The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins this week. Among the millions of people across the globe that will fast everyday from sunrise to sunset for 30 days, there will also be significant numbers of Muslims working in offices in Europe and North America where Ramadan slips by unnoticed.
According to communications training provider, Kwintessential, this lack of awareness can cause inconvenience, stress and unhappiness to practicing Muslims in the workplace. The company is offering free consultation and a guide for employers with Muslim staff to help them better understand the month and what it means to Islam’s adherents.
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, has paid tribute to Gloria Mills who today made TUC history when she was elected TUC President. He said: “This is a really important development - Gloria is the first black women to be elected TUC President and UNISON is very proud of her. As a senior officer of UNISON, she is hard working and has dedicated her life to promoting equal opportunities”.
British employers are failing to make the most of their part-time workers, with 5.6 million part-time workers – 4 out of 5 of the UK's total – stuck in jobs where they do not use their full potential, new research has suggested.
The year-long investigation by the Equal Opportunities Commission found more than three and a half million part-time workers had higher qualifications or skills or had supervision/management roles in previous jobs, and a further two million believed they could "easily work at a higher level".
The report, Britain's Hidden Brain Drain, highlighted the damage caused by old-fashioned thinking about work.
Men ended up mostly working work full-time, and among the longest hours in the European Union, and women, more than two-fifths of whom worked part-time, ended up in low paid jobs with no prospects, said the EOC.
Women part-time workers were earning 40 per cent less per hour than men working full time – about the same pay gap as 30 years ago – and employers were failing to make best use of their considerable skills and experience.At the same time, employers and employees faced an epidemic of work-related stress as work intensified and Britain burnt out. The UK's Department of Trade and Industry estimated that stress at work now costs the UK £3.7 billion a year, said the EOC.
Many women professionals are leaving the IT industry because of the long hours culture and the male-dominated nature of the sector, according to a report from Intellect, a trade association for the UK hi-tech industry, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Official Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show that there has been a decline in the number of women employed in the IT industry from 27 per cent in 1997 to 21 per cent in 2005. The women participating in the ‘Women in IT Industry’ report considered work-life balance, the male-dominated environment that prevails in the sector, the industry culture and company values and practices to be the core reasons why the sector is unattractive to women.
British Asians make up four per cent of the population but contribute £103 billion to the economy - about 10 per cent of the country's entire economic output, according to figures from The Institure of Asian Professionals.
The Institute has compiled a 'power list' of the 100 most influential Asians in Britain and has just held its annual awards, celebrating the role of Asians in contributing to the UK economy.
The Metropolitan Police are holding a faith recruitment fair next week at Earls Court, London on Wednesday, 7 September 2005.
According to the head of the Met's Positive Action Team, the recruitment of people from differing faiths is important in order for it to being fully representative of the communities it serves.
Superintendent Neil Seabridge, said: "The MPS is determined to be more representative of the communities that it serves. We welcome the opportunity to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to explore what we can offer as a career and how we are working to accommodate individual needs."
Anyone attending the event will have the opportunity to talk to representatives from various support networks and staff associations including Sikh, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim Associations, and the Positive Action Team will be on hand to provide guidance and advice.
The faith recruitment fair is timed to correspond with the new 'Can You Be?' campaign, which will be revealed in both ethnic and London press over the next few weeks. Adverts will ask potential recruits 'Can you be true to your beliefs?' The message being that you can join the Met without compromising the values of your faith or any other aspect of what is important to you. Dress code, leave arrangements, flexible hours and catering within the Service are designed to accommodate all beliefs.
Simon Marshall, the Met's Director of Recruitment, said: "The Met is committed to diversity and supporting people from all different faiths. Through employing a diverse workforce we are able to bring understanding and knowledge to the communities we serve. To achieve this it is vital that we are truly representative."
The event takes place at the Hotel Ibis, Earls Court, 47 Lillie Road, London, 10.00am and 4.00pm on Wednesday 7 September 2005.
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