Employers need to act now to ensure they are prepared if swine flu reaches pandemic proportions.
That is the suggestion from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), which has urged action ahead of any possible outbreak.
The IOSH advised employers to prepare for a situation which could change rapidly and it said that [...]

The decision to retain the UK’s opt-out of the 48-hour working week is in direct opposition to health and safety legislation.
That is according to GMB, a campaigning trade union, which has also suggested that distributing working hours more evenly could help to ease unemployment.
Kathleen Walker-Shaw, European officer at GMB, said that there was [...]

A women’s business network has said it is disappointed that it has taken the introduction of a new Equality Bill to make employers address the issue of inequality in the workplace.
Toni Eastwood, training director for Everywoman, said that the new bill is a welcome amendment to existing legislation as it represents a move towards [...]

A new government scheme to allow those claiming jobseekers allowance to be eligible for internships has been praised by a graduate service.
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) has said that the government’s Graduate Talent Pool programme could provide a good way to join college leavers with employers.
Elspeth Farrar, vice president for AGCAS, [...]

A law firm has warned employers to "plan and prepare" for a potential influenza epidemic following reports of the spread of swine flu.
Bircham Dyson Bell warned that if companies fail to take appropriate measures they could face legal action from employees who feel they have not been adequately protected.
According to the firm, companies [...]

While the majority of employees are keen to find ways to highlight their skills in the current tough economic climate, a quarter will not be making any additional effort in the workplace.
That is according to a survey conducted by recruitment consultant Monster, which asked employees what they would be doing differently to make themselves [...]

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the government’s plan to raise the statutory redundancy pay from £350 per week, to £380 per week.
It’s still not clear when this measure will come into force, but Alistair Darling said these measures were necessary to help people being made redundant due to the recession.
While some unions voiced their disappointment over [...]

The Bill, which aims at tackling gender inequalities, and other discrimination against the elderly, will leave employers until 2013 to publish average hourly rates for men and women.
The move, which had been promised by the government before the last election, effects large employers – those employing over 250 staff – aims at ‘making Britain more [...]

A decision has not been reached on whether to allow Britain to maintain its opt-out from the European Union (EU) Working Time Directive after talks ended without agreement.
Following the breakdown in discussion, the UK can continue to choose not to take the EU 48-hour week.
The European Parliament had proposed that the choice to opt-out should [...]

Recruitment consultants must adapt in order to appeal to HR directors who have to cope with increasingly small budgets.
That is according to members of the Association of Executive Recruiters (AER), who were discussing issues surrounding recruitment during a seminar on the subject.
The AER stated that there are specific times when a search consultancy is the [...]