This was a fall of 26% since 1993 (when 178 million days were lost) despite an increase in total employment from around 25 million people to about 29 million people. The amount of time lost per worker was four and a half days in 2011 down from just over seven days in 1993.

The number of working days lost through sickness remained roughly constant through the 1990s until 2003 and has fallen since then. The percentage of total hours lost fell from 2.8% in 1993 to 1.8% in 2011.

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Microsoft Word’s red and green squiggles suggesting spelling and grammar corrections don’t look great on a resume. Even if you click “ignore” to get rid of those lines, they’ll still show up when others open the doc. Prevent this from happening with Word’s document protection.
Reddit user Kevspace2 offers this tip for making your resume look more professional. When you make a document read only, it preserves the formatting and gets rid of all the squiggly lines. That includes Word’s mistaken advice to correct your name, company names, and fragments in your resume.

Of course, if your potential employer allows PDF resumes, you should send a PDF version instead, but this tip is helpful for those employers who demand a Word doc. Go to Tools > Protect Document > Read Only for a squiggly-free resume.

The British Medical Association (BMA) have called the ballot in reaction to reforms confirmed by the government last December, which will mean NHS staff have to work until 68 rather than 65 and pay up to 14.5 per cent of their wage in pension contributions by 2014.

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The CIPD’s quarterly Labour Market Outlook’s net employment balance, which measures the difference between the proportion of employers that intend to increase total staffing levels and those that intend to decrease total staffing levels in the first quarter of 2012, has risen to +6 from -8 since the Winter 2011/12 quarter. This is the report’s first positive figure for more than a year.

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The Queen Speech’s outlined plans to link the state pension age to longevity, after increasing it to 67 by 2028. PwC projects it will have to rise again to 68 soon afterwards – by 2031 – so affecting those aged 48 or younger now. People in their late 30s today can expect to wait until they’re 70 to receive their state pension.

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Jez Langhorn (pictured), VP, people, McDonald’s UK, told HR: “I would encourage all businesses, both big and small, to think about how they can boost their employees’ skills and widen their career opportunities. As we’ve seen from our own experience, business can play a significant role in boosting social mobility in the UK. That’s a prize worth chasing after, and a compelling reason to embrace the spirit of Adult Learners’ Week and embed learning in the workplace, no matter what size your organisation is or which sector you operate in. ”

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You may have seen in the press that the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) ICM Research Survey has highlighted significant problems with patient care in hospitals. At the same time as the RCN has stated health services in the community are at breaking point- with cuts to councils and hospitals placing an extra burden on community nurses- the survey shows that patients are being placed on hospital trolleys for many hours and treated in corridors not appropriate for care.

The union claims this is happening in an environment where more than 60,000 frontline jobs are under threat in the NHS in England, with more than half already gone. The RCN has called for NHS organisations to develop a much greater understanding of pressure points in the system, improve management of changes in demand and ensure safe staffing levels across all sectors. Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, has responded by the stating that patient safety must be the number one concern for NHS organisations and that radical change is needed to balance cost with the provision of care.

Nurses are angry and morale is getting low. I caught up with Alyx Peters, Vice-Chair of REC healthcare and herself a former surgical nurse: “The RCN is right to call for NHS organisations to ensure safe staffing is a priority. Reforms to the health service in England aim to generate a patient-driven, clinically-lead health service. However, the raft of reports from the RCN creates a picture of an NHS under strain with nurses spending less time with individuals, caseloads dramatically increasing and patients being treated in areas not designed for care in hospitals.”

So what is the way forward? The NHS is under considerable financial pressure and is striving to balance cost-control with quality and safety of care. However, with the NHS Confederation stating radical change is needed to make certain that care continues to improve, now is the time to reassess flexible staffing and utilise technological innovations such as e-rostering to improve the efficiency of front-line services. Alyx Peters says: “The ability to bring in specialist staff when there is a need – rather than increasing headcount – is a feature of cost-effective resourcing models in both the private and public sector.”

In a health service under strain, innovation, flexibility and safe staffing must be top of the agenda to continue to improve the provision of care. The final words go to Alyx: “Andrew Lansley rightly told delegates at the RCN conference in Harrogate that the NHS deserves credit for its successes, including reducing patient waiting times. Agency nurses and other temporary workers play a key part in achieving such success. They cover absences, help to meet spikes in demand and play a key part in providing the safe, professional service the public expects from the NHS.”

The government said the draft bill would also extend personalisation, improve information and advice for service users and consolidate existing legislation on adult social care into a single statute, in line with recommendations put forward last year by the Law Commission.

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The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs – published today – provides the most comprehensive guide to the UK labour market, drawing on original survey data provided by recruitment consultancies.

Modest growth of permanent placements maintained…

Permanent staff placements increased in April, continuing the trend seen since the start of 2012. That said, the rate of growth was modest and the slowest since January. Higher placements were supported by a further solid increase in demand for staff.

…but temp billings show further slight fall

Agencies’ billings from the employment of temporary/contract staff fell again in April. Although only slight, the rate of contraction was nevertheless the fastest since July 2009. The number of vacancies available to people seeking short-term work meanwhile increased, but at the weakest rate since September 2009.

Permanent staff availability down slightly; weaker rise in temp availability

April data pointed to a slight deterioration in the availability of candidates for permanent jobs, bringing an end to the previous 14-month sequence of growth. Temporary/contract staff availability continued to rise, albeit at the weakest rate for almost a year.

Salaries broadly stagnant

Permanent staff salaries continued to show a broadly flat trend in April, posting a fractional fall on the month. Hourly rates of pay for temporary/contract staff were up modestly.

Kevin Green, Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, says:

“This month’s figures show growth in permanent jobs but at the slowest level since January. This highlights the fragile nature of the UK jobs market at present. Employer and consumer confidence are increasing and we anticipate more private sector jobs being created in the second half of the year. Temporary staffing is declining as employers take on more permanent staff and come to terms with the Agency Workers Regulations, however, temps will continue to be a valuable resource for many businesses.

“During 2011, employers made do with the staff they had, trying to exploit any additional capacity in their existing workforce. Having maximised the growth they could achieve in this way, confidence has grown sufficiently for organisations to make the positive decision to take on more staff.

“This growth is fragile though, and reports of a double dip recession and crises in the Eurozone could have a negative impact on that confidence.”