Latest news and features
Equality and diversity policies 'already paying dividends', reports Home Office
Thursday, 31 May 2012
The Government's approach to spreading opportunity and tackling discrimination is "already paying dividends", The Home Office has reported. The Government has published a progress report highlighting the achievements made since the first cross-government equality strategy was launched in 2010. The strategy marked a change in focus, moving away from regulation, legislation and coercion. Instead, the Government is concentrating its efforts on developing intelligent, light-touch, common…
Response to Queen's Speech
Friday, 11 May 2012
The Government has announced in the Queen's Speech, which sets out the parliamentary programme for the next year, that a draft Care and Support Bill will be published - but that full legislation would be postponed until the next parliamentary session. In response, Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: "It is deeply disappointing that the Government has decided to delay social care legislation…
CIPD renews call to extend flexible working rights
Thursday, 10 May 2012
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said that the government should press ahead with plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. The institute has revealed new research indicating that only a tiny minority (4 per cent) of employers have had difficulties complying with the current right to request flexible working since it was introduced nearly 10 years…
PM told to take leadership on social care reform
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Carers UK has joined an unprecedented group of leaders from local government, NHS and social care services, businesses and unions in an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to take urgent action to tackle a growing crisis in care for older and disabled people. The letter, published in the Daily Mail, has been signed by 85 organisations representing people on the frontline of the…
More and more workers join part-time revolution
Thursday, 03 May 2012
The Telegraph reports that new figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that the number of “underemployed” – ie people in part-time work through necessity rather than choice – surged by 89,000 between December and January, to reach 1.4 million. But this masks a much greater number of people, 5.1 million, who are in part-time work by preference. It is, of course, a luxury…