Publications

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Understanding Worklessness in Newham: Final Report

Sissons P, Dewson S, Martin R, Carta E | Sep 2010 | London Borough of Newham

The London Borough of Newham commissioned an analysis of worklessness within the borough with a particular focus on understanding those who had been out of the labour market for long periods of time, and those who had never worked. The research involved a literature review, analysis of secondary datasets to provide an overview of the scale and characteristics of worklessness locally, and qualitative interviews with a range of people, including stakeholders providing services to workless groups and workless individuals in the borough.

Workforce planning during recession

Robinson D | Sep 2010 | Institute for Employment Studies

Experience from previous recessions suggests that the recovery of full employment lags a year or so behind economic recovery. Even when private sector companies are once more successful, there may be a natural disinclination to recruit to previous levels until there is greater certainty about the economy. In 2010, deep budget cuts were hitting the public sector, and would have a big impact on central and local government and on the NHS in the following years. Taken together, these factors meant that the labour market was unlikely to return to the buoyant days of the early 2000s for the foreseeable future.

Uncertain Futures: Scenario Building for Skills for Health

Miller L, Fairhurst P, Hurley P | Sep 2010 | Skills for Health

The aim of this project was to help explore what the possible futures might look like, how the sector might respond to the challenges presented by these scenarios and, potentially, how the sector, and Skills for Health in particular, could influence the emerging future and plan effectively for future skills requirements. Activities undertaken included a series of interviews with sector experts; analysis of commentaries commissioned by Skills for Health; skills and labour market intelligence; three scenario-building workshops attended by health sector representatives; development of three scenarios; and an application workshop with colleagues in Skills for Health.

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Top Employers for Working Families - Benchmarking Report 2010

Mercer M, Jackson S | Sep 2010 | Institute for Employment Studies, and Working Families

In terms of engagement and motivation, the evidence shows that well-managed flexibility elicits higher performance and the potential business benefits of flexible working on productivity, financial performance, quality, employee attraction, retention, commitment and reduced absence are well documented. This benchmark aims to provide data and a crucial insight into what is currently working in practice, what needs to work, and the direction of future organisational focus.

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Learning from the downturn - Key messages from an employer perspective

Chubb C, Reilly P, Usher T | Aug 2010 | Institute for Employment Studies

This research report, produced for the IES HR Network, looks at the initiatives that HR functions took to reduce redundancy and protect skills during the recent recession. The aim of the research was to see whether organisations were responding to economic problems differently than in the past, and, if so, why there were adopting these strategies; and to consider whether such initiatives might have longer term beneficial impacts.

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27 National Seminars on Anticipating and Managing Restructuring - A.R.E.N.A.S.

Bergström O, Broughton A, Triomphe C E | Aug 2010 | European Commission

This report examines the measures used for anticipating and managing restructuring in the 27 Member States of the European Union at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. Restructuring is defined here as any change in the structure of an organisation with an impact on the employment or working conditions of the workers.

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Organisations' Responses to the Disability Discrimination Act: 2009 Study

Dewson S, Williams C, Aston J, Carta E, Willison R, Martin R | Aug 2010 | Office for Disability Issues

The overall aim of the research was to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which organisations had responded to their obligations under the DDA. The research pays particular attention to the changes introduced by the DDA 2005, most notably the extension of the legislation to include public bodies (in areas not already covered by the existing goods and services provisions), larger private clubs and locally electable authorities (with regard to discrimination against disabled elected members). The research also covers organisational responses to the DDA 1995 to get a complete picture.

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Evidence Review on Regulation Culture and Behaviours

Wilson S, Tyers C, Wadsworth E | Aug 2010 | Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency commissioned an evidence review to investigate the culture and behaviours in businesses and enforcement bodies, and the communication between individuals in these two groups, to understand what works best to secure regulatory compliance particularly, though not exclusively, in relation to food safety. It forms part of the Agency’s response to the recommendations made in the Public Inquiry Report (2009) that documents the circumstances surrounding the outbreak of E.coli O157 in South Wales in 2005. The review was carried out following the principles of a rapid evidence assessment (REA).

National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF): Research Evidence on Work-Based Assessment

Appendix B. Rapid Evidence Assessment

L Miller, S Hayday, H Fearn, F Sumption | Aug 2010 | The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)

A rapid evidence review was undertaken of literature relating to work-based assessment for the National Police Improvement Agency. A systematic search of the literature was conducted and the findings synthesised into a report, with a list of implications being identified for the NPIA.

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Women in Leadership: Time to Intervene?

Robinson D, Hicks B | Aug 2010 | Institute for Employment Studies

Several organisations that realise the importance of a diverse senior team, and are attempting to address inequality at this level, have asked IES to investigate what is going on: what are the barriers stopping women from getting to the top, are HR systems and processes inadvertently discriminatory, and what actions should organisations take? Although the majority of this client work has explored the career paths of women and the obstacles and enablers they have encountered, many of the findings can be applied across all under-represented employee groups.

Appendix B. Rapid Evidence Assessment

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