August 2010
New jobs the go
The number of Kiwi workers applying for alternative employment has doubled in the last six months, according to a major workplace survey by Leadership Management Australasia.
Human Capital reports one in 3.5 employees have applied for a new job in the last six months compared to one in seven in November 2009. And in Australia, one in four people have applied for a new job compared to one in eight six months ago.
The survey also found there has been a 25 percent increase in the number of people in New Zealand actively looking for a new job, and a 15 percent increase in those considering looking for a new job.
Leadership Management Australasia’s Adrian Goldsmith said the ‘staggering’ jump in job applications was due to management ignoring employees and concentrating on getting business back on track following the financial crisis. He said employees have been overlooked and have received no reassurance about their futures.
Goldsmith warned New Zealand business leaders to move quickly to secure their good people or face the consequences of a talent war where they could be forced to pay 25 to 30 percent salary premiums.
Opinion divided on 90-day hiring law expansion
Results from the latest Seek Watercooler survey shows public opinion is split on the introduction of the proposed 90-day hiring law for all companies of any size. Asked whether the 90-day hiring law change should be extended to bigger companies, 48 percent voted yes and 52 percent voted no.
Advocates say the 90-day trial period will work as a safety net, and result in an increase in hiring, as employers will be able to take a risk on someone they might not have otherwise employed. Prime Minister John Key told the recent National Party annual conference that he believes this change will give people “a shot at work”.
However there are concerns employers will use the new laws to prevent dismissed workers having access to unions after an unfair dismissal, and that the approach may limit training and development opportunities.
Equal Opportunities commissioner Dr Judy McGregor has voiced concern that the change will mean there is less obligation on employers to invest in that 90 days. “That would be a tragedy for young people,” she says.
Annemarie Duff, general manager of Seek New Zealand, says that from a job seeker’s perspective, it’s important to talk to employers about their approach to a trial and to thoroughly review all aspects of an employment agreement.
“My advice would be to ask questions related to on-the-job training and development opportunities in the first three months, and to talk about the competence review process up front. Find out what the criteria for any performance assessments will be, and make sure you’re clear and comfortable with that at the outset.”
Trial periods evaluated
The Department of Labour has evaluated trial periods after a year in which they have been available to use by firms with 20 or fewer staff. The evaluation, conducted by survey and interview, found employers happy with how they are going, while employees are not so convinced.
Employer awareness of trial periods was high, although detailed knowledge was uneven. Trial periods had been used by half the eligible surveyed employers, who were generally very satisfied because they faced no extra costs and some had saved money through simplified dismissal processes.
Employees did not appear so well informed about trial periods. Those who had experienced them recognised some benefits for themselves as well as for employers, but some also felt vulnerable to unfair treatment and job loss. For those who remained in their job after the trial period ended—75 percent of those on trials—the DoL reports the experience was “not negative”.
Employers who used trial periods did so to check on an employee’s suitability for the job, and to be able to dismiss the employee easily if they were unsuitable for the job. Those who chose not to use trial periods did so because of the duration of the work, the employers’ views of employment relationships generally, whether they knew the applicant, and the information they had about using trial periods.
Keeping tabs on staff whereabouts
Where’s John? What time will Kate be in today? Tired of not knowing where everyone is? Christchurch-based IT consultancy Digital Fusion has put a modern twist on the in-out board that hangs in many office reception areas and created a web-based version it calls Tabzon.
“Tabzon shows you the location and availability of all staff at a glance,” says developer Matthew Rhodes. “It’s ideal for any organisation that has more than a handful of employees, particularly if they’re mobile or in and out of meetings.”
“Being able to quickly view everyone’s status and whereabouts eliminates guesswork, saves time and leads to a more efficient workplace. You’re only a click away from updating your own status, someone else’s status or looking up one of your team’s contact details,” he says.
Because it’s web-based, there’s no software to install and Tabzon can be accessed anywhere that has an internet connection. One American company is using Tabzon to keep track of repair techs out in the field, and a Canadian organisation say the simplicity makes it perfect for them.
Since it’s release in April, nearly 1000 groups have signed up from around the globe and plans are afoot to add iPhone and iPad versions.
Employment equilibrium short-lived
The New Zealand job market is currently experiencing a rare ‘employment equilibrium’, says Richard Manthel, managing director of Robert Walters New Zealand.
There are still sufficient numbers of candidates available in most disciplines to fill roles made vacant by natural attrition and increased candidate movement. However, Manthel (pictured) predicts a return to an acutely candidate-short market by the beginning of 2011 if conditions continue to improve.
“We strongly suggest organisations concentrate on investing in staff training and development in the latter half of this year in order to retain their top performers and seek to increase their access to talent pipelines in both the domestic and overseas market,” he says.
Robert Walters recently conducted a series of New Zealand information seminars in London for highly skilled expatriates whose return home is imminent. Manthel says the good news is that most returning Kiwis have very realistic expectations about the salary levels they can command in the New Zealand market and they have skills which will readily transfer back in the market here.
A video presentation of Robert Walters’ Employment Market Updates for Quarter Two of 2010, providing in-depth analysis of market changes, hiring trends and salary fluctuations across a range of sectors, is available on its website.
DoL launches cases database
The Department of Labour has launched an online database of Employment Relations Authority determinations that will enable individuals and organisations interested in the employment relations process to search employment law cases and download ERA determinations.
Department of Labour group manager of Workplace Services Maarten Quivooy says the new service will enable users to do their own research and identify cases on topical employment law issues.
“The new database means users can now access the information at any time that suits them. While this service is currently available, people wanting it have to contact staff in the Department’s Workplace Information and Promotion Unit to get the information.
“Making such information more readily available will help improve public understanding of how our employment relations system operates.”
Quivooy says the new database will display enough information for users to read a full abstract or to download a PDF copy of the determination at no cost. It will provide access to all New Zealand’s employment law head-notes since 1976.
The database can be found here.
International award for safety DVD
International plaudits are flooding in for a safety video viewed by thousands of Vector employees and contractors throughout New Zealand.
Kiwi entertainer Pio Terei fronted Crossing the road to safety which took first prize in the safety category at the 31st annual Telly Awards in New York where it was praised by the US judging panel for its creativity and technical excellence.
The DVD also gained third place and a Certificate for Creative Excellence in the prestigious 43rd annual US International Film and Video Festival—an equally tough competition also featuring entries from 25 countries.
Vector chief executive Simon Mackenzie says the video has been extensively used at safety training days around New Zealand and has been well received by staff. “The personable nature of Pio quickly captured the imagination of viewers while delivering critical safety and best practice messages for Vector’s staff and contracted service providers like Northpower, Electrix, Treescape and other contractors,” says Mackenzie.
“Safety is paramount in our operations. Vector is totally committed to the safety of staff, contractors and members of the public and it is important we have complete staff buy-in to health and safety procedures.”
The DVD was launched at Vector’s annual health and safety day which is held throughout New Zealand, and the company will continue to use the video during staff inductions. It can be viewed at www.vector.co.nz/safety
New gym puts Urgent Courier staff on the road to a fitter, healthier life
A new staff gym has seen Urgent Couriers’ staff shed excess kilograms and get on a fast-track to a fitter, healthier life—increasing their productivity and morale at the same time. The brainchild of managing director Steve Bonnici, the gym has reversed a trend of the company’s office staff putting on weight.
“Historically, staff members who were previously courier drivers and had shifted into more sedentary desk-bound jobs in the office gained weight,” says Bonnici.
“Our commitment to sustainability has included becoming carbon-neutral certified, and I felt it was important to address the human part of the sustainability equation by providing a healthy, motivating workplace.”
About 70 percent of Urgent Couriers’ staff use the gym—which was installed in January—and the personal training sessions available.
For dispatch team member Tony Thorpe, the workplace initiative has become a life saver. When Tony went for his first assessment by Urgent Couriers’ personal trainer in March, the trainer deemed testing his fitness too risky due to his blood pressure, and sent him to a doctor for a check up. His doctor told the 46-year-old if he didn’t change his lifestyle he would be a diabetic within a year, and at risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke in the next four years.
“I was about to hit 100kg and my blood pressure was through the roof. I had no idea my health was that bad, it was definitely a wake up call,” says Thorpe.
In just a few months, Tony has lost 9.4kg. His blood pressure and cholesterol levels are down to within safe levels, and his fitness has improved immensely. He trains five lunchtimes a week and is now motivated to jump on his bike on Sundays as well.
Every two months the team is visited by a personal trainer and their fitness is reviewed, with a new programme developed to push their fitness to the next level. The vending machine containing junk food was also removed and nutrition advice is provided by the personal trainer.
Work notes
23 JULY: Nearly 2000 engineering and manufacturing workers agree to accept a 3 percent pay rise this year and the same again next year. The EPMU’s metals and manufacturing MECA has also won an extra day’s holiday next year to compensate for Anzac Day coinciding with Easter Monday.
23 JULY: The Department of Labour, in association with Carers NZ, is running an online survey as part of research into flexible working for people who also have caring responsibilities. Each respondent will go into a draw for one of ten $100 grocery vouchers.
22 JULY: HRINZ president Kristen Cooper says the Institute supports the Government’s proposed employment law changes in principle as they are in keeping with what its members say they want. She says removing staff who are not performing is currently an intensive and time-consuming process.
21 JULY: Statistics New Zealand says the March 2010 quarter had the lowest number of work stoppages since the March 2003 quarter. The one work stoppage which ended in the quarter was a complete strike. There were 30 stoppages over the full year involving 10,622 employees, losses of 18,240 person-days of work, and an estimated $3.1 million in wages and salaries.
19 JULY: The Government announces plans to make significant changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA 2000). The plans include extending the 90-day trial period provisions to all employers (not just those with less than 20 employees), and making union access to workplaces conditional on the consent of the employer.
19 JULY: The Government plans to allow employees to trade up to one week of annual leave for cash (on request in writing, which may be declined by the employer); and to allow public holidays to be observed on another (identified) working day, so long as both the employer and employee agree.
16 JULY: Two-thirds of New Zealand finance and accounting professionals are satisfied or very satisfied with their salary packages, the highest rate of satisfaction in the Asia Pacific region, according to a new survey from global recruiters Robert Half International.
15 JULY: The Department of Labour launches a new employment-related information website aimed primarily at small business. The website, called Infozone: Business Essentials, includes templates, tools, calculators and useful links on topics such as employing people, holidays, health and safety, and workplace problems.
15 JULY: Prime minister John Key launches a forum for chief executives and other business leaders to advance the cause of workplace health and safety. The Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum already has nearly 100 senior business people as members committed to demonstrating leadership in health and safety.
14 JULY: ACC minister Nick Smith reveals that employers who pay more than $10,000 a year in ACC workplace levies will be subject to a discount or loading of up to 50 percent based on their claims history. This is expected to affect around 5000 employers who employ more than 30 people.
12 JULY: HRINZ appoints Dr Stephen Dakin to the role of Education Endorsement Programme manager to work with its academic branch to bridge the gap between tertiary institutions and the HR profession, and to work to improve the quality of HR education.
8 JULY: A Unisys New Zealand survey finds 96 percent of employees are using at least one self-purchased IT device at their work, and that many of them are connecting these devices to company IT networks. Devices included laptops, mobile phones, cameras, netbooks, music and video devices, and GPS systems.
World at work
HR warned to prove its worth
HR in the UK must do better if it is to survive, say two high-profile HR directors who addressed a recent Human Resources Forum.
HR Magazine reports that with budget cuts and unprecedented job losses in Britain’s public sector now inevitable, the two senior public sector HRDs have warned the industry to raise its performance and add value or be budgeted out.
The CIPD has predicted a massive 725,000 jobs losses in the public sector by 2015 and Martin Tiplady, HR director for the Metropolitan Police Service, told the forum HR departments would not be safe. “If we don’t do HR with attitude, we will be dumped,” he said.
HR departments need to give business good, pragmatic, common-sense solutions, and their response needs to be swift and jargon-free, he said. Instead of worrying about whether HR sits on the board, if the function is to survive it needs to be relevant and to have independence of mind.
Graham White, HR director for Westminster City Council, told the forum that 300 council staff—including one in four of his HR department—will lose their jobs over the next three months.
He said the council was honest with staff about the job losses and, as a result, staff engagement levels have never dropped below 60 percent.
White said the secret to good HR is not high budget initiatives, but employing the ‘FAB’ approach of “fairness, acknowledgement and befriending” in the workplace.
Playboy for work
Playboy Enterprises has launched a new nude-free website which it says will be safe to peruse at work when a large section of its target audience of 25- to 34-year-old men is online. TheSmokingJacket.com will have none of the nudity that makes Playboy.com unsuitable for work.
Playboy’s editorial director Jimmy Jellinek said a lot of the Playboy.com audience log on after work and the company was missing “a golden opportunity to reach guys when they’re online the most, when they’re sitting at their desk not working, sending emails to their friends”.
Employment attorney Deirdre Kamber said while Playboy had varying degrees of acceptance in the home, she saw significant problems in trying to move it into the workplace.
Packed lunch helps beat recession
A new survey from CareerBuilders suggests the financial squeeze may be having a positive effect on workers’ wellness, with many making healthier choices. In a survey of 4400 workers, 47 percent said they have been packing a lunch more often to eat healthier or help save money. When it comes to smoking habits, 44 percent of workers who smoke said they are more likely to give up smoking given today’s economic conditions. Twenty-one percent said they smoke less often during their work day and 20 percent have quit smoking altogether. On the other hand, negative health effects on workers from the recession could result from failing to take adequate breaks. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said they take less than a half hour for lunch, and 10 percent never take a lunch break.
Manners maketh economic success
Workers in India who are sadly lacking when it comes to workplace etiquette are being sent in their droves to ‘corporate finishing schools’, according to the Washington Post. Once there, they are taught skills such as “making inoffensive small talk” and how to eat an McAloo Tikka burger using a knife a and fork, by the likes of “Miss Manners”. It seems that a lack of social graces in Indian workplaces is holding the country back in the global economy. While workers may hold degrees from top universities, some don’t know how to dress properly for the workplace, or even how to use cutlery. The blossoming ‘corporate manners’ industry is making an estimated $60 million per year.
Mozart and Michael Bublé help sleep-deprived workers
Job insecurity and performance at work are causing three-quarters of Britain’s workforce to get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, according to a survey by Travelodge. And the hotel chain’s answer? It’s launching a series of ‘sleep concerts’ aimed at helping the audience nod off. After consulting a wide range of professions across the UK to establish the repertoire for the performance, Travelodge is working with the String Mania quartet to devise a range of ‘snooze music’ including works by Mozart, Bach, Michael Bublé and Snow Patrol.
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