Infozone: the briefing – 20/08/10

TRAINING BREAKS ARE UNDER REVIEW

The Government is reviewing the right to request time off for training just four months after it came into effect. Skills minister John Hayes has announced a short consultation on the new law as part of a wider bid to reduce burdens on businesses. The move follows hints by ministers that the coalition is also looking at shelving or scrapping plans to extend paternity leave.

The legal right for workers in businesses with more than 250 employees to request time to take up relevant training came into effect from 6 April. For small and medium-sized businesses the regulations were due to come into effect from April 2011.

SKILLS GAP GROWS WIDER

Most employers are happy with the calibre of young people they recruit, but one in five says its existing workforce lacks skills, according to a survey of nearly 80,000 employers.

The National Employer Skills Survey for England questioned 79,152 employers about their recruitment problems, skills gaps and training practices during the height of last year's recession. It found that levels of vacancies fell sharply, while levels of skills gaps rose from 15% in 2007 to 19% in 2009.

The number of employers offering training has remained stable, but the proportion of staff they train fell from 63% in 2007 to 56% last year.

IDENTITY SECURITY TAKES A KNOCK

Identity fraud in the workplace increased by 31%, and the disclosure of customer data to third parties doubled over the past year, according to figures from CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service.

The study also found there had been a 62% rise in the first six months of 2010 in the number of cases of staff unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data. This increase follows a 113% increase recorded in 2009.