August 23, 2013
More than half of UK firms expecting to increase capital spending over next year
The latest good news for the UK economy comes from a poll conducted by Edison Investment Research of 200 medium sized companies which shows that over half (56 percent) claim they will increase capital expenditure over the next year. In the same poll in January, only a quarter made the same claim, reflecting the sharp upturn in optimism in UK businesses. In the latest EIR poll, 69 percent said they felt positive about the coming year. In the Eurozone things aren’t quite so rosy as confidence has dropped over the course of the year with 17 percent expecting growth, down from 26 percent six months ago.
August 16, 2013
UKIP quip that women not competitive enough for business obscures real debate
by Sara Bean • Comment, Legal news, News, Workplace
The comment by UKIP treasurer Stuart Wheeler that women are not competitive enough to merit a place in the boardroom grabbed all of the headlines from an important debate on the introduction of gender quotas on City boards. The news broke on the same day that employment body the CIPD issued a warning that businesses will continue to lose talented female workers if they don’t offer them a better work-life balance. With research showing that around half of female managers choose not to return to work following maternity leave, how far should employers be going to retain female talent and encourage workplace diversity, and does gender equality really require a legislative stick? More →