WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
 2014 Absence Management Survey |
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More than one in three employers report that absence levels have increased because their staff are struggling to cope with their caring responsibilities outside of work. But, new figures from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, show that just one in six organisations have policies in place to help achieve a better balance between their home and working lives. Other findings from the survey show that overall absence levels have dropped from 7.6 days per year to 6.6 (public sector: 7.9, private sector: 5.5, voluntary sector: 7.4). However, findings also show that there has been a significant rise in the number of employees still attending work whilst sick, a trend called ‘presenteeism,’ with a third of employers revealing employees have been struggling in to work whilst sick. Click here to find out more and download the report. |
| For want of pollinators much of our food may not grow |
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The government is launching a new strategy to support bees & other pollinators that are vital for fertilising plants so they produce fruits & seeds. Organisations such as Network Rail, Highways Agency and the National Trust which manage more than 800,000 hectares of land in England have signed up to the National Pollinator Strategy, and pledged to take actions such as planting more bee-friendly wild flowers and allowing grass to grow longer. Defra is setting up bee hives on the roof of their building in London and supermarkets including Waitrose and Coop have been distributing bee-friendly flower seeds to their customers. Motorway verges, railway embankments and forests will be used to create bee & insect friendly paradises as part of the major new strategy to protect the 1,500 species of pollinators in England. Defra has also announced a wild pollinator & farm wildlife package, which will see more funding made available to farmers & landowners that take steps to protect pollinators through the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme. |
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| ‘Entertaining’ TV is just one version of ‘The Truth’ |
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A study has found that people living in a working-class area of Manchester want to work and believe programmes like Channel 4's Benefits Street do not accurately reflect their community & misrepresent their personal circumstances. The proliferation of such programmes & their impact are, rightly or wrongly, shaping public attitudes to welfare & policy, the study concludes. The findings were reported in the Open Society Foundation’s 'Europe's White Working Class Community: Manchester', with research conducted by the Social Action and Research Foundation (SARF) – a social enterprise that produces policies to combat poverty. The report highlights the impact a precarious job market has on a community in Manchester where people have few options but to move in & out of low-paid jobs – or completely fail to find any work at all. |
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| Everything is very ‘personal’ when you are a child |
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In a report published last week, the Health Select Committee concludes that there are serious & deeply ingrained problems with the commissioning & provision of children’s & adolescents’ mental health services. These run through the whole system from prevention & early intervention through to inpatient services for the most vulnerable young people. |
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| ‘Talk, Talk’ is better than ‘Law, Law’ |
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From 3 November 2014 the first mediation session for separating couples will be funded for both parties, provided at least one of them is already legally aided. This follows the introduction, on 22 April, of compulsory Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAM) when separating couples apply to court over children & financial matters. Last year nearly two thirds of couples who attended mediation for a child dispute reached general agreement after a single mediation session. Almost 7 out of every 10 couples, who opted for mediation, reached a final agreement. From 1 January 2015 there will be a third stage in the government’s work to improve mediation and encourage separating couples to use it to resolve disputes. From the beginning of the New Year, the Family Mediation Council (FMC) is introducing a compulsory accreditation scheme and new professional standards which all mediators must work toward. These are the latest stages of reforms to improve the family justice system and follow recommendations made by the independent Family Mediation Task Force. |
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| This one will run & run |
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The IPCC is to carry out an independent investigation into the conduct of 3 Police Federation representatives following their meeting with Andrew Mitchell MP at his Sutton Coldfield constituency office in October 2012. The IPCC had previously supervised an investigation by West Mercia Police, but the case was re-determined by IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams following a High Court ruling on 6 October 2014, which found that there was no proper final report prepared for the supervised investigation and that the decision of the 3 police forces that there was no case to answer for any of the officers was invalid. |
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| Pay up or no access to credit |
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Separated parents who fail to contribute financially to the upbringing of their children, face ruining their credit rating from next year. This means that arrears built up in maintenance payments will have the same effect on people’s credit score as other debts. Having a poor credit rating can cause people to be refused loans, mortgages, credit cards, hire purchase finance arrangements, mobile phone contracts and other forms of financial credit. |
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| This could really hurt (your organisation) |
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is warning organisations that they must make sure their websites are protected against one of the most common forms of online attack – known as SQL injection. The warning comes after the hotel booking website, Worldview Limited, was fined £7,500 following a serious data breach where a vulnerability on the company’s site allowed attackers to access the full payment card details of 3,814 customers. |
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| It’s more than just the EAW |
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As the major debate in the House of Commons approaches on whether to re-join the European Arrest Warrant and 34 other EU police & criminal justice measures, the European Scrutiny Committee is publishes a report to provide a guide to the UK’s 2014 ‘block opt-out’ decision. |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; |
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