Thursday, 2nd February 2012 | By Ray Martin
Workers in 1952 poorer but less stressed, says report
Women are still demanding equal pay six decades on
Britons are richer and more stressed than when the Queen came to the throne, a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found.
The CIPD report found the workforce in the UK has increased by six million, thanks to an influx of women since 1952.
However the total number of hours worked has stayed the same – driven by a big rise in part-time working.
Despite that reduction the CIPD claims work related stress has increased.
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Thursday, 26th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
CIPD to develop higher apprenticeship for HR
Institute secures £800,000 funding in bid with CFA
Aspiring HR professionals will soon be able to kick start their career with an HR apprenticeship, after the CIPD secured £800,000 of government development funding through a partnership with apprenticeship body CFA.
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Tuesday, 17th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
Employee share ownership ‘key to unlocking growth’
‘John Lewis economy’ will boost productivity, says Clegg
Increasing employee share ownership in the UK could be the key to unlocking growth and boosting productivity, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said.
The Liberal Democrat leader told an audience in the City this morning that giving individuals a stake in their companies and promoting a “John Lewis economy” would lower absenteeism, staff turnover and production costs.
Clegg said he wanted to ensure that employee ownership got “into the bloodstream” of the British economy, and that the coalition planned to reduce red tape and revise the tax system to accommodate the concept.
Speaking at an event hosted by the City of London Corporation and Centre Forum think-tank, Clegg said: “We don’t believe our problem is too much capitalism – we think it’s that too few people have capital. We need more individuals to have a real stake in their firms. More of a John Lewis economy, if you like.
“And what many people don’t realise about employee ownership is that it is a hugely underused tool in unlocking growth,” he continued.
“Lower absenteeism, less staff turnover, lower production costs. In general, higher productivity and higher wages. They weathered the economic downturn better than other companies.”
Clegg added that he did not advocate employee ownership because it was a “somehow nicer” alternative to the traditional corporate world, but because those businesses were “just as dynamic, just as savvy, as their competitors”.
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Friday, 13th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
BMW halts agency workers plan for union talks
Carmaker will discuss Swedish derogation model
BMW has agreed to put on hold plans to employ agency workers thorough the so-called ‘Swedish derogation’ model while it has talks with unions on the issue.
Swedish derogation – under which agency workers become permanent employees of the agency and are contracted out to the employer – is being used by some companies as a response to the Agency Workers Regulations which came into force last year. The method, used by large employers including Tesco, Morrisons and Jaguar Land Rover, effectively means that the employers can get around the requirement to give agency workers the same pay and conditions as permanent staff after 12 weeks of employment.
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Thursday, 12th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
Employers unprepared for Olympics disruption
Workforce planning vital to gain full business benefit from 2012 Games
Nearly a third of UK employers have not yet made any preparations for the impact the 2012 Olympics will have on their workforce, research has found.
A survey of 1,200 businesses by BT revealed that 29 per cent did not have plans to deal with Olympic disruption – which could include a fall in staff attendance and employee transport problems – when the event takes place between the 27th of July and the 12th of August this year.
This lack of planning is surprising given that nearly all the employers surveyed (93 per cent) recognised that there would be some negative knock-on effects on their workforce capability during the London Olympics.
With less than 200 days to go, the research suggests that if organisations remain unprepared large numbers of them will “miss out” on the financial boost that the Games has to offer. In addition to employees taking time off to volunteer for the Games and to watch certain events, employers also said they expect to see supply chain and travel disruption, lower staff attendance and productivity issues.
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Tuesday, 10th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
NHS training ‘to be more flexible and local’
Government accepts Future Forum proposals
Employers in the NHS will be ‘put in the driving seat’ of planning education and training in order to make local workforces more flexible, according to a policy framework published today.
The report – “Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce” was produced following two in-depth consultations by the NHS Future Forum, and has been approved by the Department of Health. It outlines a new system for England in which Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) will play a key role in identifying local training and workforce planning priorities, while the national body Health Education England (HEE) will oversee strategy and resources, and some important national functions such as medical trainee recruitment.
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Thursday, 5th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
As car manufacturers are learning, keeping customers happy through more efficient aftermarket care means they are far more likely to spend more in future
Watching a happy customer leave the forecourt in their brand new car is far from the end of the relationship between manufacturer and driver. Providing a high standard of aftermarket care builds brand loyalty, which means customers are far more likely to return in the future to purchase more cars, accessories and servicing options. Car companies are now realizing that what happens when a sale is completed is crucial to building long-term relationships and boosting profits.
“Aftermarket, or servicing, is highly profitable for automotive manufacturers – which means it is important customers are retained,” says Michael Martin, Vice President for Aftermarket at DHL Supply Chain.
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Thursday, 5th January 2012 | By Ray Martin
Plan for privately funded universities to bridge skills gap
Opportunity for employers to secure talent pipeline
The government has announced plans for a new type of privately funded ‘science university’ which could enable employers to secure a talent pipeline.
In a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank, Universities Minister David Willetts invited proposals for a new scheme aimed to bridge the gap between limited public funding and strong demand for higher education and research.
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Tuesday, 3rd January 2012 | By Ray Martin
Chelmsford Borough Council to extend ‘successful’ internship scheme
Year-long paid placements offer ‘two-fold benefits’ for employer and intern
Chelmsford Borough Council is to take a second cohort of interns this autumn after the success of its inaugural programme. The local authority introduced a 12-month internship scheme last September after its workforce development plan revealed that only 14 per cent of town hall employees were in the 16-24 year old age group.
The council hoped the programme would not only identify potential talent for its own workforce, but would help equip successful young candidates with the experience and employability skills to set them apart in a increasingly competitive labour market.
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Thursday, 22nd December 2011 | By Ray Martin
