Positive discrimination gets thumbs down
A survey of 545 senior UK business figures has revealed overwhelming opposition to legislative intervention to encourage under-represented minorities in UK companies. More than four fifths (81%) of respondents to DLA Piper’s General Election Survey 2010, interviewed online by YouGovStone, said that they opposed ‘positive action’ to give priority to candidates for employment or […]
Where are the women in IT?
Women working in technology have achieved great things but the fact remains that there are not many of them around – only 19% of the UK IT workforce is female. What’s more, there are even fewer women when it comes to the top level jobs which are heavily dominated by men. Many organisations would however […]
Equality bill gets washed up
The equality bill has been passed in the last days of the government in the ‘wash up’ period. Update – See an overview of the changes which came into effect on 1 October 2010 here The Press Association reported Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman’s flagship Equality Bill was sent for Royal Assent on […]
Workers should not be held back by lack of part time work
A campaigning charity has joined the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in calling for the creation of more part-time and job-share positions in order to give women and carers a fairer chance of employment. But the call came as a study revealed that one in three UK workers were being forced to take […]
99th International Women’s Day reveals same glass ceiling
A study released to coincide with today’s International Women’s Day revealed that nearly half of all UK workers believe women are still subject to glass ceilings in the workplace and that men are favoured for promotion over their female counterparts. A survey undertaken among 1,741 UK workers by employment website Monster.co.uk indicated that, while a […]
Public sector cuts are bad news for female workers
Female workers face the worst employment prospects for a generation as swingeing job cuts in the public sector, which employs twice as many women as the private, mean that they will be disproportionately hit. These are the findings of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey of […]
Female workers should use their ‘negotiator potential’ to close the gender pay gap
Female workers will struggle to close the current gender pay gap of 20.2% unless they become more proactive in negotiating salary increases with their bosses, claims an expert. But the problem, according to Corinne Mills, managing director of consultancy Personal Career Management, is that too many women undervalue their contribution to the business and are […]
Government to drive paternity leave awareness
A third of fathers are oblivious of their rights to paternity leave, a survey has revealed, as the government launched a month-long ‘Dads at Work’ awareness campaign to try and rectify the situation. The campaign comes in advance of a move to allow new mothers to transfer the last six months of their year-long maternity […]
Group call for government support on equal pay research
An employers’ membership group has called on the government to support organisations in collecting, analysing and publishing pay data in order to help them get to grips with tackling the ongoing gender divide. The move came in response to recommendations published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) around the government’s pay reporting and […]
Gender Lens – How ‘what good looks like’ differs at work for men and women
Women and men probably have more in common than they know – however it is not their similarities that get the most attention, it is the differences. Rory Fidgeon summarises research which highlights the differing priorities between men and women. In a recent study, designed to surface the true underlying beliefs and assumptions people hold […]
2010 – the year the talent war resumes
With 2010 approaching and signs that the economy is starting to recover, Richard Doherty from Jobpartners looks to what the future has in store for talent management. Against the backdrop of recession, 2009 was undoubtedly one of the most difficult years in recent times for HR and talent management. With preditions of an upturn and […]
Beyond belief? Faith and work – the legal considerations
No matter what your employees believe, they need to be dealt with correctly – or you will face the legal consequences, explain lawyers Natasha Koshnitsky and Rob McCreath. Picture the scene: the interview has gone well and the candidate has come across as well-qualified and suitable for the senior and highly sensitive vacancy. In the […]
Employing disabled people
The subject of employing disabled people is one that is likely to raise a number of concerns amongst employers. Unfortunately, most of these concerns are based on misinformation and prejudice. Jane Hatton, Managing Director of specialist training company The Diversity People (and who has herself become disabled) helps to put the record straight. Recruiting and […]
Ask the expert: Family business in breach of equal opportunities?
Is this small family business breaching equal opportunity legislation by employing family members automatically? Matthew Whelan and Ester Smith advise. The question: A small family business (circa 8 staff) employs predominantly family members. The business’s objective is primarily to provide jobs/earning capability for family. Business does employ non family members and does not […]
The battle for equality is not over yet
Where do you think we are in the battle for equality? Ruth Spellman of the CMI warns it’s not yet over – not by a long chalk. The recent Queen’s speech included ideas which may see the Equalities bill become law. But Ruth Spellman warns that even if it does, all things will not be […]
Equal pay: Slow burning issue of the century?
Equal pay legislation has been around for 40 years – so why are we still struggling with it, asks Ian Milton. For most HR professionals, equal pay is a topic that seems to rear its head every few years, cause a degree of concern and then quietly go on the backburner. The legislation is been […]
When opposites frustrate – don’t give up!
Diversity can bring huge benefits to an organisation, but are you getting the most from it? Matthew Hill gives advice and guidance on managing diverse teams. When the pressure is on within a team, the cracks will begin to show. This is often evidenced by escalating displays of emotion and tension. Sometimes a negative spiral […]
Tory plans to raise retirement age
Following a high court ruling the age of retirement could stay, the Conservatives have announced they would raise the state retirement age to 66 – for both men and women. Although there are already plans to raise the retirement age, the present Government is not seeking to raise the age to 66 until 2026. The […]
Getting the best from Generation Y
Recruiting and retaining Generation Y poses a real challenge for HR professionals as the techniques used for previous generations no longer apply. Rob Cross explains how to master a different approach. "So where do you see yourself in five years?" I asked the 22-year-old who is now in their third week of […]
High court says retirement age can stay – for now
The ruling is in. With the Government announcing it was bringing forward a review of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) to 2010, Mr Justice Blake has ruled that the DRA can stay. He did, however, recognise the ‘very substantial weight’ of arguments put forward by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Age UK to […]
