A poll of 513 UK managers showed that while 39% think the loans crisis will damage their companies in 2008, 42% fear the effect of greater maternity and paternity leave.
Maternity leave was extended to 52 weeks, with statutory pay for 39 weeks, for babies born on or after 1 April 2007. Fathers were allowed two weeks’ paid paternity leave.
Overall, the Chartered Management Institute found that managers believe 2008 will be tougher than 2007. Only 40% are confident about the year ahead, compared with 50% a year ago.
The rising cost of energy is the most-blamed factor, while half of all managers think their firms will be held back by a lack of management skills. However, only one in three plans to undertake training in the New Year.
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Jo Causon, director of marketing and corporate affairs for the Chartered Management Institute, says: “In the current climate, it is natural for employers to feel some degree of uncertainty.
“However, the decline in organisations developing their managers is a great concern. If employers fail to invest in the skills needed for long-term success, the UK will find it difficult to compete on a global scale in the future.”
