International Coach Federation Conference 2010 Goes to Fort Worth Texas USA

28th June 2010

More than 1,300 coaching professionals from over 40 countries are expected to visit Fort Worth, Texas, USA in October 2010 between the 27th to 30th for the coaching industry’s largest, global event of the year.

Professional coaches, coach trainers, renowned speakers, industry leaders, and exhibitors from all over the world will gather for three days of accredited education, networking, and celebration during the International Coach Federation’s 15th Annual International Conference.

“Celebrating the Art, Science and Practice of Coaching Worldwide” is the theme of this year’s anticipated event, which will open with a special ICF 15th anniversary reception at the Fort Worth Convention Center, located near the city’s exciting entertainment district downtown.

“The ICF is excited to be observing our 15th anniversary in 2010 and what better way to celebrate than with our members and fellow coaches at our annual conference,” exclaimed ICF President and Master Certified Coach Giovanna D’Alessio. “While reflecting on our industry’s young history, we will come together as a profession to embrace the knowledge, innovation, diversity, passion and vision that will move coaching forward another 15 years. We invite coaches and others interested in our profession to join us for this truly, memorable occasion.”

This year’s event promises a fresh, full schedule of educational sessions, offering even more participant interaction and hands-on learning than in the past by introducing breakout sessions of 90 minutes, two and three hours in length. Attendees will experience a new twist on the three general, or “super”, sessions traditionally offered. Rather than three individual speakers, these super sessions will feature a teaching string quartet, a coaching trends exploration time, and one expert speaker.

Through a series of concrete and interactive exercises, the Annesci Quartet, a metaphor for a working team, will offer attendees unprecedented ideas for new ways in management and working with teams during the Oct. 28 super session.

New this year, “Global Conversations” will bring attendees together on October 29th for a rich exploration of five key trends and how coaches can positively and creatively address these trends within the industry and through work with organizations and individuals.

Global futurist and trends expert Anne Lise Kjaer of London will close the conference Oct. 30 on a high note. With her insight into every area of the future—from energy, cars, technology, health, food and fashion, to the next big thing in culture and retail—Lise Kjaer has a unique ability to engage and inspire ICF conference attendees.

Registration is now open for this must-attend coaching event of the year. Early bird rates are good through Aug. 31. ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching is a distinct service and differs greatly from therapy, consulting, mentoring or training. Individuals who engage in a coaching relationship can expect to experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced thinking and decision-making skills, enhanced interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence in carrying out their chosen work and life roles.

The International Coach Federation is the leading global organization for coaches, with over 13,800 members in more than 90 countries, dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high ethical standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches. The ICF is the only organization that awards a global credential which is currently held by more than 6,300 coaches worldwide. For more information on how to become or find an ICF Credentialed coach, please visit our website at www.coachfederation.org. Registration is now open for global coaching industry’s largest annual event.

Gráinne Suter of jml Training & Consultancy is a Member of The International Coach Federation

Find out more about Coaching services from jml Training at http://www.jml-training.com/coaching.htm

Training Wages

Monday 28th June 2010

CIPD policy paper calls for an end to unpaid internships for University students with the introduction of a new 'Training Wage'

An introduction of a £2.50 an hour 'Training Wage' is being called for by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development on the day that internship schemes for recently graduated students begin across the country.

With CIPD research showing that over a third (37%) of internships are currently unpaid, Internships: To Pay or not To Pay? proposes that all interns are paid a guaranteed minimum wage. It argues that a new 'Training Wage' would help reflect the contribution that an intern is likely to make to an organisation, as well as promote social mobility through encouraging people from poorer backgrounds to apply.

The proposed Training Wage of £2.50 an hour - which is the current minimum rate of pay for apprentices - would be introduced under the plans, to cover all interns and apprentices regardless of their occupation or industry sector. Any position that is advertised as an internship would automatically trigger a legal obligation on the part of the employer to pay at least the Training Wage throughout the entire duration of the internship, helping to reduce complexity surrounding the issue of payment for young people and also support better enforcement arrangements.

Other recommendations in the policy paper include:
• A new code of best practice, building on the CIPD's Internships That Work: A guide for employers (published in 2009), should be widely disseminated to employers to help improve the quality of programmes offered to young people
• Consideration should be given to the working rights, for example sick pay, that interns should be entitled to
• Discussions should take place regarding the possibility of having regional pay variations to reflect different living costs in certain parts of the country

Tom Richmond, Skills Adviser at the CIPD, says: "The continued existence of a major loophole in the national minimum wage legislation has created a lot of confusion and concern around the issue of whether interns should be paid or not. We believe that the introduction of this Training Wage would reflect the contribution that interns make to their organisations, which is likely to be less than that of a fully-trained member of staff, at the same time as avoiding concerns over reductions in the number of internship opportunities that may result from all interns being paid the full minimum wage.

"Alongside the introduction of the Training Wage, a number of related issues would also need to be discussed, including which working rights interns should be entitled to. Nevertheless, the creation of the Training Wage would represent a significant step towards ensuring that internships promote social mobility, provide young people with valuable experience and help tackle exploitation in the workplace. What's more, organisations would still be able to recruit young talent at a reasonable rate during this difficult economic period and beyond."

Source CIPD

Implications of the June Budget

The CIPD responds to the implications of the Budget for jobs, public sector pay, pensions and the default retirement age

Dr John Philpott, chief economic adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), comments as follows on today's emergency Budget:

"The Chancellor has introduced what must surely rank as the most astonishing UK budget statement in modern times. Mr Osborne's combination of £32 billion additional spending cuts by 2014-15 and an £8 billion net tax hike amounts to an unprecedented fiscal squeeze, including an extremely severe clampdown on the welfare bill. Yet both he and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reckon there is a greater than evens chance that the government will meet what the Chancellor calls its 'fiscal mandate' with barely any serious short-term impact on economic growth and employment.

"Although the OBR has downgraded its pre-Budget economic growth forecasts in the light of Mr Osborne's austerity measures, and become a bit more pessimistic about jobs, the suggested outlook for the economy is nonetheless remarkably rosy, with investment and net exports more than making up for weak household spending and a big drop in public spending. The Chancellor could hardly have asked for more had he and his Treasury team stuck with tradition and come up with the forecast themselves.

"One suspects, however, that the forecast outlook will prove too good to be true. The fiscal squeeze both at home and across the eurozone will curb the demand for the goods and services that ultimately drives business investment and exports. Economic growth will slow by far more than today's budget suggests and, rather than peaking at 8% this year, unemployment will continue to rise toward 3 million (10%) by the time Mr Osborne's measures take full effect. This will add to public borrowing and debt, not reduce it. The 2010 Emergency Budget is not the beginning of the end of the UK's post-recession economic difficulty but the start of a period of painfully slow growth, falling living standards, and prolonged high unemployment."

Additionally, Dr Philpott comments on the public sector management challenge ahead:
"Significant job cuts were inevitable whoever won the election. However, there is little evidence that any of the parties gave serious thought to the enormous management challenges associated with delivering their manifesto commitments through a workforce demoralised by redundancies, pay restraint and pensions reform.

"We've warned consistently that the public sector may be numerically overmanaged, it is qualitatively undermanaged. To get the best from a workforce cowed by the harsh winds of fiscal restraint will require a step change in management capability in the public sector. Those who lose their jobs are only part of the story - how the 'survivors' are managed will determine if the story has a happy ending for the UK's public services."

Charles Cotton, CIPD reward adviser, also comments on the two-year public sector pay freeze, plans to raise the state retirement age and to consult on the default retirement age, and the newly-formed Hutton Commission into public sector pensions:

Public sector pay:
"In the short term, while a pay freeze will stop the public deficit getting any worse, it will do little to help the deficit get any better. For that to happen we need to review what public sector services we need, what delivery structures are most appropriate, what skills, behaviours, attitudes and performance we need from public sector workers and how we should reward and recognise these. At the moment, however, serious joined-up thinking about how to reform pay and benefits to get the best from public sector workers is being drowned out by the incessant, monotone noise of the deficit reduction vuvuzelas.

"The government also needs to be wary of the dangers of a prolonged squeeze on public sector pay. Keeping the lid on pay for year after year would cut costs at the expense of severe public sector recruitment and retention difficulties. This would harm the quality of public service provision as public sector employers would have to make do with lower quality staff, while history suggests that periods of tight pay restraint are subsequently followed by periods of significant public sector pay inflation when earnings are raised to competitive rates."

Plans to raise the state retirement age:
"It is no great surprise that the Government is planning to accelerate the rise in the state retirement age. However, it is a shame that they have swerved a clear decision on the default retirement age, and have chosen instead to hold yet another consultation on its abolition. They should make their consultation swift, and move quickly to bring to an end the absurdity of enforced retirement. In tough times like these, it is all the more crazy to force people out of the labour market and into the pension claimant ranks. People who want and are able to keep working can do more to reduce the deficit than people forced out of work and into unwilling retirement."

Hutton Commission into public sector pensions
"Plans to ask public sector employees to contribute more now towards their future pensions are nothing more than a necessary short-term down payment on more substantial reform of public sector pensions. We welcome this first step towards reform, but expect more substantial recommendations for the medium and long term from John Hutton when he reports back on his findings.

"Public sector pensions today manage the uniquely poor combination of being extremely costly, while still somehow failing, given their cost, to be used as effectively as they should to attract, retain and motivate people in the public sector. As well as addressing the costs, public sector employers need to find better ways of communicating to employees the benefits of public sector pensions."

Meanwhile the CBI said...

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Budget speech, Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, said: "The Chancellor has achieved his twin objectives of setting out a credible plan for the public finances and producing a convincing growth strategy for the longer-term.

"Mr Osborne is close to achieving his 80:20 ratio of spending cuts to tax increases, which is so important to sustaining long-term growth. He has struck a sensible balance on Capital Gains Tax, limiting the impact of the increase on entrepreneurial activity and long-term savers.

"The 5-year route map for Corporation Tax provides much-needed consistency and certainty. Taken together with proposals on foreign profits and intellectual property, these will help prevent and could even reverse the flow of companies overseas.

"There was clear recognition in the Budget of the role that business needs to play in getting the economy back into shape, and generating the jobs and wealth needed to sustain economic recovery.

"The Chancellor has sensibly taken measures to secure public support by offering extra help to cushion the impact on low-income families.

"This Budget is the UK's first important step on the long journey back to economic health. The autumn spending review, and the re-engineering of public services, will be equally challenging."

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation commented

The REC has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s proposals in his Emergency Budget to help the UK’s jobs market through reducing tax liabilities on private sector businesses and creating a stable tax environment for them to plan.

Commenting on the Emergency Budget as a whole, Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the REC said:

"We are delighted that the Government has put tackling business taxation at the heart of this budget. It is clear that the private sector will need to grow jobs as the public sector sheds them, and this Budget sets the framework for this to happen."

More specifically on the proposals, Kevin Green has made the following comments:

On the rise in the NI thresholds

"We are delighted that the Government has got rid of the planned tax on jobs. The planned rise in National Insurance Contributions would have simply added cost onto hiring temporary staff for every hour they work. We need measures which encourage employers to take on more staff to tackle unemployment. The rise in the threshold will assist this."

On corporation tax

"The reduction in the rates of corporation tax and small business tax will certainly make Britain a more attractive place to do business. This will bring new jobs to our economy. In addition the plan to reform corporate taxation over the next five years to make it simpler, clearer and more stable, is very welcome. It will offer businesses the basis on which to plan for the future."

On public sector resourcing

"The Chancellor is right to freeze public sector pay for two years, a measure which many in the private sector have already experienced and we are encouraged to see that public sector pension costs are being reviewed. But the biggest impact on the public sector will still be the slashing of expenditure, in some departments, of up to 25 per cent. The public sector needs to use this tight spending environment to fully review how it runs and operates. Simply salami-slicing the spend will not bring about the structural change the sector needs to serve in the 21st century. The public sector needs to become more efficient and know how to attract the talent it requires. In the longer term, the jobs market in the public sector should be as flexible and adaptable as our successful private sector model."

On reducing red tape

"We are delighted to see the commitment to review all regulations scheduled for introduction. The forthcoming Agency Worker Regulations are of particular concern to recruitment agencies. Whilst the regulations broadly struck the right balance, there are some areas where they could be improved before introduction. This is vital if we are to keep temporary work opportunities viable. We will also be looking for a review as to how the forthcoming automatic enrolment pensions provisions interact with the agency work market. The REC supports pensions savings for temporary workers, but in their current form the regulations are unsuited to the fast-paced dynamic temporary jobs market."

On the rise in VAT to 20 per cent

"This will hit some jobs hard, especially the supply of agency staff into the charitable and financial sectors. The REC recognises the need to raise revenue, however greater allowances should be made for those businesses and organisations who cannot recoup the VAT they are charged, especially when that charge is applied to jobs."

On the income tax threshold

The REC also noted that many temporary workers would be winners with the rise in the income tax threshold. Kevin Green continued: "Any temporary workers use agency work to dip in and out of work on a part time basis. The rise in the income tax threshold means that they will leave the agency at the end of the week with more money in their back pocket."

On welfare reform

"We welcome the focus on reducing the growth in benefit costs and moving people into work. However the REC believes that a complete review of how the benefits systems interacts with today's work of work is needed. Many people use temporary work as a stepping stone into a career and more permanent work. However at the moment the risks are too high, with it taking too long to move on and off benefits. We need a benefits system which will allow people to work the hours that they find, without having to wait weeks to move back onto benefits if the work dries up."

On small businesses and procurement

"We welcome the move to open up public procurement to smaller businesses, not least through publishing tenders free of charge so that all can access them. This move will be welcomed by niche recruiters who can help fill specialist roles and will make it easier for local firms to win business close to home."

Remember business must continue despite cuts and "There has never been a better time to invest in your organisation's future than investing in training now" for more information visit www.jml-training.com

Communities minister celebrates equalities scheme

15 June 2010

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell met with over 60 women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds yesterday, after they graduated from a ground-breaking mentoring scheme in the House of Commons on Monday 14 June 2010.

The BAME**(Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) Women Councillor Mentoring Scheme aims to encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to engage with their council. Sixty women took part in the scheme and eight were so inspired that they stood for election in the 6 May poll, four of them winning seats.

He spoke alongside Lynne Featherstone, Equalities Minister, at an event on Monday 14 June organised by the Government Equalities Office (GEO) and Operation Black Vote (OBV).

Andrew Stunell said: "Good representation is the key to making public institutions responsive to the needs of the people they serve. The Big Society and Localism are both about inclusiveness and fairness, giving huge potential for women and ethnic minorities to influence decisions. The more we give power back to local bodies, the more important this gets.

"Congratulations to all of the women who took part in the scheme. I'm looking forward to working with partners and Ministerial colleagues across government to push the race equality agenda forward and improve opportunities for people of all backgrounds."

The Ministers met women who took part in the scheme, launched last year by OBV and the GEO. It paired BAME women with local councillors over a six month period, from October 2009 to March 2010.

The scheme gave participants first hand knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of councillors, serving officers and an insight into systems and procedures. The aim was that upon completion, the leadership programme would equip and motivate participants to engage in party politics.

As the lead department for race equality, Communities and Local Government has worked closely with the GEO to deliver this scheme.

Participants were also encouraged to become Community Ambassadors under the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) scheme funded by GEO, explaining and promoting the benefits of civic engagement and encouraging others to also become involved in community affairs.

Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities said: "BAME women make up more than 5 per cent of the population but less than 1 per cent of councillors. Our democracy is supposed to be representative, rooted in the community. It won't be representative until more women like these are at the heart of decision making at a local and national level. We need all sections of society represented in politics so we can get decisions that can have a real effect on everyone.

"These new Councillors do not just want change; they have put themselves forward to make change happen. They are role models for equality - bringing a voice to decision making that has been missing for too long."

Francine Fernandes, OBV Head of Shadowing Schemes said: "The women have blazed a trail of political success. Within a very short period of time, they have moved from political bystanders to political leaders. Their collective journeys and achievements starkly demonstrate the wealth of talent within BAME communities and defy stereotypes about women and particularly BAME women. OBV are especially pleased that so many of the participants put themselves forward as candidates and are now local councillors. We celebrate their entrance into public life and commend the positive contributions which they are making to their local communities."

Notes:
The cross-party **BAME Women Councillors' Taskforce was set up to find practical ways to increase the numbers of Black, Asian and minority ethic (BAME) women councillors. The 60 participants of the mentoring shadowing scheme were selected nationally and party pairings were based on the preference of candidates. The four mentees who were recently elected as local councillors were as follows:

Cllr Judith Best , Liberal Democrat, Lambeth
Cllr Pathumal Ali, Liberal Democrat, Sutton
Cllr Margaret McLennan, Labour, Brent
Cllr Dr Sheila D'Souza, Conservative, Westminister

New Procedure for information about potential discrimination and equality of term cases

Wednesday 16th June 2010

New streamlined procedure for obtaining information about potential discrimination and equality of term cases

One of the ways in which the Equality Act 2010 streamlines discrimination law is by replacing a series of nine individual questionnaires about possible discrimination (for sex, disability, sexual orientation etc), with a single set of paperwork (guidance and forms) for all types of discrimination. There will also be new guidance and forms for equality of terms issues (formally known as the equal pay provisions).

We are consulting on the draft paperwork for obtaining information about potential discrimination and equality of term cases. The new paperwork will come into use when the Equality Act 2010 comes into force later this year.

Discrimination law currently provides a process for a person who thinks that he or she may have been unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised to obtain information from the person they think has acted unlawfully against them. The process allows an employee or a consumer of a service or goods for example to request information before deciding whether to present a claim to an employment tribunal or court.

A prospective claimant can ask to obtain background information to assist their claim, e.g. relative numbers of men and women in the workplace, or their racial background, or ask about the reasons for the particular action which may be discrimination. The questions and the answers are admissible as evidence in a case brought under discrimination law and the court or tribunal may draw inferences from a failure by the respondent to answer the questions posed or from evasive or equivocal answers.

The person may ask questions either on a form prescribed by the Government or in some other way, for example by letter. There are currently nine different sets of forms covering all the current equality strands. These include forms for possible sex discrimination, race discrimination, age discrimination in employment only, equality of terms etc. GEO is currently responsible for some of the forms (www.equalities.gov.uk), whilst other Government Departments are responsible for the rest of the others.

Source: Government Equalities Office

See also: Equal Opportunities and Diversity in the Workplace at the jml Training Site

CIPD News 16th June 2010

'Flat' official labour market figures signal start of public sector jobs cull

Dr John Philpott, Chief Economic Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) comments as follows on official labour market statistics published earlier today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which update the Labour Force Survey measures of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity to the quarterly period February-April 2010, Public and Private sector employment to March 2010, the count of people unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance to May 2010, and average weekly earnings for April 2010:

"Judging by these latest figures the UK jobs market is in somewhat better shape than for a while but remains fairly flat. The rise in headline unemployment has slowed, claimant unemployment continues to fall, and employment is broadly stable with growth in private sector jobs (up 12,000 in the three months to March) just outstripping a fall (down 7,000) in public sector jobs. The rise in headline unemployment is again dampened by a rise in the number of economically inactive people, though in a break with recent trends this is due to more people giving up looking for work saying they are long-term sick rather than an increase in student numbers (student numbers having fallen in the latest quarter).

"Signs of recovery in the private sector jobs market - which reflect the findings of forward looking surveys of employers hiring intentions, including the CIPD's own quarterly survey - are welcome but beg the question whether the private sector will be able to fill the jobs gap once the process of public sector downsizing gets fully underway.

Spending cuts announced by the coalition government for the current financial year will reduce public sector employment by around 50,000 by next spring, on top of any reductions already in the pipeline. And next week's Emergency Budget will contain measures that will lead to a subsequent mass cull of public sector jobs. In the absence of a strong private sector jobs recovery, the cull will lift headline unemployment toward 3 million by 2012.

"Moreover, while the private sector jobs market is improving all the net new jobs being created at present are either part-time, temp positions or filled by the self-employed. The number of employees and self-employed people working part-time because they could not find a full-time job has increased to 1.08 million, the highest level recorded since comparable figures were introduced in 1992. And while formal public sector jobs are falling it's clear that spending by the previous government on training and employment programmes for the unemployed supported a substantial increase in the number of young people in work during the early part of this year.

The February-April quarter saw the first quarterly increase (48,000) in the number of 18-24 year olds in work since the start of the jobs recession in 2008. The coalition government will need to demonstrate that its welfare to work measures can maintain this momentum at a time when public spending is being cut."

In defence of public sector bonuses: Greater use of performance pay would help protect public purse,says CIPD

Ministers and senior civil servants need to find the courage to make greater use of performance related pay and bonuses in the public sector, not less, if they want to maximise value for the taxpayer while also driving through substantial public service reform. This is one of the key recommendations of a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) into the urgent need for pay and pensions reform in the public sector.

The report, Coping with Less: Pay and pensions in the public sector, highlights statistics* showing that expectations of how employees' pay should be determined varies dramatically between public and private sector workers:

• Only a third (36%) of public sector employees believe they should be paid based on how well they personally perform, compared to three fifths (60%) of their private sector counterparts
• Only 6% of public sector workers see the performance of their organisation as an appropriate factor in determining their pay, compared to a third (35%) of private sector workers
• More than half of public sector workers highlight the cost of living as one of their preferred determinants of their pay (the most popular choice for this group), compared to a third (33%) in the private sector
• A quarter (26%) of public sector workers point to a trade union negotiated deal as one of their preferred determinants of their pay, compared to just 4% in the private sector.

The report, which forms part of the CIPD's Building Productive Public Sector Workplaces series, also:
• Calls for urgent reform of public sector pensions, to address analysis in the report which reveals that for every £1 contributed by public sector employees outside of local government to their pensions, the taxpayer contributes £3.39
• Urges more regional flexibility in public sector pay to take into account variations in labour market conditions and cost of living in different parts of the country
• Reiterates the CIPD's consistent call for a freeze in the overall public sector pay bill, allowing more flexibility for employers to address specific recruitment challenges and reward good performance than a crude freeze on all individual salaries.

Charles Cotton, expert Reward Adviser at the CIPD, said:"Given the state of our public finances, and with CIPD analysis now forecasting 725,000 public sector job cuts in the next five years, pay restraint in the public sector is vital. The public sector workforce is going to have to find ways of emulating the kind of restraint the private sector workforce demonstrated during the recession to have any chance at all of minimising the inevitable job losses to come. However, by allowing emotive headlines about 'snouts in the trough' to ensure any kind of performance related pay in the public sector becomes morally unacceptable, ministers are simply conceding that poor performance and excellent performance should, fundamentally, be rewarded equally.

"A refusal to make use of bonuses in the public sector removes one of the most powerful tools the new government has to drive up standards and deliver its many and stretching ambitions for public service reform and improvement. Conversely, the status quo is an approach to pay that does little to support meritocracy, and may foster mediocrity. By linking pay far more closely to performance, ministers could find that they are able to get far more bang for the taxpayer buck. Pay is far better used as a carrot than it is as a stick.

"The frequent reliance on uniform, union negotiated pay deals, and length of service as a determinant of individual pay progression has ensured that there is a disconnect in the minds of many public sector workers between their performance and the pay they receive. We need to move beyond this to an approach in which individual and collective performance and achievement of results becomes a significant determinant of how much taxpayers' cash public sector workers take home."

On public sector pensions, Charles Cotton added:"The need for public sector pensions reform is well recognised. But the revelation that taxpayers are paying £3.39 for every £1 public sector workers contribute to their pensions highlights the urgency with which the issue needs to be tackled.

"There can be no overnight solution to this problem but, as our report argues, short-term action is required to share the cost and risk of public sector pensions more equitably between employers and employees. In the near future, a fundamental examination of whether the value of public sector pensions is sufficiently well-understood or valued to act as a magnet for talent or driver of performance in the public sector is necessary. And, in the longer term, a shift away from a pay as you go approach towards a far more flexible approach to public sector pensions, more comparable to private sector best practice, will be unavoidable as ministers seek to ensure equity and value for taxpayers."

* Statistics on employee expectations of how their pay should be determined are taken from the CIPD's latest annual Pay Management survey of 2,500 respondents, which can be found here: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/pay/general/_pyattsuk.htm?IsSrchRes=1

Transforming public sector pay and pensions: Building productive public sector workplaces is available to download from the public policy publications section of our website, www.cipd.co.uk/publicpolicy

Source: CIPD

Coaching Courses increase at jml Training

jml Training and Consultancy have just released four new coaching courses. In a News Release, they said "jml Training has just released details of their new in-house coaching courses - Coaching Conversations, Coaching Skills for Managers, Coaching and Mentoring Programme (ILM Accredited) and Setting up coaching in-house for your organisation"

To View this News Release please go to: http://www.jml-training.com/4New_Coaching_courses_launched_06_10PR.htm

Lynne Featherstone to be ’strong voice for women at the heart of the Coalition Government'

On May 12th 2010, the Prime Minister David Cameron appointed The Rt Hon Theresa May MP as Minister for Women and Equalities in addition to her appointment as Home Secretary. Lynne Featherstone MP was appointed the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Equalities) for the Home Office. She is the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, London.

She has promised that the new Government would not roll back progress that has been made on equality.

In her first speech since being appointed, Ms Featherstone told the Fawcett Society that she would be a strong voice for women at the heart of the Coalition Government, alongside Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities Theresa May

The Government is committed to a bold and ambitious approach to tackling gender inequality, including promoting equal pay, ending discrimination in the workplace and ensuring that women aren’t unfairly hit by moves to safeguard the economic recovery.

Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities said:

“We understand that gender equality is not only right, it is necessary. Tackling discrimination helps us all – it is not simply a women’s agenda but everybody’s agenda.

“We will not let the progress women fought so hard for slide backwards in this economic climate. We are committed to building a new landscape that works with women, where women and men are afforded the same opportunities and choices to realise their full potential.

“The issue of equal pay is critical to this. Equal pay and measures to remove the barriers to flexible working are absolutely central to the Government’s programme.”

See also: Equal Opportunities and Diversity in the Workplace at the jml Training Site

UK Employees took 180 million sick days last year

The CBI Confederation of British Industry issued a NEWS RELEASE on the 7th June 2010 "Absence costs UK economy £17 billion – CBI/Pfizer survey -27 million working days lost due to “Sickies"

Employees took 180 million sick days last year, averaging 6.4 days each, according to the latest CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey.

The rate of absence is the lowest since the survey began in 1987, and down slightly from 6.7 days per employee in 2007, the previous surveyed year. A small improvement in the public-sector absence rate helps explain the fall, but it remains significantly higher than the private-sector rate.

The impact of staff absence is considerable, with the 180 million sick days costing employers about £16.8bn in 2009, plus indirect costs like reductions in customer service and delays to teamwork.

Unfortunately, so-called "sickies" remain a problem. The senior HR staff surveyed at 241 public and private-sector organisations estimated that around 15%, or 27 million sick days weren't genuine, and cost the country £2.5bn a year.

The survey also shows that larger organisations had higher rates of absence than small ones, and that firms have increased their use of structured rehabilitation plans to help people with longer-term illnesses back to work.

Katja Hall, CBI Director of Employment Policy, said:"The rate of employee absence has come down, but it still costs the economy billions of pounds a year. If absence levels across the board could be reduced by 10%, the economy would see annual savings of just under £1.7 billion.

"Unfortunately, bogus sick days remain a problem, and are unfair on hard-working colleagues and employers alike."

In the public sector, employees took more sick days, with an average of 8.3 days per year, which is 43% higher than the private-sector figure of 5.8 days. The public sector's record improved since the last CBI absence survey covering 2007, when the average was 9 days. The recent CBI report Time for Action suggested that progress towards private sector absence levels could save £5.5bn by 2015-16.

Ms Hall said:"Although the rate of employee absence has fallen in the public sector, it is still a lot higher than in the private sector, and this issue should be addressed, especially given that the public finances are strained. We estimate that £5.5bn could be saved by 2015-16 if the public sector matched the private sector’s absence rate.

"Improved rehabilitation and workplace health policies are a key part of achieving this, but so is ensuring that absence, where it occurs, is justified."

Long-term absence is a particular problem. Although it only accounted for 5% of absences, the longer periods meant that it accounted for 20% of lost days in the private sector and 36% in the public sector. Back pain and mental health issues are key causes of long-term absence, according to the survey.

Dr. Berkeley Phillips, UK Medical Director, Pfizer Ltd said:“We have long known that mental health, back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders are the leading causes of long-term absence, and this year’s CBI report reinforces this. Whilst employers view loss of productivity as the main impact of absence, as this report highlights, the economic consequences stretch much further and as such, we as a society, need to do more to advance health and wellness at every stage of life.”

Companies are increasingly using rehabilitation plans and support in which getting staff back to work sooner and productively are major objectives. Evidence suggests that this is good for the company and employee’s health alike. The survey showed that 95% of organisations had a formal absence policy - a rise of 10 percentage points compared with 2007.

Asked what the government could do to help, responses were focused on doctors, with 63% of employers wanting to see better occupational health training for GPs, 56% wanting to see better working relationships between GPs and occupational health professionals, and 41% wanting more flexible GP working hours.

The "fit note" was brought in to replace sick notes in April this year, to help ensure that GPs, employers and staff focus on what an employee can do, not what they can’t. Companies welcome this initiative. In the survey, 76% said it would help people get back to work.

As in previous surveys, larger employers tended to have higher rates of absence. For those with 5,000 or more staff the average rate was 6.6 days per year, and for those with 500 to 4,999 it was 6.7 days. However, for organisations with fewer than 50, and between 50 and 199 staff it was 5 days, and for those with 200 to 499 it was 5.8 days.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, rates of absence were higher among manual workers, averaging 7.2 days per year, than non-manual workers, averaging 5.3 days.

Dr Phillips concluded:“This report, which unites the causes and consequences of absence together with an examination of proactive management strategies is important. It mirrors a change in the attitude of both employers and policymakers, who are recognising the direct and indirect benefits of investment in the health and well-being of the UK workforce.”

Notes About this News Release:
The annual absence and labour turnover survey was first conducted in 1987. This year's survey was conducted between February and April 2010. Respondents were asked to report on absence and labour turnover for 2009. Responses were received from 241 private sector companies and public sector organisations who together employ more than 1.28 million employees - equivalent to 5.12 per cent of the UK workforce.

The CBI is the UK's leading business organisation, speaking for some 240,000 businesses that together employ around a third of the private sector workforce. With offices across the UK as well as representation in Brussels, Washington, Beijing and Delhi the CBI communicates the British business voice around the world.

Pfizer: Working Together For a Healthier World™. At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global healthcare portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products.

Every day, Pfizer colleagues work to advance well-being, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world’s leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with healthcare providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable healthcare around the world.

For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. In the UK, Pfizer has its European R&D headquarters at Sandwich and its UK business headquarters in Surrey, and is the major supplier of medicines to the NHS.

CIPD 2010 Annual Employment Law Conference

CIPD NEWS RELEASE 9th June 2010

CIPD 2010 Annual Employment Law Conference set to prepare employers for upcoming legislative changes
6 July 2010, Church House Conference Centre, London

This year's Employment Law Conference from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) will look at the latest developments in employment legislation and case law: the Equality Act, Agency Workers Directive and alternative dispute resolution are just some of the topics to be covered.

The conference is to be headlined by David Frost, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) discussing the costs and benefits associated with employment law; particularly focusing on how to make employment law manageable for employers, as well as sharing insights into the likely legislative impact of the recent general election.

Other sessions include:
• What's New in Employment Law - Ian Smith, Barrister and Dominic Regan, Solicitor and Trainer
• Alternative Dispute Resolutions: avoiding litigation - John Taylor, Chief Executive, Acas and Tom Keeney, Employee Relations Director, BT

Mike Emmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser says: "In these difficult economic times, organisations face real challenges in having to implement dramatic changes, while keeping on top of the relevant employment law issues. Uncertainties about the impact of the new coalition government, combined with the increasing complexity of employment law, can put at risk the capability of the organisation to succeed.

"At the CIPD we understand the need and benefits of successfully implementing organisation change in a way that takes account of legislation, but we also realise the costs and time involved in getting to grips with recent developments. Our conference provides an unequalled opportunity for participants to gain a fuller understanding of recent changes in employment law. It is precisely the kind of input needed in order to help organisations incorporate the necessary changes to their policies and procedures."

Source: CIPD

Effective workforce planning

CIPD urges HR to raise the bar through effective workforce planning with launch of new guide - 7th June 2010

Workforce planning - ensuring the people resources are in place to deliver short and long-term organisation objectives - should be a core process of HR in order to help build sustainable organisation performance. This is the view of a new Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) guide, Workforce Planning: Right People, Right Time, Right Skills, which demonstrates how organisations can deliver the business plan through its people.

CIPD research shows that too many organisations are neglecting to plan for the future. This year's Resourcing and Talent Planning survey, released next week to coincide with the conference of the same name on 16 and 17 June, shows most organisations carry out workforce planning for the next 1-2 years (41%), with a fifth planning less than one year in advance (20%). Responding to these concerns, the guide urges organisations to look beyond short-term budgetary planning to the longer term needs of the organisation for sustained performance.

The guide, based on in-depth interviews with organisations of varying sizes in the public and private sector and a literature review, calls on HR to be a credible business partner through being part of the strategic planning process. It also establishes the role HR can play in helping to manage risk in organisations by using tools such as scenario planning.

Angela Baron, engagement adviser, CIPD, says: "Workforce planning provides the basis for better decision-making to meet the future needs of the business in terms of its people resource. While some organisations have these processes in place, for many there is still a 'knowing-doing' gap when it comes to workforce planning This is a shame as it presents an important opportunity for HR to 'raise the bar' and ensure they are involved in strategic-level planning.

"While there should be a focus on the long term, it's important that workforce plans are 'living' documents and are not set in stone. They need to be constantly reviewed and refreshed to ensure that the organisation can be agile and responsive to the demands of the changing business environment."

Source CIPD