Posted July 30, 1999
Late
changes to working time regulations
The government has proposed amendments to the working
time regulations just as this session of Parliament draws to a close -
and incurred the wrath of the TUC as a result.
Staveley
puts its service businesses up for sale
Stavely Industries, one of the few remaining diversified groups left in
the UK, has put itself up for sale in parts.
Shop
your boss!
Currently, around 600 company bosses are under investigation for possible
breaches of the new minimum wage rules - and a new phone line encouraging
employees to grass on law-breakers could increase that number further.
Posted July 29, 1999
Could
do better - DETR criticised over performance
The
massive Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions has come
in for resounding criticism by its Commons scrutiny committee.
Taskforce
2000 launch new on-line information network
A new public service designed to give up-to-date millennium information
was launched yesterday afternoon.
The
workplace is getting safer, according to the HSE
The latest statistics from the Health & Safety Executive show that
UK workplaces are getting safer.
Posted July 28, 1999
Lessons
from the Y2K Bug Park
Last year, Government bugbuster Action 2000 designated 15 businesses
in Welwyn Garden City as its test-case 'bug park'. Regular audits tracking
Y2K compliance have revealed significant progress, as well as a few problems.
Global
competition for call centres
Call centres, the employment success story of the nineties, could be under
threat from the growth of digital services, according to a survey by economic
consultancy Business Strategies.
What's
happening in FM today?
Another quick summary of some industry contract wins and news.
Posted July 27, 1999
News
From The Frontiers Of Employment
The
changing nature of work, along with growing pressures in the workplace,
leaves many employees wondering if there isn't a better solution.
Another
public sector computer crisis
With the catastrophe at the Passport Agency just simmering down, yet another
computer-related problem is causing worry, this time amongst the UK's
student body.
Government
to privatise part of its PFI group
The government is to privatise the projects arm of its PFI taskforce,
creating a new body known as Partnerships UK.
Posted July 26, 1999
ICI
targets central costs to improve profitability
In announcing better than expected second quarter results,
industrial giant ICI pledged to continue tackling costs.
RSI
isn't "a figment of our imagination"
The controversial topic of repetitive strain injury (RSI) has once again
found media attention, after a ruling against Midland Bank was upheld
in the appeal courts.
Energy
tax comes under more pressure from business
60,000 jobs will be lost across the service industry if the government
continues its plans for a tax on energy, according to a new report.
Posted July 23, 1999
Co-op
bank goes greener
The Co-operative Bank, known for its ethical stance
on business practices, has moved its head office onto 'green' power.
New
research centre to target workplace health
Aberdeen University is set to establish a £5M centre of excellence in
occupational health, targeted at developing solutions to help employers
reduce the direct and indirect costs of work-related health problems.
New
guidelines on fire safety in the workplace announced
'Fire Safety - An Employer's Guide' explains the changes to the Fire
Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, helping employers to better
understand their responsibilities.
Posted July 22, 1999
Another
chance to influence health & safety policy
Until
the end of July, the Health and Safety Executive is accepting comments
on its consultation document 'Managing Stress at Work'.
UK
business in favour of joining euro says CBI
A new survey says UK business is in favour of joining the single European
currency, although only a small number believe it should be within the
next two years.
FM
Report: PFI and PPP staff protection 
A new Statement of Practice should ensure staff transferring from
Government departments and agencies to the private sector will have greater
certainty that their jobs will be protected.
Government-backed
planning best practice website launched
The Planning Officers' Society yesterday launched a new website covering
good practice guidelines and case studies.
Posted July 21, 1999
Industry
news: acquisitions, results, contracts
A summary of current contract and industry news.
Good
practice in health and safety
The Health & Safety Executive is looking for small or large organisations
with 'good practice' policies for employee involvement to participate
in what will eventually be an HSE publication on the subject.
FM
Report: Comax
results
Specialist outsourcing company Comax, recently acquired by Amey, reported
a 51% increase in operating profit to £12.1m on turnover up 41% at £211.4m.
Mergers
and acquisitions reach new peak
The UK is one of the leading countries now dominating the field of
company mergers and acquisitions this year.
Posted July 20, 1999
South
East targets growth
England's most prosperous region, the south-east, is gearing up for
a growth campaign that will put it on a par with the top ten regions in
Europe.
Millennium
work means mega money
Staff working over the millennium could be in for one-off bonuses of up
to £500, according to research carried out by pay analysts Income Data
Services.
Contract
cleaning report
The £2.65bn contract cleaning market is expected to
continue to grow, according to research by AMA Research.
Follow
up: small firms stunted by red tape
Small firms are now complaining there is too much form-filling these
days, with many deliberately holding back on growth to avoid more red
tape.
Posted July 19, 1999
Dti
discovers not all those in employment are employees
DTI research has revealed that most employment rights
regulations are restricted to 'employees' - people working in a traditional
relationship to an employer.
UK
business lagging behind in the internet market
UK businesses are still behind their global competitors when it comes
to using the internet to its optimum potential, according to the 1999
Banner survey.
Dated
recruitment practises hobble UK industry
It's not just FM that's more technically demanding these days - most
industries are now struggling to find people with the skills they need.
Posted July 16, 1999
Customer
service and the personal touch
How far can technology go in the campaign to meet customer needs? Too
far, is the answer coming back from one Lloyds TSB experiment.
Industry
News - Who's doing what?
A quick summary of some key industry contract wins.
Regional
workers happier with their lot
Cities in Wales and Scotland topped a "feel-good factor" poll of office
workers, highlighting the importance of a quality working environment
in keeping staff happy.
Posted July 15, 1999
More
call centres on the way
A new report from market research specialists Datamonitor predicts
that call centres will continue to be a strong growth area in the UK for
the next three years.
Graduate
turnover can damage companies
Today's graduates are picky about the jobs they do, and will leave
like a shot if not kept happy, says a new report.
Racism
still rife in the workplace
Racism has increased dramatically in the workplace over the past two
years, according to a report from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
Posted July 14, 1999
Groups
split in naming and shaming Y2K strategy
Robin
Guenier, executive director of Taskforce 2000, today called for the Government
group Action 2000 to 'name and fame' companies rather than 'name and shame'
them.
Growing
'red tape' burden on UK business
Red
tape is costing UK business almost £5bn a year, placing an "astonishing
burden" on British companies.
Companies
urged to remain on guard against Legionnaire's disease
With
the summer finally beginning to show, there is an increased use of air
conditioning systems in offices across the country. This use has its risks
if companies are lax in monitoring their equipment.
Posted July 13, 1999
Long
hot summer for IT specialists
Current
trouble at the Passport Office is just one in a series of major investments
in technology that the Government has seen go painfully wrong.
Millennium
questions still unanswered
In
a press conference which promised to name and shame all, held Monday by
Action 2000, numerous questions were left unanswered about the companies
and associations affected by the millennium bug.
Ernst
& Young moving into property management?
Ernst
& Young is planning a move into the property management world, specifically
the management of corporate property portfolios.
Posted July 12, 1999
Post
Office faces more competition
New
proposals launched by Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen
Byers look set to introduce yet more competition into traditional Post
Office markets.
Action
needed on workplace stress
A
workplace trust has called for a full review of working practices to combat
mental and physical stress at work, in light of recent high-profile liability
payments.
Incoming
investment, incoming opportunity
A
global survey of 1000 top companies recently carried out by consultants
A T Kearney, has rated the UK as the best choice for foreign direct investment
in Europe.
Posted July 9, 1999
New
plan for Government procurement
The
Government has a mind-boggling £12bn annual procurement budget that stretches
across all departments. Last year a search was launched to find better
ways to spend all that money, and the results are likely to be announced
next week.
Government
tones down rules on working hour limits
Stephen
Byers, the Trade and Industry Secretary, has announced plans to relax
the rules which set a limit on working hours.
Electricity
prices rising with summer temperatures
Soon
after praising the electricity industry for cutting prices for domestic
and small business customers, OFFER is launching an investigation into
price rises for big business users.
STEPS
Shortlist
Five
consortia have been selected to go forward to the next stage of the Inland
Revenue/Customs & Excise property transfer PFI project, STEPS.
Posted July 8, 1999
New
take on TUPE
TUPE
regulations, notoriously complicated for the layman and subject to regular
re-interpretation, may soon be a bit simpler in application.
Husbands
and teleworkers
A
new report by the Institute for Employment Studies concludes that of the
1.1 million teleworkers in the UK today, 70% are men.
Government
attempts to standardise PFI 'risk' assessment
The
government has published new accounting guidance on PFI, designed to remove
ambiguity about the assessment of risk.
New
law protects corporate 'whistleblowers'
Company
whistleblowers reporting corruption and malpractice at work are now legally
protected, thanks to new legislation which came into force last week.
Posted July 7, 1999
HSE
gets to grip with the Human factor in Health & Safety
With
increasingly complex systems proliferating in the workplace, the proportion
of accidents involving 'human error' is growing.
Results
show continued growth for service companies
A
new survey has found that, for the fourth consecutive month, there has
been an increase in growth for service companies.
Workplace
stress liability costs thousands
A
landmark case has seen an employer admit for the first time its liability
for illness caused by stress in the workplace.
Posted July 6, 1999
Privatisation
knocks at PFI's door
The
Treasury's Private Finance Taskforce, the driving body behind all PFI
projects, is itself being prepared for transfer into the private sector.
More
regulations pile pressure on the workplace
UK
Environment Minister Michael Meacher has announced two separate initiatives
which will have drastic impact on the workplace.
Centrica
takes over AA in £billion deal
Centrica,
the British gas supply company, has announced that it is buying the AA
in a £1.1 billion take-over deal.
Posted July 5, 1999
Joint
venture offers softer approach to corporate PFI
A
joint venture by Regus and MEPC is aiming to offer what appears to be
a 'piece-meal' approach to PFI, with flexible, short-term leases and split
portfolios making the leap into property outsourcing much less daunting.
ICL:
to outsource or not to outsource...
ICL
has reawakened its interest in property outsourcing by establishing negotiations
with Integrated Workplace Solutions (IWS), a consortium led by Comax,
Regus and Deutsche Bank.
Amey
and Comax to join forces
Amey
has acquired the entire issued share capital of support services provider
Comax, in a deal worth £86 million.
Posted July 1, 1999
Growth
in teleworking increases employers' exposure to legal claims
Health
and safety risk experts National Britannia today warned that companies
with teleworking staff could face heavy legal costs if they fail to ensure
the same standards are applied to off-site staff as to in-house employees.
Millennium
mayhem has begun...
Everyone
has heard of the crisis that is affecting hundreds of would-be holidaymakers
and causing giant queues outside passport offices all over the country.
Service
company shares fall as markets are disappointed
Shares
in Danka Business Systems lost nearly 32 percent of their value on Wednesday,
following news that the sale of its outsourcing division has collapsed.
Posted July 1, 1999
Finding
new business the easy way?
One of the ways in which new technology can help FM is through providing
better information, especially when it comes to possible new contracts.
BCO
announces 1999 award winners
The British Council for Offices has announced the winners of this year's
best-design awards, drawn from a record 60 entries.
CBI
continues energy tax campaign
The government's universally unpopular planned new energy tax, designed
to help the UK reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (and coincidentally
raising £1.75bn for the Treasury along the way), has once again been criticised
by the Confederation of British Industry.