NEW ZEALAND employee salaries are increasing above inflation in an effort to both attract and retain talent
NEW ZEALAND employee salaries are increasing above inflation in an effort to both attract and retain talent. Employee salaries rose by 5.8 per cent in the last 12 months and executives’ pay rose 5.2 per cent. This is in contrast to the situation in 2007, when employees received increases of 4.8 per cent and their bosses enjoyed a salary increase of 5.8 per cent. The median same incumbent movements for various job families were:
Marketing 7.7%
Engineering 7.4%
HR 6.2%
Source: Mercer
Spam: merely an annoyance
SEVENTY-TWO PER CENT of UK employees don’t see spam as a security threat but as an annoyance. A recent survey revealed employees were complacent toward email security, with 35 per cent saying hackers gaining access to their computer through an email-borne attack would not happen to them. Responsibility rests with companies, the survey revealed, with 67 per cent of respondents saying responsibility for email security should rest with the IT department and only 15 per cent believing they should take personal responsibility.
Source: Websense
Mature-age workers go the distance
MATURE-AGE workers stay at a job longer, with 50 per cent reporting they remained at their last job for more than four years. Only 34 per cent of the remainder of the workforce stayed this long in their last job.
Source: Hays
Cyber bullies strike but bosses turn a blind eye
ALMOST EIGHTY per cent of employees say that it is easier for workplace bullying to occur in cyberspace rather than face to face. However, according to a recent survey of 1800 employees, almost half of the cyber bullying attacks in the workplace have not been taken seriously by employers when victims seek support and assistance. Half of all cyber bullying is carried out by colleagues, closely followed by 41 per cent attributed directly to bosses.
Source: LinkMe
Australian workers want flexibility
FLEXIBLE WORKING conditions are the most attractive employment benefits, according to a recent poll. In the poll of more than 100 people, 68 per cent of respondents said that flexible working conditions were the most attractive employment benefit. This was followed by extra paid leave at 19 per cent and private health care at 7 per cent. Mobile phone/laptop and childcare assistance were seen as the least important factors – at 4 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
Source: Hamilton James & Bruce
Employees expect pay rises
JUST OVER two thirds of Australians expect to get a pay rise this year, with a third claiming they will look for another job if their request is unsuccessful. A recent survey revealed that almost half of respondents (47 per cent) believe they would need a 5 per cent pay rise to stay ahead of inflation.
Source: CareerOne
Sickness benefit costs £16bn
UK TAXPAYERS are paying out more than £16bn ($33bn) a year for people claiming sickness benefit, up nearly a fifth on last year’s numbers, recent figures revealed. The cost of paying incapacity benefits to those who claim they are too ill to work has risen dramatically in the past year. However employment advisers claim that two of every three claimants, estimated at close to two million, are able to work. Half a million of those are under the age of 35. Of the excuses used, many said they have bad backs, which is difficult for doctors to disprove on sick notes. Others claim they suffer from mental or behavioural disorders such as stress.
Source: UK Department for Work and Pensions
Ongoing difficulties for mothers re-entering the workforce
MORE THAN three-quarters of executives (76 per cent) admit that mothers re-entering the workforce still face difficulties. According to a recent executive quiz, almost half (49 per cent) the respondents believe it is as difficult, if not more so, for female executives intending to return to work than five years ago.
Source: Korn Ferry
Employees choose career climb over cash
CLIMBING UP the career ladder is more important than ever to Australians, with nearly 33 per cent of workers admitting the main reason they would consider leaving their current job is a lack of career progression. According to a recent survey of 6000 workers, pay packages are not at the top of the priority list for Australian employees. Only 18 per cent of Aussie workers would be driven to departure as a result of disappointing bonuses and salary packages/benefits.
Source: Robert Walters
CEO cash incentives decline
CASH INCENTIVES among CEOs of the largest and mid-size US companies declined markedly, according to a recent study. A survey of 350 companies revealed a 16 per cent decline in direct compensation for CEOs, reflecting a weakening corporate performance. While base salary constitutes a relatively small percentage of CEO compensation (19 per cent on average), only 58 per cent of organisations increased base salary. It increased by:
Large companies 4.2%
Top 50 companies 3.9%
Mid-size companies 3%
Source: Mercer
