Employment outlook in UK set to drift

According to a News Release from CIPD - The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development on the 5th March 10, Employment outlook in US and UK set to drift in polar opposite directions, with public sector cuts weighing UK recovery down, according to a comparison of two leading surveys by CIPD.

The release says that on the day when the latest US jobless statistics are released, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) compares its own recent quarterly Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey of over 700 employers with a similar US survey by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). The findings show that while US employment levels are set to gather pace, UK levels will continue to decrease for the first quarter of 2010.

The sharp fall in employment intentions in the UK public sector accounts for the difference, with net employment intentions falling to -33% (the difference between the percentage of employers expecting to employ more staff in the first 3 months of 2010 and the percentage expecting to employ fewer) in the public sector. The fall will have a disproportionate effect on female employment prospects - until now women have fared better in the recession, as they make up a far higher proportion of the public sector workforce than they do that of the private sector.

Across all sectors, the UK survey records a negative balance of -5%. This represents a modest fall compared with the -3% figure recorded in the previous quarter's report. In contrast, the US LMO records a positive balance of +11%, compared to +6% in the previous quarter, which is the most positive figure since the US version of the survey began a year ago.

The Society of Human Resource Management's (SHRM) US LMO survey, based on the same questions as the UK report, finds that around one in ten (12%) US employers plan to cut jobs in the first quarter of 2010. This marks a dramatic reversal from the first quarter of 2009, when almost three-quarters (73%) of employers planned to make job cuts. The improvement is much less marked in the UK, where the number of organisations planning to make redundancies has fallen from 40% in the first quarter of 2009 to 28% in the same period this year.

Gerwyn Davies, CIPD Public Policy Adviser comments: "Our comparison of the US and UK surveys show that employment prospects in the public sector will quite considerably weigh down the UK jobs market.

"With a greater proportion of UK workers employed in the public sector, the jobs market in both countries looks set to drift in polar opposite directions as hundreds of thousands of public sector job cuts are made in the next few years. This will have a greater impact on women than men, who make up more than a third of the total public sector workforce compared to just one-sixth of the private sector, and until now have benefitted hugely from the rapid expansion of the public sector since 1997. As a result, the next few years may see the worst employment prospects for women in a generation."

Key statistics:

• Just over a fifth (21%) of the UK workforce is in public sector employment, whereas 17% of the US workforce is in public employment.
• The number of people in public sector employment in the UK was 6.09 million in September 2009, up 23, 000 from June 2009 and up 910,000 from 1997.
• The number of people in private sector employment was 22.82 million, up 15, 000 from June 2009 and up 1.19 million from 1997.
• More than a third (35%) of the public sector workforce was made up of women in the fourth quarter of 2009. Around one in six (17%) of the private sector workforce was made up of women over the same period.
• According to the latest comparable official statistics, the US unemployment rate was 10% while the UK unemployment rate was 7.8% in the three months to December 2010 Source CIPD

Contact jml Training to discuss your training requirements by email at http://www.jml-training.com/contact.htm

The role of training in the workplace

The National Training Awards have recently issued a News Realease entitled "The role of training in the workplace debated at the House of Commons - National Training Awards highlights businesses investing in their staff"

At a reception hosted by the National Training Awards at the House of Commons today (Tuesday 26th January), representatives from Labour, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats discussed the role training should be playing in helping to drive forward the UK's economy.

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan, John Hayes MP, Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning and Further and Higher Education, Baroness Sharp of Guildford, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords and Chris Humphries CBE, Chairman of UK Skills all spoke at the event designed to raise awareness of the importance of training in the current climate. Each speaker highlighted the positive impact on a business' bottom line that investing in training can have.

Recent research conducted by the National Training Awards has shown that organisations committed to developing their workforce can motivate staff and differentiate themselves from their competitors resulting in increased business opportunity.

The event was hosted by Gordon Marsden MP.

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said: "In these tougher times it's more important than ever that we continue to support and invest in the skills of our workforce, helping individuals get into and stay on at work as well as helping businesses stay competitive and prepare for the upturn."

Simon Bartley, CEO, UK Skills said: "From speaking with past National Training Award winners we have established that more than half have enjoyed increased awareness amongst their customer base, with a further third stating they have gained additional business following winning an award.

"Entering the Awards provides a real opportunity to benchmark your training against the rest of the UK, so step up now and be recognised for your hard work."


The closing date for this year's Awards is Friday 23rd April 2010

More information about The National Training Awards

•The National Training Awards (NTA) identify and celebrate organisations and individuals that have achieved really outstanding business and personal success through investment in training.
•Run on annual basis, The National Training Awards are free to enter and open in January. Entries close on 23rd April.
•The National Training Awards includes the following categories: Large Employer (250 +), Medium Employer (50-249), Small Employer (49 and under), Providing Training and Education, Partnership and Collaboration and Individual.
•In addition, the 'Now is the Time' category was launched in 2009 to encourage employers who have invested in training during the recession, to share their experiences and get public recognition to their commitment to training and re-skilling.
•The National Training Awards are organised on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) by UK Skills. The National Training Awards support the training delivered by organisations working on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
•The National Training Awards support the Skills Pledge

If you are looking for training for your business take a look at this page on the jml Training and Consultancy website http://www.jml-training.com/Looking_for_training_Services.htm

Embedding diversity into talent management strategy

Embedding diversity into talent management strategy will give organisations the edge when building for recovery, says new CIPD research according to a news release issued by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)today, 8th March 20210.

Diversity should be threaded through all talent management activities and strategies so organisations can reap the benefits of accessing and developing talent from the widest possible pool. This is the main finding of a new Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research report, Opening Up Talent for Business Success: Integrating Talent Management and Diversity, launched to coincide with International Women's Day.

The research suggests that organisations, however, are not yet up to speed. Those that are dragging their feet are encouraged to catch up with the best in the field to ensure that they fully utilise the skills of all their employees in ways that are aligned to business objectives.

As such, organisations are advised to recruit and develop a whole wealth of diverse groups to nurture the unique perspectives they can bring. The research explores what is going on in UK-based organisations - through a series of structured focus groups of over 100 people, with a variety of HR directors, diversity and talent professionals - and adds to an increasing body of knowledge that places talent management as the top business concern in all economic sectors.

Five examples of good practice are also offered from Credit Suisse, BT, NHS Tower Hamlets, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Ltd (LOCOG Ltd), and the Guardian Media Group; organisations that all go far beyond compliance with discrimination law. The research demonstrates how they create an inclusive and open workplace by aiming for a seamless approach to the way they attract and develop people with the skills, abilities and potential to contribute their best.

Claire McCartney, resourcing adviser and co-author of the report, CIPD says: "The reality is that many organisations are not recruiting and developing the best possible candidates because they have not built diversity considerations into their talent management approaches. It's important that organisations see talent management and diversity as more, not less important, in periods of economic uncertainty to outwit and outperform competitors through their people.

By opening up talent opportunities organisations will benefit from a stream of differing views and practical answers to problems, helping them to reflect increasingly diverse customer needs and remain ahead of the competition.

Dianah Worman, diversity adviser and co-author of the report, CIPD, adds: "It is alarming to see the wide gulf between the leaders and followers. There seems to be confusion about how to link talent management with diversity without breaking the law, resulting in the issues being dealt with separately so that organisations miss out on the benefits of a joined up approach.

"Our research provides invaluable learning for organisations that have so far failed to make the connection between talent management and diversity, or that are struggling to see the business advantage of doing so."

Want to find out more about Diversity Training? Take a look at the jml Training website at http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity.htm


We have excellent feedback in the last few days on the jml Training Diversity Programmes from two of our clients.

"Irene ran the courses very well and her training style engaged all staff. The biggest compliment I can give is that almost all staff who went into the course thinking it was just "another diversity course", came out having found it both beneficial and really enjoyable" jml Training Client in Kent

"The staff really enjoyed the session. We thought Irene was excellent and it was a really practical and refreshing approach to the subject area." jml Training Client in Berkshire

So if you are looking for Diversity training, we would like to hear from you.

Equality and Diversity at the Open University

Implementing the Open University’s new equality scheme

For 40 years, the Open University has been promoting social justice and equality of opportunity, enabling individuals to achieve their potential. It's core to their mission and it's as important today as it was when they were founded.

They have now developed a new equality scheme which brings all their existing schemes and policies into one place under a shared vision that will create a University community and a society where individuals are treated with dignity and respect, where inequalities are challenged and where we anticipate and respond positively to different needs and circumstances.

- On Tuesday 16 February 2010, the University launched its new equality scheme which incorporates our disability, gender and race schemes and includes for the first time our commitments and actions across a much wider range of individual characteristics, including age, caring and dependency responsibilities, gender identity, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

Baroness Margaret Prosser of Battersea, OBE, Deputy Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission talked to us about ‘education, opportunity and equality’. We were also joined by Will Swann, Director, Students, who chaired the event and Fraser Woodburn, University Secretary, who outlined some of the major challenges and opportunities in implementing this scheme over the next 3 years.

Source: Open University Contact jml Training and Consultancy for your Diversity and Equality Training at: http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity.htm

Narrowing of the gender pay gap in the UK

HR Review reported on the 1st March 10 that
The recent narrowing of the gender pay gap in the UK has been called “negligible” by one sector commentator – which could lead to an increase in concern surrounding salary discrimination.

Figures recently released by the Office for National Statistics show that the overall gender pay gap for both part-time and full-time workers narrowed by 2.5 per cent compared to last year.

This means the gender pay gap for full-time workers has decreased to 12.2 per cent from 12.6 per cent in 2008, a fall of 0.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, for part-time staff the negative gender pay difference narrowed to -2.0 per cent compared with -3.7 per cent the previous year.

However, commenting n the research, Karen Gill, MBE, co-founder of everywoman, suggested there could still be improvement.

“This is a key part of the everywoman manifesto, although there has been a slight move towards improving this gap, in real terms this is negligible and there’s still a way to go,” she said.

According to the National Equality Panel, women’s median hourly pay is 21 per cent less than men’s.

Source: HR Review Diversity and Equality section - Contact jml Training and Consultancy for your Diversity and Equality Training at: http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity.htm

Discrimination in UK work force?

The HR Review asked "Is there discrimination in UK work force?" on the 22nd February 10 with a report saying ...

It could be said the risk of discrimination occurring within the UK’s work force may be increasing, after one commentator asserted a polarisation is occurring among employees.

According to Friends Provident, there are now two distinct groups within the country’s work force – the elite and the excluded – and by 2020 this trend may have become the norm.

It is believed such a movement will have significant implications for both employers and workers.

While the elite are likely to command more power than seen in previous years – leading managers to re-think how they attract and retain such skilled workers – around one million excluded Britons will face limited expectations, the group has claimed.

Commenting on the report, Gillian Fox, HR director at Friends Provident, said: “Businesses will undoubtedly face a shortage of elite workers in 2020, but there is an opportunity for excluded workers to bridge the divide by acting now and improving their skills through training.”

However, she added all will not be lost for the excluded as the report looks to raise awareness of the opportunities available to Britons to further their skills.

Source: HR Review Diversity and Equality section - Contact jml Training and Consultancy for your Diversity and Equality Training at: http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity.htm

Going Global Coaching Conference 2010

The Association for Coaching have issued the following Press Release on the 21st February 2010.

"Going Global Coaching Conference -Association for Coaching 2010 Conference – 11-12 March, London"

The Association for Coaching (AC) has announced its 4th international conference, “Going Global 2010”, taking place over two days on the 11th & 12th March 2010, at the 4.5 star Victoria Park Plaza, London. As one of the largest coaching conferences of the year, it is once again expected to sell out at over 450 participants, made up of up professional and executive coaches, coach training/service providers, academic institutions, buyers of coaching, and organisations building coaching capability or cultures. Bookings can be made on the website acconference.com, along with full conference details.

Going Global reflects the expansion and progression of the coaching profession worldwide, with an international range of speakers and delegates. This conference will have a truly international flavor, with delegates from over 18 countries, including UK & Ireland, Switzerland, the USA, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, Kuwait, Turkey, Bahrain, Singapore, Russia, Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Canada. As the profession increasingly addresses global elements, the conference will deliver an informative mix of thought leadership, theory and practice, with case studies, research, master-classes, networking and exhibitions with the latest tools and coach training.

Day one opens with a stimulating brief address by Association for Coaching’s CEO and Co-Founder, Katherine Tulpa. Tulpa will deliver the welcome address and Going Global key message to ensure the conference starts on an energetic, thought provoking note. Following this will be the first keynote speaker of the event, Julio Olalla, a pioneer in Coaching and Transformational Learning. Olalla is highly regarded to be one of the early founders within coaching, and facilitates coach-training throughout the world. He will be comparing the difference between a ‘good’ life and a ‘better’ life and whether we are in danger of becoming trapped in wanting more, better, faster and stronger at a cost to our overall happiness.

In the evening, there will also be a special Launch event for the AC’s anticipated fourth book, Leadership Coaching, in partnership with Kogan Page and edited by Jonathan Passmore. Several authors will be at hand to discuss different approaches and models used in Leadership Coaching, from “Coaching Global Top Teams”, through to “Creating Emotionally Intelligent Leaders”, and “Strategy Coaching.” The book launch will be preceded by a Master-class by editor Jonathan Passmore on Coaching Leaders.

Day two opens with Sir John Whitmore and Darren Robson presenting the day’s opening address on Sustainability and the role of the Global coaching community. The Day 2 opening keynote follows with Veera Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of ProcServe examining how the success of an organisation lies in its ability to embrace and channel the diversity of its people, and in particular its leadership team, using coaching to draw this out. Over the last 10 years she has played a key role in the development of the UK Government’s policies and strategies in the areas of e-commerce.

In addition, during the afternoon session EI expert Dr. Reuven Bar-On, a professor at the University of Pretoria and at the University of Texas, will provide a keynote talk offering valuable insight into Emotional Intelligence - what it is and how it is measured. He has been working in emotional intelligence (EI) since 1980 and is internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s leading theorists of Emotional Intelligence.

In addition to four distinguished keynotes, the conference features 30 workshops in 5 streams over the two days. Presenters include Professor Stephen Palmer, discussing imagery coaching techniques to reduce stress; Margot Hennessey and Joan Hodgins presenting a workshop on innovation and leadership coaching at Diageo; Liz Dimmock looking at getting value for money from external coaches; while Tracy Sinclair presents a workshop on non verbal intelligence.

jml Training and Consultancy are an Organisational Member of The Association for Coaching

More information about jml-Training's Coaching Services can be found at http://www.jml-training.com/coaching.htm

Inquiry into disability-related harassment

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided an update to the Inquiry into disability-related harassment.


On 3 December 2009, International Day of Disabled People, the Commission announced its intention to conduct a formal Inquiry into the actions of public authorities to eliminate disability-related harassment and its causes. Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission, stated: 'There can be no more important human right than to live life in safety and with security. Its absence prevents us from living our lives to the full. And, for some, its absence has led to the loss of life itself. For many disabled people in Britain safety and security is a right frequently denied.'


They have drafted terms of reference for the Inquiry and are now consulting on these. The Commission wants to hear views by joining the consultation. Their consultation runs until 26 March 2010. Please see The Equality and Human Rights Commission website to find out more about how to get involved.


Once the consultation has finished they will decide what changes, if any, should be made to the terms of reference. Once those changes have been made they will launch the Inquiry and start gathering evidence. Until they have decided on the final terms of reference of the Inquiry we cannot take evidence.

If you are looking for Diversity, Equality, Bullying in the Workplace (and other related topics) training for your organisation, please visit our website http://www.jml-training.com

Equality Act guidance consultation update

The Equality and Human Rights Commission
has just sent us the "Equality Act guidance consultation update" email.The Commission is producing statutory Codes of Practice and non-statutory guidance to cover all aspects of the Equality Bill once it becomes law. The main purpose of this guidance is to help people understand the Equality Act and how it will affect them.


They thank everone who have responded so far. If you haven't yet this is your chance to join in the consultation and help them get it right.

They have now launched separate consultations on the three draft guides for employment; services, public functions and associations; and education. The consultation period runs until 16 April 2010.

More information on the jml-training.com website specialist page " The new Equality Bill- Framework for a Fairer Future – The Equality Bill information, articles and Press Releases from June 2008 onwards" http://www.jml-training.com/Framework_for_a_Fairer_Future_The_Equality_Bill.htm



On 12 January 2010 we opened the consultation on the statutory draft Codes of Practice for employment; equal pay; and services, public functions and associations. This consultation will make sure that the Codes clearly explain the new law and interpret it correctly. The consultation period for the Codes runs until 2 April 2010.

Bullying in the workplace in the news

Bullying in the workplace has been very much in the news in UK today Monday 22nd February 10.

According to the BBC, on Sunday, the National Bullying Helpline's chief executive, Christine Pratt, contacted the BBC to say a small number of people who had worked at Number 10 had contacted the charity, but insisted they had "absolutely not" accused Mr Brown personally of bullying. The story has run all day in the media.

Bullying at work is when someone tries to intimidate another worker, often in front of colleagues. It is usually, though not always, done to someone in a less senior position. It is similar to harassment, which is where someone's behaviour is offensive. For example, making sexual comments, or abusing someone's race, religion or sexual orientation.

At jml Training and Consultancy we provide courses for companies and organizations. If you would like more information please visit our website Page "Bullying in the workplace - What is workplace bullying?" http://www.jml-training.com/What_is_bullying_in_the_workplace.htm and "Bullying in the Workplace" http://www.jml-training.com/Bullying_in_the_workplace.htm