http://www.personneltoday.com/en-gbFri, 16 May 2008 16:58:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45896/friday-podcast-imelda-walsh-on-flexible-working-queens-speech-latest-and-university-sleeping.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45896/friday-podcast-imelda-walsh-on-flexible-working-queens-speech-latest-and-university-sleeping.html HR news and analysis including: Imelda Walsh talks exclusively to Personnel Today on the flexible working review to extend the right to request flexbileFri, 16 May 2008 16:58:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45884/call-to-set-up-timetable-to-scrap-statutory-retirement-age.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45884/call-to-set-up-timetable-to-scrap-statutory-retirement-age.html Calls for a formal timetable for the removal of the mandatory retirement age have come after a national survey found workers in the UK wanted to work longer. HSBC's Future of Retirement study, conducted by the OxfoFri, 16 May 2008 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45879/prison-service-teams-up-with-equalities-commission-to-tackle-sexual-harassment.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/16/45879/prison-service-teams-up-with-equalities-commission-to-tackle-sexual-harassment.html The Prison Service has launched a crackdown on sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination as part of an action plan agreed with the equalities watchdog. <A href="http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/eoc/Docs/Agreement_HMPrFri, 16 May 2008 10:51:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/15/45866/government-to-extend-flexible-working-rights-to-staff-with-children-up-to-age-of-16.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/15/45866/government-to-extend-flexible-working-rights-to-staff-with-children-up-to-age-of-16.html The government has announced that the right to request flexible working will be extended to staff with children up to the age of 16. Business secretary John Hutton has accepted the recommendations of Sainsbury's HR directorThu, 15 May 2008 15:19:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45865/employees-willing-to-work-into-seventies-to-fund-decent-retirement.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45865/employees-willing-to-work-into-seventies-to-fund-decent-retirement.html Employees older than 40 are prepared to work well into their 70s to ensure a quality retirement, according to a study out this week. The fourth annual HSBC Future of Retirement study, which surveyed more than 20,00Wed, 14 May 2008 15:36:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45856/flexible-working-request-to-be-extended-to-training-says-gordon-brown.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45856/flexible-working-request-to-be-extended-to-training-says-gordon-brown.html Gordon Brown used the draft Queen's Speech to announce a new right to request time off work for training. Revealing his plansWed, 14 May 2008 14:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45793/cipd-implies-walshs-flexible-working-review-lacked-independence.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45793/cipd-implies-walshs-flexible-working-review-lacked-independence.html Imelda Walsh's flexible working review lacked independence from the government, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) implied this morning. <A href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/poWed, 14 May 2008 13:25:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45844/overhaul-of-discrimination-laws-into-single-equality-bill-expected-in-draft-queens-speech.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/14/45844/overhaul-of-discrimination-laws-into-single-equality-bill-expected-in-draft-queens-speech.html A major shake-up of discrimination laws is expected to be announced in Gordon Brown's draft Queen's Speech today. Brown will outline the long-awaited <A href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/framewoWed, 14 May 2008 09:10:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/12/45813/female-construction-workers-set-to-continue-growing-in-numbers.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/12/45813/female-construction-workers-set-to-continue-growing-in-numbers.html The number of female construction workers is set to continue growing after training programmes targeting women saw surprising success. Sector skills council ConstructionSkills has been awarded further funding afMon, 12 May 2008 16:10:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/09/45781/fire-and-rescue-service-diversity-report-slams-lack-of-progress.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/09/45781/fire-and-rescue-service-diversity-report-slams-lack-of-progress.html The lack of diversity in the Fire and Rescue Service has come under renewed scrutiny after new figures showed the number of women and ethnic minority employees had not improved significantly. <A hrefFri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/06/45744/prejudice-rife-over-people-with-facial-disfigurements.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/06/45744/prejudice-rife-over-people-with-facial-disfigurements.html An overwhelming majority of people prejudice those with facial disfigurements, a survey has revealed. Research by the charity Changing Faces has revealed people wiTue, 06 May 2008 13:44:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/02/45729/friday-podcast-flexible-working-in-practice-public-sector-hr-dinosaurs-and-corporate-responsibility-to-the-unemployed.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/02/45729/friday-podcast-flexible-working-in-practice-public-sector-hr-dinosaurs-and-corporate-responsibility-to-the-unemployed.html HR news and analysis including: equalities groups warn that employees are not taking up their right to request flexible working for fear it will damage their careers public sector HR has been accused of being arcFri, 02 May 2008 15:08:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/02/45703/hr-offers-to-come-clean-on-salaries-in-bid-to-promote-pay-parity.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/02/45703/hr-offers-to-come-clean-on-salaries-in-bid-to-promote-pay-parity.html HR professionals are prepared to reveal their own salaries in a bid to eradicate <STROFri, 02 May 2008 09:20:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/01/45695/opportunity-now-award-goes-to-mod-police-agency-chief-wendy-benson.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/05/01/45695/opportunity-now-award-goes-to-mod-police-agency-chief-wendy-benson.html Police and Guarding Agency chief superintendent Wendy Benson scooped the Champion Award at the OpportunitThu, 01 May 2008 10:16:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/30/45689/skills-and-temp-rights-are-main-cause-for-concern-so-far-in-2008.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/30/45689/skills-and-temp-rights-are-main-cause-for-concern-so-far-in-2008.html We may be just four months in to 2008, but already there have been plenty of flashpoints for the HR profession. Whether it be skills, diversity, flexible working, temp rights or the interminable debate over HR's relevance to profit and losWed, 30 Apr 2008 14:27:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/29/45647/blackburn-darwen-council-in-last-ditch-talks-over-equal-pay-dispute.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/29/45647/blackburn-darwen-council-in-last-ditch-talks-over-equal-pay-dispute.html Unions will hold last ditch talks tomorrow with Blackburn Darwen Council to prevent strike action by council workers <A href="http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/02/05/44281/birmingham-city-council-workerTue, 29 Apr 2008 11:18:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/25/45525/financial-aid-for-ill-staff-forced-to-retire-from-work.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/25/45525/financial-aid-for-ill-staff-forced-to-retire-from-work.html A scheme to provide earlier financial assistance for individuals who have lost out on their company pension and have then been forced to stop working because of ill health has been announced by the government. <P aFri, 25 Apr 2008 17:07:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/25/45498/dyslexic-officer-due-payout-for-discrimination.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/25/45498/dyslexic-officer-due-payout-for-discrimination.html A dyslexic police recruit who was forced to leave his job is set to be awarded up to £500,000 in compensation after winning his claims of harassment and disability discrimination. Probationary constabFri, 25 Apr 2008 16:53:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/24/45571/disabled-jobs-boost-as-remploy-places-record-number-in-mainstream-roles.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/24/45571/disabled-jobs-boost-as-remploy-places-record-number-in-mainstream-roles.html A record number of disabled people found work through using Remploy's services last year. The specialist provider said in the 12 months to the end of March 2008, it found 6,600 jobs in mainstream employment for people with Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:55:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/23/45546/unfair-dismissal-tribunal-hears-claims-of-boys-club-ethos-at-bank.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2008/04/23/45546/unfair-dismissal-tribunal-hears-claims-of-boys-club-ethos-at-bank.html A financial adviser at a high street bank has told a tribunal that she was forced out of her job because she did not fit into the company's "boys' club" ethos. According to the Daily MWed, 23 Apr 2008 12:56:00 GMT