Infozone: the briefing – 15/10/10

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT WORK STUDY

People who take part in a physical activity at work have lower blood pressure and resting heart rate compared with those who do not, according to research by the University of Leeds.

The study developed an intervention that targeted more than 1,300 employees from 44 worksites within five organisations. The intervention was run for three months, carried out by physical activity "champions" within each workplace, with leaflets, self-monitoring tools, team challenges and posters working to keep people engaged in their physical activity.

EQUAL PAY ‘GRINDING TO A HALT'

Progress in addressing the issue of equal pay for men and women appears to be "grinding to a halt", despite improving for the past 30 years, according to a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Research found that the mean gender pay gap for women and men working full time was 16.4%, rising to 27% for women aged 40. Women with no qualifications faced a 58% loss of earnings over their lifetime as a result of motherhood, whereas women with degrees faced a 4% loss.

CAREER ADVICE PLEA TO EMPLOYERS

Employers have been urged to take a more proactive role in providing career advice for school leavers after research revealed that the overwhelming majority of students wanted more guidance from them.

A new report from business advisory firm Deloitte, commissioned by the Education and Employers Taskforce charity, highlights the substantial divide between what young people want from their careers advice and what they get, including the level of employer involvement.

A survey of 500 school leavers conducted for the report showed that 95% would like employers to be more involved.