Public sector employers not liable for asbestos claims, rules Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled that public sector employers are not liable for asbestos-related claims, with liability instead falling on insurers at the time of exposure. The landmark decision clarifies a long-standing dispute over compensation responsibility and protects employers from potentially costly mesothelioma claims, which typically exceed £200,000 each.
Employers and unions spat over extent of public-private sector pay gap
Official government figures show public sector workers earn 8% more than private sector employees on average, sparking a dispute between employers and unions. While the CBI cited the data to support local pay decisions, Unison argued the figures don’t account for the higher proportion of skilled workers in the public sector and the outsourcing of lower-paid jobs.
Olympian Insight: Steve Backley and Roger Black on what HR can learn from sport
Olympic athletes Steve Backley and Roger Black share key leadership and team-building lessons for HR professionals, emphasizing clarity of vision, accountability, and alignment across teams—insights applicable to modern workplace challenges.
Public sector jobs cull to lead to “tectonic shift” in UK labour market
Coalition government budget cuts will eliminate more than one in seven public sector jobs, reducing the workforce to record lows and triggering a “tectonic shift” in the UK labour market structure, according to the CIPD’s analysis of employment projections.
Public sector jobs cull will jump to 730,000 by 2017, forecasts OBR
The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts 730,000 public sector job losses by 2017, up 20,000 from previous estimates. The cuts, driven by government budget constraints, are expected to accelerate initially before slowing through 2012-2017, prompting union warnings about wage cuts in economically deprived regions.
Budget 2012: Local pay deals ‘could expose public sector to discrimination claims’
Local pay deals in the public sector could expose employers to discrimination claims if not carefully implemented, according to legal experts. The Chancellor proposed making public sector pay more responsive to regional rates, but selective application risks equal pay issues, particularly affecting female employees in lower-paid roles.
PCS union to push for 2nd national pension strike in April
The Public and Commercial Services Union plans to coordinate a second national pension strike in April, with 90.5% of members voting to reject the government’s latest offer and 72.1% supporting further action against cuts to civil service pensions.
Will the Olympic torch pass by your workplace?
Check if the Olympic torch relay will pass your workplace or home. The street-by-street route for the Summer London Olympics torch relay across the UK has been published, with the flame beginning its 70-day journey on May 19.
Budget 2012: The dismantling of national pay bargaining begins
The UK Chancellor will announce plans to allow central government departments to set their own local pay rates, starting with three departments in April. The move, which could trigger further union strikes over pension changes, aims to eventually extend local pay bargaining across the entire public sector, despite union criticism that it will harm poorer regions.
The Apprentice 2012: The candidates unmasked
The BBC has unveiled the candidates for The Apprentice 2012, starting March 21. The new series features ambitious contestants competing to win Lord Sugar’s investment, including a risk analyst, architect, business development manager, and food company co-founder from across the UK and Ireland.
Case Study: Herts Council’s ‘Transformation’ programme slashes sickness absence
Hertfordshire County Council reduced employee sickness absence from 9.3 to 7.8 days annually through its new Transformation wellbeing programme, with long-term absences dropping by two-thirds. The strategy emphasized senior leadership support, manager education, stakeholder engagement, and targeted interventions for at-risk groups.
Nine out of 10 staff unaware of employer’s Olympics workforce policies
A SunGard survey reveals that while four in five employers have created Olympics workforce policies, nine out of ten staff remain unaware of them. The study also found that 43% of organizations expect supply chain disruptions during the Games, with concerns about just-in-time business models limiting their resilience.
Dealing with an Olympian event
Nearly a third of UK organisations lack adequate preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games, despite 93% expecting to be affected. Employers in host areas face challenges including holiday requests, travel disruption, and the need for flexible working arrangements to maintain business continuity and staff morale.
Workers making official Olympics sportswear are abused, claims charity
A charity investigation reveals that workers in Bangladeshi factories making official Olympics sportswear for Adidas, Nike, and Puma face exploitation including wages as low as 9p per hour, excessive working hours, and physical and verbal abuse from managers.
Research puts migrant construction worker safety in the picture
Using pictures in construction safety training could reduce migrant worker deaths and injuries by up to 20%, research shows. Migrant workers comprise 6% of UK construction workers but account for 17% of work-related deaths, often due to language barriers and unfamiliarity with UK safety standards. Visual training methods including photographs and pictograms significantly improved worker understanding compared to text-based instruction alone.
Lincolnshire to see biggest ever transfer of police staff to private sector
Lincolnshire Police is outsourcing 540 civilian staff to G4S in the UK’s largest single transfer of police employees to the private sector. The £200 million, 10-year contract will handle back-office functions and include two newly built custody suites, potentially saving the force £20 million.
Whistleblower alleges former A4e staff are being made “scapegoats”
Four A4e workers arrested on suspicion of fraud are being made “scapegoats,” according to a whistleblower. The employment agency’s staff faced dawn raids last month, with the company claiming the alleged fraud dates back to 2010. A whistleblower suggests managers pressured workers to falsely claim job placements to earn bonuses and government fees.
London 2012: Planning for travel disruption
London businesses face major travel disruption during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with an expected three million additional public transport journeys on peak days. Organizations should develop travel demand management plans now to minimize operational impact on staff and customers during the events from late July through early September.
Tax workers strike over privatisation fears
Tax workers have struck against plans to privatise HMRC call centres, forcing the closure of tax offices and prompting the government to waive penalties for missed self-assessment deadlines. The Public and Commercial Services Union opposes trials of private firms Sitel and Teleperformance at two centres, citing broader concerns about job cuts and privatisation.
Pension reforms will increase public/private sector gap, warns IFS
The Institute for Fiscal Studies warns that pension reforms will widen the gap between public and private sector benefits. While changes to schemes will save little long-term costs, they’ll make pensions more generous for lower earners, who already fare better in the public sector.
