Infozone: the briefing – 26/03/2010
JOBS SAVED BY FLEXIBLE WORKING
One-fifth of organisations have avoided redundancies by introducing flexible working practices, a survey has shown. Two-thirds of employers that introduced part-time hours or other forms of flexible working during the recession have managed to cut costs, while a similar number say it has helped reduce the number of jobs lost, the 2010 IRS Flexible Working Survey, published exclusively by XpertHR, has found.
LACK OF SKILLS REMAINS A BIG CONCERN FOR UK COMPANIES
Skills shortages remain an issue for many UK companies despite millions of people being unemployed, research has shown. Of the 209 companies surveyed by the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils, 31% said it is not possible to recruit people with the required skill. Just under two-thirds of the panel did not feel that Government investment in education is "well targeted" to the needs of their sector. There were calls among the panel members for the Government to recognise those who do train through concessions or tax breaks.
FIRMS WASTING 8% OF PAYROLL COSTS ON INEFFICIENT PAY POLICIES
UK companies are wasting almost £4,000 per employee - or 8% of their payroll costs - by failing to deliver their pay policies efficiently, according to research.
Analysis of corporate pay rates by HR consultancy Mercer shows that over-remuneration adds on average £3,262 per employee to the annual wage bill. Under-payment also adds risk equating to around £800 per employee to an organisation's bottom line, the report shows, as it leads to disgruntled and demotivated staff.
The inconsistency pivots around the contribution of line managers, who are often less discriminatory in distributing available pay increases than their businesses would like them to be, Mercer said.
