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%

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