Minimum wage rise agreed
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has announced a rise in the minimum wage to £5.73 from 1st October 2008.
Commenting on the rise Anne Fairweather, Head of Public Policy at the REC said “REC will ensure that recruiters are aware of this rise through our news and legal channels. As a member of BERR’s Vulnerable Workers Enforcement Forum we are also keen to see that workers are aware of the changes. It is in the interests of good recruitment companies as well as workers that everyone is paid the correct rate. However some workers are not confident enough to complain about their treatment. One way to remedy this situation is to encourage good recruiters to report employers that they suspect are not paying the minimum wage.”... read more
Source The REC
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New Rates of Statutory Payments
The Government has published proposed new rates for statutory payments to take effect from April 2008. The standard rate of statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory paternity pay is to increase to £117.18 per week (currently £112.75 per week). The standard rate of statutory sick pay is to increase to £75.40 (from £72.55). From 6th April 2008, the lower earnings limit for national insurance purposes, which is used to determine an employee's eligibility to receive statutory payments, will be raised to from £87 to £90 per week.
Source The REC
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Encore manage their talent
Encore have created a Management Training Academy to provide in-house development to existing employees.
The Academy provides training over a range of core subjects to develop the skills of aspiring managers and improve the knowledge of existing managers. The idea behind the academy is to enhance the service encore provides and to ensure expansion is in line with the encore culture and brand.
Director, Chris Hockey comments “By investing in the personal development of our staff the needs of our business will be fulfilled. The Academy will benefit our current staff and provide a high level of support which will also serve to attract candidates from outside the business. We have just been re-awarded the Investors In People award and we will continue to make investment in staff a top priority.”... read more
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Fines for hiring illegal workers
New legislation which will punish businesses caught employing illegal foreign workers has come into force. If employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal workers they could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison for up to two years.
The fines are part of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act. Small businesses have criticised the new legislation, because they fear it will require employers to act as "immigration officers". Bosses caught employing illegal workers could face a £10,000 on the spot fine. Previously the maximum was £5,000.
The Home Office said the new civil penalties for employers who unknowingly hire illegal workers would allow it to save criminal prosecution for more serious cases. The UK will introduce an Australian-style points system that will allow the government to pinpoint immigrants with skills that will benefit the UK economy. It will also make ID cards compulsory for foreign nationals... read more
Source The BBC
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To translate or not to translate?
 Employers have not been slow to look to the countries of the European Union, as well as elsewhere, to maintain recruitment or to fill special-skill positions. In doing so, the number of different nationalities represented in many workplaces has increased substantially. Should employers need to have workplace messages or documents translated into languages other than English?
Clearly there is an ongoing obligation to ensure that the workforce is aware of the company's policies and procedures and that the employees are secure in their working. Obviously, in Wales there is a legal obligation for essential documentation to be printed in both Welsh and English; but should employers go further? ... read more
Source FPB
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Gangmasters investigated
 Thirteen gangmasters are under investigation after an unannounced raid of labour providers in the flower, plant and bulb industry in Lincolnshire.
Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) officers, with the assistance of the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA), entered the premises of a number of nurseries in Spalding and Boston, inspected vehicles used to transport workers and carried out worker interviews on several daffodil fields in the area. The gangmasters were supplying hundreds of mainly English, Polish and Slovakian workers to pick daffodils and work in the nurseries...
read more
Source The Recruiter
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Interview discrimination
Almost 9 in 10 bosses admit to have given the job to the most attractive candidate according to employment law firm Peninsula.
The research, which polled 2,266 employers across the UK throughout February, found that many employers have at some stage given preference to someone because of their attractive looks rather because of skills and experience.
- 88% of respondents who interview admit that they have at some stage chosen candidates because they were attractive rather than based on skills and experience
- 92% of respondents say that appearance at the job interview can influence their decision on who gets the job..
read more
Source The Recruiter
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Working mums
Most workers feel their bosses do not do enough to encourage women on maternity leave to return to work, according to research by Monster.
The poll found that only 17% of workers felt their employers did everything to encourage women back to work, but a further 36% believed that their employer would discourage mothers to return to work because they would rather employ someone without commitments.
Employment legislation provides new and expectant mothers with special rights and protection, including: the right to take time off for antenatal care; maternity leave and pay; return to work to the same job; request flexible working and protection from suffering a detriment or dismissal on pregnancy grounds. However, Julian Acquari, managing director of Monster UK and Ireland, said the measures were not enough... read more
Source The Recruiter
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'Work rage' spreads as stress takes hold
Anger at work is increasing, according to a law expert that says as many as eight in 10 workers suffer from 'work rage'. Peninsula employment law service reported that seven in 10 believe verbal and yelling abuse is common in the workplace.
In further bad news, 91% of those affected said that co-workers failing to pull their weight is the main cause of work rage.
Deb Gibbons, head of diversity at Peninsula, said work rage can be evident in a number of ways from swearing, shouting and yelling through to verbal abuse, threats or attacks.
"By determining the causes, an employee can do something about it. It's very easy for someone to lose their temper but before you do, bite your tongue and think about what the cause is”...read more
Source HR Zone
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Issue 46 – March 2008
Welcome to the March issue of encore enews bringing together recent news items relating to the world of work – a magazine read by 5000 recruiters every single month!
This month’s Business Round-Up
Ericsson is to relocate 168 jobs from its telecoms factory in Nottingham to Coventry, while the remaining 147 staff will be offered other work or redundancy.
13-Mar-2008
Ericsson, Midleton Gate, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 8SG
Tel: 01483 303666
www.ericsson.co.uk
Holly Blinds, the Nottinghamshire-based blind manufacturer, has gone into administration through Cooper Parry.
13-Mar-2008
Holly Blinds, 41 Station St, Mansfield Woodhouse, Notts, NG19 8AB
Tel: 0800 7834607
www.hollyblinds.com
Maun Industries, the Sutton-in-Ashfield hand tool manufacturer with 45 staff, has been sold to a management buy-in team backed by Watersheds.
11-Mar-2008
Maun Industries, Hamilton Rd, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 5LD
Tel: 01623 554599
www.maun-industries.co.uk
Muller has won permission to expand its dairy factory in Market Drayton, with the creation of about 300 jobs.
10-Mar-2008
Muller, Shrewsbury Road, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 3SQ
Tel: 01630 692000
www.muller.co.uk
Nissan is to create a further 128 jobs at its car factory in Sunderland, as part of a GBP 5m expansion of the axle production line.
13-Mar-2008
Nissan, Rivers Office Pk, Denham Way, Rickmansworth, Herts, WD3 9YS
Tel: n/a
www.nissan.co.uk
Betts is looking to relocate its Colchester-based toothpaste tubes factory and up to 300 staff to a new site "in the local area", to make way for a housing development.
12-Mar-2008
Betts UK, 505 Ipswich Rd, Colchester, Essex, CO4 4HE
Tel: 01206 753400
www.betts-uk.com
Gazeley has unveiled plans for the development of a distribution centre called Magna Park at Stanground near Peterborough, including seven warehouses, a rail freight interchange and the creation of up to 5,400 jobs.
13-Mar-2008
Gazeley, 26 Rockingham Drive, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6PD
Tel: 01908 838100
www.gazeley.co.uk
IDS Logistics is to create 200 new jobs in Leicester, following a recent GBP 3.5m investment at its distribution depot on Sunningdale Business Park.
13-Mar-2008
IDS Logistics, Scudamore Road, Braunstone, Leicester, LE3 1UR
Tel: 0116 2318950
www.idslogistics.com
Stobart Group is to acquire Irlam Group, the Cheshire-based haulier with 674 staff, for GBP 60m, as well as WA Developments, the transport infrastructure company, for GBP 10m.
11-Mar-2008
Stobart Group, Brunthill Rd, Kingstown Ind Est, Carlisle, CA3 0EH
Tel: 01228 822500
www.stobartgroup.co.uk
Vodafone is to shed up to 450 management jobs, but 330 jobs will be created in its retail stores, 130 in sales for its Enterprise business and 30 in online sales and customer service.
19-Mar-2008
Vodafone, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN
Tel: 01635 33251
www.vodafone.co.uk
Wolseley is expected to shed hundreds of jobs from its plumbing and building materials business over the coming months, due to falling sales in the UK and US.
18-Mar-2008
Wolseley, Parkview 1220, Arlington Park, Theale, Reading, RG7 4GA
Tel: 0118 9298700
www.wolseley.com
Eon is to relocate its energy trading operation and up to 194 jobs from Westwood Business Park in Coventry to Germany.
19-Mar-2008
Eon, Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8LG
Tel: 024 76424000
www.eon-uk.com
Dorset Cereals, the Dorchester-based manufacturer of breakfast cereals, has been acquired by Wellness Foods for GBP 50m.
17-Mar-2008
Dorset Cereals, Peverell Avenue East, Poundbury, Dorchester, DT1 3WE
Tel: 01305 751000
www.dorsetcereals.co.uk
Yahoo is planning to relocate its European headquarters and up to 70 management jobs from London to Switzerland.
17-Mar-2008
Yahoo, 125 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8AD
Tel: 020 71311000
www.uk.yahoo.com
UPN, the Leicestershire-based logistics company, is planning to expand its nationwide chain of 60 freight depots with ten new sites this year.
18-Mar-2008
UPN, Asfordby Hse, Asfordby Park, Melton Mowbray, Leics, LE14 3JL
Tel: 0870 2413482
www.u-p-n.co.uk
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