Sunday 25 October 2009

Equality in the workplace: how is the UK doing?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a new report into how a range of UK organisations have established equality policies encouraging employees from diverse backgrounds to participate fully in the workplace.

The report looks at eight employers – including BT, Asda, the British Library and North Wales Police – to see what policies and practices they have adopted to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual and older employees and those with differing religions or beliefs to take up recruitment, promotion or advancement opportunities in the workplace. All eight organisations adopted a variety of equality programmes aimed at making employees feel accepted and preventing discrimination based on age, sexual orientation and religion or belief.

The report will be used by the Commission to develop guidance for employers on implementing effective equality policies.

Andrea Murray, Acting Group Director Strategy from the Commission, said: 'This research provides us with an understanding of how effectively implemented equality policies in the workplace can lead to employees from diverse backgrounds feeling confident and able to fully participate in the organisation. We know that workplace integration for employees is important to allow them to progress in their careers. This report will be used to develop guidance to assist employers in positively engaging with staff from diverse backgrounds.'


Download their report: Integration in the workplace (pdf),

Looking for Diversity / Equal Opportunities Training + for your organisation?

Visit Diversity & Inclusion at jml-training for more information

Saturday 24 October 2009

Unmissable offer Train to Gain - Leadership & Management

We have just added "Train to Gain" information to the jml-training.com and midas-training-france.com websites.

As is most important that training programmes continue throughout the current recession, there are grants available off training courses.

An organisational that is interested in having one of the jml Training and Consultancy bespoke "in house" courses can find out more at this page on our website.

The information is provided by Business Link and
with up to £1000 to put towards training to develop leadership skills. It is funded by Train to Gain's Leadership & Management programme which also includes coaching.

You have to ensure that staff are continually trained, despite economic cutbacks and there has never been a better time to invest in your organisation's future than investing in Training Now

Thursday 15 October 2009

Increase in number of women in work helps curb rise in unemployment

Following the CIPD’s press release “Men not at work - Male employment rate heads toward record low in UK” that was posted on the jml Training blog on the 14th October 09, The CIPD have issued the following press release on the 14th October

Figures published earlier today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a smaller than expected rise in unemployment, with the headline survey based measure of joblessness remaining below 2.5 million in the three months ending in August.John Philpott, Chief Economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), says that this is due to a quarterly increase in part-time employment for women which, although good news, further highlights the degree to which men are being much harder hit than women by the recession, as demonstrated by CIPD analysis earlier this week.

Dr Philpott comments: "The latest official jobless figures show that conditions in the UK labour market continue to weaken, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year. This is consistent with independent employer survey evidence, including the CIPD's, and suggests that the jobless total is now crawling rather than rushing toward a peak of around 3 million in 2010.

"The relative improvement in the labour market is due to a rise in part-time and temporary jobs, with employers who need to recruit remaining wary of hiring full-time staff given uncertainty over the strength of economic recovery. Women are the main beneficiaries of a labour market where part-time work is rising while full-time jobs continue to be cut. This explains why the CIPD expects the rate of male unemployment to rise well above 10% in 2010, with the proportion of men in work set to fall to a record low."The shift from full-time jobs for men to part-time jobs for women has also resulted in a further sharp quarterly fall in the total number of hours being worked in the economy. This is a better indicator than headline employment and unemployment of the underlying toll the recession is continuing to take on the labour market. When combined with figures also released today showing a further slowdown in growth in average earnings - especially in the private sector - the fall in hours suggests that working people who manage to stay in work are nonetheless experiencing a big squeeze on their earned income."

Source: CIPD

At jml Training and Consultancy we run specialist “in house” training courses for Women. If you are an employer and would like to find out more on at http://www.jml-training.com/Training_Development_for_Women.htm Remember there has never been a better time to invest in your organisation's future than investing in training now

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Men not at work - Male employment rate heads toward record low in UK

That is the theme of a press release that has today been issued by the CIPD - Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Apparently 1 in 10 UK men will be unemployed by 2010 as male employment rate heads toward record low. The latest official UK unemployment figures due to be released tomorrow, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) today highlights the impact of the recession on jobs for men and warns that, with a 'jobs light' recovery on the cards, the proportion of men in work is set to fall to a record low.The CIPD's analysis of official statistics, 'Men not at work', finds that:

The male unemployment rate currently stands at 9 per cent (higher than the female unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent). The number of men unemployed has increased by almost 50 per cent during the recession, the number of women unemployed by 33.4 per cent, with unemployment rates rising by 3.0 percentage points and 1.6 percentage points respectively. The deterioration in the labour market position of men has been felt particularly acutely by young men and black men.

At present 1 in 5 18-24 year old men are unemployed and almost 1 in 5 black men are unemployed, more than double the unemployment rate for white British men. The rise in unemployment for black men during the recession has been greater than for white British men and men from other ethnic minority groups.By summer 2009 the employment rate of men of working age had fallen to 75.8 per cent.

Only two years in the post-World War II era (1993 and 1994) have registered a lower proportion of men in work. The low point was 75.0 per cent in the second quarter of 1993 just as the economy began to emerge from recession (the previous low point, following the 1980s recession. was 77.4 per cent in the second quarter of 1983).

The male unemployment rate is forecast to rise above 10 per cent by the start of 2010 before peaking at around 11 per cent (1.9 million). Although depressingly high, the peak in the male unemployment rate should be less than the 12.4 per cent and 12.8 per cent peaks following the 1980s and 1990s recessions respectively.

Dr John Philpott, CIPD's Chief Economist, made this comment: "A focus on the relatively hard impact of the recession on men should not detract from the absolute deterioration in the labour market situation facing both sexes. Indeed, it is likely that the relative position of women will itself deteriorate in the coming decade as real cuts in public expenditure have an adverse impact on public sector employment. However, it is important to highlight the current plight of men in the labour market, not least because once the impact of recession and a 'jobs-light' recovery is fully felt the proportion of UK men in work will probably have fallen to a record low."

Source: CIPD Press Release.