21st April 2009
All the latest stories from the world of work
The new financial year saw the introduction of several new workplace rights. As of April 1st, the right to request flexible working was extended to parents of children up to 16 years of age, automatic penalties will be incurred by employers who underpay on the National Minimum Wage, the minimum paid holiday entitlement will rise to 28 days and the new Employment Act will take effect, introducing new dispute resolution rules in the workplace.
Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden said:
"Flexible working has been a great success. The change we are bringing in this month is about helping parents cope with work and family life. Both workers and employers have felt the benefits of flexible working since we first introduced the right to request.
"Firms can still say no if they have legitimate business concerns, but more than 95% of all requests for flexible working from working parents and carers are now accepted, as employers recognise the benefits more and more.
Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, reacted positively to the changes stressing the benefits of greater holiday entitlement:
“The TUC is also pleased to see the increase in the minimum legal entitlement to paid holiday from 4.8 to 5.6 weeks per year. This is an increase of 24 to 28 days for a full-time worker on a five day week, with pro-rata increases for part-timers.
“We estimate that this will benefit two million employees, many of whom will be low-paid women, working part-time.
“At the other end of the scale, this extra holiday entitlement will help to address our long hours working culture, which is stopping many people from enjoying a proper work/life balance.”
Research published this week showed that cities in the North, Midlands and Scotland have experienced the biggest rise in job seekers’ allowance claims in the last 12 months.
These are areas with significant manufacturing and heavy industry sectors that suffered during the last recession. Despite initial predictions that this recession would predominantly affect London and the South East, the Work Foundation report shows the dramatic impact on other regions.
The report author, Naomi Clayton, called on the Chancellor to do more to support the core cities in this month’s budget:
“Policymakers ignore how recessions play out locally at their peril. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming budget focuses much more attention on the large cities – Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham – that can drive the recovery, as well as recognising which areas need the most support to survive and prepare for better times.”
Clayton went on to add:
“In terms of absolute numbers of new people signing on for JSA, it is the core cities of the north and midlands that are worst hit. Perhaps more revealing, though, are the council areas that have seen the sharpest upward movements in unemployment rates. These tell a story of a more traditional UK recession: some areas which had yet to experience the economic prosperity enjoyed by others are once more showing how vulnerable they are to downturns, especially if dependent on single employers.”
To read the Work Foundation report, visit
www.theworkfoundation.com
As many as ¾ of City professionals see redundancy as an opportunity to leave the sector and take up work elsewhere, a new survey from PWC shows.
PWC warns that the recession could have damaging effects on efforts to increase the number of women in senior positions. The survey, which mostly questioned women, showed that 80 per cent believed the recession would reinforce the glass ceiling.
Sarah Churchman, director of diversity at PwC, said: "The by-product of the recession could be to stall or reverse the sector's gender diversity progress and investment, short-changing the UK economy's recovery by removing or alienating a generation of female talent.
She emphasised the importance of HR policies in avoiding wider inequalities. "Securing and maintaining the recruitment, retention and development of women in mid-management roles now is the only way a pipeline of women in senior executive roles can be maintained in the recovery."
The IPA annual general meeting will take place at 17.00, July 1st, 2009. The meeting is open to representatives from all IPA member organisations and advisory board members. More details to follow.
