AUSTRALIAN bosses playing favourites in the workplace is most despised in the legal sector, with 80 per cent of employees resenting this behaviour a recent survey found, followed by the banking and finance sector – 60 per cent.
AUSTRALIAN bosses playing favourites in the workplace is most despised in the legal sector, with 80 per cent of employees resenting this behaviour a recent survey found, followed by the banking and finance sector – 60 per cent. Some 52 per cent of managers were found to be unable to treat their employees fairly and equally, which has a detrimental impact on the morale of workers and the workplace environment as a whole. The most common effects of workplace pets were:
Decline in morale, tension and a decrease in productivity 48%
Ruined friendships and workplace relationships 39%
Tension and dissent in the office 37%
Source: Talent2
Dull managers dudding employers
UK EMPLOYERS are being held back by managers who fail to get the best out of their teams. Research reveals one in four of the one thousand employees questioned were not inspired by their bosses and slightly more than a quarter say senior managers fail to provide them with a clear vision. Improving the quality of management was identified as a top priority by 60 per cent of disgruntled employees, while it was mentioned by a mere 18 per cent of those happy with their employer.
Source: The Work Foundation
Business’ head in sand over bird flu
NINETY-ONE per cent of large corporations in the US consider organisational preparedness for avian flu critical, a finding consistent with that of a smaller survey of Australian businesses. Despite pandemic preparedness plans being viewed as important in enabling effective medical management of their employees and travellers, the state of plans by organisations were:
Completed Plan 1%
Begun to Implement 26%
Investigating Options 72%
In terms of current measures being taken, organisations identified employee training as being implemented at 53 per cent while 43 per cent of companies were taking no measures whatsoever ahead of implementing travel restrictions and stock piling antiviral drugs.
Source: International SOS Survey
Financiers increase education, age
A report into finance sector employees says 51 per cent of workers in the sector were under 35 in 1999, but by 2004, 56 per cent were over that age. Similarly, overtime hours worked in finance and insurance increased by 20 per cent from 2000 to 2003. The proportion of the finance and insurance workforce with post-secondary school qualifications increased from 44.4 per cent in 2001 to 60 per cent in 2004. While median weekly income increased by 44 per cent between 1999 and 2003, big executive pay packets tended to skew that number. The Financial Sector Union negotiated increases of about 4 per cent a year for its members.
Source: Financial Sector Union
Book learnin’ key to being boss
EIGHTY-THREE per cent of CEOs say they were hard working students. In a survey of 722 bosses, 88 per cent claimed that putting in the hard yards at school was the key to their success. However, survey results showed that 57 per cent of bosses would do something different and take a different path, even though they believed they were successful in their careers now and a majority (77 per cent) said that school did not actually prepare them for the workforce. Furthermore, little more than half of the respondents said they had never worked in their dream job or industry.
Source: Talent2
Boozing and schmoozing pays off
A MASSIVE 73 per cent of employees say that entertaining clients wins them business, a survey has found. However the days of boozy lunches lasting until home time are long over, according to the 722 respondents. Twenty-nine per cent of males and 24 per cent of females say they spend only one hour with clients at a time, while 23 per cent of males and 15 per cent admit to spending up to two hours each time. The survey also found that 6 per cent of employees say they receive time in lieu if they spend their personal time entertaining clients, but 8 per cent say their work suffers. Corporate entertaining is seen too as a key motivation tool for staff.
Source: Talent2
Global evacuations neglected
JUST 23 per cent of companies that participated in a recent global survey had a specific emergency plan to evacuate employees on assignment in foreign countries.
In response to an increase in danger for staff around the globe from both natural and terrorist disasters, the measures being taken by all organisations surveyed to reduce danger were:
A reduction in the number ofassignees in high-risk locations 44%
An increased reliance on local nationals in dangerous areas 24%
A reduction of operations in high-risk locations 18%
Source: KPMG
Super searches turn fashionable
Research aimed at the 25 to 40-year-old demographic has shown that in the past 12 months searches for lost super and related terms on the internet have risen by a whopping 400 per cent. Despite the frenzy, reports show that there are still more than 2.7 million Australians, or one in three full-time employees with lost or unclaimed super. These funds amount to approximately $6.9 billion, which is an average of $1,600 per person. Most of the lost funds belong to people in the 25 to 44 year age bracket who have been in the workforce since 1992 when the super guarantee was introduced.
Source: Hitwise Competitive Intelligence Report
Skills shortage still number one
A LACK of skilled workers was ranked as the most pressing concern for businesses a report released by the NSW State Chamber of Commerce has found. Of the 630 businesses surveyed, the major concerns reported were:
Shortage of skilled workers 30%
Increased interest rates 28%
Rising petrol prices 22%
Source: Chamber of Commerce (AAP)
