The Work Clinic

According to a study on behalf of City law firm Addleshaw Goddard, the culture of working long hours is prompting a legal profession talent drain.

The study, carried out among 13 top law firms, has found that an element of suspicion still clings to the concept of remote working, and even to those employees keen to find work-life balance. And it looks as if the declining economic climate will further damage the efforts of those who have worked to introduce flexibility into the profession. Law firms look set to tighten their belts and become even less willing to allow part-time or home-working - and this means that the number of women working in City legal roles will continue to drop.

The authors of the study call for more team-working, and a move away from the traditional partners-centric working habits. They also encourage 'output not input' and less emphasis on actually being in the office.

It seems particularly unfortunate for those lawyers who have fought long and hard for the working rights that so many of us take for granted, only to have them withdrawn at the first sign of an economic blip.

Few of the people reading this will be of an age to have had a gap year, and apart from a slight jealousy over those today lounging on Thai beaches, few of you will regard yourselves as disadvantaged. Yet more recent graduates have managed to convince themselves, their credit card-wielding parents and even some employers that taking a year out to conquer Kilimanjaro, help Brazilian street children or tread grapes on a kibbutz is essential to their personal and professional development. But is it?
According to research carried out by recruitment communications experts TMP Worldwide and online recruiters TARGETjobs, undergraduates remain optimistic about the economy. Considering themselves immune to rising unemployment, 54% of those surveyed are planning a gap year. Asked why, almost 60% responded with 'To broaden my view of the world' and more than 50% with 'To develop my employability skills'. They're certainly an earnest bunch, and asked what skills they hoped to pick up during their gap year, they mentioned independence, communication and language skills, cultural awareness and entrepreneurial skills.
These skills may match those sought by would-be employers of returning 'gappies' as they are apparently now known, but the returnees are falling through a gap and failing to make it to the blue-chip companies they envisaged working for. One of the key concerns of gappies is that taking a year out distances them from recruiters and employers. They also seem to be failing to adequately communicate their newly acquired skills when applying for jobs. So if skills are being acquired yet not capitalised on, and employers are failing to recruit the cream of the crop, what is the point of gap years? Who is benefiting, other than the tourism industry and the eternal student reluctant to join the workforce?

Adam Walker taught at Houghton Kepier sports college until September 2007, resigning from his post following a disciplinary action over his alleged use of an online forum for expressing views "suggestive of racial and religious intolerance". Walker is a member of the British National party, representing them in council elections last year, but insists that he has been the victim of 'political spite'.

While teaching involves particular sensitivities, ongoing technological changes mean that workers are in a position to voice their own opinions to more people than ever before. So how should employers go about preventing this? And to what extent should job applicants be screened? Should employers know if staff belong to political parties? And should this knowledge be allowed to be part of the recruitment process?

It's bad enough that 'summer' is over, but now we're faced with 'scientific' proof of what we always expected - Brits are hard-done by and working their fingers to the bone for the benefit of their fat cat bosses ...

According to a new study by management consultancy Hay Group, senior managers in UK firms have among the lowest levels of disposable income in the world.
 
The World Pay Report 2008 places UK executives just 47th in the real pay stakes out of 51 economies analysed. The study also reveals a downward trend for management purchasing power in Britain, with this year's ranking significantly worse than last year's (40th of 47).

Hay Group's analysis finds senior managers in the fast-growth economies of the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe enjoying the highest spending capacity, as demand for management talent far outstrips supply in these markets. Real pay in Western Europe, the US and Scandinavia lags by comparison. The report compares detailed salary information for 51 countries from Hay Group PayNet, the world's largest pay database. 

British executives are the fifth poorest in real terms, according to the report, ahead of only Indonesia and the highly expensive Scandinavian economies. And as the economic downturn continues to bite, and inflation remains stubbornly high, disposable income at senior level is likely to erode even more, further damaging UK Plc's competitiveness when attracting global/globally mobile talent.

Rest of Western Europe

Managers in other Western European countries tend to have spending power towards the middle-to-lower range, the report finds - with the UK the lowest paid among them. Senior executives in Austria (15th in the table), Germany (18th) and Switzerland (20th) fare relatively well.

 
Middle East

The oil-driven economies of the Middle East dominate the table. Qatar boasts the world's best paid managers, who earn over two and a half times the salaries of their British counterparts in real terms.
 
Executives in the United Arab Emirates are the next best paid, while those in Oman (6th) and Kuwait (7th) also enjoy over twice the real incomes of British managers. Even Bahrain, the lowest paid Gulf state studied, lies 13th of the 51 economies analysed by Hay Group.  
 
Emerging economies: Asia

As might be expected, managers in emerging economies enjoy buoyant disposable incomes. China lies an impressive 17th in the management pay table, with executives earning over 1.5 times the real salaries of their British colleagues. Thailand is higher still (10th).  
 
Disposable income in India (38th) remains lower than in other emerging economies. However, with rapid economic acceleration fuelling headline salary increases of 14% a year, disposal income for Indian managers is expected to rise.
 
Emerging economies: Central and Eastern Europe 

The spending power of managers in Central and Eastern Europe continues to outstrip that of those in Western Europe - and as predicted in last year's World Pay Report, the gap has widened.
 
Turkey is the highest placed European country, placed 5th in the global table. Romania and Russia are 8th and 9th respectively, with Poland 14th and Lithuania 16th. 
 
USA

In line with many other developed economies, the US is ranked firmly towards the bottom of the table in 41st place.
 
However, factors other than economics may have an influence. Department head roles are likely to be further down the corporate ladder in US firms than those in many emerging economies.

So if you're just back from overseas holidays and contemplating emigrating .... book those flights.

 

 

Research by talent management specialists A&DC has shown that the economic downturn has already impacted on the questions used at interview. Six months ago, the most 'popular' question dealt with stress tolerance, but employers are now most interested in hearing how candidates manage conflicting demands, asking them to describe a situation where they had a number of conflicting demands on their time, and to explain how they dealt with it.

According to Rory Fidgeon, principal consultant, A&DC, "The reaction to the credit crunch is far-reaching - even in interviewing processes.   A year ago interviewers wanted to know about candidates' stress tolerance. That made sense - in expanding markets, organisations need to innovate, diversify and push strategic agendas.

Fidgeon adds that "in a credit crunch, organisations batten down the hatches and aim to get the most out of the resources they've got, which is reflected in the most popular question selected from CBI-Smart.  The strategic emphasis has changed and seemingly, organisations want to make sure every one is contributing to planning, organising and defending their market position.  It's interesting that there's tangible evidence that markets react to the credit crunch through interviewing too."

As the credit crunch makes itself felt, the biggest change expected by employees in London during the next twelve months is an increase in their workload, according to research released by Investors in People UK.  The research also reveals that employees are already likely to be feeling the pressure, with over half (51%) saying that they have seen an increase in their workload over the last 12 months.

Reflecting the tougher business conditions predicted, the research - carried out by YouGov - reveals that 69% of London employees anticipate they will experience some changes in the workplace over the coming year, including increased workload (43%), a new manager (16%), news they may lose their job (14%) or relocation (17%). 

The research also found that many employees are concerned about their employer's ability to manage them through these periods of change.  Although 45% of staff with a line manager felt confident that their organisation would make the right decision for the future success of the organisation, 44% felt that their organisation wouldn't listen to their views, and 31% said they wouldn't feel confident they would be informed of change in a timely or appropriate way.

The research shows that employees in London want to be managed in a personal way - the majority (72%) want to hear news of change that affects them via a one-to-one meeting with their boss.  During a period of significant change:

• More than three quarters (77%) of employees want their manager to provide all the information available so they can draw their own conclusions
• 61% would like their manager to seek their views and listen, yet only 34% think this would happen;
• Half (51%) would like their manager to offer them support, yet only a third (34%) think this would happen.

Worryingly, 60% of employees say the most common sign of change in their organisation is an increase in meetings happening behind closed doors or hushed conversations. The research highlights the importance of employers' actively managing change in the workplace to ensure it doesn't have a negative impact on motivation and productivity. 

Simon Jones, chief executive, Investors in People UK, says: "To ensure productivity and motivation levels do not suffer in the current climate, it's important that employers in London actively manage change in the right way.  With over two-thirds of the workforce expecting to experience a change in the workplace in the next 12 months bosses must pay heed to employees' views on how they'd like to be kept informed in times of change."

BT Business has announced the launch of a practical guide 'Get fit for mobile working' which aims to help businesses tackle the problems encountered by some of the UK's 14 million mobile workers. The guide is designed to help mobile workers avoid the back, neck and arm problems that result from working in unfamiliar environments with a poor posture - for example, slouched over a chair in your local Starbucks or lying on a picnic rug in the park (yes, TV and film are convincing us that being cool doesn't make your back hurt ....)

BT's ten top tips for mobile working are: 

1. Use the backrest of your chair. Don't slouch forwards. Keep shoulders in line with your hips.

2. Hold your head so ears are above shoulders. Don't stick your chin forward or bend or twist your neck.

3. Alternate between thumbs and fingers when typing on smartphones.

4. Don't rest wrists or forearms on the edge of desks.

5. Position items so you don't twist your back; screens should be at a comfortable viewing height in front of you. Ensure your back is supported.

6. Exercise your hands, wrists and neck regularly.

7. Make sure there is nothing underneath your workstation that restricts your posture.

8. Take regular breaks away from the keyboard and screen.

9. Don't hold the phone between ear and shoulder - you're likely to get a sore neck.

10. Adjust settings on your software so that the image and text are large enough for you to see comfortably.

Almost half of PAs and secretaries (43%) do not feel comfortable in approaching their boss for a pay rise as they find their superiors intimidating. The recent online poll by office support recruiter Crone Corkill found that because of this, most would rather wait and see if they were offered a salary increase than request one.

31% of respondents said that they would sometimes be willing to approach their boss regarding the issue, but that this would depend on his or her workload and stress level at the time. Just under a fifth said that they do not need to ask because they are often rewarded for their hard work.

"It is surprising that so many PAs said that they would not approach their boss considering they work so closely with them" comments Tracy Durrant, managing director at Crone Corkill. "However many also said they would have to judge their boss's workload first so they obviously know them well enough to know when is a good time, and when isn't! Discussing workplace and employment issues is important and office support staff should see it as a vital element in building a strong working relationship, which employers will value."

According to the Office for National Statistics, one in seven children in Britain - almost 1.8m - now live in totally work-free households, the majority of them with a single parent.

The last year has shown virtually no change to the number of households where all adults are out of full-time work, and researchers found that 15.8% of all households in Britain containing at least one person of working age had no one in full-time employment - that means that there is complete unemployment in more than 3m families where at least one person should be able to work.

And while there are half a million more families living in the UK than when previously surveyed in 2003, there are 43,000 more working-age families with no one in employment.

The study - 'Work and Worklessness among households' - also discovered that 40% of all single-parent families have no one in employment.

David Lammy,  minister for skills, recently spoke at an event run by LEAP, a charity working to get the long-term unemployed into work. He spoke of the cultural changes required by people who had not had a parent or family member in work. Lammy, himself brought up by a single mother, mentioned the examples and experiences missing from these people's lives, and of how difficult it would be for someone who had not grown up witnessing a work ethic to apply themselves to having and holding down a permanent job.

So what of the next generation? Who will teach them the discipline needed for the workplace?

It may seem ghoulish, but you can't deny it's a good idea. The University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education is launching a new course - 'Grief and Bereavement Studies'.

Aimed at those who come into professional contact with the bereaved, including nurses, funeral directors, the clergy, the emergency services, hospice and healthcare professionals, the course aims to demystify the complex process of grieving. Students will look at how they should best approach their work in sensitive environments.

Modules include:

• Making meaning out of grief
• Death and dying
• The ethics of death

The Institute is also launching courses on coaching and alternative dispute resolution, and Sharon Collins, director of professional studies, points out that "Coaching is a key part of any organisational strategy in today's knowledge-driven economy, and disputes and conflict are an inevitable part of life and reality in a day-to-day business practice".

According to new research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Australian Institute of Management, Australian managers are happier and more optimistic than their UK counterparts.

And while it's only natural to assume that this is due to sunshine, barbies, tinnies and beaches, it would appear that there are several factors:

• Australian managers are younger (17.2% of Australian respondents were under 30, compared to 8.3% in the UK)
• The economic downturn has yet to impact on Australia
• Australian managers are seem as more accessible and innovative than their UK counterparts
• Australian staff trust their mangaers more, and have greater confidence in them
• Australians are more likely to feel fairly treated by their organisations

BUT

• Australian managers work longer, with an average working week of 46.4 hours (compared to 45.6 in the UK)
• UK managers are more likely to be offered a good benefits package, including healthcare, subsidised sports facilities, health screenings and the option for sabbaticals

 

Ruth Spellman, CMI chief executive, says "Clearly management styles have a significant impact on morale and business performance. This survey demonstrates the importance of accessible and empowering working environments".

If you've spent all summer hunched over your keyboard staring out at the gloom, wondering what made you apply for your current role, don't despair. And don't let the economy put you off the idea of changing careers. If properly planned and done for the right reasons, there's really no bad time to change careers.

Some tips to make the move easier:

1. Ask yourself why you want to move. Is it a genuine career choice, or disastisfaction with your current role, boss or company? If it's the latter, you may find that a change in job will be sufficient, rather than a complete career change.

2. Pick the right 'new' career. Look at what you enjoy and are good at within your existing role - these may be things that you want to concentrate or build on. It might be worth consulting a career psychologist - they should be able to tell you what professions you show a particular aptitude for.

3. Assess whether you are up to this. Think very carefully about the move - it's one thing doing something for a couple of hours a week, and another basing your career on it.

4. Talk to people. If you know anyone already in the role, ask them to talk you through it. Find out what it entails, and whether your skills set matches the requirements.

5. Be practical. Work out whether you can afford, financially, to start again - or to take time out to study. Do you have the time and energy needed?

6. Take it slowly. Volunteering in the new function will give you a good insight into it, and will show you whether you're up to it. Or take some time off and do some work experience, so that you can get a feel for the job before making a final decision.

7. Get buy in from the people who matter. Friends and family may look askance at you when you announce your plans. Expect cries of 'mid-life crisis', but don't be put off. Explain what you are doing and why, what you hope to achieve and what support you will need. Convince them that this move is important to you and to your happiness.

8. Courage!This is a big move and should be treated as such, but it will change your life for the better.