Fixed retirement age to be axed
The government is planning to scrap the default retirement age in the UK from October 2011. Under the proposal, employers would not be allowed to dismiss staff because they had reached the age of 65.

Activists, who have long campaigned against the rule, welcomed the proposal as a "victory" against ageism.

Currently, an employer can force an employee to retire at the age of 65 without paying any financial compensation. The only obligation on an employer is to hold a meeting with the member of staff to discuss plans at least six months before their 65th birthday.

At the end of that meeting it is entirely at the discretion of the employer whether or not to terminate employment.

The government has launched a consultation process about scrapping the rule.
Under the plans, no forced retirement notices could be issued after 6 April 2011- six months before the October change.

The government hopes the change will encourage people to work for longer, against a background of an ageing population.

That could ease the strain on public finances as more people continue to pay tax, while at the same time claiming the state pension.

50% of employees targeted by poachers

More than half (52%) of employees have been approached by another employer with a possible job offer within the past 12 months, according to a new study.

The findings suggest there’s some movement in the job market and that employment prospects are beginning to improve.

This is further confirmed by a Research Survey which showed that as many as 18% of US employers anticipate an increase in new hires during the third-quarter.

Although the report warned that the hyper-competitive marketplace meant everyone was pressing for an edge, especially if that edge came from poaching talent.

Without doubt, right now one or more of your competitors is probably gunning for your high performers – your workforce elite. Without an effective workforce strategy in place, a lot of intellectual property will be moving on to better opportunities.

Key Findings in the Research Survey

• Those who held managerial titles and higher were most in demand, with 56% being approached by another company to discuss job opportunities;
• The largest organisations were most at risk of employee defection, with 60% of employees being approached;
• Individuals in consulting, engineering, sales and business development were most in demand, as were workers 24 to 35 years of age.

While hiring is likely to remain conservative for the rest of the year with many organisations holding the line on costs, managers need to balance that against the need to invest in their employees. The research clearly shows that career development pays huge dividends in terms of engagement and retention – both for the individual and the organisation.