Posts Tagged ‘candidates’

Tuesday 6th April 2010 is a key day for all employers and HR professionals as it sees the implementation of a number of new laws and changes in existing employment law.  Below is an overview:

Fit notes

Sick notes will be replaced by a fit-note system under which GPs can suggest adjustments to an employee’s role and/or workplace to enable them to return to work. The system was recommended in 2008 by Dame Carol Black, the national director for work and health, in her review of sickness absence.

Requests in relation to study or training

Employees will have a legal right to make a request in relation to study or training – for example, time off work to study.  The right is modelled on the procedure allowing parents and carers to make a request for flexible working.  A refusal of a request must be on one or more grounds specified in the legislation.

Additional paternity leave

Additional paternity leave will see fathers allowed to take up to 26 weeks’ paternity leave in the first year of a child’s life.  This will, in effect, allow fathers to share maternity leave with the mother, who will be able to return to work after six months, leaving the father to take what is left of the 12 months’ maternity leave.

Pensions

The minimum pension age increases from 50 to 55 unless retirement is on the grounds of serious ill health, the member has a protected pension age, or the member started taking benefits before 6 April 2020. Meanwhile, the number of years needed to receive a full basic state pension reduces to 30. The state pension retirement age for women born after 6 April 2010 will rise to 65 between 2010 and 2020.

Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay

From 4 April 2010, the standard rates of statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay and statutory adoption pay will increase from £123.06 to £124.88.  Statutory sick pay will continue at the rate of £79.15 per week.

For more information and for answers to key questions visit Personnel Today.

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A report  on jobs released today jointly by the REC and KPMG revealed that the last month has seen the sharpest number of permanent and temporary appointments made since May 2008.  For more info, and to read the full article, click here.

The REC and KPMG today released the Report on Jobs showing increases, albeit slight ones, in numbers of both permanent and temporary hires in September.

The key findings of the report included:

• Both permanent and temporary appointments posted small rises for the second straight month
• Growth of candidate availability eased further
• Weaker reductions in both permanent salaries and temp pay

This is certainly in line with Igloo RPO’s September figures with an increase of candidates available for reasons other than redundancy.  Earlier this year, candidates were generally not moving unless they were forced to through redundancy.  However, September saw a slight increase in candidates searching for roles simply because they were unhappy in their current role.  Whilst this is good for employers seeking new staff, this does indicate that it would be worth all employers taking the time now to review their employee retention strategies.

See the REC article here.