29th April 2010
All the latest stories from the world of work
Job satisfaction continues remain low, with job satisfaction in the public sector dipping below that in the private sector for the first time, according to the CIPD’s Employee Outlook Survey. The recession and political uncertainty would seem to be affecting public sector employees’ perceptions of job security, their leaders’ abilities and trust within the organisation.
The survey for April showed that net job satisfaction in the public sector had dropped from +45 to +34. Across all sectors, young employees were particularly likely to express low levels of job satisfaction.
The perception of job security had also altered in the public sector over the last 13 months, with 18 per cent of employees saying they thought it was likely, or very likely, that they would lose their job, compared to 7 per cent a year ago.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the political uncertainty, and the debate about the future of public services, public sector employees were not convinced that their leaders had a clear sense of where the organisation was going, giving a net score of -8.
Worryingly, across all sectors employees expressed dissatisfaction with the extent to which they are consulted about changes that affect them. But those in the public sector are most dissatisfied, with the survey recording a net score of -45. Only half of all employees say that they feel fairly or fully informed about what is going on in their organisation.
You can read more findings from the CIPD Employee Outlook Survey by visiting
www.cipd.co.uk
Despite a tentative return to growth, unemployment in the UK economy continues to rise according to this month’s labour market statistics.
In the three months to February 2010, unemployment rose by 0.1 per cent to 8 per cent; the highest since 1996. The number of people in employment declined by 89,000 to 28.82 million, or 72.1 per cent of the working age population.
Between December and February there were 119,000 jobs lost from the economy. The distribution, hotels and restaurants sector was hit the hardest.
For more information on the labour market, visit
www.statistics.gov.uk
The equality bill gained royal assent in the final days before parliament was dissolved, formally becoming the Equality Act 2010. The main provisions of the Act will come into force in October 2010.
The Act brings together and simplifies existing equality law and introduces a new equality duty for public bodies.
The Act will strengthen equality law by:
Using public procurement to improve equality;
Banning age discrimination outside the workplace;
Requiring gender pay and employment equality publishing;
Extending the scope to use positive action;
Strengthening the powers of employment tribunals;
Protecting carers from discrimination;
Strengthening protection from discrimination for disabled people; and
Protecting people from dual discrimination - direct discrimination because of a combination of two protected characteristics.
To find out what the Equality Act will mean for your organisation, visit the Government Equalities Office at
www.equalities.gov.uk
