NINETY-TWO PER CENT of workers believe women should be entitled to paid maternity leave
NINETY-TWO PER CENT of workers believe women should be entitled to paid maternity leave. According to a recent survey, 72 per cent of respondents said they would prefer paid maternity leave than other salary packaging benefits such as tax-deductible childcare. The survey also found that respondents:
Support men getting paid paternity leave 71%
Believe paid maternity leave should be employer funded 21%
Believe paid maternity leave should be government, employer and self-funded 15%
When asked for how long paid maternity leave should be offered, 60 per cent said between six and 12 months, while 27 per cent suggested 12 weeks. Furthermore 47 per cent of respondents said that paid maternity leave should be at full pay.
Source: Just Be
Outsourcing HR to regain momentum
OUTSOURCING OF HR functions is expected to increase in 2008 after remaining relatively flat since 2005. Since 2004, the inclusion of training, recruitment and compensation in HR outsourcing deals has increased, especially for mid-sized companies of 3,000 to 15,000 employees. The survey attributes future HR outsourcing growth to existing suppliers that have decreased transition costs and timeframes and are promoting standardised offerings.
Source: Everest Research Institute
Fly rather than relocate
EXECUTIVES ARE increasingly opting to travel by plane to work and back each week as an alternative to relocation. In a survey of 70 international recruiters, 55 per cent of respondents indicated that it is more difficult today than in the past to convince candidates to relocate for new job opportunities. Where relocation is necessary, higher compensation is the incentive most commonly used to attract candidates, according to nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of recruiters surveyed, followed by flexible work environments (40 per cent) and arrangements for family visits (37 per cent).
Source: Korn Ferry International
Pay packets boom for financial analysts
EIGHTY-THREE PER CENT of chartered financial analysts (CFAs) received a sharp increase in their salaries from 2005 to 2007. A survey of 13,000 CFA Institute members in 11 countries revealed that 43 per cent of Australians received an increase of 20 per cent or more, and 40 per cent received an increase of between 5 and 20 per cent. CFA Institute members in Australia received the second-highest increase in income after China, where 85 per cent of the respondents reported an increase in salary.
Source: CFA
Email etiquette key to workplace harmony
TWO-THIRDS OF Australian workers admit to being trigger-happy emailers, often leading to miscommunication within the workplace. A recent report revealed men (48 per cent) were more likely to misread the meaning of an email than women (38 per cent). Another common email faux pas is copying people into email conversations that include information not intended for a wider audience. Forty per cent of workers have sent or received an email that appeared to be offhand, cynical or rude, while 38 per cent have sent or received an email that conveyed anger or was emotional in nature. The survey showed that more time needs to be spent writing emails to avoid ambiguity and misinterpretations.
Source: Citrix Online
Gen Y go for green employers
SEVENTY-THREE PER CENT of generation Y believe that a company’s carbon footprint and environmental practices would be very important in their decision to accept a graduate position. A national poll of 1,600 graduates also revealed that an organisation’s commitment to social responsibility is equally important. Seventy-five per cent of respondents also said they would more favourably consider employers with a high level of commitment to fundraising and charitable activities.
Source: Onetest
More employers to offer workers financial incentives for healthy behaviour
FORTY-SIX PER CENT of US employers currently offer financial incentives to encourage workers to monitor and improve their health. This number is expected to surpass 70 per cent, and more companies plan to offer financial incentives to reward workers who adopt healthy lifestyles in an effort to control healthcare costs. At present, companies:
Provide tools that encourage safety and wellness 85%
Promote emotional health 82%
Involve senior management in promoting health and productivity 52%
The survey also found that companies with effective health and productivity programs demonstrate superior performance. They achieve 20 per cent more revenue per employee, have 16 per cent higher market value and deliver 57 per cent higher shareholder returns.
Source: Watson Wyatt
Accountants attached to friends
FORTY-FIVE PER CENT of chartered accountants under the age of 35 plan to stay with their employer for less than three years. A survey of 281 chartered accountants revealed that attrition rates are directly impacted by a lack of career growth, low remuneration, unchallenging work, poor managers and colleagues.
Source: Retention Partners
Safety induction important to employees
NINETY-NINE PER CENT of Australian employees believe that OHS training is very important to them and critical to their safety at work. A survey of more than 560 candidates of Australian recruitment agencies revealed that 87 per cent are keen to receive induction information about safe and fair work practices. The survey revealed respondents were divided on their preferences for how they like to receive information about safety:
Read the information 47%
Audio visual presentation 28%
Face-to-face induction 26%
Employees tasked with multiple inductions per year, such as contract workers, are more likely to develop ‘induction fatigue’, the survey confirmed.
Source: WorkPro
