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Catch the Flame!
As the Olympic torch relay to Beijing gets underway, the Playfair 08 campaign recently launched its own electronic torch relay: Catch the Flame. The relay highlights the need for the Olympics movement to stamp out abuses of labour standards in workplaces making Olympics goods. By Catching the Flame supporters can join others in calling on the International Olympics Committee to take action. The Catch the Flame relay, launched on 19th March in Amsterdam, has now reached the UK and they need you to help them carry it all the way to Beijing.
Join in to demand a medal for the olympics movement on labour rights
above: The relay highlights the need for the Olympics movement to stamp out abuses of labour standards in workplaces making Olympics goods.
Only One In Ten Adults Trust The Government With Their Personal Information
The survey commissioned by Data Encryption Systems (DES) a UK-based leader in software copyright protection, data encryption, secure messaging and data storage solutions, has released the results from an online omnibus survey of over a thousand UK adults, revealing that only one in ten respondents trust the government with their personal data.
“There’s no escaping it these days, with the increasing dependence on IT and the rise of identity theft, data protection is no longer just a problem for the CIO, but something everyone has to consider. Every time you pay online, register your taxes, or apply for a passport, you are taking a gamble with your personal information — so knowing who to trust is a burning question.”
~ David Tomlinson, Managing director, DES
More on Data Encryption Systems (DES) Report on ‘Who you trust with your data?’ (PDF)
Brain cancer linked to mobile phone use
A top Australian neurosurgeon has warned the world’s heavy reliance on mobile phones could be a major threat to human health. Vini Khurana, who conducted a 15-month ‘critical review’ of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumours, said using mobiles for more than 10 years could more than double the risk of brain cancer. He has called for ‘immediate and decisive steps’ by industry and governments to reduce people’s exposure to invisible electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets.
There had been increased reports of brain tumours associated with heavy and prolonged mobile phone use, particularly on the same side as the person’s ‘preferred ear’ for making calls. Mobiles have become a piece of standard workplace equipment, with many employers now expecting workers to be assessable by phone at all times. More on Data Encryption Systems (DES) Report on ‘the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumours’ (PDF)
How has the Budget in 2008 affected your business?
The anticipated changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) formed the most important part of this Budget for small businesses in the UK.
On 24th of January Alistair Darling - the Chancellor of the Exchequer - announced some amendments to the reforms to Capital Gains Tax set out in the October 2007 Pre Budget Report (PBR).
In the PBR, Alistair Darling had said he would be abolishing capital gains tax taper relief and replacing it with a single 18% flat rate on the sale of business assets. This decision caused controversy among a wide range of business groups, including the Federation of Small Businesses, who claimed the reform would have a negative effect on entrepreneurship in the UK.
The new Capital Gains Tax Entrepreneurs’ Relief set out by the Chancellor will instead provide a 10 per cent tax rate for the first £1 million of qualifying gains.
The reformed regime, and the new entrepreneurs’ relief, came into effect in April. Source
Facebook users can breathe easy when job hunting, research reveals
Three in four employers don’t use social networking sites as recruitment tools, research has revealed. A poll of more than 220 HR directors by Personnel Today magazine and law firm Charles Russell found that 73% of companies don’t check sites like Facebook during the hiring process.
The results cast doubt on the need for laws to ban the practice, as called for recently.
Employers in the media, professional services and finance were most likely to go online to check out candidates’ profiles, with more than 35% of HR bosses from these sectors admitting they do so. One respondent also claimed to use such sites to head-hunt. “We use [social networking sites] a lot to recruit people for the organisation”.
It appears that although most employers do have good faith in their employees’ use of these sites, they do monitor usage and adopt a sensible approach to the matter. Such a balanced approach would appear to be the way forward for recruitment so that the sites could be used but in an appropriate way.
Know Your Rights
workSMART is a TUC site, helping today’s working people get the best from work. Visit now for your free comprehensive, plain-English guides to all aspects of your employment rights, your health at work, and pay and pensions, as well as a jargonbuster to explain technical terms and an interactive trade union finder. More on workSMART, from the TUC
Staff given even more voice at work
Companies and organisations employing between 50-100 staff will need to have systems in place to allow meaningful dialogue to take place between managers and staff.
With these changes it means that employees in smaller companies will have a right to be told what’s going on in their workplaces. It should put a stop to shock situations where in the past staff heard their jobs were to be axed via text messages or found out from local media. More on employee information and consultation
N.O.W. — Making office life gorgeous
National Office Week comes to life with makeovers, competitions, information and the popular 100-a-day gorgeous giveaway from May 12-16 culminating in a live event at The Times Crème show at London’s Olympia.
National Office Week is a campaign designed to make office life gorgeous. Over the year office managers, office buyers and office administrators will have access to all the things that they or their office needs to help it run at the optimum level of efficiency for the best possible price, using tools and products that will inform, motivate, inspire and entertain. More on the National Office Week 2008 campaign
The Times Crème Show
Network with the crème of the crop at this year’s Times Crème Event, the leading show dedicated to the busy working lives of PAs, Executive Secretaries and Office Managers. Running from the 13th-15th May at London’s Olympia, the show attracts over 7,000 visitors every year.
Now in its 14th year, The Times Crème event has more to offer than ever, from seminars to celebrity appearances. Visitors to the show can expect to find 200 leading suppliers showcasing everything from business equipment and stationery to business travel and meetings venues. More on The Times Crème Show
Reminder:- Don’t Forget to work from home on 15th May
An estimated five million people will not be going to work on Thursday, 15th May. None of them will be calling sickies, skiving or making excuses. In fact, their bosses may even be joining them and taking work home for the day, on National Work from Home Day.
National Work from Home Day is aimed at highlighting smarter working practices by encouraging companies to give employees a day at home. Working at home that is, in order to trial better working practises such as flexible working, remote working, mobile working and working from home; all promoting a work-life balance. More on National Work from Home Day
Google announced as Key Note Speaker at National Incentive Show
The National Incentive Show is the UK’s most attended exhibition for incentive, motivation and promotional marketing industries and takes place at the NEC, 16 - 18 September 2008. Last year’s show attracted over 4,300 attendees looking for corporate gifts, employee incentives and promotional merchandise.
The National Incentive Show’s seminar programme is set to lead the way in industry inspiration. With the ever growing importance of digital marketing as part of any promotional marketing strategy the confirmation of Google Marketing Director, Dan Cobley, as key note speaker is expected to be well received by over 4,500 visitors to this year’s show. More on the National Incentive Show
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