UK - CIPD Predictions for 2007

The year to come will be another good one for job creation, but the overall economic outlook hinges on the crucial winter pay round that is now upon us, according to Dr John Philpott , Chief Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

CIPD forecasts warn of rising pay threat to employment prospects

New Zealand - Minimum Wage

Workers earning the minimum wage will receive a 9.8% pay rise from April 2007, Labour Minister Ruth Dyson announced today.

Largest increase to minimum wage since 1999

New Zealand - Two out of three workers happy in jobs - bosses rated highly

A new international workplace survey has found that the overwhelming majority of New Zealand’s employees are happy in their work, while they also believe that their bosses are doing a good job.

Two out of three workers happy in jobs - bosses rated highly

UK - Britons Keen on Overseas Work - But Not the Languages

The Institute for Public Policy Research has published a report, featured on the BBC website, showing that up to 6 million British people live or work abroad for at least part of the year. The most popular location is Australia, where there are 1.3 million resident Britons, followed by Spain (761,000), the USA (678,000) and Canada (603,000). Many of these have retired overseas, encouraged to seek cheaper accommodation and better weather by TV programmes such as Place in the Sun, but large numbers are also seeking work.

Britons Keen on Overseas Work - But Not the Languages

UK - Graduate Training in Northern Ireland

Invest Northern Ireland has recently appointed business and IT technology services organization Parity, in partnership with Envision, to deliver a new graduate export development programme.

Graduate Training in Northern Ireland

UK - HR Books From Amazon.co.uk

A new selection of bestselling human resource books available from Amazon.co.uk

HR Books

North Americans Stay Productive in the Holiday Season

A recent survey suggests worker productivity will be maintained as the holiday season approaches. The Adecco North America 2006 Holiday Survey, part of the Workplace Insights Series, found two-thirds (67 per cent) of 1023 workers questioned (511 men; 512 women) said they will not be spending any time shopping online during business hours. Of the remainder, 26 per cent estimated that they would spend less than six hours online. The majority of respondents (79 per cent) were not planning to take a personal or sick day to shop during the holidays.

North Americans Stay Productive in the Holiday Season

USA - Lack of After-School Care Affects Parent Productivity

New research has found that millions of American parents are less productive at work because they are worried about what their children are doing after school. The report, entitled After-School Worries: Tough on Parents, Bad for Business, was prepared by Catalyst, a leading non profit organization working to improve conditions for women in employment, in cooperation with the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University.

Lack of After-School Care Affects Parent Productivity

Global - Time Management Produces Results

A recent survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, has found that when it comes to delivering revenue growth, it is not how many hours a sales force works, it is how they allocate their time. Rewarding salespeople with more incentive- and stock-based pay can also make a big difference.

Time Management Produces Results

USA - Streamlining Makes Meetings Meaningful

A few simple guidelines can make office meetings productive instead of a source of boredom or dread, according to Taggart Smith, professor of organizational leadership and supervision in the College of Technology, Purdue University. One of the key factors to running a good meeting is to make sure it's needed in the first place.

Streamlining Makes Meetings Meaningful

UK - Recruiting Older Employees

A new report from Taleo Research and The Age and Employment Network (TAEN), urges UK companies to address the looming skills shortage and capitalize on the ageing workforce by changing their approach to recruitment.

Recruiting Older Employees

UK - Civil Engineers Back Flexible Working

A new survey to identify challenges faced by today's civil engineers found that they require tools to increase flexibility and efficiency if they are to maximize opportunities presented by a buoyant market.

Civil Engineers Back Flexible Working

UK - Employees and Employers: 'A Marriage Breakdown in Progress?'

Survey shows that relationships between employers and employees in many workplaces are characterized by poor communication and low levels of trust resulting in underperformance, low productivity and high staff turnover.

Employees and Employers: 'A Marriage Breakdown in Progress?'

USA - Few Women in California's Top Decision-Making Roles

New research conducted at the University of California, Davis shows that women still hold only one in 10 top decision-making positions at California's 400 largest publicly traded companies.

Few Women in California's Top Decision-Making Roles

Australia - Commonwealth Bank and ACTU Disagree on Job Contracts

The Commonwealth Bank strongly refutes what it describes as the 'misleading allegations made by the ACTU'.


Commonwealth Bank and ACTU Disagree on Job Contracts

UK - Office Parties

Two new articles on this subject:

Preliminary findings from the CIPD annual Reward Management survey suggest that manufacturing firms are half as likely to provide a Christmas gift in 2006 and the number throwing a Christmas party has dropped from 71 per cent in 2005 to 60 per cent this year.


Employers Cut Back on Christmas Rewards

A new survey of almost 5000 managers by law firm Peninsula suggests that the majority are concerned that this year's office Christmas parties will lead to employment tribunal claims because of bad staff behaviour.

Office Party Warnings

Canada - 'Toxic' Communication

North American companies are suffering from "toxic communication," say experts at Juice Inc., a consulting firm for leaders who want to boost their organizational energy levels and employee engagement. They suggest that if a hall of shame for corporate communications existed, the true stories in this article would be solid contenders for a display case.


How to Avoid 'Toxic Communication'

UK - Apprenticeships

A new report from the CIPD finds that despite Government efforts, take-up of apprenticeships by large employers remains limited.

Combined Effort Needed For Apprentice Training

USA - Offshoring Could Save $58 Billion a Year

New research from The Hackett Group, a strategic advisory firm and an Answerthink company, estimates that Fortune 500 companies could potentially save US$58 billion annually, or over US$116 million on average, by off-shoring many of their back office activities.

Offshoring Could Save $58 Billion a Year

UK - Eastern European Migration Falling

Recent Home Office figures show that the rate of migration from central and eastern Europe is falling.


Migrants Boost Labour Market

Australia - NSW wages going backwards, say ACTU

New research by ACTU appears to show that workers in New South Wales are being hard hit by the Government's industrial relations laws with average wages for full time employees falling by AS$33 a week in real terms over the last year.

NSW wages going backwards, say ACTU

UK - FTSE 100 executives pull ahead

A new survey has found that the strong performance of many FTSE 100 companies is reflected in significant increases in the total direct compensation for CEOs and other board directors, mostly in the form of bonuses and other elements of 'at risk' pay.

FTSE 100 executives pull ahead

UK - Work and Families

A new survey by CIPD/KPMG finds that many employers believe that the implementation
of new legal rights for working mothers and fathers will cause them difficulty.

Most employers anticipate difficulties coping with new rights for workers with family responsibilities

UK - Age Discrimination

A new report in the journal Hazards indicates that over one-third of UK workers believe they will be unable to do their current job by the time they are sixty. In the last six years the UK has slipped from first to sixth in the European league table in this respect. The report argues that employers should stop using bogus health and safety excuses to get rid of older staff or avoid recruiting from this age group. Instead they should make more effort to keep the ageing UK population in work and off benefits.

One third of UK workers fear they will be unfit for work by 60

USA - AMA Change Survey

More than 80% of executives say that the pace of change is speeding up in organizations all over the world. And seven out of 10 say that their organizations experienced disruptive change during the last year. That’s according to a new global survey released today commissioned by American Management Association (AMA) and conducted by the Human Resource Institute (HRI).

AMA's Agility and Resilience Survey Reveals Effects of Change on Business

UK - Acas advises on Christmas parties

Christmas is a happy time - or is it? People can get overexcited and may act out of character. We've all heard the story about employees photocopying certain parts of their anatomy on the office photocopier. But what can an employer do about it?

Acas gives companies free 'Happy Christmas Party' advice

UK - Employment Situation

Unemployment rises to 5.6%

Employment Statistics

USA - The Job Journey

Sacramento-based The Job Journey is changing the employment outlook for Generation Y students and employers across the U.S. Still in its first year as a nationwide offering, the soft-skills development program is in use by Intel Corporation, Gates Foundation-funded Sacramento New Technology High School, PECO Energy Corporation, public, private and federally-funded schools, and by youth advocacy groups in nine states across the U.S., including California, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Innovative Program Takes on Generation Y Employment Issues, Changing Education and Employment Paradigms Across the Nation

NZ - Youth Pay Rates Discriminatory

Youth pay rates for 16 and 17-year-olds are discriminatory and breach the basic concept of equal pay for work of equal value, says EEO Commissioner, Dr Judy McGregor.

Commission backs abolishing minimum wage discrimination

NZ - Employment Situation

In seasonally adjusted terms, the labour market eased slightly in the September 2006 quarter, with a small fall in the number of employed, Statistics New Zealand said today.

High Employment but Labour Market Eases

USA - Effects of the Brain Drain on Health Care

Baby boomers are nearing retirement, which has caused concern over the potential for workforce shortages, particularly in the health care industry. As analysts make their predictions for the future, Compdata Surveys reviewed salary trends over the last few years for four positions: radiology director, licensed physical therapist, staff pharmacist and registered nurse. According to the Compensation Data annual survey of more than 5,300 employers, salaries have grown rapidly for radiology directors, licensed physical therapists and staff pharmacists over the last three years in the United States, while registered nurses have seen increases in supplemental pay and benefits.

Effects of the Brain Drain on Health Care

UK - Working Time Opt-out Not Necessary, say TUC

As European ministers meet to discuss the future of the UK's opt-out from the Working Time Directive's 48 hour limit on the average working week, the TUC has today (Tuesday) published a new analysis of official figures showing that the UK 'does not need an opt-out' any longer.

UK 'doesn't need long hours opt-out'

UK - Recruitment Industry Booms

Turnover in the UK’s recruitment industry, which has hit the highest levels on record, is a strong indicator of the current growth within the UK economy, the annual industry report has revealed.

Record High in Recruitment Industry Turnover Reflects Strong Growth in UK Economy, Annual Report Reveals

UK - Management Jargon

A survey for Investors in People finds that 54% of employees in the UK regard management jargon as a source of communication problems.


Management Jargon Baffles Employees

NZ - Asians, Cultural Attitudes and Sexual Identity

A recent New Zealand study finds that lesbians, gays and bisexuals of Asian origin are less open than other New Zealanders about their sexuality because of differing cultural attitudes. This has significant implications for professionals, especially those in health and social work.

Asians, Cultural Attitudes and Sexual Identity

Canada - Employment Situation

Statistics Canada reports that the unemployment rate fell by 0.2% to 6.2% in October, accompanied by an increase of 51,000 in the number of people employed.


Canadian Unemployment Falls By 0.2% to 6.2%

USA - Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports payroll employment increase of 92,000 in October and fall in unemployment rate to 4.4 percent.

US unemployment falls to 4.4%

USA - Human Capital Institute Launches New Education Program

The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a global professional association and educator in talent management strategies, announced today that it has launched a new education program aimed at providing key executives, line managers, and human capital professionals with the newest ideas, most effective tools, and best practices in talent acquisition, alignment, engagement, deployment, measurement, retention, and other strategic practices.

Human Capital Institute Launches New Education Program

USA - A Passion for Diversity

Some people work at their jobs because they have to make a living, and they get to express themselves after work. Some people have careers that they love, and have a hard time not taking home their work with them when they go home. And then there are successful people in the diversity field. They have a passion for diversity and they live their work. Whether or not they take their work home with them, their work is always driven by the values they live every day, and their lives are driven by the values they promote at work.

Full article at:


A Passion for Diversity

UK - CIPD changes 2007 events

Harrogate and HRD 2007 - CIPD announces significant changes to its two flagship events for people management and development professionals

USA - Listening to Employees

Companies spend millions of dollars each year for programs designed to improve the
competitiveness of their organizations. Yet, many of them do not take the time and effort to understand the concerns of the people whose behavior must change to achieve the desired business results.

Listening to Employees Vital to Successful Change, Says RHR International

This item includes a really good list of key components that affect employees' readiness for change.

N. America - Talent Acquisition Software

SonicRecruit’s service, OFCCP compliance, ease of use and flexibility are key factors in signing the second-largest lighting and materials enterprise in the world.

OSRAM SYLVANIA Selects SonicRecruit to Brighten Up Its Hiring Efforts

Australia - TAFE system underfunded, say ACTU

The ACTU is calling on the Federal Government to stop ducking its responsibility to fix Australia's under-funded TAFE system following a new report that shows young Australians are missing out on a high quality technical education.

Young Australians Deprived of Technical Education & Skills: New Research

Locating Unrecognized Talent

Succession planners can locate unknown talent, like the TV show American Idol, by using 360-degree feedback. Users of Panoramic Feedback have found that aggregate reports from 360 are valuable for identifying skilled individuals who are invisible to succession plans because they are outside the inner circles.

"American Idol" And 360-Degree Feedback Teach Effective Succession Planning

UK - Employment situation

The unemployment rate stands at 5.5% - up on the previous month and the quarter - however, 29.02 million people were in work in the period June to August according to the labour force survey (LFS). This remains the highest figure on record, up by 120,000 in the last quarter and 255,000 over the last year.


Employment Statistics

UK - Workplace Dispute Resolutions

Rita Donaghy, Acas Chair, has called on employers and employees to work together to resolve disagreements as early as possible, arguing that unresolved disputes damage workplace relationships and lead to reduced business efficiency.

Acas Chair advocates early dispute resolution

UK - TUC goes to Poland

A TUC delegation is heading for Poland to advise prospective migrant workers on British employment law and union membership before they set off for the UK.

TUC goes to Poland

USA - Executive Perks Survey

The Compensation Data annual survey of more than 5,300 employers shows that almost two-thirds (64.6%) provided cell phones as an executive perk and 43.6% offered laptops or home PCs.

Executive Perk Survey

UK - Scottish smoking ban produces rapid health improvement

A Dundee study shows significant improvements in bar workers' lung function and a reduction in reported respiratory symptoms within the first few months of the ban on smoking in confined public places in Scotland.

Scottish smoking ban produces rapid health improvement

Australia - Employment Situation

Unemployment falls back to 4.8%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 23,400 to 10,265,500 in September.

USA - Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons were little changed at 4.6 percent and 6.9 million, respectively.

US unemployment falls marginally to 4.6%

Canada - Employment Situation

Statistics Canada reports that the unemployment rate fell by 0.1% to 6.4% in September, accompanied by an increase of 16,200 in the number of people employed.


Unemployment Falls By 0.1% to 6.4%

Australia - Risk-taking CEOs

A comparison of Australian and U.S. CEOs shows American business leaders to be more conservative and reserved while Australians are more fun-loving and risk-taking.

Australian CEOs Greater Risk-Takers Than Americans

USA - Scot achieves Senior VP at Papa John

McCue, a native of Scotland who recently became a US citizen, has nearly 30 years of global human resources experience with leading companies in a broad range of industries.

Papa John’s Hires Peter McCue as Senior Vice President, Human Resources

UK - TUC welcomes minimum wage increase

The TUC has today (Sunday) welcomed the seventh annual increase in the national minimum wage, hailing the 30p rise in the adult rate as a significant boost to the pay packets of over a million low-paid workers, the majority of them women working part-time.

TUC hails October minimum wage rise

Australia - IR laws hitting take-home pay, say ACTU

Analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data by the ACTU appears to show that employees' that average earnings have failed to keep pace with inflation for the first time in 5 years.

New IR Laws Reducing Take-Home Pay, say ACTU

USA - Powerful CEOs pay employees more

New research has analyzed perceptions of fairness in executive pay and how CEO over- or underpayment cascades down to lower organizational levels.

Powerful CEOs pay employees more

USA - Citygroup attracts law graduates

Citigroup Global Wealth Management has recently has teamed up with a number of top law firms and law schools to introduce CitiSelect, described as an innovative recruitment programme aimed at providing graduating law students with a new way to fast track their careers.

Citigroup attracts law graduates

USA - Six Sigma and Lean

As courtships go, none has been more contested and anticipated than the evolving
relationship between Six Sigma and Lean. According to a recent study by The Avery Point Group, a leading national executive search firm specializing in Lean and Six Sigma,
there are increasing signs that these two corporate initiatives are headed down the aisle of eternal matrimony.

Six Sigma and Lean: A Marriage in the Making

USA - Peak Performances in Hospitality Industry

Coyle Hospitality Group (CHG) has announced the successful launch and implementation of Peak Performances, an interactive online tool that allows hoteliers, spa directors and restaurateurs to identify, cull, and share Best Practices with their entire team; all with just a few mouse clicks.

Coyle Hospitality Group Launches 'Peak Performances Module' Interactive Online Tool Helps Hype Hospitality Heroes

USA - Directors' Pay

Median annual compensation for Directors of major U.S. companies surged 12% to $204,000, marking the third year of double-digit growth in Board pay, according to a new report from compensation consultancy Pearl Meyer & Partners. The findings are based on 2006 public filings by the 200 largest U.S. industrial and services companies and were announced at the Conference Board’s 12th annual Pay at the Top conference on executive and Board compensation.

Director Pay Up 12%, Topping $200,000 at Largest U.S. Companies

UK - Communication Handbook

Two of the UK's most experienced internal communicators have teamed up to write a practical communication and engagement handbook for managers.

New handbook aims to make managers better communicators

UK - Coaching Supervision

New research by the CIPD finds that despite a dramatic growth in the use of coaching in organizations in recent years, very few are using supervision to support their coaches and to get the best value from their coaching services.

Coaching Supervision

USA - Employee Survey Case Study

A case study of Best Practices on using employee opinion survey results to affect change and increase employee retention.

Turning Data Into Action: How The Breakers Palm Beach Resort Maximized Employee Survey Results

UK - Ramadan

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the next few days. Millions of people from London to Lahore will fast everyday from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Among these will be significant numbers of Muslims working in offices in Europe and North America where Ramadan slips past unnoticed. A lack of awareness about the holy month can and does cause inconvenience, stress and unhappiness to practicing Muslims in the workplace. Kwintessential, a leading intercultural communication and diversity training provider, is now offering free consultation plus a guide for employers with Muslim staff to help them better understand the month and what it means to Islam’s adherents.

Intercultural Training and Diversity Company Offer Free Consultation to HR During Ramadan

USA - Identity Theft Tips

The common notion is that identity theft is a crime committed by computer hackers who
steal information via the Internet. The reality is that a lot of information is stolen from unsecured files and paperwork. The source of the crime is often corporations, small businesses, and other organizations that hold sensitive data on file. The perpetrators are often company employees.

Security Expert's Top 5 Tips to Combat Identity Theft

USA - Higher Compensation Levels for Senior Living Positions in Massachusetts

WageWatch, Inc., (http://www.WageWatch.com), the leading online compensation and benefits survey company, announced today that jobs in the senior living industry in Massachusetts pay from 15% to 30% higher than the national average. WageWatch’s Senior Living Industry report for Massachusetts contains data on 10,500 employees from over 111 facilities in the area.

New Survey Reveals Higher Compensation Levels for Senior Living Positions in Massachusetts

USA - Are Big Companies Better at Producing Talent? Not in Sales

Survey reveals major disconnect in hiring philosophy between corporate recruiters and line managers.

Are Big Companies Better at Producing Talent? Not in Sales

USA - Nurses suffer work-life conflict

A recent national survey of American registered nurses found that half reported that work chronically interfered with their home lives.


Nurses suffer work-life conflict

UK - TUC on minimum wage

The TUC argues that it is wrong to blame recent problems in the retail sector on the minimum wage.

TUC comments on minimum wage survey

UK - CIPD on pensions policy

In its response to the Government's white paper on pensions, the CIPD has called upon the Government to be more holistic in its approach to pensions policy.

CIPD responds to government pensions white paper

Australia - Telstra cuts contract technicians pay

More than 100 independent contractors working for Telstra as telephone technicians in regional New South Wales are facing cuts of between 25 per cent and 50 per cent to their contract pay rates.


Telstra cuts technicians contract pay rates

USA - Career Exits

According to the first survey on employee exits by career publisher Vault Inc., 61 per cent of respondents have exited a job on bad terms with their employer.

Career exits

Europe - Wide variation in maternity benefits

A recent study has found that the UK and Ireland have the lowest levels of statutory maternity pay in Western Europe. British and Irish women receive lower pay entitlements than those in some Eastern European countries. In contrast, Denmark and Norway have the highest level of maternity benefits, more than twice those in the UK.

Wide variation in European maternity benefits

UK - Web use at work

A report by ScanSafe, a global specialist in managed web security, reveals significant differences in workplace web searching in the UK and US.

Web use at work

USA - Employment sites do the job

Recruiters and HR leaders find online job sites effective in filling openings, despite complaints that they generate too many unqualified applicants.

Employment sites do the job

North America - Telecommuting

Rising gas prices have resulted in many professionals considering telecommuting as an economical work option, but spending too much time working from home can mean saying goodbye to the corner office.


Who Telecommutes?

USA - Rising demand for top executives

A new report by Rick Slayton from Chicago-based Slayton Search Partners examines factors that have created a sellers' market in the executive search game.

Rising demand for top executives

Australia - Almost a third of nurses experience abuse

Almost one-third of nurses who took part in a large-scale Tasmanian study reported that they had been subjected to both physical and verbal abuse in the previous four working weeks and a quarter had considered resigning as a result.

Almost a third of nurses experience abuse

UK - Women Directors 'Own Worst Enemy'

A survey of over 100 female directors in the UK has found that many believe that women may be their own worst enemies when it comes to success in the boardroom.

Women Directors 'Own Worst Enemy'

USA - Pink Collar CEOs

Twice as many women hold the top executive position in the Fortune 500 compared to five years ago. The number has increased from five in August 2001 and will be 11 in October 2006 whenPepsiCo chief finance officer Indra Nooyi is scheduled to take over as CEO.


Pink Collar CEOs

USA - Diversity Training Doesn't Work

A new study shows that diversity training programs have failed to eliminate bias and increase the number of minorities in management, despite the fact that many corporations have spent increasing amounts of money on this area.

Diversity Training Doesn't Work

UK - Childhood Aspirations May Be Key

Children in the UK dream of becoming a teacher, footballer or police officer, according to new research for Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions. The poll of 397 children aged 5-11, conducted by LVQ Research revealed that boys are most likely to aspire to sporting careers or working for emergency services and girls to caring or nurturing professions. One in ten boys (10 per cent) dream of being a footballer and 7 per cent a police officer or fireman; while 13 per cent of girls would like to become a teacher and 9 per cent a nurse.

Childhood Aspirations May Be Key

Canada - Pay Cheques Boosted

Canadian employees can expect pay raises of 3.5 per cent in 2007, according to findings from the 2006 Annual Canadian Salary Survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

Pay Cheques Boosted

Canada - Interview Mistakes

A recent Canadian survey finds that how much applicants know about prospective employers plays a crucial role in successful job seeking. Thirty-four per cent of executives polled said that having little or no knowledge of the company is the most common mistake made during interviews.


Interview Mistakes

USA - Aging Workforces

More than one-third (34 per cent) of all American employers - and nearly half (46 per cent) with 25 000 or more workers - agree that the aging workforce will have a significant impact on their company. However, more than three-quarters (79 per cent) have not taken any steps to accommodate older workers, according to the 2005/2006 MetLife Employee Benefits Trend Study.


Aging Workforces

Ireland - Controlling Absence Levels

Controlling Absence Levels

A survey of top Irish organizations has found that almost 65 per cent of companies do not calculate the annual cost of absence to their business and have no idea what impact it has on their direct or indirect costs.

UK - Directors' Bumper Pensions

Directors of the UK's top 100 companies have amassed pensions worth nearly £1 billion, according to the latest annual TUC PensionsWatch survey.

Directors' Bumper Pensions

USA - Whites' racial identity

What whites think about their own race is the focus of an innovative national survey.

Whites' racial identity

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Names Del Busto Chief Human Resources Officer

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has named long-time Human Resources (HR) executive Maria Del Busto its vice president of Human Resources.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Names Del Busto Chief Human Resources Officer

Worker Protection - World Bank Accused

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has strongly criticized the 2007 edition of the World Bank publication, Doing Business, prepared by the private sector development department.

Worker Protection - World Bank Accused

UK - Accidents at work

New research from AXA Insurance has revealed that as many as one in ten people have sustained an injury in the workplace in the past five years.

One in ten injured at work

UK - Soldiers' Wives Tough It Out

September 2006 sees the deployment of more British troops to Afghanistan, but what is the impact on the wives and families left behind?

Soldiers' Wives Tough It Out

USA - Black-White Achievement Gap

An in-class writing assignment designed to boost students' sense of identity and personal integrity reduced the achievement gap between African-American and non-minority students by 40 per cent, according to a new study by associate professor Geoffrey Cohen of Colorado and Julio Garcia of Yale universities and their colleagues.

Black-White Achievement Gap

Staff Retention Problems in China

Companies in China are struggling to retain their professional and support staff, and face having to pay higher salaries or excessive recruitment costs, according to research by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

Staff Retention Problems in China

UK - Skills Crisis

The report entitled '2020 vision for skills' is a response to the review of skills needs for 2020, called for by Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown in his 2004 budget.

UK Facing Skills Crisis

Job Seekers Want Traditional Employer Characteristics

Interesting work, recognition and reward of good performance and opportunities for promotion attract job seekers the most, according to an Accenture global recruitment survey.


Job Seekers Want Traditional Employer Characteristics

UK - Pension Scheme Websites

Awareness of pension scheme websites is considerably higher among employees than the self-employed.

Pension Scheme Websites

USA - Bipolar Disorder and Lost Productivity

Bipolar disorder costs twice as much in lost productivity as major depressive disorder.

Bipolar Disorder Costs More Than Depression

USA - Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 128,000 in August.

US unemployment falls marginally to 4.7%

USA - High-Potential Entrepreneurs

U.S. entrepreneurs are streets ahead of their counterparts in other countries when it comes to developing innovative businesses that keep the economy dynamic and productive.


High-Potential Entrepreneurs

USA - HR and Small Business

Effective HR practices can directly affect business results for small enterprises, according to a four-phase landmark study.

Small Businesses Benefit From Effective Employee Management Strategies

Violence At Work

A study for the ILO shows that violence at work is increasing worldwide and has reached epidemic levels in some countries.

Violence At Work

USA - Teens Are Too Ambitious

The goals of many teens exceed their likely achievements, leading to wasted time and resources, not to mention anxiety and distress, according to a new study.

Teens Are Too Ambitious

UK Business Vulnerable To Globalization

A new TUC report acknowledges that UK employees undoubtedly benefit from cheap goods and greater prosperity resulting from globalization, but are more vulnerable to its negative effects than others in Europe.

UK Business Vulnerable To Globalization

UK - Making the most of psychometrics

Change management and training consultancy, cda, believes that too many companies are failing to maximize on the benefits of using psychometrics as an integral part of their recruitment policy.

Making the most of psychometrics

Canada - IT for low-income women in Ontario

The Ontario government minister responsible for women's issues Sandra Pupatello has announced funding of C$2.7 million over the next two years to provide additional information technology training for low-income women.

IT for low-income women in Ontario

USA - Teen Work Injuries

A new survey of 6810 teens shows that of the 50 per cent that were in employment, 514 had been injured at work.

Teen Work Injuries

USA - Snap Judgments About Faces

Recent research indicates that when we see an unfamiliar face, our brains decide intuitively whether a person is attractive and trustworthy within a tenth of a second - so quickly that reason may play no part in the process.

Snap Judgments About Faces

UK - Has life improved for working fathers?

Working fathers neither work fewer hours than non-fathers, nor see this as a problem.

Has life improved for working fathers?

USA - FedEx Driver Not A Contractor

The Massachusetts department of workforce development has ruled that a former FedEx home delivery driver was illegally denied unemployment benefits after finding that he was actually an employee of FedEx, not an independent contractor as the company claimed.

FedEx Driver Illegally Denied Unemployment Benefits

UK - Hairdressers and Managers - Today's Working Icons

A recent report from the Work Foundation identifies the occupations of hairdresser, management consultant, celebrity and manager as offering the best insight into current trends and the nature of working life.

Hairdressers and Managers - Today's Working Icons

UK - Migrants Boost Labour Market

In the period from May 2004 to June 2006, 447 000 people from EU accession states such as Poland applied to the Worker Registration Scheme and just over 427 000 were approved. Including freelance workers, such as builders, the total number from accession states is believed to be around 600 000.

Migrants Boost Labour Market

UK - Equal Pay Q&A

Donna Gibb, Senior Employment Law Advisor of Empire HR recommends that organizations ensure that their pay structures are transparent, fair and easy to understand.

Equal Pay Q&A

USA - Job Seekers Want Money And Job Security

Senior managers believe that pay and job security are the most important factors when workers consider job offers according to a recent survey.

Job Seekers Want Money And Job Security

Australia - Aussie Bosses Support Learning

Australian employers show up well in a global comparison of support for employees' further education and training according to a Robert Half Finance & Accounting Workplace survey.

Aussie Bosses Support Learning

USA - Arbita Joins HR-XML Consortium

Arbita, a leading provider of global recruitment strategy and jobs cross posting solutions, is pleased to announce its affiliation with the HR-XML Consortium. As a member of the Consortium, Arbita is committed to the development and promotion of a
standard suite of XML specifications that enable e-business and the automation of human resources-related data exchanges.

Arbita Joins HR-XML Consortium

Canada - Communications Skills More Important, But Few Firms Provide Training

A recent survey of chief financial officers (CFOs) shows communication skills are increasingly important for accounting and finance professionals.

Communications Skills More Important, But Few Firms Provide Training

UK - New Boss, Please

A survey of 1700 adult employees in the UK shows that almost one-third of (31 per cent) would change their manager if they could. Nearly one in four (22 per cent) felt they could do a better job themselves, with men (25 per cent) more confident of their ability than women (18 per cent).

A new boss, please, say one-third of employees

UK - Discrepancies in Applications

A recent survey found that 25 per cent of applications had at least one major discrepancy.


Discrepancies in applications

USA - Stress, Loyalty and the Job Market

A recent survey of American workers found them greatly looking forward to Labor Day weekend at the beginning of September. Nearly one-third said they are working longer hours and suffering more stress than the same time last year.

Stress, Loyalty and the Job Market

UK - Top Ten Excuses For Not Paying Minimum Wage

HM Revenue & Customs has published the top ten excuses used by employers to avoid paying the National Minimum Wage.

USA - State of Indiana Rolls Out New Health Program to Support and Encourage Healthy Lifestyles for Its Employees

In Keeping With Governor's Daniels' INShape Indiana Campaign, The New Health Program From The Haelan Group Aims to Improve State Employee Health Through Proactive Support and Coaching.

State of Indiana Rolls Out New Health Program to Support and Encourage Healthy Lifestyles for Its Employees

USA - EAPs Provide Counseling for Frightened Business Fliers

According to Human Resource executives, the recent foiled terror plot has set off fears among many of their avid business travelers, prompting some companies to seek corporate wide counseling sessions. ACI, one of the nation's Top Ten EAP providers, has started a series of Critical Incident Stress Management sessions to help ease travel fears and concerns.

EAPs Provide Counseling for Frightened Business Fliers

Canada - Cytiva Announces Strategic Partnership with Batrus Hollweg

Cytiva Software Inc., a leading provider of mid-market talent acquisition solutions, and Batrus Hollweg International (BHI), a leading human capital consulting firm specializing in Talent Gauging(TM), announced today the availability of a comprehensive candidate screening solution combining BHI’s proven assessments and SonicRecruit’s automated candidate screening technology.

Cytiva Announces Strategic Partnership with Batrus Hollweg International

Canada - Quadrant HR software will streamline health care provider’s HR, payroll

Brandon RHA has selected QHR's software product, Quadrant HR, to streamline human resources, payroll and staff scheduling and better manage the growing complexity of its workforce.

Quadrant HR software will streamline health care provider’s HR, payroll and scheduling systems

UK - Recruiting School Leavers

A survey of over 1400 UK employers, shows that while literacy and numeracy are key skills looked for when recruiting from the current crop of school leavers, the attributes that top the list are communication skills, work ethic and personality.


CIPD/KPMG Survey Shows Communication Skills, Work Ethic And Personality Are Top Requirements

UK - £22m Share Bonus For BT Staff

More than 90,000 BT employees are benefiting from one of Britain's broadest bonus schemes by each receiving shares in the company worth around £250.

£22m Share Bonus For BT Staff

UK - Young Workers Look For Flexibility

70 per cent of graduate job seekers are actively looking for the chance to work flexibly, almost half consider it the most important benefit an employer could offer.

Young Workers Look For Flexibility

UK - Basic Skills Need Improvement

A CBI report claims that one in three UK employers is forced to send staff for remedial training in basic English and maths skills to make up for the shortcomings of the educational system.

Basic Skills Need Improvement

Australia - Work is a challenge for young Australians

A new study shows that the transition to adult life takes longer and is a more complex process for the current generation of young people in Australia. While they often remain in education for longer, they also face less secure job prospects, according to the latest Brotherhood of St Laurence Youth Transition Social Barometer.

Work is a challenge for young Australians

USA - Making Work Really Work For Families

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) marks ten years since the US ended 'welfare as we know it' and moved to replace welfare dependence with 'the dignity, the power and the ethic of work'. The underlying premise of reform was that work would enable welfare recipients to move out of poverty. The reality is that too many former recipients and other low-income workers are stuck in dead end jobs without a future. Welfare changes during the 1990s helped recipients gain employment and contributed to increases in the real incomes of some working families.


Making Work Really Work For Families

USA - Identifying MBA Talent

Fortune 500 employers are discovering that recruitment of 'perfect fit' MBA talent on the campuses of leading business schools is becoming more difficult than ever, says MBA Scouting Report, a new company specializing in early identification of new MBA students in the United States and abroad.

Identifying MBA Talent

USA - Graduates at Home

Experience, Inc. has announced the findings of its 2006 Life After College online survey of recent American graduates on the growing 'boomerang kids' trend towards returning to live in the family home, career paths and the overall reality of life after college.

Graduates at Home

USA - Chao Urges Labor-Management Leaders to Work Together to Keep American Workers Competitive

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao alerted labor, business and academic leaders attending the 13th National Labor-Management Conference to the need for labor and management to work together to keep America's workforce competitive in the 21st century worldwide economy.


Chao Urges Labor-Management Leaders to Work Together to Keep American Workers Competitive

USA/Australia - Cross-Cultural Perspectives

Cautioning against a 'one size fits all' approach to business and management styles, the authors suggest a cross-cultural perspective can facilitate co-working in an era of globalization.

Cross-Cultural Perspectives

UK - Flexible Working May Hamper Careers

A recent survey identified positive reasons for applying to work flexibly but significant doubts about the likely response of employers.

Flexible Working May Hamper Careers

USA - Skin Tone Affects Job Chances

The first significant study of 'colorism' in the American workplace indicates that dark-skinned African Americans face a distinct disadvantage when applying for jobs, even if they have superior qualifications and experience to lighter-skinned black applicants.

Skin Tone Affects Job Chances

USA - Baby Boomers at 60

Every day in 2006 another 8,000 Baby Boomers turn 60, and the affluent among them are optimistic about themselves and their futures. Yet, the aging "me-generation" may not be matching their financial plans to their vision of an active, generous retirement, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by Bell Investment Advisors, a wealth management firm in California.

Boomers at 60 Envision Long Careers and Redefine Retirement, but Can They Afford It?

UK - Employment Situation

Unemployment rate rises again to 5.5% with 92,000 more people out of work.

Employment Statistics

UK - Older Workers 'On The Scrapheap'

Over one million 50-65 year olds currently unemployed or economically inactive in the UK want a job, according to a new report by the TUC.

A million over-50s 'dumped on the scrapheap' but want work, says TUC

UK - ACAS Report 2005/2006

109,712 applications were made to tribunals - compared to 81,833 last year. Unfair dismissal remains the largest complaint category with 35,944 applications.

ACAS 2005/2006 Report Reveals Big Rise In Tribunal Cases

Australia - Employment Situation

Unemployment falls to 4.8%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 50,700 to 10,247,500 in July.

USA - Human Capital Management

Corda Technologies today announced the launch of a new Human Capital Management (HCM) solution. Ed Urban, senior HCM principal, and Corda's top strategic dashboard technologists will work with clients to define, design and implement CenterView(TM) dashboards that will help executives drive HCM success.

Corda Technologies Launches New Human Capital Management Solution

USA - California Online Benefits

Nearly four in ten (37%) California employers see workforce diversity - and the wide range of benefits needs associated with it - as a top HR priority, compared with 29% of employers nationwide. One way the state's employers are working to meet this challenge is by providing work/life benefits - an approach adopted by 58% of California employers, compared with 52% of their peers nationwide.

MetLife Study Reveals That California Leads the Nation in Employee Access to Online Benefits Tools

USA - Fall Hazards Training

HR Classroom, a provider of online training services, has released 'Fall Hazards', a new safety training for both staff and supervisors.

Fall Hazards Training Meets Safety Needs

Australia - UQ Business School HR courses win accreditation

The quality of UQ Business School's Human Resources teaching has been recognised by the industry's peak body the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI).

UQ Business School HR courses win accreditation

Australia - Cancer in the Workplace

Cancer's impact on Australian workers is an unwritten story. Now two UNSW researchers, both cancer survivors, hope to hear Australian workers' tales of living, surviving and dying of cancer.

Cancer in the workforce: mapping the Australian experience

USA - Strategic Workforce Planning

A study from The Conference Board reports that the aging workforce and an emerging retirement wave among 'baby boomers' are driving more businesses toward 'strategic workforce planning'.

Strategic Workforce Planning

USA - Top Themes in Employee Surveys

An analysis of employee responses to opinion surveys has found a number of recurrent themes.

Top Themes in Employee Surveys

UK - Most Job Ads Don't Mention Benefits

A mere one in four of job advertisements refers to employee benefits and only 16 per cent feature membership of a pension scheme as part of the employment package, according to recent research by Watson Wyatt.

Most Job Ads Don't Mention Benefits

UK - HR Managers Feel Isolated

A survey of HR managers in some of the UK's largest businesses found them craving to be involved but feeling detached from real responsibility for employee motivation.

HR Managers Feel Isolated

UK - IGF launches Payroll Service

Independent Growth Finance, the UK's leading independent commercial finance provider, today announces the launch of its new payroll service, aimed specifically at start-ups and SMEs with a turnover up to £10m.

IGF launches Payroll Service

E-learning Reinforces Staff Loyalty At Hilton

Global hotel group, Hilton, part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, has found a link between employee development and reduced staff turnover for the second year running.

E-learning Reinforces Staff Loyalty At Hilton

UK - TUC website gives most UK employees freedom of their company

A TUC website launched today (Saturday) gives most UK employees the freedom to uncover information about their company including staff pay and pensions compared to directors', profits and losses, shareholder details and arrangements for staff representation.

TUC website gives most UK employees freedom of their company information

UK - CIPD Annual Conference

CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 October 2006, Harrogate International Centre

Businesses depend on their people yet 69% say they are struggling to retain staff, according to the latest annual Recruitment, retention and turnover survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) earlier this year. Leading speakers and organisations will discuss the importance of good people management and development, and suggest innovative ways to put people first to improve employee motivation and commitment, at the CIPD's Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Expert speakers and organisations will discuss the need to put people first, at CIPD's annual conference

USA - Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 113,000 in July but the unemployment rate also rose by 0.2%.

US unemployment rises to 4.8%

Canada - Employment Situation

Statistics Canada reports that the unemployment rate rose by 0.3% to 6.4% in July, largely due to an increase of 64,200 in the number of people entering the job market.


Unemployment Rises By 0.3% to 6.4%

USA - Business Controls, Inc. Releases MySafeWorkplace 6.0

Business Controls, Inc., an incident reporting and corporate investigations firm, announced today the release of version 6.0 of its MySafeWorkplace(R) incident-reporting system. MySafeWorkplace(R) is a Web- and hotline-based service that allows employees of its client companies to report incidents anonymously.

Business Controls, Inc. Releases MySafeWorkplace 6.0

Canada - Symcor wins multi-million dollar outsourcing contract with Ceridian

Ceridian Canada, a leading human resource and payroll solutions company, and Symcor Inc., one of North America's leaders in business process outsourcing, today announced the signing of a five-year, multi-million dollar agreement which takes effect September 1, 2006. Under the terms of this contract, Symcor will assume the printing and distribution of payroll stubs, cheques and reports for Ceridian's 40,000 customers across Canada.

Symcor wins multi-million dollar outsourcing contract with Ceridian

Canada (Alberta) - Want to know what the year 2006 brings in terms of compensation?

Answer: Radical Salary Increases Within Unexpected Job Types!

McNeil Group Inc., a Calgary Human Resource consulting company, conducts compensation studies each year. The 2006 Oil & Gas - Service Industry report provided startling changes to several unexpected job classes. The most incredible change in the 2006 market is that we are finding it more difficult to recruit and retain junior administrative personnel; it is easier to find a Vice President than it is to find a
qualified receptionist.

Want to know what the year 2006 brings in terms of compensation?

Canada - CIOs Place Increased Weight on Business Acumen When Evaluating Job Candidates

Those seeking employment in the technology sector should hone their business skills, a new survey suggests.

CIOs Place Increased Weight on Business Acumen When Evaluating Job Candidates

USA - On-demand Interview Coaching

Job Hunter Pro claims to take job interview coaching to a new level. Using its virtual candidate coaching system, independent recruiters and search firms can see dramatic improvements in their placement success rates. A new return-on-investment calculator shows how.

On-Demand Job Interview Coaching Boosts Placement Success

USA - All work, no perks for Hispanic forest labor in the US

Forest management is hard work in the United States, but it is even tougher if you are Hispanic. According to Cassandra Moseley, director of the ecosystem workforce program at the Institute for Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon, Hispanics form a disproportionately large part of the forest restoration and maintenance workforce, particularly the labor-intensive workforce. They are also more likely than whites to work seasonally, with less job security, away from home, and with no health insurance. Her findings1 are published in the latest issue of Policy Sciences, a Springer publication.

All work, no perks for Hispanic forest labor in the US

Dubai, UAE - Third Annual Middle East HR Summit to be Held in Dubai in September

IIR Middle East has announced that the third annual Middle East HR Summit will be held from 17 to 20 September, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dubai. The most comprehensive and dedicated event of its kind in the region, The Middle East HR Summit will provide a much-needed platform for HR professionals to challenge, debate and discuss the issues and developments affecting international and regional HR practice, especially in the wake of major initiatives being undertaken in the UAE.

Third Annual Middle East HR Summit to be Held in Dubai in September

UK - Aesthetic Labour: Looking Good, Sounding Right

'Aesthetic labour' is a concept based on the notion that employers in parts of the service industries described as the 'style labour market', such as boutique hotels, designer retailers and style cafes, bars and restaurants, require 'aesthetic skills' in addition to social and technical skills from their workers.

Aesthetic Labour: Looking Good, Sounding Right

USA - Arbita Achieves Oracle Integration Validation with Oracle’s PeopleSoft

Arbita, a leading provider of global employment management solutions, has announced it has received integration validation of the interface between its OnePost job management
platform and Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise 8.9 Human Capital Management (HCM) Applications, via the Oracle(R) PartnerNetwork Application Integration Initiative.

Arbita Achieves Oracle Integration Validation with Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise 8.9 Applications

USA/Canada - Empagio Launches Payroll Tax Filing Service

HALO Technology Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: HALO) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empagio, today announced the creation of the unit's payroll tax compliance division for mid- to large-size companies. Leading this operation will be Gary Stanaford, former Vice President at ProBusiness. Mr. Stanaford brings to Empagio a wealth of leadership in the payroll tax compliance market and a reputation for sales and service excellence. His experience and reputation, combined with the customer-focused culture that he brings from ProBusiness, will offer Empagio's customers the confidence that they are not only receiving an unparalleled payroll tax compliance solution but also the highest quality customer experience.

Empagio Launches Payroll Tax Filing Service

USA - TriNet Expands Executive Team with Addition of Jack Midgley

TriNet, a nationwide provider of human resource (HR) outsourcing services for small and mid-sized companies, today announced that Jack Midgley, Ph.D. has joined the company as vice president of Human Capital Management (HCM) services. In his new role, Dr. Midgley will build and grow TriNet's consulting services, focusing on issues faced by chief executives and their leadership teams as they build high-performing organizations.

TriNet Expands Executive Team with Addition of Jack Midgley

A World Of Work

A report from the International Labour Organization ILO) says today's labour market is characterized by a widening gap between unprecedented opportunity for some and growing uncertainty for many.

A World Of Work

Canada - CNC Global selected to lead Recruitment Process Outsourcing Initiative for the City of Edmonton

CNC Global Limited, Canada's leading provider of IT staffing and Recruitment Process Outsourcing solutions, is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the City of Edmonton (the City) to provide a wide range of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services to help fulfill its ongoing IT staff augmentation requirements.

CNC Global selected to lead Recruitment Process Outsourcing Initiative for the City of Edmonton

USA - HR and Business Intelligence

More than ever before, HR professionals are being asked to show how their company’s workforce policies affect its overall business plan. As a rule, this information is not readily available.

For example, you granted merit raises to your employees this year. Can you measure your ROI on that expenditure? Did it resolve the turnover issue at your underperforming facility? Did it help retain the people and skills required to meet your company’s five-year growth plan?

In order to provide strategically sound answers, the HR staff needs the critical information provided by the right technology processes and analytical tools. They must be able to access and analyze data from all HR functional areas and employ appropriate methodologies to interpret the data, draw meaningful conclusions and make fact-based decisions.

More at:
Business Intelligence -- Transforming HR Data into Business Acumen

USA - Employee Records & Identity Theft

One of the leading causes of identity theft, says a recent TransUnion report, is confidential employer record theft. This avenue surpasses that of mail, credit card and wallet theft. The Federal Trade Commission cites an astounding 90 percent of all business record thefts from employment and payroll data. These compromised records include legal names, birth dates, social security numbers, addresses and telephone numbers, banking and account numbers.

National PEO Recommends Stronger Employee Data Policies

UK - Job Satisfaction

Results from a new survey of over 1000 workers for The Work Foundation reveals strikingly positive attitudes towards work but also confirms that work remains simply a way of making a living for many people.

Job satisfaction in the UK

Canada (Ontario) - Protecting Young Workers

Teens and Youth Who Go Straight Into the Workforce Are Most Likely To Be Injured

The McGuinty government is turning to young people and experts for help in reducing injuries and deaths on the job among youth who go directly into the workforce from school, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced today.

McGuinty Government Takes Action To Reduce Young Worker Injuries

Canada (Ontario) - Hazardous Substances

The Ontario government is strengthening protection for workers by proposing new or updated occupational exposure limits for 27 hazardous substances, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced today.


Ontario To Better Protect Workers Against Hazardous Substances

Canada - Cytiva Announces New SonicRecruit Enterprise Recruiting Solution

Cytiva Software Inc. (CRX: TSX:V), a leading provider of mid-market talent acquisition solutions, today announced the availability of SonicRecruit Enterprise, a multi-division, multi-site talent acquisition system.

Cytiva Announces New SonicRecruit Enterprise Recruiting Solution

USA - EAP Promotions

ACI, one of the nation’s Top Ten Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) by Business Insurance Magazine, today announced the appointment of Mike La Voy to the new position of Vice President of Operations and Tandice Tinney to Sales Manager.

Leading EAP Provider Announces Two Executive Promotions

USA - First Advantage Sponsors HCI

The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a global professional association and educator in talent management strategies, and First Advantage Corporation, which offers a single-source solution for managing domestic and international hiring needs, announced today that First Advantage will sponsor HCI's Effective Hiring learning and research track. The track is one of several topics addressed in HCI's Talent Acquisition community of interest, a community HCI considers critical to organizations working to leverage human capital.

First Advantage to Sponsor Human Capital Institute's Effective Hiring Initiatives

USA - MySpace Is Public Space When It Comes To Job Search

In a recent survey, CollegeGrad.com found that 47% of college grad job seekers who use social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have either already changed or plan to change the content of their pages as a result of their job search.

MySpace Is Public Space When It Comes To Job Search

UK - Recruitment Industry Welcomes CRB Progress

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for UK recruiters who have to process thousands of CRB checks every year, commends the CRB for progress made as revealed in its Annual Report published this week.

Recruitment Industry Welcomes CRB Progress

USA - InteliStaf Healthcare and ShiftWise Form Licensing and Co-Marketing Relationship

Web-based Supplemental Staffing Management System Reduces Administrative Costs

InteliStaf Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the U.S., and ShiftWise, the nation's leading provider of online healthcare staffing management services, have formed a new licensing and co-marketing relationship. As a ShiftWise Affiliate Vendor, InteliStaf Healthcare will now have the ability to implement the ShiftWise Web-based staffing management service as part of an overall vendor management solution for its premier customers.

InteliStaf Healthcare and ShiftWise Form Licensing and Co-Marketing Relationship

USA - Unicru Launches Frontline Long-Term Care Assessment

Evaluation Helps Facility Managers Screen in Quality Staff While Screening out Potentially Bad Hires

Unicru(R) Inc. introduced today an addition to the Unicru Solution for Healthcare: the Frontline Long-Term Care Assessment. The tool is designed to predict the performance factors critical for success in care-giving and facility support positions.

Unicru Launches Frontline Long-Term Care Assessment

USA - Unused Vacation

Americans currently neglect an average of 4 vacation days per year (compared with 1.8 in 2002) and wish they could take more of their available paid vacation days.


Overworked Americans Can't Use Up Their Vacation

Canada - Canadian Students Rank their Top IDEAL Employers(TM) in Universum's first Survey in Canada

Ernst&Young, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte in the top 4. Followed by Microsoft, L'Oreal Google, Air Canada and BMW.

These are some of the key findings of the Undergraduate IDEAL Employer(TM) Survey Canada Edition conducted by Universum, global employer branding leader, where 3,465 students from 27 undergraduate institutions in Canada ranked their IDEAL Employers(TM) and answered questions about salary, career goals, IDEAL Employer(TM)characteristics, decision drivers, preferred cities and websites.

Canadian Students Rank their Top IDEAL Employers(TM) in Universum's first Survey in Canada

USA - Recruitment Survey

A new survey finds that recruiting costs have risen and efficiency has decreased despite a growth in organizations applying New Quality measurement from 2% of participating organizations to 40%. Moreover, it appears that applicants are increasingly unhappy with the recruitment and retention practices they encounter.

Applicants Unhappy With Recruiting Practices

UK - Agency nurse wins employment rights case

Nottingham agency nurse, Sheila Ncube represented by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has won a landmark employment rights case, which has far-reaching implications for anybody who is temporary worker for an agency.

Agency nurse wins employment rights case

UK - Hot Workers' Dress Code

The TUC is today (Tuesday) launching its 'cool work' campaign as it urges employers in the UK to follow the lead of Japanese businesses and relax dress codes as the temperature rises.

Last year, in an attempt to reduce energy use, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took off his tie and urged his country's workforce to leave their jackets and ties at home so that their employers could turn down the air conditioning or do away with it all together during their hot, humid summer.

The TUC believes that the best way for staff to keep cool inside when it's hot outside is for employees to be able to sport more casual attire in the office, perhaps coming in jacket and tie-less, or wearing shorts.

Hot workers urged to adopt cool Japanese summer dress code

Australia - Employment Situation

Unemployment stays at 4.9%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 52,000 to 10,194,200 in June.

UK - Employment Situation

Unemployment rate rises again to 5.4% with increasing signs of employment slowdown.

Employment Statistics

South Africa/USA - Edcon deploys Human Capital Management platform

Softscape, the industry pioneer in people management technology, today announced that Edgars Consolidated Stores Ltd (Edcon), the leading clothing, footwear and textiles retailing group in South Africa, has deployed Softscape's Human Capital Management (HCM) platform, Softscape Apex(TM), to enable its strategic people management initiatives. Edcon can now more effectively manage their hiring activities, processing thousands of candidates each year.


Edcon, South Africa's Largest Credit Retailer, Improves HR Operations with Softscape's Human Capital Management Platform

UK/USA - Hewitt Outsources HR for Centrica

Under a seven-and-a-half-year contract (including a six-month transition period), Hewitt will provide a full range of HR BPO services, including workforce administration, payroll, customer service, reward management, performance management and succession planning to 30,000 Centrica employees in the UK.

Hewitt Associates to Provide HR BPO Services to UK's Centrica

USA - Employment Situation

Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 121,000 in June, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6%.

US unemployment stays at 4.6%

Australia - Individual Contracts

There is more evidence today of employees copping substantial pay cuts and losing basic conditions like award sick leave entitlements under the Howard Government's new AWA individual contracts, according to ACTU.

More Evidence Of Pay Cuts And Lost Conditions For Workers on AWAs

China - Employee Pension Program

Lenovo Group announced the establishment of a supplemental retirement plan for its employees in China. Lenovo is the first Chinese company to register its corporate pension program with China's Ministry of Labor & Social Security and one of the first in China's IT industry to establish a corporate pension program for its employees.

Lenovo Establishes Supplemental Retirement Plan for China Employees

Australia - Australians More Ambitious Than Most

Results from a Robert Half Finance & Accounting International Workplace Survey show that thirty-eight per cent of Australian finance managers aspire to lead their company.


Australians More Ambitious Than Most

USA - Blended Learning, Zoologic Custom Courseware

Zoologic worked with NYLIM to create a custom curriculum of online courses to provide core training on investment types and fundamental investment principles. Upon completion of the curriculum, the goal was to blend Zoologic online courses seamlessly with a series of classroom training days, which was part of an overall in-house Investment Literacy Program designed by NYLIM.

New York Life Investment Management Increases Employee Skills Using Zoologic Courseware

Mergers and Acquisitions 2006

According to global M&A tracker FactSet Mergerstat, M&A spending worldwide reached over US$1.3 trillion through June 28 as a surge in mega-deals pushed the market ahead of last year's total of US$839.7 billion for the same period.

FactSet Mergerstat Release: Global M&A Wrap Up for the First Half of 2006

USA - Wellness

ValueOptions announced today the launch of an integrated cardiovascular/behavioral health initiative for its corporate customers. Titled "Heart and Mind Connections," the new training guide provides information, support and tools for applying a behavioral approach to preventing and managing heart disease, the number one killer of Americans and a leading cause of disability.

ValueOptions Links a Healthy Heart to Sound Mental Health

UK - Route to the top favours male, 50-something accountants

Finance is still the best route to the top, at least for internally-promoted FTSE CEOs, but international experience is increasingly important.

Route To The Top Favours Male, 50-something, Oxbridge-educated Accountants

Canada -Employee Engagement Check

Companies today don’t want just any energy from their employees - they want intelligent energy marked by focus, flow, passion and purpose. Think about your own personal energy level. Now put it together with the energy levels of those you work with and it begins to produce organizational energy.

Juice Check Engagement Tool Helps Avoid Employee Energy Crisis at Work

UK (Wales) - Discrimination at Work

Stonewall Cymru and the Wales TUC are launching an updated version of 'Discrimination at work - it's so over', an employee guide to the 2003 employment regulations relating to sexual orientation in the workplace.

Stonewall Cymru and the Wales TUC work together to protect lesbian, gay and bisexual employees

Governments Should Be More Dynamic

New reports from the OECD say that if countries want to improve living standards and keep welfare systems functioning they urgently need to get more people into paid employment.

Governments Should Be More Dynamic

USA - Negativity and Blogging

One of the easiest ways for disgruntled employees to turn negativity into a dangerous weapon is to create a weblog or 'blog'.

Managing Workplace Negativity - Negativity and Blogging

Australia - WA & NSW Pay Awards

Award wage workers in NSW and WA have today won a $20 a week pay rise from their State Industrial Relations Commissions despite the Federal Government arguing that no increase at all should be awarded to low-paid workers in NSW and WA. (ACTU)

$20 Pay Increase for NSW & WA Workers Sets Benchmark for 'Low Pay'Commission

New Zealand - Holiday Entitlement

Minimum annual leave entitlements will rise to four weeks in 2007. What is the likelihood of an increase to five weeks for people already entitled to four weeks?

Five Weeks Holidays Still A Dream

HR And Training Not Delivering Skilled Workforces

Recent international research conducted for Accenture shows that most senior executives surveyed consider that their workforces lack the skills needed by their companies to achieve market leadership, and even critical functions are not performing as well as they should. Moreover, only 11% of respondents said they were very satisfied with the performance of their human resource (HR) function with marginally fewer (10%) rating their training function very highly.


HR And Training Not Delivering Skilled Workforces

Mergers And Acquisitions Failing To Achieve Value

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) continue apace but many deals fail to create expected value, according to a recent survey by Accenture and the Economist Intelligence Unit. More ...

Mergers And Acquisitions Failing To Achieve Value

New Zealand - Temporary Pacific Island Workers

The Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) has welcomed comments by Phil Goff, NZ Trade and Defence Minister, that New Zealand is now committed to looking at potential temporary labour schemes for Pacific Islanders.

Pacific Island Temporary Labour Schemes

UK - HR and IT

Results from a study by talent management solutions company Taleo, show a significant disconnect between HR's strategic functions, including talent acquisition and workforce planning, and IT ability to support these business initiatives.

HR Poorly Supported By IT Systems

UK - Outsourcing Threatens Lives

Thousands of lives are being threatened because of the 'dangerous practice' of sending medical notes overseas for typing, according to speakers at the UNISON annual conference.

Outsourcing Medical Records Threatens Lives

UK - Offshoring

A fifth of employees in the UK worry about their jobs because of the risk of 'offshoring' to low-cost countries such as India or China, according to new research from consultants Watson Wyatt.

Offshoring Worries But Does Not Demotivate Employees

Canada - New Brunswick Call Centres

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord announced this week that Illinois-based Virtual-Agent Services (VAS) has established a customer-contact centre in the Town of Nackawic, its 15th centre in the province. It is expected that the new centre will create up to 50 jobs within its first year of operation.

Boost For New Brunswick Contact-Centre Industry

New Zealand - UK Poaching Social Workers

Commenting on reports that British organizations are offering up to NZ$110,000 to attract social workers from New Zealand, National Party Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins says she fears many frontline social workers will be tempted by the offers of big pay cheques in the UK and also Australia when the profession here is facing a staffing crisis.

UK Poaching Kiwi Social Workers

USA - Overachieving Execs

Business executives are showing a dramatic boost in their achievement drives, according to a new study by Hay Group's McClelland Center for Research and Innovation. In fact, they are overachieving to the point of harming not only their own careers, but also the organizations they lead.

Overachieving Execs

Canada - Labour Shortage

A survey by Hewitt Associates, a global HR services company, has found that big and small organizations in all industries throughout Canada are finding it challenging to attract and retain workers.

Employers Struggling To Find And Keep Employees

UK - World Cup 'Sickies'

Amicus has attracted the wrath of business owners following widely-cited reports in the media that it has encouraged World Cup 'sickies'. Meanwhile employees are spending more time on World Cup websites.

World Cup 'Sickies'

USA - Performance Management

Information Builders, the enterprise business intelligence (BI) standard of choice for organizations around the world, announced that the company has been named a leader in the Ventana Research 2006 Performance Management Vendor and Product Scorecard report. Ventana Research, the leading performance management research and advisory services firm, evaluated more than 20 vendors over a three-month period to offer enterprises the tools necessary to evaluate when selecting a partner for enabling performance management. Information Builders was cited for empowering executives with the understanding required to make strategic business decisions based on their organization's business performance.

Ventana Research Names Information Builders a Leader in Enabling Performance Management

USA - 'Fatherpreneurs'

Entrepreneurs with families are not the absent fathers they're often thought to be, according to Business.com's recent survey conducted in time for Father's Day, June 18. The survey is a snapshot of today's business owners with children that Business.com is calling "fatherpreneurs."

A Happy Father's Day Surprise: Business.com Survey Reveals New Generation of 'Fatherpreneurs' Who Seek to Balance Family and Work

USA - MBA Careers

Many young MBAs who go into investment banking might just owe their career to happenstance as much as their die-hard allegiance to Wall Street, according to research released in Stanford Knowledgebase.

Stanford Business School Research: Are Wall Street Careers Just the Luck of the Draw?

UK - Employment Situation

Unemployment rate rises again to 5.3% but the number of people in work is the highest figure on record.

Employment Statistics

UK - Performance Management Systems

Most organizations have lost sight of the fact that performance management systems should aim to enhance performance by motivating staff.


Performance Management Systems Fail To Motivate

UK - Sexual Harassment

New guidelines released by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) are designed to help employers combat the ongoing problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. On the eve of the twentieth anniversary of Jean Porcelli's landmark case that established sexual harassment as a form of harassment under the Sex Discrimination Act (SDA) it remains all too common, says the EOC.

Sexual harassment is no joke

USA - Pilot Age Restrictions

Thousands of pilot jobs in this country will soon be outsourced to foreign airlines with the apparent consent of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the nation’s largest pilot union. Industry observers say that these job transfers will occur due to the union’s support for an FAA regulation that prohibits American pilots from flying for American companies past the age of 60 (the "Age 60 rule"). In contrast to ALPA’s stated position, a significant number of ALPA’s own members along with pilots at Southwest, JetBlue, Air Tran, and the British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA) are actively lobbying to change the age limit. In March, the International Civil Aviation Organization voted to establish age 65 as the new international standard.

America’s Most Experienced Pilots...The Next Wave of Outsourcing

Global - Learning Management

HRsmart, Inc, a leading global talent management solution provider, announces its launch of the latest in learning management technology.

HRsmart Launches Latest Version Of Its Learning Management Solution

USA - Staffing Software Partnership

TempWorks Software, an innovative developer of leading software solutions designed for the staffing industry, today announced its recently formed partnership with Metro Software Consultants, Inc., the developer of the staffing software solution, TempPak. The arrangement enables Metro Software to offer the TempWorks fully integrated software solution and its additional web service applications to its customers as an alternative solution or upgrade to current TempPak offerings.

TempWorks Software and Metro Software Consultants, Inc. Form Strategic Partnership

Australia - Employment Situation

Unemployment falls to 4.9%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 56,000 to 10,142,200 in May.

Global - Union Rights Report

115 trade unionists were murdered for defending workers' rights in 2005, while more than 1,600 were subjected to violent assaults and some 9,000 arrested, according to the ICFTU's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights violations, published today.

Brutal Suppression of Workers' Rights Detailed in Worldwide Report

Australia - Wage Freeze

"Today marks twelve months since workers on federal awards last won a pay increase ($17 a week) and under the Howard Government's new IR laws they will now have to wait indefinitely for their next wage rise," ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today.

A Federal Government 'wage freeze' for more than 1.6 million low paid workers starts today, 7 June 2006, says the ACTU.

UK - Strike Activity

Today's figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing a sharp rise in the proportion of total working days lost to labour disputes in the public sector during this decade indicates that there is more to good employment relations than improvements in job prospects and pay conditions alone, comments Dr John Philpott, Chief Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Increase in strike activity highlights public sector paradox, as unrest coincides with jobs and pay boom

UK - Working Time Opt-out

The UK Government is right to stand firm over the UK opt-out from the Working Time Directive, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Stand firm on Working Time Directive opt-out, CIPD urges government

Australia/NZ - TMS Asia-Pacific acquires Travel Personnel Limited New Zealand

Australia-based International travel and hospitality management specialist TMS Asia-Pacific (TMS) has acquired Auckland-based Travel Personnel Limited New Zealand.

TMS Asia-Pacific acquires Travel Personnel Limited New Zealand

USA - Rebuiding HR's Image

Some HR departments are lucky enough to have a good reputation within the organization. However, there are the unfortunate circumstances where the previous HR Leader or the entire HR department has a bad reputation within the organization. What is an HR Leader supposed to do to rebuild the department's image?

Rebuilding The HR Department Image

USA - Call Center Training Program

Signature Worldwide, a leading provider of training outsourcing and business-building solutions to the hospitality industry, was contracted by The Grand America Hotel to develop a call center training program for The Grand America and Little America Hotels, two of the group’s AAA award-winning properties.

Lessons from Signature Worldwide Employee Training Program Translate to Additional Customers

Australia - Industrial Relations

Australian workers will continue to be exposed to Cowra-style dismissals (where workers are sacked and moved onto lower wages or replaced with cheaper contract, casual or foreign 'guest' workers) unless the Federal Government repeals the controversial 'Cowra clauses' from its new industrial relations laws the ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today.

ACTU Calls on IR Minister to Protect Workers and Repeal 'Cowra Clauses'

Australia - Quarter Work Some Time At Home

24% (2.2 million) of employees worked some of their main job hours at home in November 2005, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Quarter Of Employees Work Some Time At Home

UK - Pensions Reactions

Ministers can be proud of a document that looks like it can be the foundation of a new pensions settlement, say TUC.

Welcome for progressive pensions White Paper

Today's pensions White Paper represents a sensible compromise that should help to address the timebomb created by a pension system that was not keeping pace with changing demographics, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Sensible compromise will tackle pensions timebomb

USA - Alumni Network

Experience, Inc. today announced the national rollout of its alumni recruiting service, directly connecting corporate recruiters with more than 400,000 graduates of the world's top colleges and universities. The first company to offer the breadth of a nationwide alumni network, Experience links recruiters with a college-educated pool of active and passive candidates. Unlike active job seekers, passive candidates would consider a career move if the right opportunity came along, but aren't likely to post their resumes to online job boards. Until now, this made recruiting passive candidates a challenge.

Recruiters Reach the Best Passive Candidates through Nationwide Alumni Network

UK - Sexual Harassment

A new action plan to prevent and deal with sexual harassment in the Armed Forces was today agreed by the Ministry of Defence and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) following research to clarify its extent. Extensive research carried out by independent consultants into the nature and extent of sexual harassment in the Armed Forces, including a survey of all Service women and a series of focus groups, was completed by the MOD as part of the first phase of its Agreement with the EOC.

MOD And EOC Sign New Action Plan To Address Sexual Harassment In The Armed Forces

UK - Pensions Settlement

"A bold new pensions settlement designed to enable people to plan ahead and save more for their retirement was set out today in the Government's White Paper on pensions reform."

Full DWP press release:
Historic Settlement For Pensions Challenge

New Zealand - New Research Centre

Gainful employment is central to most people's lives. A new AUT University-based research centre will investigate exactly what our working culture means for New Zealand.

New national research centre to study work

UK - Time Wasting at Work

Bad habits at work lengthen the working day - and men waste the most time at work.

Employees waste two hours a day on IT misuse

New Zealand - Kiwisaver

Suggestions that the long-awaited KiwiSaver workplace superannuation scheme should be delayed because it could lead to industrial problems are nonsense, says the country's largest union.

Workers won't tolerate delaying KiwiSaver

New Zealand - Minimum Wage

Maori would be most adversely affected by a rise in the minimum wage, says an AUT senior economics lecturer.

Rise In Minimum Wage Could Hurt Maori

UK - World Cup Matches and Discrimination

Employers who let employees watch the World Cup during work time could be laying themselves open to discrimination claims, according to some specialist lawyers.

World Cup Matches, Employees and Discrimination

Women's Careers Determined By Culture Not Biology

The diversity of today's workforce is a challenge to information-technology organizations with "one-size-fits-all" policies, especially when it comes to women employees, according to recent research.

Women's Careers Determined By Culture Not Biology

Canada - Health and Safety Fine

Lear Corporation Canada Ltd., a Kitchener, Ont.-based supplier of automotive interior systems, was fined $125,000 today for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in serious injuries to an employee at the company's plant in Windsor.

Lear Corporation Canada Ltd. fined $125,000 for health and safety violation

UK -Landmark Ruling Against HSE

The Court of Appeal has made a landmark ruling against the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which attempted to argue that employers should still be required to take reasonable steps against unforeseeable risks and that negligent actions by employees are irrelevant to an employer's guilt.

Appeal Court Rules Against Health and Safety Executive

New Zealand - Job Growth

Job growth in the year to March 2005 was fastest in Waikato (up 4.4 percent) and Bay of Plenty (up 4.3 percent), Statistics New Zealand said today.

Job Growth Fastest in Waikato and Bay of Plenty

New Zealand - Business Regulations

"The Labour-led government is committed to a regulatory environment that promotes economic growth, business confidence, globally competitive firms and social well-being."


Charting a dynamic course for quality regulation

The Government's review of business regulation is doomed from the start thanks to the refusal to do anything about the Holidays Act, says National's Associate Labour & Industrial Relations spokeswoman, Paula Bennett.

Business regulation review doomed from start

"The Council of Trade Unions is not opposed to improving the quality of our regulatory environment, but New Zealand is already judged the easiest country in the world to do business, with a comparably light regulatory framework," CTU president Ross Wilson said.

Regulations Review Risks Diversion from Real Challenge

The urgency of the review of business regulations proposed by Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel is a welcome sign that Government recognizes that compliance costs are holding back business and the economy, said Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett.

Easing Business Compliance Burden Will Help Economy

UK - Public Service Employee Involvement

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Hilary Armstrong and TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber shared their vision for better public services as they launched Drive for Change, a web-based toolkit aimed at getting employees more involved in improving the public services they deliver.

Employee involvement key to public services reform

Canada - Occupational Lung Problems

Exposure to lung irritants early in a young employee's career may result in increased lung problems in later years.

Early Exposure To Lung Irritants May Cause Later Problems

Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Higher Unemployment Risk

A new review shows that adults with a history of childhood cancer are more likely to be unemployed than the general population.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Higher Unemployment Risk

Canada (Ontario) - Workers In Confined Spaces

The McGuinty government has updated and strengthened protection for workers in potentially dangerous confined spaces, Minister of Labour Steve Peters announced today.

(Ontario) Government Enhancing Protection For Workers In Confined Spaces

UK - Safety Inspections

Safety inspections in the UK have plummeted to a new low, increasing the chances of workers being killed, made ill or injured by their jobs, according to new figures published today (Friday) by the TUC.

UK workplace safety inspections now at a new low

USA - Human Capital Institute and SkillSurvey Announce Agreement

The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a global professional association and educator in talent management strategies, and SkillSurvey, a leading provider of online reference checks, announced today that SkillSurvey will support HCI initiatives as a global underwriter, helping bring the latest human capital education, metrics, and tools to leading corporations.

Human Capital Institute and SkillSurvey Announce Agreement