Global - UN Youth Report

While today's youth are the best educated generation in history, they face a number of obstacles in an increasingly globalized world - foremost among them finding decent work - which affect their transition to adulthood, according to a new United Nations report released today.

Finding Decent Work An Obstacle For Today's Youth

UK - After Office

What Happens To Unemployed Politicians?

After Office

USA - Abuse At Work

Recent research by Wayne Hochwarter, a professor of management at Florida State University, and associate Samantha Engelhardt investigated differences in employees' responses to abusive supervisors.

The researchers highlight the importance of "basic civility" and effective communication when addressing many workplace problems.

Abuse At Work

Communication Skills Books

A selection of the best Communication Skills Books:

The Best Communication Skills Books

Corporate Communications Books

A new page of some of the best books on the subject of corporate communications:

Corporate Communications Books

USA - Career Technical Education

California's GetREAL coalition say that an expansion of career technical education (CTE) would help reduce crime and the state's 'unacceptably high' drop out rate.

Investing In Career Technical Education To Reduce Crime and Drop Out Rate

USA - Top Office Party Blunders

How to turn your company party into a career disaster.

Top Office Party Blunders

UK - Temp Staffing Producing Skill Gap

The TUC contends that agency temps who are on long-term working assignments are running the risk of being excluded from permanent jobs because of a skills divide in the workplace.

Temping Creating A Skill Gap According To TUC

UK - ACAS Contributes To Economy

An independent study report shows that Acas is a highly cost-effective organization returning £16 for every pound invested in the employment relations service.

ACAS Contributes To Economy

UK - 21st Century Skills

The UK Government has announced a major expansion in skills investment for England of over £ll billion for each of the next three years. By 2010/11, total spending on learning and skills will increase to £12.3 billion a year. This compares with the £6.5 billion spent in 2001/02.

21st Century Skills

UK - Incentive Schemes Diluted By Too Many Performance Measures

A study by Watson Wyatt concludes that the effectiveness of sales incentive plans can be diluted by too many performance measures.

Incentive Schemes Diluted By Too Many Performance Measures

HR Outsourcing To Increase In 2008

While HR outsourcing has remained relatively flat since 2005, it is expected to increase in 2008, according to the Everest Research Institute's annual Human Resources Outsourcing (HRO) market study.

HR Outsourcing To Increase In 2008

USA - Perception Of Consultant Quality Trails That Of Permanent Staff

A recent survey finds that hiring managers are twice as likely to rate their permanent staff as 'excellent' than they rate consultants.

Perception Of Consultant Quality Trails That Of Permanent Staff

UK - December Conferences

(CIPD) Managing Change at Work conference - 4-5 December 2007, The Hurlingham club, London.

(NACRO) Filling Your Vacancies - 6th December 2007, Guildford College, Stoke Park, Guildford, GU1 2EZ. Free breakfast meeting for businesses looking for new and effective ways to fill their vacancies.

More information on the HRM Guide UK Events page.

Work-related Stress And Coronary Heart Disease

Chronic job strain after a first heart attack may double the risk of suffering a second one.

Work-related Stress And Coronary Heart Disease

USA - California Workplace Injuries Down

Overall workplace injuries and accidents declined from 5.1 per 100 full-time workers in 2005 to 4.8 per 100 full-time workers in 2006, according to Len Welsh, the DIR’s Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

Downward Trend in California Workplace Injuries and Accidents Continued in 2006

USA - Expense Management

Infor has announced general availability of Infor Expense Management 7.0, the latest version of its travel and expense management solution, which includes enhancements that reduce administrative costs, decrease errors and minimize occurrences of fraud. New capabilities in Expense Management 7.0 include expanded options for mobile approval, which enables managers to quickly sign-off on employees’ expense reports through their mobile devices, a new portal user interface with enhanced personalization options, additional business rules and background processes to help companies enforce travel policy compliance, web-based HTML timesheets and new configuration options.

Infor Helps Companies Manage Employee Expenses

USA - Leadership Development Inadequate

Leadership development deficiencies are threatening the future performance of major global businesses, according to results announced in Corporate University Xchange’s latest study on leadership. 97% of study participants are concerned about leadership strength, and 73% say current leadership ability is not sufficient to support company growth initiatives.


CorpU Study Cites Inadequate Leadership Development as Threat to Business Growth

UK - Flexi Time Manager

A new online product which is set to revolutionise the way that flexible working is recorded and calculated is launched today (Monday 29 October 2007). Flexi Time Manager is an online database that provides a cost effective and self-contained administration system for recording and calculating flexitime. Designed to help small and medium sized businesses introduce or extend flexible working for staff, the system can be accessed at a mere 54 pence per employee per week (£30 per employee, per year) and does not require specialist software or hardware, just an internet connection. For firms that already operate flexible working, Flexi Time Manager will ease the administrative burden associated with calculating employee flexi time. Employee hours are input by the user at any time and their data is then automatically calculated, totalling the working time, flexi credit or debit and flexi carry forward.

New Web Based System - Flexi Time Manager - Provides a Cost Effective and Time Efficient Solution for SMEs to Administer Flexible Working

USA - Work Life Balance Award

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) today announced Betty Purkey as the recipient of the 2007 SWE Work Life Balance Award. Purkey is being recognized for launching a successful work/life balance effort and expanding it to a robust and comprehensive program that is credited with achieving a low voluntary turnover rate and a high percentage of female executives.

Society of Women Engineers Honors Betty Purkey with 2007 Work Life Balance Award

USA - Succession Planning

Top-level financial executives are leaving their jobs at a higher rate than other employees, according to a new compensation survey conducted by Crowe Chizek and Company LLC - and the timing couldn’t be worse for the banking industry.

Growing Departures of Top Banking Executives Spur the Need for Succession Planning

USA - Motivation Incentives

The total market for incentive travel, motivational meetings, and special events was $77.1 billion in 2006, according to the 2007 Industry Profile Study: The Market for Incentive Travel, Motivational Meetings, and Special Events in the United States recently released by the Incentive Research Foundation. According to the study, 66 percent of companies in the U.S. used one or more of these business initiatives in 2006 with $13.4 billion spent on incentive travel, $25.9 billion spent on motivational meetings, and $37.8 billion spent on special events.

U.S. Economy Gets Huge Boost From Motivation Initiatives

USA/UK - Evolution EAP

Workplace Options today announced that its U.K. division, Employee Advisory Resource, will offer Evolution EAP. This new offering will redefine Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) by exceeding current industry benchmarks for service and quality.

Available in the U.K. and internationally in January, Evolution EAP will be the most comprehensive EAP ever offered. It will give organizations access to traditional EAP services such as short-term counseling and legal and financial advice, but also adds access to a wide range of specialist group therapies and individual clinical interventions. These new services will be provided by the Priory Group, Europe's leading independent provider of specialist mental health care services.

Workplace Options Announces Evolution EAP

USA - Halloween

According to a new survey released by Vault.com Inc., 37% of employees say they celebrate Halloween with their co-workers, and 27% dress up in costume.

Over 25% of Workers in Disguise This Halloween, Says Vault

USA - Workplace Health

When it comes to our personal health, weight management continues to dominate our concerns, according to the latest online poll conducted by LifeCare®, Inc., provider of comprehensive specialty care services and a longtime leader in the work/life industry. Forty-nine percent of respondents cited weight management as their primary concern, with general health coming in second at just 18 percent. The poll was posted on LifeCare's private web site during the month of September and open to employees of its 1,500 client organizations. Here are the full results of the poll:

Latest online poll conducted by LifeCare®, Inc., shows weight management outweighs all other health concerns.

USA - Is Your Workplace "Phat" or "Fat"?

Employees Reveal How Their Workplace Affects Their Waistline ...

Is Your Workplace "Phat" or "Fat"?

USA - Employer Satisfaction

A survey commissioned in metropolitan Atlanta by American InterContinental University (AIU) has found that local employers believe today’s job seekers are better equipped for productive employment than their equivalents in the past.

Atlanta Survey Finds Positive Views About Today’s Job Candidates

USA - Helping Depressed Employees

Employees with significant depression who participated in a program including a telephone outreach and care management service demonstrated fewer symptoms, improved work productivity and greater job retention than those receiving standard care.

Helping Depressed Employees

USA - Employers Can Help Reduce Obesity

A telephone survey of American adults (1018 men and 1045 women) in full-time employment has found that many could eat more healthily and be more active while at work and employers could help reverse current trends by promoting health and wellness in the workplace.

Employers Can Help Reduce Obesity

USA - Sacking By Email

A recent survey found that 10 per cent of respondents said their organization had used email to sack or layoff employees and 17 per cent said emails had been used to avoid other difficult communications.

Sacking By Email

USA - Financial Incentives

Jeffrey Pfeffer said organizations can be misguided if they use incentive pay based on the belief "that if employees were just compensated appropriately, virtually every organizational and management problem could be solved."

Financial Incentives May Not Motivate

NZ - 10 Minutes To Judge A Job Seeker

"The interview begins the moment the job seeker arrives, so applicants need to project enthusiasm and confidence consistently from the start. The opening minutes of the conversation set the tone and direction for the rest of the interview. You do not get a second chance to make a good first impression, so it is vital to prepare especially well for the first few interview questions, even if they may seem casual and not related to work at first."

10 Minutes To Judge A Job Seeker

Global - Distinguishing Top Companies For Leaders

By having the right leadership practices and processes in place, maintaining a strict focus on critical talent at all levels, and having a continuous desire to improve, Global Top Companies have cultures that cultivate and nurture their talent, and a reputation for doing it well.

Distinguishing Top Companies For Leaders

UK - Public Sector Management

Research for The Work Foundation has found that public sector managers lack confidence in their own leadership skills and underestimate their achievements compared to ratings given by their line managers and other colleagues.

Public Sector Managers Lack Confidence

UK/Europe - Managing People

A survey of 137 major European employers conducted by the international HR consultancy Cubiks found that most managers take on responsibility for managing people because they want greater involvement in company decision-making and not because they are fundamentally interested in managing and developing teams.

Managers More Interested In Power Than People

Australia - Employee Communication

If you are involved in employee communication then you already know that one of the most important aspects of employee communication today is measurement. But so much of that measurement is focused on whether employees access the tools organizations use to communicate with them.


Employee Communication: 5 Ways To Measure The Impact On Business Outcomes

UK - Virtual leaders show how to lead the way in the future

Recent research into the evolution of leadership in the current high tech business environment has found a new fertile ground in the world of computer gaming. The findings are intriguing and offer considerable opportunities in the identification and training of future leaders in organizations.

Leadership in 2012: Virtual leaders show how to lead the way in the future

USA - Corporate Culture And Change

A new study considers the "tug of war" that can occur over innovation and argues that knowledge about past initiatives and the business culture of a target group are essential when promoting organizational change.

Corporate Culture And Change

UK - The Knowledge Economy

A report by Neil Lee at The Work Foundation uses data from the UK Competitiveness Index to examine job distribution from 1995-2005 in the "knowledge economy" - industries such as financial services, research and development, IT, communications and advertising.

The report concludes that perpetuation of the north-south divide is demonstrated by limited job creation in this sector outside London and the south east where "the numbers of high-skill, high-pay, high-productivity jobs have made the region the powerhouse of national economic performance". The report warns that other urban areas risk being left behind.

The Knowledge Economy

USA - Work And Sleep

Research from the University of Pennsylvania published in SLEEP has found that work time is the largest influence on how long an individual sleeps on both work and leisure days. The more hours worked the less sleep achieved.

Work And Sleep

UK - Musculoskeletal Disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), a group of over 200 conditions including arthritis, back pain and damage to joints, muscles and tendons are by far the most prevalent cause of work-related illness in the UK affecting twice as many people as stress.


Musculoskeletal Disorders

Canada - Longer Hours For Finance Managers

Research on behalf of staffing services firm Robert Half International has found that more than half the finance managers surveyed report working longer hours than two years ago, but with considerable variation between countries.

Longer Hours For Finance Managers

Australia - Young Workers Unfairly Dismissed

Research by the Faculty of Business at Queensland University of Technology investigated more than 1200 complaints of unfair dismissal made to the Young Workers Advisory Service by 15 to 24-year-olds and found that almost one in five was sacked for being sick, injured or for responding to family problems.

Young Workers Unfairly Dismissed

UK - Sick Certification Study

A new Merseyside study has found that more certified intermediate sick leave (6-28 weeks) is given by male GPs to male patients compared to that given by female GPs to female patients.

Sick Certification Study

USA - HR/Business Alignment Tool

An integrated, web-based service that assesses, benchmarks, and determines how HR executives can improve the effectiveness of their HR Function and their HR Staff.

The Corporate Leadership Council Launches First HR Business Alignment Tool (HR BAT) for Chief Human Resource Officers to Increase the HR Function’s Business Impact

Job-hunting - Handwritten Notes

Personalized letters are an effective way of getting noticed when looking for work in a world dominated by electronic communications.

Handwritten Notes

Singapore - Candidate Mentoring Program

TMS Asia-Pacific, ipac financial planning Singapore, COMO Group and Club 21 today unveiled a world recruitment industry first with the launch in Singapore of a new and very unique candidate mentoring concept - StarLife.

TMS, ipac, COMO and Club 21 launch combined candidate mentoring program

USA - Achieving Brand Integrity

A new book by Gregg Lederman questions why so many organizations fail to fully invest in their people by focusing on strategic tools such as mission statements at the expense of developing a performance-based work culture.

Achieving Brand Integrity

USA - Employee Benefits Report

As companies grapple with competing objectives - managing benefits costs while attracting and retaining skilled talent - the link between employee benefits strategies and business and financial goals is expected to increase by 2012, according to Employee Benefits: 2007 & Beyond, a new report released today by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) that explores current and future employee needs and how employers plan to respond to those needs. The report highlights employers' need to improve the perceived value of the benefits programs and services they provide as their employees become increasingly demanding.

Employers Struggle To Deliver Competitive Benefits Programs Consistent with Employees' Increasing Reliance on Workplace Services, According to Prudential Report

UK - Drugs And Alcohol Misuse

Two fifths of UK employers consider alcohol misuse to be a significant cause of absenteeism and lost productivity according to new research and a third also believe that drug misuse has similarly negative consequences.

CIPD Survey Highlights Drug And Alcohol Misuse

New Zealand’s Tight Job Market Creates New Training Challenges For Hospitality Industry

Two recent reports from the Hospitality Standards Institute (HSI) highlight the growth of the hospitality industry and its future skill and training needs.


New Zealand’s Tight Job Market Creates New Training Challenges For Hospitality Industry

Australia - Unemployment

Unemployment at 4.3%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 31,900 to 10,513,300 in August.

Canada - Internal Candidates For CEO

Selecting a new CEO is one of the most important roles for a corporate board of directors. However, there is a tendency to overlook high-potential internal candidates.

Internal Candidates For CEO

USA - HR Struggling To Keep Up In High-Growth Companies

Two-thirds of respondents to a new survey by the Human Resource Planning Society (HRPS) and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) concluded that HR is not responding quickly enough to strategic growth challenges and a similar percentage felt the emphasis on organizational growth is changing the meaning of "strategic HR."

HR Struggling To Keep Up In High-Growth Companies

USA - Employee Work Perceptions Predict Organizational Success

Employees' perceptions of work conditions have a significant impact on the performance of their organizations, according to research from Gallup, Inc.


Employee Work Perceptions Predict Organizational Success

USA - Career Development Programs

Research from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) in conjunction with HR.com has found that 60 per cent of 382 companies surveyed have a career development program in place and 41 per cent use in-house coaches and/or mentors.

Career Development Programs

UK- Internal Communication Can Improve Organizational Cohesion And Performance

Recent research from the Work Foundation calls for increased recognition of the potential of internal communications (IC) to improve organizational cohesion and performance.


Internal Communication Can Improve Organizational Cohesion And Performance

UK - Measuring Human Capital

A recent CIPD report suggests that the majority of employers are failing to provide relevant information about their human capital thereby denying potential investors and other stakeholders the opportunity to fully assess the likely impact on future performance.


Measuring Human Capital

USA - Competition For Top Employees Increasing

The Compensation Data 2007 survey shows that competition for top employees is increasing with 96.1 per cent of organizations actively recruiting, voluntary turnover at 12.3 per cent for all industries, and total turnover at 18.3 per cent.

Competition For Top Employees Increasing

USA - Talent Management - A 'Vague Concept'

"Talent management" is a vague concept for many organizations, according to a recent survey of 524 business professionals by the Institute for Corporate Productivity i4cp).

Talent Management - A 'Vague Concept'

USA - Wasting Time At Work

The third annual survey of over 2000 employees across all job levels by Salary.com found that over 63 per cent of respondents admitted to wasting time at work and the average amount was 1.7 hours out of a typical 8.5 hour day.

Wasting Time At Work

USA - Latinos Suffer Less Work/Life Conflict

A study by Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Centro Latino published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that recent Latino immigrants employed in low-wage, non-professional jobs reported infrequent conflict between work and family.

Latinos Suffer Less Work/Life Conflict

USA - International Executive Equity Awards

A recent survey has shown that many US companies are seeking to remain globally competitive by significantly decreasing the size of their equity awards to non-US executives, a significant change in compensation strategy.

International Executive Equity Awards

US/UK - Employee Fraud

Recent research has found that more than half of 40 major financial institutions surveyed in the United States and the United Kingdom have been the victims of organized crime, 85 per cent have experienced employee fraud and 65 per cent consider this an increasing problem.

Employee Fraud

Canada - A Third Don't Take Their Vacation Time

A recent on-line survey by Monster.ca found that less than two-thirds of Canadians intend to take as much vacation time as they are entitled to this summer and a significant number will check in with their employers while on holiday.

A Third Don't Take Their Vacation Time

Australia - New ACTU Secretary

The new Secretary of the ACTU, Jeff Lawrence, took office today vowing to stand up for working Australians and to intensify the campaign against the Howard Government's WorkChoices IR laws.

Jeff Lawrence takes over as ACTU Secretary & vows to intensify campaign against WorkChoices IR laws

UK - Applicant lies

Job applicants to the nation’s banks and financial institutions are less likely to lie on their job applications compared to a year earlier, according to research released today by pre-employment screening firm Powerchex.

Financial Services Industry Cleans Up Its Act

The Nation’s financial institutions may be exposing themselves to potential fraud when hiring temporary workers; a recent survey shows. The survey, which was conducted by City pre-employment screening firm Powerchex, reveals that 89% of undisclosed criminal records were found on the CVs of temporary employees.

Who is watching the temps?

USA - FMLA Implementation

A recent report from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has found that nearly 40 per cent of human resource professionals have experienced problems with implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Act 1993 (FMLA).

FMLA Implementation

UK/India - Offshoring

A study by Katerina Rüdiger for The Work Foundation suggests that perceived threats to UK employment from offshoring to developing countries such as India have been exaggerated.

Offshoring

UK - Management Consultants - What Do They Do?

Research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) challenges the notion that management consultants play a vital role as expert outsiders in disseminating new approaches within organizations.

Management Consultants - What Do They Do?

UK - Working Life Under Labour

A recent report from The Work Foundation suggests that the Labour government merits "7 out of 10" for its impact on working life during the last 10 years.

Working Life Under Labour

Canada - Human Rights Protection For First Nations

The new Canadian government intends to move two amendments to Bill C-44 that calls for the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. This has prevented First Nations, mainly living on reserves, from full protection under an Act that has been in force for 30 years.

Human Rights Protection For First Nations

USA - Misclassifying Independent Contractors

Call for urgent clarification and guidance to assist employers through a multiplicity of confusing statutory and agency regulations when classifying workers as employees or independent contractors.

Misclassifying Independent Contractors

Australia - Professional Recruitment Services

TMS Asia-Pacific CEO Gary Marshall said Australia's travel industry staffing crisis showed no signs of resolving and professional recruitment services had an essential part to play in the war for talent.


Professional Recruitment Services

USA - Gender Stereotyping

A new survey has found that gender stereotyping continues to be a key barrier to the advancement of women in corporate leadership and leaves women leaders with limited and conflicting options.

Gender Stereotyping A Key Barrier

International Call Centre Study

A recent international study of nearly 2500 call centres has challenged many assumptions about management and employment practices in this sector.


Global - International Call Centre Study

UK - Online Recruitment

Online recruitment has the virtue of being available to candidates and employers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks a year. It is always on and easily adjustable to meet changing requirements. Now McDonalds uses Peopleclick's High Volume to automate its hiring processes.

Online Recruitment

USA - Vacation Entitlement Survey

The summer vacation season is here and a new survey shows that there has been little change in the number of vacation days offered to exempt employees since 2005.

Vacation Entitlement Survey

USA - Employee Benefits Survey

The Society for Human Resources Management's annual benefit survey found little difference between the employee benefits on offer in 2007 and the previous year with only a slight reduction in the percentage of organizations offering some financial and compensation benefits.

Employee Benefit Survey

UK - Migrants Boost Labour Market

A newly published TUC study concludes that the massive inflow of migrants to the UK is a significant benefit to the UK economy citing Treasury estimates that migrant workers are responsible for around 10% of economic growth.

Migrants Boost Labour Market

USA - Black & Veatch Launches New Management Succession Planning Service to Address Aging Workforce Challenges

Electric and water utilities are faced with the prospect of losing up to 60 percent of their top management and other key workers to retirement by 2010. To help address this challenge, Black & Veatch’s Enterprise Management Solutions consulting division (EMS) announced today at the Edison Electric Institute’s Annual Convention that it is partnering with executive recruiting firm Mycoff, Fry & Prouse in offering a Management Succession Planning Service.


Black & Veatch Launches New Management Succession Planning Service to Address Aging Workforce Challenges

UK - Annual Leave Extended to Bank Holidays

The Government has announced that companies will no longer be able to deduct public (bank) holidays from their workers' annual leave entitlements.

Annual Leave Extended to Bank Holidays

USA - Recruitment Practices

A recent survey finds that 75 per cent of 180 organizations responding either use or plan to use psychological assessment for executive selection and development. Over half (58.3 per cent) currently use such methods, a further 16.7 per cent are considering their implementation.

Recruitment Practices

UK - Geoff Armstrong to Retire

Geoff Armstrong to stand down as Director General of the CIPD in June 2008

Geoff Armstrong will have held the post for 16 years, having seen membership more than double to almost 130,000 members including 47,000 fully chartered members.

USA - Recruitment Outsourcing

According to a recent survey conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp - formerly HRI), more than a third (34.4%) of companies surveyed have outsourced portions of their recruiting function, compared with 15.4% in 2005. The positions leading the way in third-party sourcing are executives (56.5%) and experienced professionals (43.5%). The least-outsourced function is supervisors, at 14.5%.


More than one-third of organizations today report outsourcing portions of the recruitment function, compared with slightly more than 15% two years ago.

Australia - Council workers face loss of penalty rates, overtime pay

Thousands of Council workers are facing the loss of weekend penalty rates, overtime pay and public holidays as their employers launch a concerted bid to bring Council employees under the Howard Government’s new IR laws it has been revealed today.

Council workers face loss of penalty rates, overtime pay

USA - HRsmart Announces Significant First Quarter Revenue Growth

HRsmart, a leading global provider of talent management technology solutions and one of the fastest growing and most profitable firms in the industry, announced today a more than 70-percent increase in revenue for the first quarter 2007 in year-over-year sales.

HRsmart Announces Significant First Quarter Revenue Growth

UK - Racism spirals out of control in UK

In light of the recent Celebrity Big Brother race row it's no surprise that 8 out of 10 of us think racism is a problem in British society. Yet in an age where the UK is striving for multiculturalism, over half of us think racism is getting worse, not better.

Racism spirals out of control in UK

UK - Holiday Entitlement

Several million of the UK's hard-working employees should soon be enjoying more leisure time with their family and friends thanks to Government plans to increase the legal minimum holiday entitlement for all UK workers, says the TUC today (Wednesday).

Don't make workers wait too long for extra holiday, says TUC

Australia - Workplace Health

With up to 50% of workers claiming that occupational stress leads to absenteeism, and 41% saying it causes poor work performance, employers are beginning to recognise the need for a workplace which is mentally as well as physically healthy, and goes beyond the basic OH&S requirements.

Do you have a mentally and physically healthy workplace?

UK Facing Skills Crisis

55% of employers in a new survey are finding it more difficult to recruit skilled workers now compared to five years ago.

UK Facing Skills Crisis

UK - National Minimum Wage

The Government has announced that the adult minimum wage rate will rise to £5.52 from £5.35 an hour in October.

National Minimum Wage Increases

USA - Hiring and Orientation Programs Neglected

A study of human resources practices at 50 large US companies by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, has found that the importance of hiring and orientation programs is often neglected in the achievement of corporate goals and employee motivation.

Hiring and Orientation Programs Neglected

More UK Jobs Created Than Destroyed

New research from the Globalisation and Economic Policy Centre at The University of Nottingham has found that 1 in 7 private sector jobs are lost in the UK each year but more are created than destroyed. Based on 1997–2005 data from Customs and Excise (VAT registered businesses) and the Inland Revenue (PAYE registered businesses), the first comprehensive survey into this topic found that 2.65 million British private sector jobs are destroyed annually, and 2.76 million created (the equivalent of 51 000 lost and 53 000 created each week).

More UK Jobs Created Than Destroyed

USA - 'Bad Apples' at Work

A study from the University of Washington Business School published in Research in Organizational Behavior examines how negative behaviour by one person in an organization can impact on teams and groups. Researchers describe these individuals as "bad apples" acting like a virus within teams, with the capacity to “upset or spoil the whole apple cart”.

'Bad Apples' at Work

UK - HR Systems Still Disappointing

A survey by PMP Research commissioned by the Evaluation Centre found that one-third of companies feel that their HR and payroll IT systems either do not meet their requirements adequately or fail to do so completely.

HR Systems Still Disappointing

UK - Intranet Policy Management Could Lead to Litigation

Research by NETconsent has found that nearly 50 per cent of UK organizations could be vulnerable to litigation by primarily using the intranet to manage corporate policies.

Intranet Policy Management Could Lead to Litigation

UK - Alarming Performance Gap at Middle Management Level

A survey by management consultancy Hay Group has concluded that underperforming middle managers are costing British business £220 billion a year in lost productivity.

Alarming Performance Gap at Middle Management Level

Latin America - New Hewitt Study

Hewitt Associates Study Reveals Salary Increases Are on Pace With Inflation, But Many Companies Favor Variable Pay to Reward and Retain in Latin American countries.

Latin American Companies Starting to Identify Top Employees and Differentiate Pay as Competition for Talent Increases

USA - Paid Leave Comparisons

A comparison of public policies for working families in 173 countries shows that while the US performs well in protecting individual employees from workplace discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, and disability it is less effective in supporting family life.

Paid Leave Comparisons

USA - Affirmative Action

New research finds that affirmative action is still a highly contentious issue in American society with people typically opposing it either because they regard it as inherently unfair or simply because they are racist.

Affirmative Action

NZ - Outsourcing About More Than Cost

A report from IT services company Unisys predicts that the predominant trend in outsourcing for 2007 will be the expectation that service providers can deliver more than improved processes and cost limitation.

Outsourcing About More Than Cost

UK - Staff Fraud Guidance

CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) have launched free guidance to help employers understand the threats
associated with fraud and help HR professionals manage the risks.

Growth in staff fraud prompts new guidance from CIPD and CIFAS to help businesses

UK - Winter pay outcome in the balance as recruitment difficulties worsen

The latest CIPD/KPMG quarterly Labour Market Outlook survey finds that a majority of employers expect to award staff pay rises of less than 3.5% in the busy winter pay round. But with recruitment difficulties expected to worsen at a time when employees are looking to match the recent spike in price inflation, at least 1 in 5 employers appear to be keeping their pay options open.

Winter pay outcome in the balance as recruitment difficulties worsen

Canada - Manage Workers Individually

A recent study from The Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) argues against categorizing employees by age stereotypes while acknowledging the need for different HR approaches to managing Boomers and Gen Xers in some areas.


Manage Workers Individually

UK - More Women Studying Engineering - But Not For Career

Although the number of women studying engineering has increased, many use it as a route to other careers.

More Women Studying Engineering - But Not For Career

USA - Advantages of Working for Small Businesses

Despite Perceived Pay Differential, Employees Cite Work/Life Balance, Lack of Politics and Culture as Reasons to Stay at Small Companies

Survey Reveals Advantages of Working for Small Businesses Outweigh Smaller Paychecks

Asia-Pacific Talent Crisis

A survey by ISR, a global employee research and consultancy firm, has found that organizations across Asia-Pacific risk losing their most talented people.

Asia-Pacific Talent Crisis

USA - Maximize Earning Potential with a Strong Resume

A good resume can make a world of difference when it comes to negotiating salary with a new employer.

Maximize Earning Potential with a Strong Resume

USA - Managing Time Off

US companies are potentially losing millions of dollars in payroll expenses and productivity because they fail to effectively manage employees' time off.

Managing Time Off

USA - Leadership and Assertiveness

Being perceived as having too much or too little assertiveness may be the most common weakness in aspiring business leaders, resulting in them appearing less effective than those with an optimal mid-range level.

Leadership and Assertiveness

New Zealand Leads on Incentive-Based Pay

A survey by global recruitment firm Robert Half International has found that New Zealand employers are leading the way in incentive-based pay for finance professionals.

New Zealand Leads on Incentive-Based Pay

NZ - Recruitment in 2007

A report from specialist recruiter Hays anticipates that the 2007 New Zealand recruitment market will be characterized by tighter conditions, customization of careers to suit individual employees and a more positive attitude towards mature candidates.


Recruitment in 2007

UK - Women Missing From Top Jobs

Sex and Power: Who Runs Britain? 2007 is the last annual survey of senior women in the public and private sectors before the EOC is disbanded in autumn 2007 after 30 years.

Women Missing From Top Jobs

UK - Equal Pay Case

Bridget Bodman, a former accountant at manufacturing company API Group received £25 000 compensation in November 2006 in an equal pay case supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

Equal Pay Case

NZ - Strong Annual Wage Growth Continues

The Labour Cost Index (LCI) recorded an increase of 3.2 percent in salary and wage rates (including overtime) in the year to the December 2006 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Strong Annual Wage Growth Continues

UK - HR and technology

Research shows that integrated IT systems enable HR professionals to show true contribution to business and allow them more time to focus on strategic business issues. A new report, HR and technology: impact and advantages, launched today from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Cranfield School of Management gives practical advice on how employers can successfully develop an integrated information technology system that will add value to business.

Well implemented IT systems enable HR to drive business performance

USA - Job Satisfaction Among Males and Females

Recent research indicates that Overall Job Satisfaction scores between male and female employees vary by dimension. Learn which factors affect which gender most strongly, and gather tips for how best to leverage these differences in the workplace.

Mars and Venus Get Engaged: Overall Job Satisfaction Among Males and Females

E-mail: Way to Gossip and Waste Time

A survey by MessageGate, Inc. has found that e-mail continues to be the most popular corporate workflow tool but that employees exercise poor judgment in its use, increasing costs and business or legal risks.

E-mail: Way to Gossip and Waste Time

Japan - Public workers' rights denied

The ITUC released a new report on core labour standards in Japan.

New ITUC report: Public workers' rights denied in Japan

UK - Enough Employment Legislation

Effective enforcement of employment legislation is less important than encouraging employers to see the organizational benefits of promoting a just workplace.

'Provocation Paper' Argues Against More Employment Legislation

USA - New Hampshire’s Aging Workforce

New England’s aging workforce could stall economic development and job growth in the future, according to a report prepared by Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies. The report was released today as part of The New England Council’s Older Worker Initiative. The numbers are significant in New Hampshire, which the report indicates has a larger and more rapidly growing share of the older population.

The New England Council Releases Studies on New Hampshire’s Aging Workforce

UK - EOC Advocates More Flexibility

A recent report from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has found that half the working population would like more flexibility at work.

EOC Advocates More Flexibility

Canada - New centre on Prince Edward Island

Ceridian Canada, a leading human resources services company, will establish a centre of excellence on Prince Edward Island to meet its growing customer requirements for talent acquisition, payroll and other human resources services.

Human Resources Firm Ceridian Canada to Establish Centre of Excellence on Prince Edward Island

USA - ADA Does Not Protect Employees With Psychiatric Disabilities

A new study findsthat sixteen years after enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with psychiatric disabilities have less favourable outcomes in claims of employment discrimination than those with physical disabilities.

ADA Does Not Protect Employees With Psychiatric Disabilities

New Zealand - Strikes

Forty-nine work stoppages ended in the September 2006 year, Statistics New Zealand said today. This compares with 52 stoppages for the September 2005 year. Stoppages in the September 2006 year also involved fewer employees (12,508) than in the previous September year, but had a larger economic impact.


Fewer Work Stoppages but Greater Impact

New Zealand - Annual Leave

With 1 April fast approaching, it's time for employers to start their final planning to prepare for the move to four weeks' annual holiday, says Minister of Labour Ruth Dyson.

4 weeks annual leave fast approaching

UK - Work-life Balance and the Public Sector

Public sector employers may 'talk the talk' on work-life balance, but in practice have limited commitment to changing standard working patterns.

Work-life Balance and the Public Sector

UK - Poor Leadership Affecting Business Performance

A new survey indicates that UK bosses' lack of leadership skills in setting objectives, motivating employees and dealing with poor performers is having an adverse effect on business performance.

Poor Leadership Affecting Business Performance

USA - The Carrot Principle

In 'The Carrot Principle - How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance' management consultants Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton explain how organizations and managers can use praise and recognition to motivate their workforces.

The Carrot Principle

USA - Performance Management - Key Practices

Survey indicates that there is significant scope for improvement in the performance management systems of many companies.

Performance Management - Key Practices

Canada - Directors' Average Pay Nearly CDN$120,000

Survey finds average Canadian director compensation was CDN$118 026 in 2006 - an increase of 15 per cent. Equity accounted for 87 per cent of that growth.

Directors' Average Pay Nearly CDN$120,000

Boardroom Pay and the Risk Myth

FTSE 100 CEOs have little more risk of being fired or made redundant than the average employee. However, they tend to live longer and have the advantage of large pensions and sizeable pay offs.


Boardroom Pay and the Risk Myth

USA - Utility Salaries Standing Still

The Compensation Data 2006 survey of more than 5300 employers reveals that salaries within utilities have largely stood still over the last three years.

Utility Salaries Standing Still

Canada - Public and Private Pensions

New research by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows a widening gap between the public and private sector in terms of retirement trends and pension plans.

Pensions: Widening Gap Between Public and Private

Fast-Food Management

Jerry Newman, a college professor who has taught business courses for nearly 30 years, went undercover as a bottom-rung worker for the biggest names in fast food, including McDonald's and Burger King. Newman found that fast-food chains were the perfect petri dishes for covert research: High-pressure, high-volume businesses with high-employee turnover. The pecking order was also crystal clear, from fry cook all the way up to store manager.

Fast-Food Management

Canada - Growing Poverty Casts Shadow

A recent report by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) shows that a growing number of Canadians are trapped in jobs that don't earn enough to cover the cost of rent and food. More Canadians are employed and some are paid a little more than last year, but the number working for poverty wages has also increased.

Growing Poverty Casts Shadow

Hong Kong Lacking Fundamental Employee Rights

A recent report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is critical of Hong Kong's continuing failure to ensure fundamental employment rights. It highlights lack of legal recognition for trade unions, absence of collective bargaining, and insufficient protection against various forms of discrimination.

Hong Kong Lacking Fundamental Employee Rights

UK - The Changing Pattern of Benefits

Watson Wyatt's Benefit Provider Research Report 2006 looks at changing patterns of benefits offered by 142 UK employers.

The Changing Pattern of Benefits

UK - Age and City Law Firms

Recent research considers the impact on senior and managing partners in leading UK law firms of the Age Discrimination Act which came into force on October 1, 2006.

Age and City Law Firms

USA - HR Ripe For Outsourcing

A recent survey has found that organizations are ripe for HR outsourcing as they increasingly seek standardization as part of a re-emphasis on strategic business initiatives.

HR Ripe for Outsourcing

New Zealand - Job Hunting

Every January there is a huge surge in the number of people searching for a new job as employees come back to work after Christmas looking for a fresh start for the New Year.

New Year The Most Popular Time To Look For A New Job

UK - Unemployment remains at 5.5%

The unemployment rate remains at 5.5% - up over the previous year but flat over the quarter. 29.03 million people were in work in the period September to November according to the labour force survey (LFS). This remains one of the highest figures on record, up by 14,000 in the last quarter and 274,000 over the last year.

Employment Statistics

UK - Vurv Acquires People Business Network

Addition of Industry's Leading Offboarding, Business Analytics and Workforce Planning Software Creates Deepest and Broadest Talent Management Suite

Vurv Acquires People Business Network

UK - Trainers Conflict With Senior Management

A recent survey survey of in-house training professionals by The Ken Blanchard Companies finds that senior managers are undermining the training programmes they have asked for.

Trainers Conflict With Senior Management

USA - Managers Prefer Long Weekends Over Vacations

A recent survey found that workers below management grade are more likely to make full use of their holiday entitlement compared to executive and middle-level employees, who tend to take long weekend vacations. While employees value time away many feel obliged to work and stay in touch with their organizations on their days off.

Managers Prefer Long Weekends Over Vacations

USA - Wonderlic Announces Release of Revised Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT-R)

Update incorporates the latest advances in test development and scoring, accurately measuring intelligence and predicting success on the job.

Wonderlic Announces Release of Revised Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT-R)

Australia - Unemployment remains at 4.6%

Seasonally adjusted, the number of people in employment also rose by 44,600 to 10,337,300 in December.

Unemployment at 4.6%

Canada - 50 Best Employers

The 2007 survey by Hewitt Associates of the 50 Best Employers in Canada found that the Best Employers have lower turnover, receive more applications and experience better business results.

50 Best Employers in Canada

USA - Unemployment at 4.5%

Payroll employment rose by 167,000 in December, and the
unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent

US Unemployment at 4.5%

Canada - Unemployment

Statistics Canada reports that the unemployment rate fell by 0.2% to 6.1% in December, accompanied by an increase of 62,000 in the number of people employed. This is a return to the 30-year historic low and reflects the 2.1% increase in employment during 2006.


Unemployment Falls By 0.2% to 6.1%