Thursday, June 1, 2006
Make a difference to millions while you work
Support the British Heart Foundation’s Help a Heart Week, 3-11 June.
Here’s a win win situation for you - something you can do at work that gets great results without mammoth meetings, relentless thinking outside the box and complicated spread sheets.
All you need to do is hand out envelopes to people you work with and you can be a part of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) biggest ever UK-wide fundraising collection and help make the charity’s flagship campaign, Help a Heart Week, a success.
By giving out cash collection envelopes to your colleagues in June you can play your part in ensuring vital heart research continues. It’s so easy - you just need to hand them out, collect them back in and send the funds raised onto the charity. It’s a great excuse to network with colleagues and discover all the latest gossip whilst making a real difference to the millions of people affected by heart disease.
To get involved in the Help a Heart Week collection, please visit call 020 7487 9485.
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above: Get involved in Help a Heart Week and make a difference to millions.
World Cup could damage the economy
As many as three out of five people are shamelessly planning to bunk off work to cheer on the England football squad at this month’s World Cup.
New research finds approximately 60% out of nearly 140 male and female employees working for smaller companies intending, or knowing someone who intends, to pull a sickie to watch the England team play.
This is significantly more people who are planning to skip work than during Euro 2004. Two years ago during Euro 2004, only 43% of SME workers planned to slope off from their duties during England fixtures.
What does this say about our workforce? Well, given that small businesses account for 99% of Britain’s private sector, this could present employers with a problem, 70% of respondents to this year’s survey say they feel no shame about skiving. And the bosses’ reaction? Sadly, they might not be planning to do enough to keep their staff happy. Only 23% of bosses intending to let staff watch England’s games at work, compared to 33% during Euro 2004.
Employees say bosses should let them enjoy the World Cup. Sixty per cent think bosses should allow paid holidays for England’s matches, and 36% want their bosses to provide TVs to screen the games. And if all this wasn’t enough, a very cheeky minority — 7% — thinks companies should lay on drinks and snacks too!
But not everyone’s football crazy. Ninety-three per cent of those surveyed think football fans get too much preferential treatment. And 20% want their bosses to monitor employee absences closely during the World Cup.
SMEs could suffer during the World Cup if so many staff plan to go missing during work hours. Given the nation’s interest in football and the likelihood that staff will be as good as their word and slope off, we think bosses are best off trying to strike a compromise and make sure there is a TV in the workplace during the World Cup.
Or they might be a bit more imaginative and offer staff the chance to make up lost time later on. But most importantly, they must be consistent and fair — if one person gets to watch the football, everyone should. This way no-one will feel hard done by.
UK Plc Must Kick Its Youth Addiction
The Government’s radical pension overhaul, will be unworkable if companies don’t change their attitude to employing the over 50s, reports Executives Online.
Many firms are too keen to retire off their senior executives in favour of fast rising management trainees and younger staff. Executives Online says that employers and the Government need to shift employment perceptions so that workers over 50 are valued and retained in the workforce.
The company says that not only will this be vital given the shift in pensionable age, it will also keep more talent in British businesses and will address the growing problem of a demographic imbalance faced by the UK.
The Government wants to raise the retirement age so we can all provide more for our pensions and take the tax burden off younger workers, yet many companies are actively getting rid of workers as soon as they hit their 50s. This does not make sense. If the Government wants people to work longer then it must also encourage a business culture where older workers are actually valued and retained by firms. There are people out there that have built up skills and experiences all their working lives, only to be literally sent out to pasture when they are arguably at their peak in the business world.
Nearly three-in-five people (59%) who describe themselves as fully retired actually retired before the state pension age. However, of those that are fully retired, almost two-in-five (39%) felt that retirement had been forced upon them. Although this was often down to ill health, 30% said that they had been made redundant.
The Government and employers have put so much focus on recruiting and training young people with new ideas that they have forgotten that what companies often need to guide them through major changes and difficult challenges is an old head on young shoulders.
In addition, with the UK’s current low rate of unemployment, companies are finding it difficult to recruit younger candidates for their most senior positions. Executives Online says that organisations should not be so hung-up on age when employing managers and directors, particularly as older applicants may actually prove to be better suited.
The Government’s own figures reveal just how valuable workers aged over 50 can be, as well as their desire to keep on working. Almost one-in-five (19%) of workers aged over 50 are self-employed, compared with just 14% of the 25 to 49 age group. In fact when it comes to men, more than 26% of workers over 50 are self-employed. A self-employed man in his 50s is also more likely than an employed man to still be working in his 60s. More
Don’t sell yourself short as entry opens for National Sales Awards 2007
Now in its 10th successful year acknowledging a decade of sales excellence, the coveted National Sales Awards 2007 has opened for entry in a search to find the country’s top performing sales individuals and teams.
The National Sales Awards provides a platform to recognise the very best in the professional sales industry. The Awards promote excellence, best practice and innovation in selling, serving as a benchmark by which many UK organizations measure themselves.
One outstanding sales individual will be presented with the flagship National Sales Award, The Huthwaite International Sales Professional of the Year.
The annual celebration culminates in a glittering gala awards evening at Grosvenor House, London, on Thursday 15th February 2007.
Email info@nationalsalesawards.com or phone on 0207 378 1188 to access a nomination form. The closing date for nominations is noon Friday 22nd September 2006. Finalists will be announced week commencing Monday 2nd October 2006. More
Pensions White Paper sets out its stall to tax small businesses
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) says the Government is trying to sneak another stealth tax on employment in, under the noses of smaller businesses. The leading business pressure group reacted with alarm to the publication of a Government white paper that only succeeded in setting out a confused agenda to introduce compulsory contributions from employers to a National Pension Savings Scheme.
‘The introduction of the scheme is to force firms to contribute three per cent of their employees’ wages to the National Pensions Saving Scheme. This process, according to the white paper, will be implemented over three years with the consideration of a longer phasing-in period for smaller businesses.
The white paper will also give employees the opportunity to opt out of the scheme. That is something which will infuriate employers. When the Government should be doing all it can to encourage individuals to save for the future, it has given them an option to sit back and let their bosses save for them.
The impact of the compulsory contributions will inevitably hit employees too. Business owners and their staff have been left high and dry again.
The cost of this scheme will be passed onto the consumer, or even result in job losses. The Government have given no thought to the cost for employers and the average earner will be left under whelmed by the value that this scheme brings them. More
Bigfoot and Littlefoot come to the Cotswolds!
The Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bigfoot walk is back, this time with the brand new Littlefoot event close on its heels! Walk 50k across some of Britain’s most stunning countryside, or bring the whole family for the 10k Littlefoot walk the same weekend!
Bigfoot will be held over two days, meaning you get all the fun and challenge of Bigfoot, and don’t have to take a day off work to take part!
To ensure you all cross the finish line the course is a slightly more manageable 50 kilometres, rather than 50 miles. It’s still a pretty big challenge though, so make sure you put in the training to prevent sore muscles and blisters!
Littlefoot, a bite-sized 10k walk through the same beautiful countryside, is open to everyone 10 years and over and aimed at both individual walkers and families.
Bigfoot — 19th — 20th August and Littlefoot — 19th August. Both courses take you through the stunning Cotswolds, starting at Cheltenham Race Course.
Registration for Bigfoot is just £40 per person or £35 for those entering as a team of four or more. And, minimum sponsorship is a hugely manageable £350! There’s no excuse not to!!! Registration for Littlefoot is just £10 for anyone aged 16 years or older and free for ages 10 — 15.
Recruitment lines are now open, so contact the MS Events Team for your registration pack today on HOTLINE 0870 241 3565, or visit the Bigfoot and Littlefoot web sites
We need to raise £200,000 — every step you take brings us closer to a cure!
Sacking pregnant women should be outlawed
Employers should be banned from firing pregnant women, an April report has concluded. Proposals put forward by the Fawcett Society pressure group to the government would not only bar employers from dismissing any women expecting babies but would also protect new mothers for up to six months after they return from leave. ‘Gender equality in the 21st century: Modernising the legislation’ says the government must radically overhaul legislation in order to close the pay gap between women and men and ensure equality in the workplace. It’s 30 years since sex equality legislation was introduced, but it’s simply not effective any more. We have a once in a generation chance to reform the law and make a difference to the lives of millions of women. If the government is serious about equal pay for women, it must seize this opportunity. Research has revealed that 30,000 women a year in Britain are sacked after telling their bosses they are taking maternity leave.
Immobile office workers given DVT warning
Office workers risk being struck down by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if they sit at their computer screens for long periods without a break, health experts have said. The warning came as it emerged that a computer programmer from Bristol almost died after a 12-hour stint in front of his screen in what is believed to be one of the first cases in the UK of a growing phenomenon dubbed e-thrombosis. Few office workers seemed unaware that they could be affected in the same way as air passengers. Immobility is a key factor in causing thrombosis.
Work conditions raise risk of having a small baby
Exposure to range of workplace risks in pregnancy can increase the likelihood of having an under-sized infant, according to a new report. Researchers reporting in the American Journal of Public Health identify irregular or shiftwork schedules as key problems. They say eliminating these factors before the 24th week of pregnancy can bring the odds down to those of unexposed women. ‘Small-for-gestational’ (SGA) infants are at increased risk for a number of problems, including low levels of oxygen and blood sugar at birth. Factors that had a cumulative effect on risk included working night hours, irregular or shiftwork schedule, standing (Risks 221), lifting loads, noise, and high psychological demand coupled with low social support. Compared with the complete absence of these conditions, the risk of having an SGA infant ranged from 8 to 129 per cent when one to all six of these conditions was present. Preventive measures before the 24th week such as reassignment to a safer job or withdrawal from work largely eliminated the increased risk.
Autorola.co.uk car auction - New options for fleet owners
Car auction business Autorola.co.uk offers new options for fleet owners desiring better prices for used fleet cars
The Internet presents a fascinating opportunity for UK business vehicle operators/managers to optimise the selling prices of their used fleet cars using the successful car auction site Autorola.co.uk. Presenting an unique web browser auction system, through which fleet owners can integrate their own administrative system, sales can be carried out on open, semi-closed, or closed auctions, as may be deemed appropriate to their needs.
In an open auction, all approved Autorola.co.uk car dealers can place bids, while only the fleet operators’ own invited buyers can place bids on closed auctions. Semi-closed auctions are a mixture of both. (For more details on becoming an Autorola.co.uk dealer, please check the information on the home web site for the company.)
The new system for businesses makes it incredible easy to sell used Fleet cars. It reduces disposal overheads and, since it is an auction system, you can be sure to achieve the most apposite market price. All the fleet operator needs to do is upload their own concise description of the car and await the bids. There are no logistics challenges, as the vehicles do not need to be transported to and from an auction house, since they remain at the fleet operators’ locations until sold, only to be removed subsequently by the buyer.
Fleet operators/managers can elect to upload a PDF-file, upon which to describe individual vehicle details, or simply complete the user-friendly description form at Autorola.co.uk. The description form ensures that all relevant vehicle details are mentioned as the seller is guided through the trim and detail options. More
Workplace ridicule
Nasty, rude comments made in US workplaces over sex, homosexuality, ethnicity and disability increased in 2005. The telephone survey by Boston-based Novations Group found sexually related comments last year were the most frequently reported, by one-third of the employees.
Self-evident
Self-employed male Britons work longer hours for lower wages than those of their employee counterparts. This is attributed to them facing greater uncertainty and so working harder as a way to insure their future livelihoods, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, which also found there was no evidence of growing female self-employment, or the anticipated greater labour flexibility resulting from self-employment during the 1990s.
Little benefit
Elements of the benefits system are limiting women and men to stereotyped roles, according to a new report from the Fawcett Society. ‘Who Benefits? A gender analysis of the UK benefits and tax credits system’ concludes the social security system is doing little to breakdown the old-fashioned stereotype of women staying at home to raise children and men going out to work because it encourages couples to specialise in roles of homemaker and breadwinner.
Schools strategy
Education secretary Ruth Kelly has said the government is determined to wipe out child poverty, adding that by 2010 every community will have a Sure Start Children’s Centre. She said: “Parents themselves are best placed to make difficult decisions about how best to combine work with family life.”
Parent peril
Parents returning to work continue to get a raw deal as employers cling to outdated work practices. A survey by consultancy Accenture of more than 1,300 employees who returned to work after having a child, found 1 in 5 thought it had had a negative impact on their career, with women reporting three times as many negative experiences as men.
Parents are using new leave rights
The number of new fathers shifting their working hours to spend time with their babies has tripled since 2002, according to government research which reveals dads are making more career sacrifices for their families than was previously thought. The study also found threequarters of working mothers now take their full entitlement to maternity pay. Last year new mothers took longer maternity leave than ever, but the survey of 2,504 mothers and 1,512 fathers of children under 17 months revealed that now fathers want to stay at home too. A quarter of mothers said they would consider sharing some of their 12 months of parental leave with their partner, as is being proposed by the government. But a third of new fathers would like the option to spend longer amounts of time with their small children. Fathers are making more changes to their working lives to fit around their home lives. The proportion of fathers working flexible hours to fit around childcare arrangements rose from 11 per cent to 31 per cent. The number working from home doubled from 14 per cent to 29 per cent. Maternity leave was extended 18 to 26 weeks and unpaid additional leave from 29 to 52 weeks last year. As a result, half of mothers took 26 weeks leave compared with 9 per cent in 2002 and a further 14 per cent the full 52-week entitlement, compared with 5 per cent three years previously. Employers recognise the benefits of better-enabling employees to balance work and home lives, saving time and money on recruitment and training while ensuring they keep the staff with the skills they need.
UK firms back part-time and flexi-time work
More than half of all private companies and public organisations in the UK (56 per cent) with more than 10 employees have flexible working time arrangements in place, according to an April 2006 report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. However, the degree of flexibility offered by flexi-time arrangements in the UK is less advanced than elsewhere in Europe. Reported benefits of flexi-time working included a higher degree of job satisfaction (EU average 63 per cent, UK 50 per cent), and lower absenteeism (EU 26 per cent, UK 35 per cent). The negative effects, such as a rise in costs (EU 5 per cent, UK 6 per cent) and communication problems (EU 10 per cent, UK 10 per cent) are minor in comparison, says the Foundation. The survey results also show the UK labour market to be part-time friendly. UK companies and public organisations rank first in Europe when it comes to easily switching from full-time to part-time work. More importantly, only one in five (18 per cent) personnel managers in the UK report slightly or significantly worse career prospects for part-time workers than full-time workers, compared to an average of nearly one in three (28.8 per cent) in Europe. The findings confirm, however, that more UK companies and public organisations rely on overtime and that UK employees are more likely to be rewarded with money than with time off.
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