Portable
computers carry no greater health risk to their users than non-portables,
although their users can suffer discomfort, according to a Health and Safety
Executive-sponsored study. It warns users to avoid injury risks from carrying
the portable, its peripherals and paper. Care should also be taken if using a
portable in situations where posture would be poor, such as cars or hotels.
Foreign training best
Management
consultants at the National Engineering Recruitment Exhibition last week said
they had been employing well-qualified engineers from India and Eastern Europe
as they are better trained than UK graduates. “They specialise earlier,
therefore are better equipped,” said Nicole Jones, management consultant for
telecoms engineering company Aircom International. “Demand is exceeding quality
supply.”
Web
recruiting woes
A survey of
168 HR managers found that almost one-quarter do not have the technology to
recruit over the Web, despite nearly all saying it is a vital recruiting tool.
Respondents to RecruitMagazine. com’s survey blamed a lack of IT support to
maintain the technology and a lack of time to implement it.
Age
prejudice plea
Margaret
Hodge, minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, called on employers to
reduce age prejudice in the workplace. Addressing the Recruitment 2000
conference held in London last week, Hodge said, “If a company is downsizing
then the first staff to be made redundant are the over-50s, even though this is
an expensive exercise.”
Join
the top ranks
Personnel
Today’s Scott Beagrie is among the journalists contributing to Britain’s Top
Employers, to be published by HarperCollinsBusiness early next year. Advisors
include Personnel Today, Cranfield School of Management, People in Business,
The Reward Group, Sanders & Sidney, and The University of London. Companies
wanting to be considered for an interview should contact Martin Williams at
Corporate Research Foundation on 020-7486 2603, or e-mail [email protected] .
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Doubts
over DDA
HR has yet
to be convinced that the Disability Discrimination Act is an overwhelming
success, according to a personneltoday.com survey. As Personnel Today went to
press, just 57 per cent of those polled agreed that the DDA had been successful
in helping foster equal treatment of disabled people at work.
