Winning with Integrity, published by Bill Cockburn's Business Impact Task Force, explains the commercial benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in relation to the workforce, the marketplace, the environment, the community, human […]
National Stress Awareness Day
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced the start of a publicity drive to raise employers' awareness of the need to tackle work-related stress. The announcement coincided with this year's National Stress Awareness Day, which is being run by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), in collaboration with partners the Mental Health Foundation, the […]
Training and absenteeism
Looking to work with first line supervisers to help them deal with high levels of workplace absenteeism in a manufacturing environment. Any thoughts?Geoff Avis
Employers rethinking pension benefits before Stakeholder pension introduction
Most major employers with company pension schemes plan to respond to the advent of stakeholder pensions by relaxing their rules on eligibility so they will not need to offer a stakeholder scheme at all. But that does not mean that employers are unconcerned about the costs of pension provision. Nearly one-in-five employers have tightened up […]
TUC challenges employer “red tape” campaign
In an open letter to Britain's employers, released as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) national conference opens, TUC General Secretary John Monks has told them to stop exaggerating the effects of red tape and instead tackle the real problems challenging the economy – productivity and skills. The letter says that employers ran the same […]
