A tight labour market, a changing workforce and the need to boost UK productivity should put effective HR policies at the heart of the pre-election debate, according to the Chartered Institute of Pers-onnel and Development (CIPD).
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The CIPD yesterday sent ministers, senior civil servants and politicians of all parties a Public Policy Agenda, highlighting key issues of concern.
Duncan Brown, CIPD assistant director general, said: “From improving productivity that lags behind our international competitors to addressing skills shortages affecting… the UK economy, or from tackling pensions problems to resolving the debate over migrant workers, effective people management and development lies at the heart of many key political and economic issues.”
The document includes calls to:
- Avoid rigid quotas on immigration to avoid placing increased pressure on a tight jobs market, in which many employers are struggling to recruit suitable people
- Implement policies that encourage greater take up of flexible working, to attract more people back in to work and to take the pressure off the jobs market
- Ensure swift action is taken to reform incapacity benefits and eliminate barriers preventing economically inactive people from filling job vacancies
- Abolish mandatory retirement ages to enable employers to recruit and retain talent free from unnecessary barriers to the employment of older workers.
