Government to develop national equality and diversity framework for the Fire and Rescue service

The government is to create a national equality and diversity strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service, mirroring attempts to improve levels of ethnic minority representation in the police.

The minister responsible, Angela Smith, said all Fire and Rescue Service's will be expected to report annually on how many members of staff came from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The strategy will be included in a forthcoming National Framework and will be a part of the Audit Commission's performance assessment framework for the Fire and Rescue Service.

The announcement comes in the government's response to the House of Commons select committee report on the Fire and Rescue Service, which called for greater diversity in the service.

The report stated that to reduce "the devastating impact of fire" the service needed to actively seek to understand and respond to the needs of all communities and could only do so if it reflects those communities through the diversity of its staff.

Smith said the new strategy would launched following consultation Fire and Rescue Service employers, the Local Government Association, the Chief Fire Officers Association and the employees' representative organisations.

"As recommended by the [House of Commons] committee, a national equality and diversity adviser will be appointed," Smith said. "We will work through the new Centre for Leadership at the Fire Service College to drive culture change by creating leaders at all levels who are committed to equality and diversity and embed it into all aspects of their role."

Setting race targets for police has led to controversy after some forces were found to be positively discriminating in their attempts to hit their diversity targets.

Age law 'threat to minimum wage'

Laws being introduced on Sunday, which ban age discrimination at work, could endanger the minimum wage system, a business group has warned.

Workers aged over 21 currently receive more than their younger colleagues. The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) said this may be considered discriminatory and be open to legal challenge under the new legislation.

But the government said the different rates were allowed by the law to protect younger workers.
It was one of the areas where discrimination had been ruled to be "objectively justified", a Department of Trade and Industry spokeswoman said.

"Our concern is that if we did not protect the development bands in this way, some employers may lay off younger workers."

On the same day as the age legislation comes in, the minimum wage for people over 21 will rise by 35p to £5.35 an hour. The rate for workers aged 18-21 will rise by 20p to £4.45 an hour, while workers aged 16 to 17 will get a 30p rise to £3.30 an hour.

"The government's own minimum wage law discriminates against people on the grounds of age," Olly Scott, BCC spokesman told BBC News.

"They are in a pickle. If this were the subject of a legal challenge, based on the new age law, the government may put the minimum wage rates of the those aged 21 and under, up to the same level as the over-21s."

Read the full story on the BBC website

UK businesses are failing to promote older workers

Older workers are not getting the same promotion opportunities as their younger counterparts, according to research released in advance of next week’s anti-ageism legislation.

Only a third of UK workers aged between 50 and 65 believe there are career opportunities for them at their current organisation, compared with more than half (53 per cent) of those aged 20 to 29, according to global employment experts Right Management.

And only 28 per cent of older workers think their organisation promotes employees that deserve it, compared with 41 per cent of 20-29 year olds.

The study, conducted among 2000 employees in the UK, also found that just 36% of older workers felt they were able to balance work and personal interests and still progress. This compares with 55 per cent of younger workers.

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, which come into force on 1st October, ban age discrimination in the workplace in terms of recruitment, promotion and training, making it unlawful to refuse promotions or deny training opportunities on the grounds of age. Firms who are found to be in breach of the legislation are open to potentially costly claims from employees.

“Employers cannot afford to have any doubt cast upon their promotion practices. From today, every British company will have to prove it has not been discriminating on the basis of age, and as there is no upper limit set for compensation, any organisation found not to be treating all employees equally could face serious financial penalties,” said Debbie Sandy, principal consultant, Attract and Assess, Right Management.

The research also revealed uncertainty over job stability. Over a quarter (28 per cent) of older workers think it is very possible they will be made redundant during the next 12 months. And only 13 per cent think it would be very easy to find a similar job at the same pay level, compared with 29 per cent of younger workers.

Despite this, 80 per cent of older workers are committed to doing what is required to make their organisation succeed, compared with 69 per cent of younger workers.

Sandy continues: “The working population is ageing; we’re working longer in life than ever before, and having fewer children. Employers need to open their eyes and see that embracing diversity is not only the right thing to do, but makes good business sense. Rather than viewing older workers as a hindrance, they should welcome this increased talent pool and take advantage of the wealth of skills and experience available.”

Published first on Onrec.com

New chair of Disability Employment Advisory Committee named

The government has appointed a new chair to the Disability Employment Advisory Committee, which advises the Department for Work and Pensions on barriers faced by disabled people trying to get work.

Elaine Noad, commissioner for Scotland for the Disability Rights Commission, will take up the post immediately for a period of three years.

The part-time post will receive a salary for the first time. Previously the chair was only paid for loss of earnings and expenses.

Minister for disabled people, Anne McGuire, said Noad would enable the Disability Employment Advisory Committee to continue its valuable work in providing strategic advice to Department of Work and Pensions ministers and officials as the department took forward its welfare reform agenda.
Noad said that enabling more disabled people to get into and stay in work was central to ensuring a fair and equal society.

Government to investigate why so few ethnic minority women do well at work

The government is to launch an investigation into what holds back women from ethnic minority backgrounds in the workplace.

Minister for women and communities, Ruth Kelly, said the enquiry would be the next phase of the government's response to the Women and Work Commission.

The commission, which reported in February, made 40 observations about what was preventing women achieving parity with their male colleagues in the workplace.

The report made it clear that discrimination by employers was not to blame, but said poor career advice and lack of quality flexible working were the key factors holding women back.

Ethnic minority communities have a lower employment rate than the rest of the population, and for Bangladeshi and Pakistani women it is particularly low - 24% and 24.2% respectively, compared to an average employment rate for women of working age of 70%.

A separate report, Engaging with Muslim Women published by Department for Communities and Local Government found many Muslim women feel that economic exclusion is a major issue for them.
Kelly said finding practical measures to raise employment levels for women from ethnic minority backgrounds into the workplace was a key priority.
"There is an obvious case here for bridging that gap - this is not about preferential treatment but about tackling the barriers to Muslim women entering the labour market, where there are genuine shortages, and making the most of that pool of talent,” she said.

Last week the government set out a range of general proposals to help women in the workplace, including creating equality representatives, funding for employers to push flexible working in senior positions and an ‘exemplar employer’ scheme to highlight good practise.

However, government ministers are split on whether to impose compulsory pay audits on companies to close the pay gap.

Published in Personnel Today

Scotland less equal for LGBT

The Scottish Executive has backtracked on gay hate crime legislation , according to Scottish LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) group Equality Network Equality.

Network highlights that in October 2004, the Scottish Executive's Working Group on Hate Crime recommended to the Executive that they should introduce a 'statutory aggravation' so that a crime motivated by hate on grounds of sexual orientation, would be treated as an aggravated crime, and sentenced accordingly.

The group argues that the Executive had agreed to this and it looked ready to be made into law, yet on the last day of the Scottish parliament in June 2006 the aggravation amendments were suddenly removed.

A spokesperson for the Equality Network said: ‘‘LGBT people and disabled people deserve equal justice in Scotland. Creating a statutory aggravation would allow homophobic hate crimes to be tracked.. and demonstrate to victims, perpetrators and the public that the law takes these crimes seriously.’’

A Scottish Executive spokesperson responded that the Executive is committed to tackling prejudice and that motivated crime will not be tolerated, he said: ‘‘It is for this reason that we have taken the time to consider carefully which course of action will be most effective in tackling this issue’’.

The Executive confirmed that further statutory aggravations would not be created as ‘‘we feel a more useful approach would be to return to this work in the context of the wider look at consistency of sentencing.”

The Executive plan to review recommendations made by the sentencing commission.

This story first appeared on PinkNews.co.uk

US corporate gay-friendly tests

The latest edition of an annual study of corporate America's outreach to LGBT employees and consumers shows that a record number of major US companies now offer fair benefits and protections.

In the Human Rights Campaign's new Corporate Equality Index, 138 businesses earned the top rating of 100 percent, up from 101 in 2005 - and executives' awareness of their ratings is apparently up as well.

"I am incredibly encouraged and optimistic about the findings in this report," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campain, said in a written statement.

The full report, together with past years' versions, can be read on the group's website.

Lib Dems offer cash for women MPs

Cash incentives are being offered to local Liberal Democrat parties who recruit women and people from ethnic minorities to stand for election.

Senior Lib Dems deny the plans amount to a bribe. They say action is needed because all of the party's 63 MPs are white and only nine are women.

Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell says a £200,000 first slice of a new fund is being offered now.
It will be debated on the first day of the Lib Dem conference in Brighton.

Delegates are being asked to ensure that making the Lib Dems more representative is one of the party's core priorities, alongside proportional representation in elections.

Read the full story on the BBC website

New crackdown on equality in the workplace

An army of union equality officers will be let loose in companies throughout England to crack down on discrimination against women, it was announced this week.

More than £5m of taxpayers' money will be handed to the trade unions to train up the legion of equality watchdogs in the workplace.

The plans were unveiled by Ruth Kelly, the Minister for Women, as part of a Government action plan to give more mothers the right to request flexible hours and part-time work.

Ministers want to end pay discrimination against women who cut their hours so they can spend more time with their children or caring for an elderly relative.

But business leaders attacked the plans for equality officers as another example of 'the dead hand of the state' meddling in workplace relations.

They welcomed the plans for flexible working but said firms are already bound by equality legislation and warned that creating a new battalion of snoopers would just add another layer of red tape to the burdens on business.

Critics claimed that the equality officers, who will be told to fight all forms of discrimination on the grounds of gender, race or disability, would do more to help Labour's trade union paymasters than ordinary working women.

David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'This is more red tape. Employers are absolutely smothered already with the sheer scale of employment legislation. Having introduced this legislation, why does the Government seem to lack trust in companies to implement it. As firms are trying to deal with it, they don't need the dead hand of the state monitoring their every move.

'All we get is more and more legislation and regulation. Businesses already know that if they want to attract the brightest and the best people that they have got to offer flexibility.'

Miss Kelly unveiled her Action Plan in response to a report by the Women and Work Commission published in February, which found that giving women the opportunity to do better quality jobs at a time that suits them could inject £23 billion a year into the UK economy.

Full story on This is London.co.uk

UK think tank calls for greater understanding of workplace diversity by SMEs

Recent findings from a survey held late last year showed that the British workplace is cultural melting-pot. A third of all workers surveyed by human capital consultants, Penna plc for its ‘meaning at work’ research said they had been able to meet people from different walks of life through work, whilst a quarter of respondents felt work had helped to increase their knowledge and understanding of other cultures.

This should come as no surprise in today’s multi-racial Britain but race riots, acts of international terrorism and anti-discrimination legislation have in some ways hampered development in race relations.

Another recent study has demonstrated that in spite of having a policy in place for equal opportunities, the majority of local councils are split on what exactly defines equality and diversity.
There is clearly still a long way to go on this emotive issue, particularly in Yorkshire which has high levels of racial diversity.

The Policy Research Institute into Ageing and Ethnicity (PRIAE), based in Leeds, is attempting to establish just how far we have to go to achieve quality, or at best fairness in the workplace where ethnic issues are concerned. This summer it has launched its CEMESME research programme to gauge the Contribution of Ethnic Minority Employees to SMEs, in partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality and the UK Trade and Investment Council.

The University of Bradford is assisting in the compilation of the research report and initial questionnaire, with the University of Central Lancashire helping to produce a CD-Rom aimed at raising awareness of the advantages and benefits of diversity in the private sector.

Sales managers have long acknowledged that customers want to buy from like-minded, sympathetic people with whom they can identify, and Britain’s ethnic diversity rates are increasing year-on-year. But getting diversity right for companies is often seen as a headache: expensive to implement, a minefield of misleading red-tape, and something so individual that it has to be bespoke and comprehensive.

PRIAE already works with the Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Business Link West Yorkshire which both appreciate the necessary benefits of variety and representation in employment policy.

“Ethnic diversity positives in companies are either not registered or taken for granted,” comments Ahsan Malik, project leader for CEMESME in Yorkshire and the North-East. “A blend of nationalities and cultures usually leads to a more harmonious workforce. People are more tolerant and tolerable. This shows in that they get on well with each other which filters into their client relationships. They are also comfortable with a compound approach to problem-solving; they don’t come from one stock background with a formulaic attitude to solutions. This creativity means a more agile workforce with increased motivation.”

Aside from the basic profitability dimension that a company with a successful diversity culture avoids litigation and employee disputes in favour of high morale, recruitment is also made much easier as employees feel happy recommending their workplace to friends and family, whilst retention rates remain strong.

“Diversity recruitment means exactly that,” adds Ahsan Malik. “For employers considering the full picture of candidates to employ, they are looking at a totality of people and skills as opposed to a limited pool of similar individuals. As the market place becomes more internationally focused, research already conducted in the United States, has suggested that SMEs with a diverse workforce are more likely to be successful in the export market."

Story taken from onrec.com

More information from The Policy Research Institute into Ageing and Ethnicity

Non-white British women suffering lower pay, fewer jobs and glass ceiling

Young Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women in Britain face higher unemployment, lower pay and a glass ceiling in the workplace, despite generally doing well at school, a report has suggested.

The study by the Equal Opportunities Commission found that 16-year-old Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean girls had the same aspirations as white girls to combine work and family life, and were even more ambitious about their education and future careers.

In their GCSE exams at age 16, Pakistani and Bangladeshi girls had overtaken white boys and were quickly catching up with white girls, and Black Caribbean girls were not far behind. All these girls had already overtaken boys in their ethnic groups, added the EOC.

Yet, despite high ambitions and investment in education, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women employees under 35 were experiencing heavy penalties when they wanted to work.
This included higher unemployment, a lower glass ceiling than white women and, for Pakistani and Bangladeshi women at least, lower pay.

Most worked in a restricted range of sectors and jobs, added the EOC.

More than 90 per cent of employers strongly agreed with the business case for employing black and Asian women.

Yet nearly six out of 10 employers in areas with above average numbers of black and Asian people did not have a workforce that reflected the number of black and Asian women in or seeking work.
More than three in 10 did not employ any black or Asian women at all, the survey found.
Many of the young women in these groups reported they had had to deal with racism, sexism and negative stereotypes.

Jenny Watson, EOC chair, said: "The good news is that the next generation of confident, ambitious young black and Asian women have a lot to contribute to their families, to local communities and to our economy.

"The bad news is that not enough employers are tapping into this pool of talent – despite demographic predictions that suggest Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani women will make up, in some areas, a significant proportion of the workforce of the future. And many of these young women are telling us they have to deal with racism, sexism and negative stereotypes," she added.

"It's not only employers who miss out – we all do when young women's ambitions are dashed and we fail to build cohesive communities. More must be done before another generation of promising young women fall prey to the same negative cycle of poor pay, poor prospects, and occupational segregation," she concluded.

This story was first published in Management Issues magazine

UK workplaces must challenge stereotypes to end age discrimination

Both employers and workers must work harder to change mindsets to deliver a truly age diverse workforce, according to Manpower’s report ‘Old Age Thinking / New Age Thinking’ released today.
The report coincides with the launch of the Government’s Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 on 1 October, intended to eliminate age discrimination from the workplace.

Manpower’s research reveals that employers need to work harder to raise awareness of the new legislation in the workplace. Whilst 72% of employers believe that their employees are at least ‘aware’ of the new age discrimination regulations, 51% of workers claim to be totally unaware of the new age discrimination rules.

Manpower’s Age Report, based on research of more than 2,100 employers and 700 workers, shows that while 64% of workers do not think they have ever been discriminated against because of their age, 43% have not applied for a job because they have considered themselves too young or too old.
However, as a result of the new legislation, 55% of workers would anticipate applying for jobs where previously they might have ruled themselves out because of their age. Employers expect the new age regulations to stimulate a wider age diversity of jobseekers – with 33% anticipating more applications from people aged 50 or over once the age regulations are in force.

Mark Cahill, Managing Director of Manpower UK, comments: “Changing demographics - the ageing population and the shrinking workforce – mean that employers must embrace diversity to be competitive. In the future people will work for longer, and the age legislation should make that easier. Workers still expect to retire by 65, but are increasingly recognising that their pensions may not be sufficient for their retirement. Our research finds that 35% of workers anticipate needing to supplement their pension in some way.”

The majority of large employers (82%) have already reviewed their HR practices ahead of the introduction of age legislation – ranging from an age profile workforce audit, to changes to HR policy and recruitment advertising. Smaller companies are less prepared for the age legislation, with only 25% of employers in micro-sized businesses having reviewed their HR practices to date. Employers in the public sector are comparatively well prepared - 62% were found to have already made amends to their HR practices.

Separate Manpower research shows a notable difference between workers and employers concerning the future age of the workplace: just 19% of workers intend to work beyond the age of 65 – but more than half of businesses (52%) will want staff to do this.

Mark continues: “There is a notable mis-match between the business need to embrace a more diverse workforce, and the desire by workers to extend their working life. If workers don’t wish to continue working full-time, they could choose to supplement their pension through flexible working opportunities.”

For further information on the new age regulations visit

Ofsted promises ethnic diversity

England's education watchdog is looking to recruit more inspectors from ethnic minority groups.
Ofsted has published guidelines which it says will ensure its staff deal appropriately with schools, colleges and childcarers.

It is also promising more up-to-date records of the achievement of children of different races.
Currently 9% of Ofsted's staff are from ethnic minorities, compared with 8% for the civil service as a whole.

Read the full story on the BBC website.

Minority ethnic young people in Scotland

Whilst most minority ethnic young people, like their white peers, choose to attend further or higher education after leaving secondary school, their choice of courses is less varied and concentrated primarily around the medical sciences. This is one finding of a new report, aiming to compare the experiences of young people from ethnic minority communities in Scotland, with young white people.

The research, by Clare Cassidy, Rory O' Connor and Nike Dorrer, also found that family and expectations also feature more in the decision-making process for minority ethnic young people. A further key finding of the report, which is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, is that the social networks of white Pakistani and white young people contact the highest numbers of members from their own ethnic group.

For all ethnic groups, except whites, the numbers of their friends from the same ethnic background decrease over time. There remain, however, considerable barriers to ethnic mixing among young people in Scotland, particularly in further and higher education.

Stonewall awards

Stonewall has announced its first annual awards to celebrate the contributions made by individuals and organisations to the lives of gay people in Britain. The winners of the 2006 Stonewall Awards, sponsored by Barclays, will be named at a ceremony at London's Royal Academy on 2 November. Three of the 10 accolades - Hero of the Year, Bully of the Year and the Stonewall & Barclays Community Group of the Yeat - are being chosen by a vote among 6,000 Stonewall supporters. Six other award-winners will be selected by a judging panel including novelist Stella Duffy and actor Simon Callow.
Visit the Stonewall website

Less than one month until age discrimination regulations hit UK businesses

With less than one month until the age discrimination regulations come into force, leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton is urging mid-corporates to ensure they are ready for the biggest shake up in employment legislation seen this century.

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, as with other anti-discrimination legislation, is based around the principle of fairness with specific reference to overcoming preconceptions about age and ensuring all employees are treated equally regardless of their age. The regulations will apply to all aspects of the employment relationship and it is easy to get caught out trying to do the right thing. For example, ignoring performance shortfalls in someone approaching retirement age may be viewed as discriminatory if those same shortfalls would be seen as disciplinary measures for younger employees.

Jim Rogers, Head of Growth and Strategic Services, at Grant Thornton says: "No matter what size your organisation is, you will still be affected by the new regulations and be expected to follow them come 1 October. With less than a month to go, it is imperative that businesses act now to ensure they are ready."

"While many larger organisations will be well prepared, many SMEs do not have a dedicated HR resource and it will be some time before they are ready to implement the regulations," continues Rogers. "However, there are a number of measures that SMEs can undertake over the next 30 days in preparation for the 1 October deadline."

Read the full story on recruitment website onrec.com

Muslim girls in UK surge ahead at school but held back at work

Muslim girls still face discrimination in seeking employment in the UK despite improving their education performance at school, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

In a new report published Thursday, girls of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin have overtaken white boys in obtaining higher grades in GCSE school-leaving certificates. Despite many coming from families with lower incomes, Muslim girls were said to be also rapidly catching up with
white girls, who outperform boys at school.

The EOC also found in its two-year investigation that girls at 16 from all the minority communities have higher aspirations than their white contemporaries to progress to skilled jobs requiring degrees or long periods of training.

Nearly 90 percent want to work full-time after leaving education, balancing employment with having a family, it said. But it added that their ambitions were thwarted when they enter the labor market.
They were found to hit a brick wall of discrimination, not only getting lower pay but also having fewer opportunities to reach managerial positions.

Compared with one in 17 white women, one in six young Pakistani women and one in eight young Bangladeshis were often asked at job interviews about plans for marriage and children, or the attitude of a husband or partner towards her going to work.

An EOC survey of 1,000 employers in areas with high ethnic populations found over 90 percent said there was a strong business case for employing black and Asian women, but more than 30 percent employed none and nearly 60 percent proportionately fewer.

Jenny Watson, the EOC's chairwoman, said "the good news is that the next generation of black and Asian women have a lot to contribute to their families and to our economy." "The bad news is that not enough employers are tapping into this pool of talent," Watson said.

"It's not only employers who miss out. We all do when young women's ambitions are dashed and we fail to build cohesive communities," she said.

Most workplaces still biased against women

The vast majority of women believe that their organisations are biased against them and feel intimidated at work simply because of their gender, according to a new report.

Despite 30 years of gender discrimination laws, and vast improvements in working conditions and career advancement for women, there is a still an awful long way to go, the study by UK employment law firm Peninsula has suggested.

Of the more than 2,000 women polled, more than eight out of 10 said they would not tell their boss if they were being harassed because they believed it would make no difference - and may actually make things worse.

And, worryingly, almost three-quarters (72 per cent) said they had experienced gender-based bullying at work.

The study compared a similar poll conducted in 2002 and found that, when it came to career progression and male bias in the workplace, most women thought things had got worse, not better.
In 2002, almost eight out of 10 (78 per cent) of women polled thought being female was harming their chances of career progression.

But in this year's poll, this figure had actually risen to 82 per cent, said Peninsula.

When asked whether they believed there was male bias in the workplace, 82 per cent said yes in 2002, but 85 per cent agreed this time around. Intimidation and bullying on the basis of gender had risen from 67 per cent in 2002 to 72 per cent now.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, said: "Promotion and career progression opportunities for female employees, although better than they once were, are still not on a par with men, as it appears gender stereotypes still exist in many workplaces.

"Employers must make sure they take positive assertive actions to create a company culture which makes it clear discrimination won't be tolerated, and all managers are aware of the policies and legislation in place to prevent discriminatory decisions from being made regarding the workforce," he added.

This included making sure policies regarding equal opportunities were outlined in contracts of employment and communicated to staff throughout their time with the company, he stressed.

"Tribunals are increasingly looking at written policies and procedures enforced by employers, and will almost certainly find an employer to be failing in their duty of care if they do not have a written and well publicised equal opportunities policy," he said.

"Tribunals are won in the workplace not the courtroom; as such employers need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they did everything in their power to prevent any harassment from occurring," added Done.

"It is unacceptable that such a high number of female workers have felt intimidated and discriminated against purely on the basis of their gender," he continued.

"An environment of honesty should be created where female employees are encouraged to inform their superiors of any issues that arise.

"Bosses should talk to the individual or individuals concerned to gain an insight into the extent of the problem and how best to solve it. But if it becomes a persistent problem then appropriate action should be taken," Done concluded.

Pay rises for women outstrip men for 10th year running

Women have received higher salary increases than men for the 10th successive year and are more likely to be given a bonus, but they are still more likely to resign than their male counterparts.
Research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and salary analysts Remuneration Economics shows an average increase in earnings of 6.7% for women and 5.6% for men in the 12 months to January 2006 - the highest movement in pay for five years.

Women managers in the HR sector increased their earnings by 6%, against only 4.8% for their male counterparts – putting the sector sixth in this year's earnings league table – two places higher than in 2005.

In real terms this means that female managers in the HR sector earned an average of £43,868 in the year to January 2006. But this is still £9,670 less than the male equivalent of £53,538 - a 22% difference.

The gap at director level in the HR sector is £43,369, with the average female director earning £129,063. However, across the UK, in organisations with a turnover of less than £25m, women directors come out on top, earning £127,369 compared to £116,511 for men.

Despite larger pay awards and higher incidents of bonuses, women are still more likely to resign. In this year's survey, female resignation rates stand at 5.7%, compared to 4% for men.

Read the full story on Personnel Today

Wealth of richest Asians grows three times faster than economy

Asian entrepreneurs in Britain have increased their wealth at three times the pace of economic growth, thanks to a rising focus on high-value industries such as IT, a new report shows.

Britain's 200 richest Asians increased their wealth by 69% in real terms between 1998 and 2005, compared with GDP growth of 22.8%, according to a study published today by Barclays Business Banking.

The boom means Asian entrepreneurs need £5m to join the top 200 rich list, compared with £2m in 1998. The report highlights a shift away from their traditional industries - such as textiles and manufacturing - as growth opportunities in these areas dry up.

They are focusing on hi-tech and service-sector businesses. "Wealth is now built on a much broader base of entrepreneurs who are challenging traditional stereotypes and making serious money in hi-tech industries," said Satish Kanabar, corporate director at Barclays Business Banking.

"They are in the vanguard of the emerging hi-tech, service economy."

The pharmaceuticals industry is the largest source of Asian wealth in Britain, rising 50-fold between 1998 and 2005. Asian businesses have also more than trebled wealth creation from the hotels sector, according to the study.

Read the full story from The Guardian

Phillips to head giant equality commission

Trevor Phillips, Britain's outspoken race relations chief, is set to be handed a powerful new role as the country's first official champion of women, gay people and other groups who suffer discrimination.The head of the Commission for Racial Equality is poised to be named as the chairman of a new 'super-watchdog' that will also combat bias against a range of other people: ethnic minorities, the elderly and the disabled.

Phillips's pending appointment as leader of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will see him given tough powers to stamp out discrimination and highlight 'problem areas' requiring tough action.

The move will be controversial. Phillips's critics claim he is too close to Tony Blair to run a politically neutral body, has not done enough to help ethnic minorities, and courts publicity by making 'grandstanding' interventions on sensitive issues such as racial segregation.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, has accused Phillips of having moved so far in his views that he was 'pandering to the right' after the CRE chairman said the Notting Hill Carnival was not a triumph of multiculturalism.

Phillips, Blair's choice for the new post, is understood to have been picked from a shortlist that included Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights body Liberty, ex-union leader Margaret Prosser and Naaz Coker, chair of the British Refugee Council.

First Muslim promoted to UK Navy's top ranks

Britain's Royal Navy has become the first of the country's three Armed Services to promote a Muslim to one of its top ranks.

Commodore Amjad Hussain was appointed Thursday to be a Rear- Admiral, the equivalent rank in the Army is major-general and in the Air Force an air vice-marshal, but no Muslim has yet reached such a level yet.

Hussain, who was born in Pakistan and emigrated with his family to Britain when he was five years old, said he was "really astonished" at the number of people who have expressed shock that we have a rear-admiral in the Royal Navy from a background like mine.

"Some of my friends in other European countries have said it wouldn't happen here. So I think that's a mark of how far Britain has progressed," he told a press conference in London.

The 48-year-old admiral has been in the Royal Navy for 30 years.