Displaying items by tag: Employment

Brexit has had a significant impact on London’s financial sector, with an estimated 40,000 finance jobs lost since the UK’s departure from the EU, according to Michael Mainelli, the Lord Mayor of the City of London. This figure is at odds with previous estimates, including a 2022 assessment which put the job loss at around 7,000. While cities like Dublin, Milan, Paris, and Amsterdam gained positions from the migration of jobs, London’s financial centre has continued to grow, adding roles in insurance and data analysis, bringing the total workforce to 615,000. Mainelli's remarks come as Britain seeks to restore relationships with Europe amid a broader economic slowdown. Although many had hoped Brexit would reduce immigration and deregulate industries, it has proven difficult to disentangle regulations, and the economic slowdown has persisted. Keir Starmer is attempting to rebuild ties with the EU, focusing on improving business relations but ruling out rejoining the single market.

The Government is preparing a significant overhaul of workers' rights, introducing several new measures aimed at improving job security and flexibility for millions of employees. Key changes include the removal of the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection, enabling workers to receive statutory sick pay (SSSP) from their first day of illness, and giving fathers access to paternity leave from day one of employment. Also, workers will be entitled to unpaid parental and bereavement leave from day one, and employers will be expected to consider flexible working requests immediately. However, the bill has faced criticism for delays and certain measures being watered down. Small business owners have expressed concerns over the potential impact on hiring decisions, probation periods, and the management of zero-hours contracts. Trade unions have welcomed the changes but insist more needs to be done.

Microsoft will cut 10,000 jobs in the latest round of staff redundancies to hit the tech industry. It will affect 5% of its global workforce and cost £972m in severance and reorganisation costs. Microsoft is the latest, but it won't be the last, as the giants seek to tighten their belts following the boom time of the pandemic, when lockdowns meant people were stuck at home, wanting to spend their cash on digital entertainment and devices. Amazon plans to cut over 18,000 jobs, the largest number in the firm's history, as it battles to save costs. The online giant employs 1.5 million people globally and said the job cuts would include Europe. Meanwhile M&S will create 3,400 jobs as it opens new shops. AJ Bell’s investment director said it felt significant that M&S had revealed its investment figure at a time when the retail environment is not buoyant. see

The Public Accounts Committee supported the Department for Work and Pensions as it tried to help young people into work at what was expected to be a downturn in employment opportunities. But the £1.9 billion ‘emergency intervention’ Kickstart scheme has supported far fewer young people than predicted. Early delivery was chaotic and DWP ‘neglected to put in place basic management information that would be expected for a multi-billion-pound grant programme’. Also, despite more favourable than predicted economic conditions, many young people who joined Universal Credit when the pandemic started have remained on the benefit. DWP doesn’t know why these people are not in Kickstart jobs.

In a landmark ruling, an employment tribunal declared Mary Onuoha's dismissal for wearing a cross had been both victimisation and harassment, and Croydon NHS Trust had breached her human rights and created a 'humiliating, hostile and threatening environment' for her to work in. Mary was removed from her role as an NHS theatre practitioner and demoted to various administrative roles before resigning after facing two years of hostility from her NHS bosses. She was told that wearing a cross necklace breached the Trust's dress code - even though plain rings, hijabs, turbans and religious bracelets were permitted. The NHS said the wearing of a necklace was an infection risk. The tribunal judge said, ‘it is clear to us that the infection risk of a necklace of the sort the claimant used to wear, when worn by a responsible clinician who complied with handwashing protocol, was very low’.

In 2016 you prayed for Nurse Sarah Kuteh who was dismissed from her job after talking to patients about her Christian faith and giving a Bible to one patient. After dismissing her, Darent Valley Hospital reported Sarah to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), questioning her 'fitness to practise'. For nearly two years the NMC has held a series of hearings to determine whether Sarah would continue to be able to practise as a nurse. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the NMC panel unanimously ruled that Sarah was fully 'fit to practise' and revoked all restrictions on her nursing practice.