This week’s news in brief
Tesco staff recruit temps
In what is thought to be the first
trial of its kind, supermarket chain Tesco
is asking its own checkout staff to help with the recruitment of 12,000
Christmas temps. They will encourage shoppers showing classic retail skills,
such as friendliness and helpfulness, to apply for a job. Positions will be
available in 780 stores across the UK.
www.tesco.com/careers
Conflict wastes 450 days
Managing conflict at work, including
disciplinary and grievance cases and preparing for employment tribunals, costs
the average employer nearly 450 days of management time every year. However,
employers are optimistic that new dispute resolution
regulations – which came into force last Friday – will ease their burden, the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development research shows. www.cipd.co.uk
BBC in £2bn sell-off
The Government has approved the £2bn
sell-off of the BBC’s technology arm, meaning 1,400 BBC staff have moved to the private sector.
BBC Technology was handed over to IT services provider Siemens Business
Services last Friday after culture minister Tessa Jowell found "no legitimate reason" to
block the sale. The Bectu
union expressed disappointment and anger at the BBC’s decision. www.bbctechnology.com
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Staff feel bogged down
Most employees want to be more
productive, but feel too bogged down in day-to-day tasks, according to research
from the Department of Trade and Industry. On an average working day, 54 per
cent of workers said they were only reasonably productive, suggesting they are
not realising their full
potential. Almost six in 10 employees said being in control of their work-life
balance affected productivity. www.dti.gov.uk
