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Employees crave email and Twitter more than alcohol |
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Date: 03/02/2012 |
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The addiction to read work emails or access social networking sites is stronger than cravings for cigarettes, alcohol and sex, according to a study by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
In the study of desire regulation, 205 adults wore devices that recorded a total of 7,827 reports about their daily desires. Desires for sleep and sex were the strongest, while desires for media and work proved the hardest to resist.
Even though tobacco and alcohol are thought of as addictive, desires associated with them were the weakest, according to the study. Surprisingly to the researchers, sleep and leisure were the most problematic desires, suggesting "pervasive tension between natural inclinations to rest and relax and the multitude of work and other obligations," said Wiklhelm Hofmann, assistant professor at Chigaco University and author of the report.
The study supported past research that the more frequently and recently people have resisted a desire, the less successful they will be at resisting any subsequent desire. Therefore as a day wears on, willpower becomes lower, and self-control efforts are more likely to fail, said Hofmann, who co-authored the paper with Roy Baumeister of Florida State University and Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota.
The effects of willpower depletion explain why so many people have trouble resisting unhealthy food - the more they resist the food, the more they crave it.
Hofmann added: "Modern life is a welter of assorted desires marked by frequent conflict and resistance, the latter with uneven success."
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Employers planning to increase workforce in 2012 |
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Date: 27/01/2012 |
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Employers are becoming more cautious about taking on new staff but a "significant number" of business plan to increase their workforce this year, presenting a challenge to HR directors, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).
January's Jobs Outlook survey, which tracks future hiring intentions rather than actual placements, confirms many employers are now waiting for an upturn in economic prospects before they commit to growing their workforce.
A marked dip in the short-term prospects for permanent staff was reflected in a two point drop over the month with 63% expecting to increase their workforce and another 31% planning to retain their present headcount. With regards to the longer term outlook, 59% expect to take on more permanent staff over the next twelve months and another 39% intending to maintain staffing at existing levels, an eight point decrease on the previous month.
Despite the dip in business confidence, it is interesting to note that a significant number of businesses plan to increase or maintain staffing levels in the short and medium term.
Employers identified a number of key sectors where skills shortages were likely to be encountered over the coming year. On the permanent side, shortages were expected in professional and managerial roles; nursing, medical and healthcare; and education and training. For temporary staff, skills shortages were likely to occur in driving and distribution (21%), catering and accommodation (21%) and accounting/financial (16%).
Despite the first 12 week qualifying period for agency workers to receive equal treatment having been reached in December, expectations over short term demand for agency staff have remained stable.
More than a quarter (27%) of employers plan to increase their use of agency workers during this period, with another 57% saying theirs would remain at the same level - a total of 84%. The long-term forecast is for most employers (65%) to keep their usage at existing levels while 22% said they planned an increase.
Roger Tweedy, the REC's director of research said: "Last November's figures showed that many employers were hoping to slightly increase their permanent workforces early in the New Year. However, there has been a significant dip in employer optimism that is likely to be linked to continuing economic concerns over the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone.
"Most employers have retrenched to a much more cautious 'wait and see' approach, which is starting to be reflected in the REC's Employer Confidence Barometer index which fell back one point from the month before. However it is important to note that this confidence index is still five points above its lowest mark last September and that a significant number of businesses still plan to take on new staff during the course of year, despite the slight change in mood."
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Drop in permanent and temporary jobs |
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Date: 11/01/2012 |
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Fresh evidence of the weakness of Britain's labour market emerged in a report showing demand for full-time and temporary staff fell last month.
Following the recent pick up in the official unemployment total to more than 2.5 million, the monthly survey from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and the consultants KPMG showed the third successive fall in permanent placements and the first reduction in the use of temps for almost two and a half years.
The REC blamed the uncertainty caused by the crisis in the eurozone for the reluctance of employers to hire but stressed that the outlook for jobs was not as bleak as it was at the depths of the recession in early 2009.
Kevin Green, The REC's chief executive, said: "While the jobs market is tough it remains resilient and is functioning well. There are clearly signs of decline but we are nowhere near the lows seen in 2009 when the market deteriorated at a drastically faster rate than we are seeing today. Employers are still hiring and using temps in large numbers; however, they are starting the year on a cautious note and are taking their time to make workforce decisions. The quicker the eurozone sovereign debt crisis is resolved and we get some economic visibility, the better it will be for employer confidence and the UK jobs market."
The REC index for the hiring of permanent staff stood at 48.5 last month, with any finding below 50 pointing to a decline in demand for workers by employers. The index for temps dipped to 49.0, the first time it has been below 50 in 29 months. The lack of job opportunities for a bigger pool of applicants for jobs meant pay pressures remain muted last month, with hourly pay rates for temps falling for the first time since January.
Green said that demand for labour in certain sectors of the economy had remained strong, citing engineering, technology, IT, office professionals and nursing as areas of increasing demand for labour. There was falling demand from finance and accountancy, while the REC reported a significant downturn in jobs in the hotel and catering sector. "This might be a short-term blip as we build up to a peak of demand around the Olympics itself but it could also be a worrying indicator of a lack of engagement in the Olympics from both business and consumers", Green said. He added that the cautiousness about hiring appeared to stem from a general lack of confidence in the outlook for the economy rather than a significant downturn in demand for goods and services.
Bernard Brown, partner and head of business services at KPMG said: "It is a huge concern to see temporary placements falling in tandem with permanent employment opportunities, making it difficult to be optimistic about the employment market in 2012. The decline in temporary roles is a clear indication that businesses are too nervous to even make short-term commitments, given the continued uncertainty across the Euro Zone and so much talk of a tough year ahead."
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