Read the full stoRy at bit.ly/kYAH41The perception that UK businesses are bound up in employment legislation ‘red tape’ does not stand up to an examination of the evidence, the CIPD has argued in a paper published this week. In The economic rights and wrongs of employment regulation, the institute’s chief economist, John Philpott, (pictured) concludes that the business lobby’s opposition to new regulation – such as its
response to the consultation on parental leave and flexible working announced last week – is often based on an underlying bias against employment regulation that flies in the face of economic evidence.
Payroll giving to be made easier, says prime ministerRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/jLL8egMaking charitable donations through payroll is set to become easier for employees under plans unveiled by the prime minister. David Cameron said that a greater role for payroll-giving agencies, and better administration when people move jobs, could improve the UK’s record of payroll giving, which is currently practised by only 3 per cent of UK workers compared with 30 per cent in the US.
Mental health problems increase in the armed forcesRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/j8qDqxNearly 4,000 servicemen and servicewomen were diagnosed with mental health disorders last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Defence. A total of 3,942 cases were recorded – representing 2 per cent of serving armed forces personnel – an increase on 2009’s figure of 3,103.
Comment: Meeting the cuts challengeRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/lAldcpPublic servants are grappling with reduced budgets, bringing into centre stage the question of whether the state has the correct workplace skills, writes Gill Kelly.
Comment: Why Lord Sugar isn’t sweet enoughRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/jnVff4The Apprentice gives a distorted view of what’s needed for business success, believes Jean Cousins. “Tantrums and arrogance may make for good TV, but they do not make for effective performance in any role.”
One in four employers still freezing payRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/kvNJH1A quarter of employers are imposing a pay freeze for staff this year, according to the CIPD’s latest reward survey. Two-thirds of employers have, or are planning to, increase base pay in 2011, while a further 9 per cent have delayed their pay review.
Minister: Stop paying staff to give up pension rightsRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/mvGoLsPensions minister Steve Webb has warned employers against offering cash incentives to staff to give up their pension rights, saying that he is considering banning the practice. Webb criticised the use of cash inducements to persuade current employees to switch to a defined contribution plan in what is known as an enhanced transfer value (ETV) arrangement.
Red tape arguments overdone, CIPD argues
Work Horizons: the economic rights and wrongs of employment regulationCIPD bit.ly/iy0UA1
Legislative timetable – what’s new in the lawPeople Management bit.ly/eZwGXm
Giving white paper (Cabinet Office)bit.ly/iAK5WN
Defence Analytical Services and Advicedasa.mod.uk
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancycipfa.org.uk
The Apprenticebbc.co.uk/apprentice
CIPD reward surveybit.ly/m2yKoB
BBC (featuring Steve Webb’s Radio 5 interview)bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13504835
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A round-up of the top HR and management storiesWeek ending 27 May 2011
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☛ PEOPLE MANAGEMENT ‘THIS WEEK IN HR’ CONTINUED...
Flexible working ‘makes fathers happier’Read the full stoRy at bit.ly/kAqEPpFathers who work flexibly are both happier and more committed to their jobs as a result, research has found. The Working for Fathers research from Working Families and Lancaster University Management school found that fathers with a flexible working arrangement, such as part-time hours or homeworking, have better physical and psychological health, are less stressed and more committed to their employers.
London postal workers to go on strikeRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/lioTwnRoyal Mail workers in London have voted to strike over job security fears resulting from the closure of mail centres in the capital. Up to 3,500 Royal Mail staff may walk out after members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) backed industrial action by four to one. No strike dates have yet been set, but the union said it would maintain its walkout threat until it received reassurances that
no compulsory redundancies would be imposed during the closure of two centres in south and east London, and “concerns of bullying are addressed.”
Manchester City FC tells of academy investmentRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/m2xUrNManchester City FC is investing heavily in its training academy to develop young footballing talent for the club, its HR director told the CIPD Reward Conference. Gilly King told delegates that spending large sums buying in international talent to populate the Premier League side was “not sustainable”, so there was a renewed focus on growing its own first team players of the future.
London councils partnership extends outsourcingRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/k0v4qpA joint HR procurement initiative among London councils has extended the terms of its outsourced recruitment contract to include outplacement services. The London Boroughs Recruitment Partnership (LBRP) has appointed Penna as its advertising agent and provider of strategic HR services. The contract’s remit was expanded to include outplacement programmes to reflect public-sector workforce downsizing, according to the LBRP’s Dean Shoesmith.
Heathrow Express workers begin weekend strikeRead the full stoRy at bit.ly/lGiz4MWorkers on the Heathrow Express train link in London started a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay. More than 300 members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT), downed tools in the early hours of Friday morning, in the first of three planned walkouts. The second strike is scheduled for 24 hours on 24 June, with a further stoppage to be confirmed for July. Train staff backed industrial action after the RMT rejected the rail company’s offer of a 4.5 per cent pay increase over one year, calling the offer “unacceptable and loaded with strings”.
Working Familiesworkingfamilies.org.uk
“Royal Mail cuts 1,700 jobs in restructure”People Management bit.ly/fSTziG
CIPD networking and eventscipd.co.uk/networking-events
Feature on shared servicesPeople Management bit.ly/kbwHZd
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