WPP Newsletter 8 - December 2008

Thank you for subscribing to our quarterly Workplace Productivity update. This issue contains quick links to new information and resources about workplace productivity on our website.

How productive is your workplace?

Use the online questionnaire or download a paper version to assess this.

What's New on the Workplace Productivity Website?

New Resources

Lifting workplace productivity is the key challenge facing New Zealand businesses today.  Working longer hours is not the answer.  Instead, we need to work smarter rather than harder.

That sounds easy but how does a business actually work smarter?  It is clear that a lack of world-class management skills at all levels is one of the biggest brakes on business in this country. 

Management Focus is a response to that skills gap.  A group of leading private and public sector organisations have developed a set of free resources, tools and case studies to help lift management capability.  The Department of Labour, which has led the work on Workplace Productivity, is a strong supporter of Management Focus.  

A suite of resources are now available on the Management Focus website (www.managementfocus.org.nz).  The website is practical, focused and useful for companies of all shapes and sizes in every sector. 

The on-line tools, including the Management Capability Profile (MCP) tool and the Management Improvement Tool for Entrepreneurs (MITE), help managers assess where they are right now and develop concrete action plans which will help them direct their efforts for the best results. 

The website also has a growing range of case studies and profiles of the EDANZ Regional Champions which show how successful companies have managed to lift performance in their organisation.  Many of these ideas can be applied to any sector with a little creativity.  

Management Focus is designed to make managers think about how they do business and look for constant improvements.

Workplace Productivity Events

Thirteenth Conference on Labour, Employment and Work and
the Australian Labour Market Research Workshop

On the 11th and 12th December, Victoria University of Wellington held the joint Conference of Labour, Employment and Work (LEW13) and the Australian Labour Market Research Workshop (ALMRW).  The event spanned over two days and included presentations by speakers from New Zealand and the International community.

The aim of the conference was to bring together those with a professional interest in research on labour markets, employment and the nature of paid work in New Zealand and Australia. Papers were invited from any university discipline, CRI or other public or private organisation or individual.

Keynote speakers included Dr. Geoff Mason, Dr. Manjula Luthria and Dr. Miles Corak:

Dr. Geoff Mason is a Senior Research fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, London (NIESR). Geoff’s keynote address was about international comparisons of skill and productivity, and New Zealand’s position within the international arena.

Dr. Manjula Luthria is Senior Economist for the Pacific Region at the World Bank. Manjula’s keynote address examined temporary migration in the Pacific.

Dr. Miles Corak is a Professor with the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. Miles’s keynote address focussed on the intergenerational transmission of employers and earnings.

For further information, please visit Victoria University’s LEW webpage

Paperwork cuts save time and money

This article has been sourced from the United Kingdoms Department Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Businesses are saving an estimated £418 million a year from the costs of dealing with employment law, new research has found.  Free advice and simple online tools have helped firms cut the time and money they spend on compliance. More than a million small firms have been contacted by the Department for Business in a campaign to tackle the administrative costs of dealing with six key areas of employment law.

The estimated savings are a substantial increase on previous expectations of £365 million saved by May 2010.  Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden said:

"Our ambitious programme to cut the costs of regulation on business is already achieving positive results, but there is still more we can do.

"For example, new changes to dispute resolution that will cut costs further were approved by Parliament last month.

"Giving businesses free and clear advice cuts their costs because if they are getting good advice free from the Government they have to spend less on outside consultants. It also helps make sure workers rights are respected.

"In the present economic climate we are focussed on doing everything we can to help business, without harming rights at work."

The impact of the Employment Guidance Programme, which started in 2005, was praised by an independent panel including the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and Trades Union Congress, in particular its commitment to make a real difference for business on the ground.

Research firm ORC surveyed more than 1000 companies earlier this year. Their findings point to big cuts in the amount of money spent by business on administering:

• Maternity and paternity leave and pay
• Flexible working time applications
• Working time and 48-hour opt-out record keeping
• National Minimum Wage

The research also found that 74% of businesses found compliance easy, up from 51% in 2005. Just 8% still found compliance difficult.  A key part of the Employment Law Guidance Programme has been helping firms avoid unnecessary and costly over-compliance with regulation.

As well as contacting employers directly with advice and support, the programme has created new online tools and sample forms to help show employers what they need to do quickly and clearly. A direct mailing campaign has reached more than a million small businesses, including 700,000 contacted last month.

For further information, please visit the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform website

Contact us

If there is anything you want to know about the Workplace Productivity project, or comments you have to make or to order a productivity 'starter' kit, State Sector Productivity Kit or CDs of the case studies please email us at info@dol.govt.nz or write to us at:

Workplace Productivity Project Team
Department of Labour
P.O. Box 3705
Wellington
New Zealand