Business as usual

While a lot of businesses opt for a total shut down between Christmas and New Year our doors are open for the three normal working days – December 29th, 30th and 31st.

We will however be enjoying the extended break caused by Christmas falling over a weekend and our Park Road office will be shut from lunchtime on Christmas Eve - throughout the bank holidays - through until 9am the following Wednesday – 29th.

We will be working with clients and candidates to ensure everything is in place for a smooth transition from 2010 to 2011!

Carrying on a Christmas tradition

It’s traditional to treat Santa to a mince pie and a glass of something warming as he goes on his merry way around the globe. We’re delighted to be carrying that Christmas tradition forward by supplying not just one Santa but several hundred with exactly that in the form of home made mince pies and steaming mulled wine.

For the third consecutive year, we have pledged our support to the Rotary Club of Stamford Burghley’s Santa Fun Run by supplying the refreshments for all those Santas who cross the line.

And we’re entering a team too – yes, we’ve managed to round up a dozen people not put off by tales of mud and ice that have filtered back over the past two years! Sticking to tradition – albeit a new one – we will, once again be Anne’s Recruitment Reindeers.

The organisers are hoping for a record breaking 800 entrants this year. Last year 565 people grouped into 33 teams raised going on for £19,000 for good causes, locally and nationally – a fantastic effort.

So, if you find yourself in or around Burghley Park near Stamford on Sunday (December 12) at 11am do come and cheer on the 800 Santas, running, walking and sliding round the course.

And don’t forget to come and say hello to us at our refreshment stall.

http://www.stamfordsantafunrun.com/

Are you a ‘Bruce Forsyth’?

Plans to scrap the default retirement age of 65 in a year’s time are moving forward. And it could result in there being more ‘Bruce Forsyths’ in the work place, according to employment law expert Tim Thompson.

Tim was one of the speakers at our Employment Law briefing. And he made some interesting points about the effect the removal of the default retirement age will have.

“Bruce Forsyth is well beyond 65 but he still has a role to play,” said Tim.
Brucie may not work full time or long hours but his role is incredibly valuable – and a perfect example of how an older employee can contribute albeit in a changed role.

Tim quoted some very interesting statistics.

In 1841 just four per cent of the population was over 65. By 2008 that figure had quadrupled to 16 per cent. By 2033 almost a quarter of the population will be aged 65 plus.

Now overlay these numbers on those.

In the 1890s, two thirds of men aged 65 and over were ‘gainfully employed’. In the 1920s, that had fallen to half. By the 1950s just a third of men aged 65 and over were working. In the 1980s the figure was less than 10 per cent.

So although we have a huge rise in the number of people over 65, there has been a dramatic fall in the percentage of them who are working.

That, naturally, creates a heavy – and increasing – financial burden on society.
Listen to Tim’s discussion by clicking here.

Default retirement age – act now

At our recent Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, one of our expert speakers, Tim Thompson from Hegarty LLP Solicitors, discussed the removal of the default retirement age. While this doesn’t come into effect until next October, the current notice procedure will not apply after April 6 next year – less than five months away.

Tim was keen to encourage businesses to act now to avoid being caught out next year.
He suggested examining ageing workforces now to decide if, as a company, you wish to serve any notices before April next year – where the employee’s 65th birthday is before the end of September. Even if the 65th birthday has passed the current retirement process can be utilised by giving the minimum six month notice period.
There’s also a need to plan future staffing requirements.

The Government’s intention is that the removal of the default retirement age may encourage employers to look differently on ageing staff – and also for employers to be more imaginative, if you like, about their future role. They may like the idea of a phased retirement involving a gradual reduction in hours and a phased hand over, or perhaps consider a more junior role so passing on their skills and experience while not actually doing the work themselves.

To listen to further thoughts from Tim, click below.

The Equality Act 2010 – don’t get caught out

The introduction, at the beginning of October, of the new Equality Act 2010 neatly wraps up in one package much of the legislation previously covered by a host of different anti-discriminatory legislation.

But, HR professionals shouldn’t assume that’s all it does. The Act tweaks a few issues – and ones which it would be easy to trip up on without a spot of insight and forethought.

During the Employment Law Breakfast Briefing we staged in conjunction with Hegarty LLP Solicitors, their employment law expert Martin Bloom talked about some of these tweaks in more detail including the legality of pre-employment health enquiries, secrecy clauses and genuine occupational requirements.

You can listen to his thoughts by clicking here.

Employment Law Breakfast Briefing

I’m just back in the office after our Employment Law Breakfast Briefing and my head’s buzzing with information!

We’ve been running the briefings in conjunction with Hegarty LLP Solicitors for more than a decade and now regularly have 200 people attending.

It takes a lot of work to co-ordinate but it’s so worthwhile.

Hegarty’s employment law experts Tim Thompson and Martin Bloom deliver the actual briefing. The subject this time was the introduction of the Equality Bill on Friday which will spell the final curtain for a host of other legislation including the sex, race and disability discrimination acts.

Having listened carefully to Tim and Martin this morning, I have to say I think the new Bill is breath of fresh air. As Martin explained, in layman’s terms for all of us non-legal delegates, the overall principle of the new rules is ‘fairness’.

The objective of the bill is that everyone has the right to be treated fairly and to fulfil their potential.

There was lots of talk of ‘protected characteristics’ - the new buzz phrase apparently. Protected characteristics are all the things that make us individual – our sex, race, sexuality, disabilities, marital status… Under the new Equality Bill employers – and potential employers – can no longer single anyone out for discrimination on any of those grounds.

While the protected characteristics encompass a wider spectrum than the previous laws covered – particularly including marital and civil partnership status, gender resassignment and pregnancy and maternity leave – it does seem to be a much easier to understand ‘catch all’ bill which, from an HR point of view, should make life a little simpler.

Lots more to blog about on this subject over the coming days…

Salary survey results revealed

* Guest blog from Nel Woolcott, Recruitment Partner

At last – some evidence to back up what we’ve been noticing over recent months. The results of our annual Local Market Salary Survey have been collated. And they show an average two per cent increase in wages over the past 12 months.

That may not sound a lot but bearing in mind last year’s survey revealed a 3.6 per cent downturn it’s definitely a reason to be cheerful.

The other significant thing to mention is the number of businesses which took part in this year’s survey – 32 – which is a third more than last year. The conclusion we’ve drawn from this is that companies are keen to buy in to key decision making tools, which is what we like to think the survey is.

Contributors receive detailed reports showing how their salary scales match up to other companies in the same sector. They provide the perfect benchmark when setting salary levels. This is now more important than ever as companies have to position themselves as employers of choice to attract the right candidates to lead them out of the recession.

We’ve noticed a sea change in candidates’ attitudes. With the slight upturn in the economy, candidates do now feel like they can pick and choose roles – certainly to a bigger extent than they could last year when it was a case of ‘any job’ rather than ‘that job’.

Employee retention is vital too – especially for those companies who were forced to shed jobs. They need to hold on to those who are left.

There were fluctuations in the results, as always, with secretarial and admin staff receiving the biggest rise – five per cent - on average. And, drilling down to specific roles - call centre advisers were the biggest winners with an average increase of 10.3 per cent.

To register an interest in taking part in next year’s survey please email us.