Rising inequality, dampened growth and poor prospects: Why everything you thought you knew about Sweden is wrong June 23, 2015 Scandinavia: Home of advanced technologies, strong economies, happy people and the occasional murder, right? Wrong, according to a new report by the Institute of Economic Affairs, which claims that “contrary to popular belief” countries such as Sweden and Denmark are struggling from rising income inequality, declining economic prowess and low job creation. The [...]
How to retain female talent in the workplace: Offering agile working and tailored support is crucial June 22, 2015 Lord Davies’s report, published in March this year, showed that representation of women on FTSE 100 boards has almost doubled in the past four years to 23.5 per cent. The government’s target for 25 per cent of board positions to be held by women by the end of this year is in sight, and there [...]
Recruiter says lack of diversity at top firms is hurting UK business June 21, 2015 A lack of ethnic diversity in Britain’s top firms is putting UK companies “at a serious disadvantage,” according to a new report out today. Researchers for recruiter Green Park have identified a widening so-called “diversity deficit,” with the position of ethnic minorities in leadership roles at FTSE100 firms declining over the past year. The report [...]
Britain leads the world in female entrepreneurship – but gender barriers remain June 16, 2015 There’s no doubt that the UK’s startup community is alive and kicking, with over half a million new businesses registered last year alone. Startups by their very nature are bold and agile, and they play a seminal role in contributing to the innovation the UK needs to remain competitive. With the number of incubator and [...]
Most women in finance don’t think they’ll ever get the top jobs, report shows June 9, 2015 Most women working in finance believe they won't make it to a senior position, according to a report by PwC. It claims there is a “perceived lack of career progression” among women, and this is preventing them from trying to rise the ranks. Read more: The world needs more women with top jobs in finance [...]
Virgin staff on parental leave get year’s pay up to 100 per cent of basic salary June 7, 2015 Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin will offer staff who take shared parental leave after the birth of their child up to a full year’s pay, under new policies announced today by the fitness-to-financial services giant. The government introduced new rights in April allowing parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of [...]
HSBC hires two new female non exec directors, Irene Lee and Pauline van der Meer Mohr June 2, 2015 Embattled banking giant HSBC appointed a pair of new experienced business names to its board yesterday, in a move that could bolster its governance, after a series of bruising reputational scandals. Irene Lee is an expert in Asia-Pacific finance, and has served on the boards of finance firms including ING Australia and Hang Seng Bank. [...]
Deloitte promotes more female partners in drive for equality May 31, 2015 Big four accountancy firm Deloitte promoted 22 women to the position of partner today, in its biggest ever round of appointments. The promotion of 75 new partners also includes 23 outside London as the business expands its reach outside the capital. And it announced a “return to work” scheme designed to help women who have [...]
Prudential says men can expect to earn their first million by 50 – 19 years before female colleagues May 27, 2015 A man on average income will earn his first million nearly two decades before an average female worker, according to new analysis from Prudential out today. The insurance company crunched the numbers from the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey of hours and earnings, finding that male workers earn £1m by the time they [...]
Average FTSE 100 chief exec is a 54 year old man with a background in finance May 19, 2015 A background in finance is likely to boost your chances at becoming the boss of one of the UK’s largest companies, according to new research published today by recruiters Robert Half. The dominant background for a FTSE 100 chief exec remains finance, with 52 per cent having a financial background, compared to 21 per cent [...]