Industry News November 2011

• Auto-enrolment date pushed back

  - British SME's have been given additional time to prepare for auto-enrolment

  Cornwall Council admits data loss

  - Cornwall Council officials have confirmed that the body lost some of its employees confidential information - including their salary details

  Bosses prefer experience over qualifications, claims survey

  - A new survey has revealed that two-thirds of bosses would prefer their candidates to have experience over a plethora of qualifications, reports Fresh Business Thinking

  Ill workers are less productive

  - Employees who come into work when they're ill could be doing more harm than good, suggests new research

  Call for ban on GPs issuing long-term sick notes

  - GPs could be stripped of their power to issue long-term sick notes under new plans from the Government

  Anywhere Working consortium aims to promote flexible working

  - A consortium aiming to promote the benefits of flexible working has been revealed by the Government

  Background checks a certainty for senior roles

  - Just shy of half of firms carry out pre employment checks on potential recruits eyeing up senior management roles, reports HR News Recruitment Bureau

  Nine to five no longer by 2036

  - New research has revealed that the traditional nine to five working day will have all but disappeared by 2036, according to HR Magazine

  Employees abuse clocking-in system

  - Employers around the world are being urged to check their time and attendance systems, after it has emerged that thousands are cheating the clocking-in system

  HR directors should embrace social media, urges expert

  - Instead of ignoring social media, HR departments should embrace change and utilise social media to their advantage, reports HR Magazine

  Fit note receives positive response from GPs

  - Doctors are finally more positive about the 'fit note', reports barkerross.co.uk

  HR needs to respond to "business challenges", claims CIPD president

  - In order to ensure HR sources the "brightest and best" new recruits, the sector needs to continue "to respond to business challenges"

  More women beginning to claim sickness benefits

  - The number of females claiming sickness benefit is rising considerably faster than men, according to new research
• Business owners offered advice about Olympic disruptions
  - Business owners worried about continuity during the Olympic Games have been offered advice from the Government
• More firms checking for CCJs
  - Increased numbers of people are checking for county court judgements prior to commencing any business transaction or taking on new recruits
• CIPD finds that sick employees are vulnerable
  - New research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has highlighted the vulnerability of employees who take excessive sickness absence
• Quarter of businesses blame stress for long-term absence
  - A new survey has revealed the main causes of long-term absence in businesses, with stress cited as the second biggest issue for over a quarter of British businesses
• Sickness costing small firms £1,500 annually
  - The government is being urged to provide relief for firms through the recovery of statutory sick pay