UK HR Update

by Sandra Beale

Largest ever fine for data protection breach
The Financial Services Authority has fined the bank, HSBC, £3.2 million, the largest fine ever, for losing the personal details of thousands of customers. The FSA considered that HSBC had failed to put in place adequate systems and controls to protect customers' details from loss or theft. For example, unencrypted disks containing extensive personal details of policy holders had been sent by normal post and were lost. The FSA also criticised HSBC for being careless with customers' confidential information, leaving it on open shelves and disposing of it in regular waste collections. Given the increasing awareness of the issues around keeping personal data safe, all organisations, not just those regulated by the FSA, need to ensure they are doing everything they can to prevent the misuse of confidential and personal information this includes implementation of appropriate policies and training.

Health & Safety Executive’s Health & Safety Guides Offered Free of Charge
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is to scrap charges on 250 of its online health and safety guides from September in a bid to make workplaces safer. The comprehensive guides can be downloaded as PDFs from the HSE website

Growth in Young People’s Unemployment
Unemployment statistics show that one in three young people aged 16-18 are unemployed according to recently published figures. With one million young people aged 16-24 unemployed a whole generation of school leavers and university graduates who faced the prospect of no job for months to come. It does not bode well for this year's school leavers seeking their first ever job - they are not included in these latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics. Youth unemployment now costs the state £3.4 million per day in Jobseeker's Allowance. It can be just the start of a long and downward spiral, which all too often leads to crime, homelessness or worse. Only by stopping young people fall out of the system can lost potential be rescued and save the economy billions each year. Youth unemployment is a serious waste of talent which has to be bad for our future workforce and our current economy.

Lord Mandelson, has said the Government was encouraging businesses to offer greater work experience and internships to help youth unemployment. Businesses on the other hand are stating that schools, universities and the government are not doing enough to support new graduates’ entry into employment. Given that so few government schemes to get the young back into work seem to be effective, something has to be done, but it is difficult to say what.

With the wealth of young people applying for every vacancy it is difficult to recruit the best people and it is those with work experience who will fare better.

Strategies undertaken by some UK-based companies include maintaining student recruitment levels, opening a summer academy for first year undergraduates, implementing an online employability skills clinic, skills seminars and career showcases at schools (Pricewaterhouse Coopers) and recruiting trainees direct from school, offering internships and summer work experience placements (Grant Thornton).

The Forum of Private Business is encouraging small firms to implement apprenticeship schemes, internships and work experience programmes to help "creative and driven" young recruits learn what employers need from their staff. The members of this forum value young people who can bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the workplace and have said it is important that young people leave school, college of university with the skills and confidence they need to enter their first job and do well.

The government is keen to promote internships for students as part of a sandwich degree or a vacation placement. For unemployed graduates internships will be offered through the newly launched Graduate Talent Pool website (www.graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk) whereby SMEs can gain access to good talent. The aim is to match employers with the skills required for their business. As traditionally SMEs have not tapped into the graduate market this is a promising development. The average weekly wage offered as part of an internship is £300pw. With an internship young people can have access to valuable work experience so that when starting a jobsearch they have something to offer an employer.

Companies need to seriously consider investing in apprentices to build up the vocational skills of young people. Despite active government promotion, this is sadly a missed opportunity for many companies who view the investment as a cost too huge to bear. An apprentice need only cost £90 per week with government funding for training provided by Train to Gain. An apprentice is a low cost employee option with the chance to build skills for the future for long term company development.

Recruitment of young people can be difficult when many don’t have the demonstrable work experience that demonstrates capability. However, by being encouraged to gain skills, not just through paid work-related activities, but, for example, through volunteering, charity work, sport and relevant hobbies, young people can enhance their CV’s dramatically showing potential employers what they can offer.

Investing in young people could be the key to many companies being ably equipped in terms of skills to meet the economy upsurge head on when it eventually happens. In any case, they are the work force of the future.

Employment of Children
If you employ children and need guidance on working time and health and safety issues, etc the Department for Children Schools and Family has produced an excellent guide on employing children. If you would like a copy please email info@sjbealehrconsult.co.uk and they will send you the free guide.

Northants Business Expo 2009 – 18 November
See http://www.northantsbusinessexpo.co.uk/ - SJ Beale HR Consult is organising a business expo in Northampton incorporating a business exhibition, a networking lunch, speed networking session and free business seminars.