Parents will be able to split 'maternity' leave after six months, allowing the father and mother to share the time off, Gordon Brown will announce today. At the moment mothers are allowed 12 months' maternity leave, with nine months' guaranteed pay. However, under the new scheme that will come in from April next year, the mother can decide to split some of the leave with her husband after six months. They will continue to be paid for the following three months.
Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6190777/Parents-to-share-maternity-leave-after-Gordon-Brown-U-turn.html
http://www.ukba.co.uk/scotland
Showing posts with label personnel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personnel. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Friday, 7 August 2009
60% of UK staff favour smaller firms
Almost two-thirds of employees would rather work for a smaller business than a larger one, according to research conducted by recruitment firm Angela Mortimer plc.
The study of around 1,400 employees found that 60% would choose a comparable offer from a smaller business rather than a large corporate as they believed that smaller firms offer a good working environment and opportunities for career development.
"For candidates big is no longer beautiful. Twenty years ago the received wisdom was to join a BA or a BT or a big bank. Now they value the flexibility of opportunity that SMEs can offer," said Mike Morgan CEO of communications firm the Red Consultancy.
www.ukba.co.uk
The study of around 1,400 employees found that 60% would choose a comparable offer from a smaller business rather than a large corporate as they believed that smaller firms offer a good working environment and opportunities for career development.
"For candidates big is no longer beautiful. Twenty years ago the received wisdom was to join a BA or a BT or a big bank. Now they value the flexibility of opportunity that SMEs can offer," said Mike Morgan CEO of communications firm the Red Consultancy.
www.ukba.co.uk
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Limited company sub-contractor deemed to be 'employee' in unfair dismissal claim
A recent Employment Tribunal has found in favour of a limited company sub-contractor, who successfully managed to claim for unfair dismissal against his client as his working practices were seen to be akin to those of an 'employee'.
Andrew Tilson, a sub-contractor, working through his own limited company, took Alstom Transport to an employment tribunal - claiming for unfair dismissal.
Alstom, which operates several underground train services in the capital, claimed that Tilson could not claim for unfair dismissal as he was working via his own limited company, and was not an employee.
However, Tilson's barrister argued that, despite paying his own income tax and NICs, the way the claimant interacted with Alstom at the Golders Green depot was the true indicator of his employment status.
The Tribunal Judge agreed, and said that the close working relationship between the claimant and Alstom Transport demonstrated that Tilson was, in fact, an "employee", and could therefore claim for unfair dismissal under the terms of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
This hearing could have have ramifications for users of sub-contractors in many other industries apart from IT, and is more evidence that the true employment status of contractors can only be derived from the true working practices they follow, rather than the wording of any contracts they have in place, or the company structure they work under.
www.ukba.co.uk
Andrew Tilson, a sub-contractor, working through his own limited company, took Alstom Transport to an employment tribunal - claiming for unfair dismissal.
Alstom, which operates several underground train services in the capital, claimed that Tilson could not claim for unfair dismissal as he was working via his own limited company, and was not an employee.
However, Tilson's barrister argued that, despite paying his own income tax and NICs, the way the claimant interacted with Alstom at the Golders Green depot was the true indicator of his employment status.
The Tribunal Judge agreed, and said that the close working relationship between the claimant and Alstom Transport demonstrated that Tilson was, in fact, an "employee", and could therefore claim for unfair dismissal under the terms of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
This hearing could have have ramifications for users of sub-contractors in many other industries apart from IT, and is more evidence that the true employment status of contractors can only be derived from the true working practices they follow, rather than the wording of any contracts they have in place, or the company structure they work under.
www.ukba.co.uk
Sunday, 12 July 2009
New Employment Measures Necessary During Critical Recovery Period
Alternative to redundancy proposed
Business leaders believe a package of labour market investments and reforms, including an alternative to redundancy, could help stem the tide of job losses as the recession pushes unemployment towards three million.
A report by the CBI and Siemens plc also highlights longer-term issues and warns that levels of employment regulation are at a "tipping point", having added £70bn to business costs since 1998.
The report stresses that the UK must work much harder to remain an attractive global jobs destination, and that there is a need to improve skills levels and assess the real impact of employment laws on future job creation.
Although firms are doing their utmost to protect jobs by introducing flexible working and pay freezes, the CBI predicts that unemployment will continue rising to peak at 3.03 million in the second quarter of 2010, so action taken in the short term could still save jobs and businesses.
Read more: http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/9b9a4bacc1622174802575e400370f75?OpenDocument
www.ukba.co.uk
Business leaders believe a package of labour market investments and reforms, including an alternative to redundancy, could help stem the tide of job losses as the recession pushes unemployment towards three million.
A report by the CBI and Siemens plc also highlights longer-term issues and warns that levels of employment regulation are at a "tipping point", having added £70bn to business costs since 1998.
The report stresses that the UK must work much harder to remain an attractive global jobs destination, and that there is a need to improve skills levels and assess the real impact of employment laws on future job creation.
Although firms are doing their utmost to protect jobs by introducing flexible working and pay freezes, the CBI predicts that unemployment will continue rising to peak at 3.03 million in the second quarter of 2010, so action taken in the short term could still save jobs and businesses.
Read more: http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/9b9a4bacc1622174802575e400370f75?OpenDocument
www.ukba.co.uk
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Employees on long-term sick leave will be entitled to take all holiday that they have accrued when they return to work
Small business owners have criticised the House of Lords ruling, which means that someone who had been on sick leave for two years would be entitled to around 40 days of paid holiday on their return.
"Allowing workers to accrue statutory paid holiday entitlement during sickness absence will have serious financial and practical ramifications for employers across the UK," said Tim Marshall, partner and UK head of employment at lawyers DLA Piper.
www.ukba.co.uk
"Allowing workers to accrue statutory paid holiday entitlement during sickness absence will have serious financial and practical ramifications for employers across the UK," said Tim Marshall, partner and UK head of employment at lawyers DLA Piper.
www.ukba.co.uk
Friday, 5 June 2009
Employers could face additional costs if workplace adjustments are required to allow an early return to work under the new fit note scheme
The Reforming Medical Statement consultation opened by the Department of Work and Pensions yesterday, set out proposals to replace the 'sick note culture' and help more people stay in work rather than drift into long-term sickness - about 172m working days were lost in 2007 due to sickness absence.
Under the new system, expected to roll out across the UK next spring, GPs will replace the hand-written sick note with a computer-generated medical fit note explaining what work a patient is able to do.
However, the consultation points out that some workplace costs could be incurred when accommodating early returns to work. "There is some potential for additional costs if workplace adjustments are required to facilitate an early return, eg. specialist equipment or adjustments to working time agreements," it says.
But the consultation also points out that some adjustments - such as changes to work patterns - do not have costs attached and overall a "net benefit is expected for employers".
Meanwhile, recommendations include changing the medical statement to allow doctors to specify if they would need to see an individual again when their current statement expires.
This would help reduce uncertainty for employers about when an individual can be expected to return to work and also enable employees to make their own informed decisions about when to return to work and reduce unnecessary burdens on doctors, the consultation states.
The government is also considering whether to remove the option for doctors to issue a medical statement when an individual is fit for work. This would end the practice, which has no basis in law relating to medical statements, of employers seeking medical evidence of fitness for work before allowing an individual to return, it said.
EEF's chief medical officer, Sayeed Khan welcomed the proposals. He said: "A fit note recognises that for many conditions a phased return to work is beneficial to both the company and the worker. Recovery from some of the most common causes of long-term ill health, including back pain and minor mental health problems, can often be speeded up by appropriate activity. The fit note provides employers with the information to help an early, but appropriate return to work."
The 12-week consultation forms part of the government's response to Dame Carol Black's report into the health of Britain's working age population , which was published in March 2008.
Source: Personnel Today
www.ukba.co.uk
Under the new system, expected to roll out across the UK next spring, GPs will replace the hand-written sick note with a computer-generated medical fit note explaining what work a patient is able to do.
However, the consultation points out that some workplace costs could be incurred when accommodating early returns to work. "There is some potential for additional costs if workplace adjustments are required to facilitate an early return, eg. specialist equipment or adjustments to working time agreements," it says.
But the consultation also points out that some adjustments - such as changes to work patterns - do not have costs attached and overall a "net benefit is expected for employers".
Meanwhile, recommendations include changing the medical statement to allow doctors to specify if they would need to see an individual again when their current statement expires.
This would help reduce uncertainty for employers about when an individual can be expected to return to work and also enable employees to make their own informed decisions about when to return to work and reduce unnecessary burdens on doctors, the consultation states.
The government is also considering whether to remove the option for doctors to issue a medical statement when an individual is fit for work. This would end the practice, which has no basis in law relating to medical statements, of employers seeking medical evidence of fitness for work before allowing an individual to return, it said.
EEF's chief medical officer, Sayeed Khan welcomed the proposals. He said: "A fit note recognises that for many conditions a phased return to work is beneficial to both the company and the worker. Recovery from some of the most common causes of long-term ill health, including back pain and minor mental health problems, can often be speeded up by appropriate activity. The fit note provides employers with the information to help an early, but appropriate return to work."
The 12-week consultation forms part of the government's response to Dame Carol Black's report into the health of Britain's working age population , which was published in March 2008.
Source: Personnel Today
www.ukba.co.uk
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Small business owners have been warned that if they do not address the increasing stress levels of staff then their company's productivity will suffer
Recent research by Investors in People and YouGov has found that 38% of employees in the UK say that their stress levels are higher than a year ago, but only 29% think their business is doing anything to address this.
Only 5% of employees said they are receiving more support from their managers than they did before the downturn and a mere 12% think their manager has adapted very well to the effects of the downturn.
"Increased stress in the workplace is associated with reduced productivity. Our research suggests that management has so far not addressed the current increase in workplace stress," said Simon Jones, chief executive of Investors in People.
www.ukba.co.uk
Only 5% of employees said they are receiving more support from their managers than they did before the downturn and a mere 12% think their manager has adapted very well to the effects of the downturn.
"Increased stress in the workplace is associated with reduced productivity. Our research suggests that management has so far not addressed the current increase in workplace stress," said Simon Jones, chief executive of Investors in People.
www.ukba.co.uk
Thursday, 14 May 2009
A total of 20m working days could be lost this year as a result of stress related absences from staff
13.5m days were lost as a result of stress between 2007 and 2008 in the UK, and a recent survey by Croner revealed that 50% of workers feel more stressed now than a year ago.
"The survey reveals that work is the uppermost concern of employees at the moment. This should be a real wake-up call for British bosses who may be in denial that stress is a concern in their organisation," said Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant at Croner.
The research found that the top three causes of stress for UK employees were work (63%), finances (62%) and the economy (49%).
www.ukba.co.uk
"The survey reveals that work is the uppermost concern of employees at the moment. This should be a real wake-up call for British bosses who may be in denial that stress is a concern in their organisation," said Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant at Croner.
The research found that the top three causes of stress for UK employees were work (63%), finances (62%) and the economy (49%).
www.ukba.co.uk
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Almost half of small firms in the UK have faced difficulties coping with the mass of UK employment law
The findings are released the day before Equalities Minister, Harriet Harman, publishes the new Single Equalities Bill. The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) have warned that the new legislation will increase the pressure on small firms that are already struggling with the amount of red tape in the UK.
"Too often the government sees the answer to a problem as being more legislation. Not least in the area of employment law. The result of this will mean that it will take longer to get out of recession and companies will be loathe to take on more employees," said David Frost of the BCC.
"If we are really serious about helping businesses, about creating jobs, why not have a complete moratorium on new employment legislation for the next three years?"
Source: British Chamber of Commerce
www.ukba.co.uk
"Too often the government sees the answer to a problem as being more legislation. Not least in the area of employment law. The result of this will mean that it will take longer to get out of recession and companies will be loathe to take on more employees," said David Frost of the BCC.
"If we are really serious about helping businesses, about creating jobs, why not have a complete moratorium on new employment legislation for the next three years?"
Source: British Chamber of Commerce
www.ukba.co.uk
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
UK companies are trying to fight the credit crunch by cutting staff and freezing pay, according to a survey by the Hay Group consultancy.
Around 37% of the UK businesses surveyed reported that last month they had cut back on staff - almost double the figure from November - and 38% have implemented a pay freeze.
UK companies also reported a much small average base salary increase, an average of 1% compared to 2.8% worldwide.
Despite these figures, British companies are more optimistic about the future then many other nations - possibly reflecting the fact that many UK firms have already taken the action they feel they need to survive the recession, such as salary and wage cuts.
www.ukba.co.uk
UK companies also reported a much small average base salary increase, an average of 1% compared to 2.8% worldwide.
Despite these figures, British companies are more optimistic about the future then many other nations - possibly reflecting the fact that many UK firms have already taken the action they feel they need to survive the recession, such as salary and wage cuts.
www.ukba.co.uk
Monday, 13 April 2009
Companies incentivised to take on new staff
From 6th April, businesses will be able to take advantage of up to £2500 recruitment and 'on the job' training subsidies, as an incentive to take on people who've been looking for work for six months or more. The subsidy is worth £1000 and the company can, depending on location, access up to £1500 worth of in-work training.
Read more here: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=397805&NewsAreaID=2
www.ukba.co.uk
Read more here: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=397805&NewsAreaID=2
www.ukba.co.uk
Monday, 23 March 2009
Why you must communicate more with your staff
Research by the CMI found that 62% of employees felt their MD/CEO was out of touch with staff feelings.
In an economic downturn it is more important then ever that small business owners lead their companies and do not simply hope that things get better. Business leaders must plan and prepare to make sure that they address and manage the specific challenges that are currently being faced by their companies.
All small business owners must ensure that they are communicating effectively with staff. This is a major issue, and can have a significant effect on the morale and productivity of your workforce.
Read more - click here.
Source: http://www.newbusiness.co.uk
www.ukba.co.uk
In an economic downturn it is more important then ever that small business owners lead their companies and do not simply hope that things get better. Business leaders must plan and prepare to make sure that they address and manage the specific challenges that are currently being faced by their companies.
All small business owners must ensure that they are communicating effectively with staff. This is a major issue, and can have a significant effect on the morale and productivity of your workforce.
Read more - click here.
Source: http://www.newbusiness.co.uk
www.ukba.co.uk
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Employment Law 2009
Legislation relating to employment, can be a minefield.
Here are some of the areas where changes are expected this year:
:: Statutory Redundancy Pay as well as the increase in tribunal awards. Since 1 February, redundancy pay has increased to a maximum of £350 per week.
:: Statutory Dismissal Procedure, which will be replaced by a new approach using the revised ACAS code.
:: A bill will be introduced to tidy up all the various bits of equality and discrimination legislation.
:: From 1st April, Working Time Regulation changes are implemented to increase the minimum holiday entitlement to 5.6 weeks (28 days).
:: The right to request flexible working is extended to parents who have children aged 16 or under from 1 April 2009.
:: On 5 April 2009, the standard rate of pay for maternity, paternity and adoption leave will increase to £123.06 a week.
:: On 6 April 2009, the Statutory Sick Pay rate increases to £79.15.
:: The right to request time off for training will be introduced during the course of the year.
:: The National Minimum Wage rules will be changed to stop tips being included in staff wages in the leisure and hospitality industry.
Here are some of the areas where changes are expected this year:
:: Statutory Redundancy Pay as well as the increase in tribunal awards. Since 1 February, redundancy pay has increased to a maximum of £350 per week.
:: Statutory Dismissal Procedure, which will be replaced by a new approach using the revised ACAS code.
:: A bill will be introduced to tidy up all the various bits of equality and discrimination legislation.
:: From 1st April, Working Time Regulation changes are implemented to increase the minimum holiday entitlement to 5.6 weeks (28 days).
:: The right to request flexible working is extended to parents who have children aged 16 or under from 1 April 2009.
:: On 5 April 2009, the standard rate of pay for maternity, paternity and adoption leave will increase to £123.06 a week.
:: On 6 April 2009, the Statutory Sick Pay rate increases to £79.15.
:: The right to request time off for training will be introduced during the course of the year.
:: The National Minimum Wage rules will be changed to stop tips being included in staff wages in the leisure and hospitality industry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
