Source: CIPD

Date: 12/07/2007

Gordon Brown’s workplace agenda has been given the thumbs up by recruitment professionals, following the publication of the government’s draft legislative programme.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said it particularly welcomed the education and skills, employment simplification and pensions bills.

“Many of the proposals contained within the education and skills bill are aimed at giving young people and lower-skilled employees access to training,” said Martyn Sloman, CIPD skills advisor.

Sloman praised the bill’s focus on encouraging employers to allow young people to train, but said this duty should lay at the feet of bosses rather than HR professionals.

Ben Willmott, CIPD employee relations advisor said he was delighted the government was scrapping the statutory resolution procedures as part of the employment simplification bill.

According to research by the organisation, 29% of employers feel disputes are less likely to be resolved informally following the 2004 introduction of the statutory dispute resolution procedures.

“[The procedures] have done little to improve the dispute resolutions process, and actually made things worse,” said Willmott.

The CIPD also suggested that many of the proposals outlined in the pensions bill would improve pension schemes without harming employers or existing arrangements.