HIGHER PAY AWARDS CONFIDENCE
Almost half of private sector employers are confident they will be able to offer staff higher pay awards in 2010 than this year, according to research.
The IRS annual review of pay trends and prospects shows that almost one-third believe that awards will be lower next year, with one-quarter saying deals will stay the same. The IRS, which surveyed 192 companies, employing 440,000 staff, said the inability of businesses to increase the prices of products and services was likely to be the biggest factor influencing their decision to raise pay in 2010.
EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS UNKNOWN
More than 20% of the working population don't know about their employment rights, a government report has revealed. The Fair Treatment at Work report, from the Department for Business, shows that 22% of workers are unaware of basic employment rights, such as the National Minimum Wage, or the right not to be discriminated against.
The survey of more than 4,000 businesses highlighted that up to one-third of workers had experienced an employment rights problem at work, rising from 24% in the past two years.
BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE DETERRENT
More than a quarter of consumers would never use a company again if they suffered bad customer service, according to research. The survey of more than 1,100 consumers, commissioned by customer service company CPP, also shows that dissatisfied punters bad-mouth their negative experiences to an average of nine people.
Nearly one in five would dish the dirt on a company via e‑mail, while one in seven would post negative comments on forums. A further 10% are happy to let off steam on social media websites such as Facebook.