Monthly Archives: February 2012

LSE’s Simon Bastow comments on the investigation into the UK Border Agency and its handling of immigration checks. (You may remember, there was a row last year when it emerged that some security checks had not been carried out during … Continue reading →

There’s a hint of desperation in this piece from Jeremy Warner. We have to make it easier for firms to fire people, he says, “everything else we’ve tried has failed to stimulate economic growth.” That’s the sort of thing people … Continue reading →

The witch-hunt against freelancers goes on. (See here, here and here.) If the Daily Mail is to be believed, (I know, I know) George Osborne is about to ban the use of interim managers in the public sector. But, while even … Continue reading →

The open season on interim managers is gathering pace. It’s moved beyond people covering senior public sector roles to include anyone who is doing contract work for public bodies. The Sunday Telegraph published this non-story at the weekend. Apparently, Moira … Continue reading →

A thought-provoking piece from Blair McPherson in the Guardian Public Leaders section about what happens to senior managers who shut themselves off from those lower down in the hierarchy. There are many ways to get rid of a director and the … Continue reading →

Radio 4 did an excellent three-part programme a couple of weeks ago on the history of the Euro and the roots of the current crisis. If you are interested in the subject it’s well worth listening to the whole thing but … Continue reading →

The row about senior government staff being paid through service companies has spread to local authorities. The ever-helpful Eric Pickles has minted a new term – “town hall tax dodgers” – and ordered councils to publicly declare any such payments. … Continue reading →

Is football facing a financial collapse? This week, Rangers and Portsmouth have gone into administration, leading some commentators to draw comparisons with the banking collapse. Consultants AT Kearney warned that this could be the start of a financial crisis for European … Continue reading →

The Guardian has discovered that 25 senior Department of Health staff are paid through limited companies, rather than as direct employees. Surprised? I’m not. These people are called interims and you will find them in most large organisations. As I … Continue reading →

Or perhaps a better question would be, ‘Who are companies for?’ This question was going through my mind when I read Neil Morrison’s stirring call to arms last week, urging companies to create jobs. We all know the state of … Continue reading →