eResponse Recruitment

Working Mums

Most workers feel their bosses do not do enough to encourage women on maternity leave to return to work, according to research by Monster.

The poll found that only 17% of workers felt their employers did everything to encourage women back to work, but a further 36% believed that their employer would discourage mothers to return to work because they would rather employ someone without commitments.

Employment legislation provides new and expectant mothers with special rights and protection, including: the right to takes time off for antenatal care; maternity leave and pay, return to work to the same job; request flexible working and protection from suffering a detriment or dismissal on pregnancy grounds.

However Julian Acquari, Managing Director of Monster UK and Ireland , said the measures were not enough.

He said: Our poll demonstrates that, despite legislation, there is still a feeling among workers that new mothers do not receive the support in coming back to work that they deserve from their employers.

"Women's careers don't end with having children - many women look forward to rejoining the work force, not to mention that raising a child can be expensive and many new mothers still need to work to provide the vital added income."

National Minimum Wage to rise this October

Gordon Brown announced today that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will rise from October.

Adults who receive GBP5.52 an hour will receive GBP5.73, 18-21-year-olds will get a rise of 17p an hour to GBP4.77 and 16-17-year-olds will be paid GBP3.53, up from GBP3.40.

The government said nearly one million low paid employees, two thirds of them women, will benefit from the increase.

The government has also boosted funding for enforcement of the NMW and is planning tough new penalties for rogue employers who underpay staff as part of the Employment Bill, now before the Parliament.

Business Secretary John Hutton said: "The National Minimum Wage remains one of the most important rights introduced by the government in the last decade. Before it was introduced, some workers could expect to be paid as little as 35p an hour; our legislation has ensured that can no longer happen."

"I am proud of the minimum wage; it makes a real difference to the lives of many of our lowest-paid workers and protects them from exploitation. It also creates a level playing field for business and boosts the economy."

When the NMW was launched the main rate was GBP3.60.

New measures which aim to enforce the minimum wage and crack down on rogue employers include a fairer method for dealing with NMW arrears, calculated so that workers do not lose out as a result of underpayment and increasing the maximum penalty for non-payment of the NMW to an unlimited fine. The most serious cases of non-compliance will be tried in a crown court.

Job Interviews

Personal Hygiene has been cited as a key problem among job hunters with 47% of recruiters questioned said they had received negative feedback from employers found a survey recently conducted by the REC.

The survey also revealed anecdotes such as acandidate turning up in a ball gown for an interview with a fashion company, another candidate claimed he was very proficient at Sony Playstation, several candidates tried to charm their interviewer by offering them sweets and one candidate was too cain to wear her glasses at interview and mistook a cupboard for the exit on her way out.

Almost all respondants (93%) had received feedback from employers about a job hunters interview appearance with 16-20 year olds identified as the worst offenders for dressing inappropriately. Casual clothing was an issue according to 63% of recruiters with one in four (23%) mentioning inappropriate footwear, one in three (29%) citing revealing clothing and one in five (19%), excessive jewellery.