By John Walker on November 29, 2011
The Chancellor has today delivered his autumn statement to Parliament, alongside the publication of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s updated forecasts for growth and borrowing. He announced permanent reductions in spending to ensure that the UK meets its fiscal targets, using some of those savings in the short term to fund infrastructure investment to generate [...]
Posted in Accounts, Business Banking, Business Continuity Planning, Commercial Property Services, Cost Management, Critical Infrastructure, Distribution Channels, Down sizing / Retraction, E-commerce, Economic Cycles, Employment Levels, Financial Capital, Forecasts, Fundability, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Industrial Relations, Inflation, Insurance, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Monetary Policy, Morale, Organized Labour / Unions, Outsourcing, People and Players, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Procurement, Product Research and Development, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Staff, Startups, Taxation, Technology, Telecommunications, UK, UK Budget, Utilities | Tagged Air Passenger Duty (APD), Apprenticeship, Association of British Insurers, Autumn Statement, bank levy, Bank of England, Business Finance Partnership, Chancellor, Child Tax Credit, deficit reduction, enterprise, Enterprise Zones, free education, Free Schools, fuel duty increase, Infrastructure Investors Forum, infrastructure spending, Jobcentre Plus, Jobseeker’s allowance, Local Authorities, measures, mid-sized businesses, National Infrastructure Plan, National Loan Guarantee Scheme, OBR, Office for Budget Responsibility, Official Development Assistance, pension funds, Sector Based Work Academy, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), small firms, smaller businesses, Spending Review period, State Pension age, super-connected cities, tax relief, Work Experience, young apprentices, Youth Contract |
By John Walker on August 19, 2011
Michael Wilson and James Glover of Simply Health discuss why employers are still to be convinced of the business case for investing in health benefits and links between wellbeing and productivity.
Companies are struggling to show they care about their staff, according to a new report which reveals that employees believe employers now care less about [...]
Posted in Arts, Sports and Recreation, Business Culture, Employment Levels, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Health Services, Health and Social Care Services, Industrial Relations, Industry Reports, Insurance, Morale, Personal Services, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Skills and Training, Staff, Surveys, The Work Place, UK | Tagged audio podcast, Engaging Employees through Health and Wellbeing Report, James Glover, Michael Wilson, Simplyhealth |
By John Walker on February 6, 2011
Drive, by Dan Pink - a YouTube video, first recorded on 8th April 2010.
If you are setting up a new business and trying to devise plans for staff remuneration packages this video might be of interest.
The presenter argues that the “carrot and stick” approach to staff motivation works well for simple, straight forward, mechanical work. [...]
Posted in Economic Cycles, Human Resources, Ideas and Innovation, Industrial Relations, Political and Economic Philosophies, Recruitment, Startups, The Work Place, Training, Worldwide | Tagged Dan Pink, motivation |
By John Walker on January 20, 2011
Tribunal cites lack of ‘mutuality of obligation’ as key to ruling in favour of taxpayer.
A seven-year battle with the taxman has ended in victory for PCG member Mark Fitzpatrick.
The long running IR35 dispute reached a conclusion when a tribunal cleared Mark of using his limited company MBF Design Services (MBF) to avoid tax, in reference [...]
Posted in Accounts, Bristol (Area), Design and Photographic Services, Freelancers, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal Rulings, Outsourcing, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Taxation, UK, Vehicle Manufacturing | Tagged IR35, Mutuality of Obligation |
By John Walker on November 22, 2010
Britain’s 1.4m freelance workers love life, are happier with their health, their financial situation, their prospects and their wife, husband or partners!
A ComRes survey published today (Nov 22nd) shows that nearly three-quarters (73%) of the 1,624 polled had actively chosen to become freelancers as a long-term career option in a survey to celebrate National Freelancers [...]
Posted in Employment Levels, Freelancers, Human Resources, Outsourcing, Procurement, Production, Recruitment, Surveys, UK | Tagged family friendly employers, PCG, statistics, trends |
By John Walker on October 22, 2010
Commenting on the recent Comprehensive Spending Review, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said;
“The cuts announced in the Government’s spending review are a retrograde step and will have a devastating impact on vital public services, including education.
“The Government may talk about protecting schools, but schools are not [...]
Posted in Construction, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Employment Levels, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Organized Labour / Unions, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Recruitment, UK | Tagged Building Schools for the Future, Christine Blower, Comprehensive Spending Review, cuts, National Union of Teachers, NUT, public services, public spending cuts, Sure Start |
By John Walker on October 19, 2010
The Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 will deliver the biggest budget cuts since the Second World War, according to leading economists. In anticipation of the Treasury’s announcement on 20 October, Advanced Computer Software Group plc (the leading supplier of software and IT services to the public, not-for-profit and commercial sectors) is urging the public sector to [...]
Posted in Business Software, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Equipment & Operational Resources, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Health and Social Care Services, Human Resources, IT and Telecommunications Services, Information Technology, Intangible Resources, Not-For-Profit Sector, Outsourcing, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Technology, UK | Tagged Advanced Computer Software Group, Cost Cutting, ICT, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Outsourcing |
By John Walker on October 15, 2010
When the alarm goes off in the morning are you a sunshine, happy person or do you pull up the duvet in the hope of escaping the dark, cruel world outside?
As a freelancer do you know how your skills are valued? If you engage freelancers in your company or organisation, do you welcome a talented [...]
Posted in Employment Levels, Freelancers, Human Resources, Market Research, Project Management, Recruitment, Surveys, UK | Tagged National Freelancers Day, PCG |
By John Walker on March 25, 2010
The UK Treasury has released further information following the Chancellor’s Budget Statement (Wednesday March 24th 2010). The following is an excerpt from the notice that outlines the particular measures for supporting business and growth.
The Government took decisive action to support the economy during the financial crisis and its aftermath. As the UK emerges from [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Farming and Farming Support Services, Arts and entertainment, Bars, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Energy and Utilities, Environmental Issues, Financial Resources, Food, Drink and Tobacco Manufacturing, Food, Drink and Tobacco Retail, Food, Drink and Tobacco Wholesale, Forecasts, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Media and Creative Services, Monetary Policy, Petroleum and Fuel Products Wholesale, Political and Economic Philosophies, Public Spending and State Aid, Real Estate Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Taxation, UK, UK Budget, Waste Management and Environmental Services | Tagged Accelerated Development Zones, Annual Investment Allowance, Better Regulation measures, Energy Market Assessment, Entrepreneurs’ Relief, Green Investment Bank, Higher Education Modernisation Fund, small business rates relief, The Treasury, Time to Pay arrangements, UK Finance for Growth, University Enterprise Capital Fund |
By John Walker on December 6, 2009
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced that the MIT Red Balloon Challenge Team won the $40,000 cash prize in the DARPA Network Challenge, a competition that required participants to locate 10 large, red balloons that had been placed at undisclosed locations across the United States. The MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) team [...]
Posted in Advertising and Marketing Services, Awards and Accreditations, Fashion, Trends and Memes, Human Resources, Ideas and Innovation, Marketing, Marketing Facilities, Multi-Level Marketing, North America, Sales, Technology | Tagged ARPANet, DARPA, MLM, Multi-Level Marketing, Network Marketing |
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