Snippets from the News
2011
Reiventing the WorkPlace
'Almost 60% of employees currently use a form of flexible working'
A new report from Demos warns that 'flexible work benefits business and society, but its future hangs in the balance.' The authors (Dan Leighton and Thomas Gregory) argue for government to promote 'a maximal agenda of workplace 'flexibility' rather than simply legislating minimum standards. They caution that 'lexible working in a cold climate' may be a casualty of responding to pressure from employers to minimise employment legislation but this would have a long term harmful effect on the economy.
Find out more at http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/reinventingtheworkplace July 2011.
Improving workforce wellbeing proved to improve workforce productivity
Employee health and wellbeing is one of the latest concepts to land in the in-box of corporate leaders. A global survey by Buck Consultants* found that workers’ wellbeing is affected by stress (72%), lack of exercise (60%) and nutrition (58%). Initiatives to improve physical and mental health, thereby boosting workforce productivity, are becoming increasingly common. One initiative that has caught the imagination of businesswomen in the North West is the 100/100Glow cycling challenge on 4th September. Find out more on facebook or http://www.100-100glow.blogspot.com/
*reported in People Management April 2011 www.peoplemanagement.co.uk
Developing leaders – top priority for organisations
Developing better leadership is consistently rated as one of the top learning and development priorities for organisations according to speakers at the annual HRD conference in April 2011…
Read the full article in May 2011 edition of People Management Magazine.
"Tracking the lives of disabled families through the cuts..."
A new report by Demos follows the fortunes of 5 disabled households who are to be effected by the estimated loss of £9 billion in welfare support over the next five years. The 'precarious financial position' involves debt, reduction in services and heavy impacts on the families' ability to make ends meet, let alone on their quality of life.
Read the report here
Tailored support for women entrepreneurs unlocks growth
"Research suggests that supporting female entrepreneurs to address barriers to growth would stimulate the creation of thousands of private sector jobs and provide a much-needed revenue boost for the UK economy "The South East based women's network organisation Enterprising Women launched a new report last week on women's enterprise and growth."
The South East based women's network organisation Enterprising Women have launched a new report on women's enterprise and growth.
It challenges some myths and highlights barriers;
- lack of confidence
- access to finance
- highlights some overlooked areas;
- lack of time to strategise
- lack of knowledge to convert leads into sales
- fears of taking on staff
............... food for thought!
The full report can be found at: http ://www.enterprising-women.org/show.php?page=8390
ONS gender pay gap statistics
The 2010 Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings was published in December 2010.
"They show that Between 2009 and 2010 the gender pay gap decreased by 2%, the most significant change since comparable records (full time men to full time women). However, men working full-time earn 10.2% more than women working full-time. The overall public sector pay gap remains smaller than in the private sector (full time and part time men vs. full time and part time women) and the gap has narrowed in both sectors. For 22-29 years the pay gap became negative for the first time with women, on average, earning more than men. The largest pay gap is highest in the skilled trades and lowest in professional occupations."
Click here for link to ONS report
Barclays Bank boss John Varley says employers should 'go out of thier way to ensure diversity'
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day took place on 27th January. The government has published its progress report on the All-Party enquiry into anti-semitism, which pushed for stronger action on anti-semitic hate crime. The Government is committed to remembering the Holocaust and have committed £750,000 to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust http://www.hmd.org.uk for the 2011 commemoration and related educational activities.
2010
Disability Survey
New figures from the Office of National Statistics show that twice as many disabled people face barriers accessing paid work, compared with their non-disabled counterparts. Nearly one in three adults have an impairment and one in four are disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act, according to a 'Life Opportunities' survey released by the Office for National Statistics on December 9.
These are the interim findings of a major survey which explores disability in terms of social barriers to participation, rather than just impairments or health conditions. It covers aspects of every day life such as employment, leisure, transport, education and social networks. The survey was carried out between June 2009 and March 2010 and will continue to track people's experiences throughout key life stages.
Read the survey report ...
'What is the key to creating an engaged workforce when money is tight?'
Two interesting comments from the CIPD annual conference in Manchester, November 2010
"The one thing which doesn 't cost a penny is visible leadership. Encourage leaders to get out there with the staff - not the 'royal appearance ' type visits but rolling-sleeves-up visibility. Listening doesn't cost anything, but it has a high value in terms of staff morale during the difficult times. If leaders are out there they can seek out, first hand, ideas for shaping the future." (Carmel Millar , head of HR and OD, Surrey County Council)
"It doesn't matter whether money's tight or not - deciding what you'll do to engage employees is a straight forward business decision about return on investment. Fortunately , providing meaningful work, listening to employees voice and saying 'thanks for that' doesn't cost too much, so it's also a straightforward business result." (Jenni Myles, director of employee engagement and HR, G4S )
Taken from the CIPD newsletter 'PM Daily'
''While commissioner I drove hard at cultural change' (Sir Ian Blair)
Extract from ‘The View From Here – Lord Blair, former Metropolitan Police commissioner’
If I could have done anything differently I would have driven even harder. But the Met is a very large organisation. One is always trying to build on its values and traditions while at the same time trying to equip the force for a modern, fast-changing and diverse society.
There were just two major issues facing the Met when I was commissioner. The first was the rise into the streets of London of a form of terrorism that we had not seen before in Britain. We were left with the difficult balance of how to deal with that pulsing threat without taking actions that might frighten various parts of the community. Second, it was vital that the Met looked like London: we needed to get members of black and minority ethnic communities to join. From 2000 to 2010 the number of officers from these communities increased from five to 25 per cent.
People want a diverse workforce for three reasons. First, it’s a business imperative: you get the widest range of the gene pool. Second, it’s a moral imperative because it’s fair. Third, it’s an operational imperative. During the Damilola Taylor murder investigation, having black police officers who could speak [Nigerian language] Yoruba helped open doors.
Source: Director.co. uk , October 2010
Politics - Coalition Government disagree on the topic of workers' rights
A survey published today (21st September 2010) has highlighted differences of opinion among members of the coalition Government on the topic of workers' rights and other key business issues. The survey, published by the British Chambers of Commerce ( BCC ), on the first day of the Liberal Democrat party conference in Liverpool, found differing opinions among MPs from the two coalition parties when it came to the rights of workers. Read more: www.personneltoday.com/articles/2010/09/20/56566/survey-reveals-coalition-split-on-workers-rights.html
Interim Management - Hiring Increases by 9%
Interim Management made headlines earlier this year (2010) when it was suggested that the interim head of communications at Suffolk County Council was paid more than the prime minister. In a year of severe public sector cuts, it's easy to see why the appointment received the attention it did. But interims can be the force needed to manage change and encourage growth, despite this negative press. In the private sector, while business may be picking up, and it's use of HR interims growing, whether it will make use of the skills of HR interims coming from the public sector remains to be seen. Read more: www. peoplemanagement .co.uk/pm/articles/2010/09/hiring-of-interim-managers-rises-by-9-per-cent.htm
Equality
Grey Matters
Old fashioned age discrimination is, it seems, finally being wafted out of the workplace on a current piece of legislation and greying population. According to Managing an ageing workforce, a research report by the CIPD and Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 93 per cent of the managers who repsonded to a questionnaire agreed that the knowledge and skills of older workers were very valuable. Most said they had removed age from application forms and 91 per cent offer training regardless of age. Read more: http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2010/09/retirement-age-grey-matters.htm
