The new anti-age discrimination law which will come into force in October will help staff retention and improve labour market choice according to some employers. However, the small employers are a lot less keen on the changes, as they worry about rising recruitment costs. The new legislation requires employers to review all their employment practices to ensure they are based on skills and competencies, not age.

The new law will also have an impact on the job adverts. Words and phrases that used to be the key words in the old adverts may be considered ageist so the employers should worry about this too.

When taking a decision no matter if on recruitment, retention or training, the employers must leave the age out of it. Beside the advert text, the application forms must be carefully reviewed by the companies so they can avoid opening to legal action under new laws.

There are companies that are already applying the new requirements and took out the age from their recruitment application forms. This is the case of Asda. Supermarket Asda removed the requirement for job applicants to tell them their age. Asda’s move goes beyond the terms of the new age rules but it could well be a sign of things to come.

The idea of the new law is not to forbid employers to know the age of the applicants but to avoid taking the age in consideration in the decision process about hiring that person.
Stephen Morrall, a partner at law firm Middleton Potts offers the solution: “personnel departments will ask job applicants to fill out a separate form outlining their race and age, this form will be kept on file but not given to the person in the organisation making the decision on who to employ.”

If that for companies like Asda the coming into force of the new law means doing business as usual as they have a history of employing older workers, there are other companies that are worried about this moment. This is the case of the firms that market themselves to a young or old audience and want to employ people who reflect their customer base.

But there are solutions for these cases offered by the new law itself. There is a get-out clause for some industries and employers can still discriminate if they can show that being a certain age is a genuine occupational requirement. It is considered a genuine occupational requirement that a firefighter shouldn’t be older than 55 years old as he or she has to be physically fit enough to pull people from burning buildings but it won’t be acceptable for media firms to use the genuine occupational requirement clause to refuse employment or fail to promote people over the age of 50.

The language of the job adverts should exclude specifying the age but other words which are associated with age such as energetic may also be problematic. Ms. Margaret Thirlway, head of employment law at London-based SA Law, explains that the meaning of the law is that “The use of an age-loaded word like energetic may not itself lead to a tribunal, but when combined with a pattern of action, such as denying older workers training, then it might lead to a claim”.

Search the Jobserve website for Jobs

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

The smallest and commonest bat in the UK is pipistrelles and it seams that these bats are the smallest European bats. They have dark red/brown fur on their backs and yellow/brown undersides. The ears, nose and wing membranes are black/brown. They occupy a variety of habitats, including open woodland, parks, marshes, farmland and urban areas. Pipistrelles emerge from their roosts to feed relatively early - sometimes before sunset. They hunt small moths, gnats and other small insects, often returning to their roost after a couple of hours, although they may emerge for another feed during the night. A single pipistrelle may consume up to 3,000 insects in one night. In the summer they tend to roost in buildings, bat boxes and trees. In the winter they also use trees and buildings, as well as large churches and cellars. They hibernate from mid-November to the beginning of April. They are rapid, agile fliers, flying about 5-10m above the ground. Even though pipistrelles are not threatened and are the commonest bat in the UK, numbers have decreased over the past decade. They are not listed by the IUCN list of threatened species.

They have been found living in family houses, at Westminster and now in South Wales in the Oak House building in Monmouth. This last habitat of the bats was found when BT engineers went to inspect the Oak House building ahead of some modernisation work.

Even though these bats are not listed by the IUCN list of threatened species they are protected and the BT Group plc, holding company for an integrated group of businesses that provide voice and data services in the UK is trying to help them by contacting the Countryside Council for Wales. The Countryside Council for Wales, following commitments made at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, has produced a series of biodiversity action plans for some of the UK’s protected and threatened plants and animals and the habitats they depend on. These plans are now turning into action on a local as well as a national level. As Erica Colkett, species officer for the Countryside Council for Wales, decided that “this is quite a big colony - much bigger than you would find in the average roost site and quite important for the area and for that reason it is important that their habitat and roosting places are protected”, BT Group are looking for a solution to ensure the protected species is not disturbed. They decided that will construct a new access hole in the building for the bats to use. Jack Foxall, of BT Property explained that “they are doing work to separate the old listed Oak House building in Priory Street with a newer extension at the back. The link between this and the old building at the front is where the bats are roosting behind the cladding on a wall. We are happy to share our accommodation with the bats though and we will be providing them with a new access hole. The important thing is that we do this work without causing them unnecessary disturbance.”

Use iTalk 247 to make cheap international phone calls

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

ICASA, the regulator for the South African communications sector, responsible for the regulation of broadcasting and telecommunications services has jurisdiction on all nine provinces of South Africa It is charged with licensing telecommunications and broadcasting service providers, monitoring compliance of licensees against their license conditions, developing policy, managing the frequency spectrum and protecting consumers within the communications environment. Icasa granted a new licence to SNO the parent of Neotel Company.

The decision to grant the new license came after some consumer groups have complained that call charges are too high so the government decided to cut business costs by allowing a rival to challenge Telkom, Africa’s biggest phone company. Telkom was a government firm until 1991, and then became a private company, Africa’s leading and most dynamic telecommunications company, providing integrated communications solutions to an entire range of customers but the only one allowed to install fixed lines.

Neotel is threatening the profit growth of Telkom, predict the experts. Telkom is preparing for the impact by cutting its workforce and wage bill.

The mobile subsidiary Vodacom, which is co-owned by the UK phone company Vodafone has over 19 million users and is benefiting from economic growth in South Africa that is boosting consumer spending power. Revenues at Telkom’s fixed-line phone business increased helped by a rise in data services.

In South Africa the demand for phone services, especially mobile, are increasing as the country’s economic growth helps boost consumer spending power. The fixed-line telephony will meet the same growth. Ajay Pandey, the managing director of Neotel advises that “they aim to reduce the cost of doing business in the country.” With the new fixed-line provider the South African’s market is opened and the monopoly of Telkom ends.

Neotel announced that they will “change the telecoms landscape” as they plan to invest 11 billion rand (about £802m) over the next decade and will begin operating for business clients in December, focusing initially on urban areas. The first cities to have their lines will be: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.

Use iTalk 247 to make cheap international calls to South Africa

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

The ABI (Association of British Insurers) represents the collective interests of the UK’s insurance industry. The Association speaks out on issues of common interest; helps to inform and participate in debates on public policy issues; and also acts as an advocate for high standards of customer service in the insurance industry. The Association has around 400 companies in membership. Between them, they provide 94% of domestic insurance services sold in the UK. The Association of British Insurers said that, although the total number of deaths on UK roads has fallen in recent years on the number of fatalities. If you think your car insurance seems expensive now, just wait for what the future holds.
Everyone wants the best car insurance prices with the best coverage. Finding the policy you need at a price you can afford can be tricky, but it is possible. The people are paying too much for the insurance. Young drivers have had it a little easy for the past few years. There are various initiatives and campaigns that the ABI is working on, better alternatives to the Pass Plus driving course and, more drastically, style curfews for young drivers, all of which could reduce your premium. In this time, we believe that you should be able to at least maintain the status quo by comparing car insurance quotes.
Norwich Union recently stated that it’s going to increase its car insurance for the prices approximately with 39% for younger drivers as the insurance prices are based on statistics. These statistics reveal that the young people, who drive old cars don’t care much about crashing them and the damage to other cars and most the injuries caused to others, cost the insurers so much money. Beside of that, if you have comprehensive insurance you’re statistically less likely to be in an expensive accident.
If the people don’t want to pay a big amount on the insurances, don’t get a modified car or they will immediately find that half the insurers won’t bother quoting for them. Fewer quotes mean that the competition is less which means there’s less reason to lower their quotes. A driver can modified vehicle and is more likely to be involved in an accident, or a more costly accident.
Another important issue is the size. And it is not only about the engine size but the weight of the vehicle that matters. A light car with a big engine will go fast and insurers don’t like young drivers with type of cars so they price their quotes accordingly.
ABI revealed that there is 1 percent difference between the chance of young drivers who have done the Pass Plus course to be involved in an accident in their first year of driving compared to the ones that haven’t. The Pass Plus course means to take some extra lessons to improve your driving for about £130 but the statistics show that young, first-year drivers who do this course have virtually the same number of accidents as other young drivers. The insurers know this and they won’t offer significant Pass Plus discounts that why before taking the Pass Plus you should compare the costs and benefits. Some councils give grants on a first-come, first-served basis for Pass Plus students, although when they catch on to the ABI statistics they may stop doing this.
The ‘delegated-authority’ scheme is when an insurer trusts the broker and gives the broker the power to choose the premium. Usually there is an amount the broker is not allowed to go under but the amount can often be a lot less than standard quotes. There are delegated-authority schemes for all sorts of profiles, such as mature drivers with sensible cars and for women drivers and some even offer a delegated-authority scheme for young drivers. The ‘delegated-authority’ scheme is the best thing to get from a broker.

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

Over the past five years, a new industry in the area of performance improvement has grown at an exponential rate. That industry is Executive Coaching. Major companies have made coaching a core part of executive development. The idea to engage a coach can originate from either HR or from executives themselves. More and more executives are choosing coaching as a proactive component of their professional life.
Presidents, senior vice-presidents, regional managers and senior directors from major privately owned corporations are the main clients of the Executive Coaching Firms. Executive coaching sessions is for top performers who want something more in their life: better balance, a bigger title, larger salary, more responsibility, higher level of effectiveness as a leader and want to work with a person outside of the organization to assist them in getting there.
The role of the Executive Coach is to influence clients to think, communicate and act in ways that lead to better results in their highest priorities. Executive coaching firms discovered that executives who use life coaching to achieve balance in their private lives release energy that could be consumed by worry and anxiety. On the same time, recent studies have showed that salespeople who are coached show increases in productivity.
Executive Coaching is searching the most important outcomes that the executives wants to achieve, the issues that keep them from achieving those results, and the perspectives they need to reconsider in order to improve results.
Executives need someone they can talk to who is outside of the organization and who can provide tailored suggestions for improving results.
The Executive Coaching usually offers individual coaching to their clients over the phone, a common format for life coaching, as they serve executives around the globe. Over time, some Executive Coaching Companies learned that the phone was a very limited approach. Telephone conversations only provide input from the client’s perspective. It is important for the Executive Coach to spend time with the client in actual business situations. The greater the variety of these situations, the better the overall understanding the coach develops.
Executive Coaching is an effective method to improve the performing of a top executive. The objective is to maintain focus on influencing behavior and improving results.

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

HSBC, one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world provides a comprehensive range of financial services: personal financial services; commercial banking; corporate, investment banking and markets; private banking; and other activities through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability.
Being Britain’s biggest bank, HSBC is trying to help the first-time buyers to become owners by offering solutions for borrowers to club together on their mortgage. The legal limit for the number of joint owners allowed on one property is up to four persons and this is what the bank is offering.
According to their research, three quarters of first-time buyers would consider buying a house with friends. The reason for this reaction is the rising in house prices that pushed the property ladder out of the reach of thousands of aspiring homeowners. The result of the research is sustained by the statistics revealing that since the end of 2005, the number of group loans issued by HSBC has soared by 50 per cent.
Barry Blackshaw, from HSBC explains that: “We are addressing customer need. First-time buyers are increasingly unable to meet traditional lending criteria as a result of house-price growth. As prices are unlikely to fall any time soon, we are expecting this trend to continue.” The group loans can be a solution to the pressure faced by banks and building societies to offer bigger loans to struggling first-time buyers.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders, the trade association for the mortgage lending industry, with members account for around 98% of UK residential mortgage lending reveal that first-time buyers are borrowing a record average of 3.21 times their incomes.
Referring to the group loans, Sue Anderson from the CML explains that: “Borrowers need to be careful. This kind of offer can create unstable households, which could ultimately be bad news for the owners and for the property market.”
In spite the concern that solutions such as clubbing together could create problems for unwary first-time buyers, the group mortgages are rising as a proportion of total lending in the UK. CML figures show that between 2000 and 2005, the number of mortgages lent to groups of three or more borrowers almost doubled.
Find the latest UK Loan News at www.ukloannews.co.uk

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

The prepaid debit cards and pre-paid credit cards can help you control your spending. A reloadable debit card allows you to only spend up to the amount you have pre-deposited into the account. If you tend to overspend or would like to control your spending then a pre-paid debit card or prepaid credit card could be a good card for you. This is also the best option for the teens for which a credit card is the new ‘must have’. The American teens already benefit from such a card and soon the British teens will have their versions.

The prepaid cards are similar to normal credit cards allowing the user to spend money that is already loaded onto the card. A prepaid credit card is the solution for those who want the convenience of a credit cardbut can’t get one due to poor or no credit history.

Because the money is loaded onto the card in advance, there is no credit risk for the card suppliers, unlike with traditional credit cards. Considering that no credit check, bank account or security deposit is required and further more no employment is required, anyone can apply for card. There is only an age limit: 13 years old. The pre paid cards can be used at any shop that accepts Visa or Mastercard and can also be used to withdraw money from cash machines.

The big advantage of the prepaid card is according to the providers that the product will prevent youngsters from falling into debt since money cannot be spent beyond the amount already loaded onto the card.

MINT, the business name of The Royal Bank of Scotland, advised that it will be launching a new pre-paid credit card that aims to improve the way the pre-paid services operate and to serve customers better.

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

According to a new research from the Woolwich, an average of 19 per cent of peoples takes home pay on mortgages.
This percentage was set to increase as the effects of the base rate rise filter through in September, according to Barclays.

Woolwich reported that the cost of servicing mortgages increased in August, up 18.8% from July, to almost £550.

A new high has been registered in London, where people are spending 23.5% of their pay on mortgages. There was no change in the West Midlands in the amount people spend on their mortgages, while South-West has seen a proportional decrease.

There was a great impact on affordability due to increasing house prices, a buoyant summer and the higher cost of fixed rates.

Andy Gray, head of mortgages for Woolwich said: “It will become increasingly questionable whether another increase in interest rates is needed as the steam already seems to be coming out of the market.”

Companies such as Nationwide and Assetz are very cautious about the future of the market. According to Assetz, the rate of growth was likely to ease heading into the autumn months, back to between 5% and 5.5%.

Assetz said that with the threat of another interest rate hike hanging over homeowners, the rate of growth was likely to ease heading into the autumn months, back to between 5% and 5.5%.

Despite the Bank of England’s rate rise, Nationwide expects house prices to grow by around 5% in 2006.

Find more UK Loans News at www.ukloannews.co.uk

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com