Business gazeteer

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 20:59

TIME to let staff strip off, says union

IT COULD be a sight for sore eyes. Union bosses are encouraging office workers everywhere to ditch their suits and ties in favour of shorts and vest tops to combat the heatwave currently experienced by most of Scotland.

With temperatures soaring over the past few days, the TUC warned that firms should relax dress codes and make sure offices are kept cool – or risk their employees keeling over at their desks.

General secretary Brendan Barber explains: "Employers have got to remember that it's no fun working in a baking office or factory and they should be doing all they can to take the temperatures down.

"Clearly vest tops and shorts are not suitable attire for all frontline staff, but those not dealing with the public should be able to discard their tights, ties and suits and opt for more summery clothing this week."

He adds that bosses should only stop staff from wearing shorts if they could be a health and safety hazard.

Workers in haar-hit Edinburgh are demanding that TUC representatives lobby for a similar ruling to allow workers to dress in luminous vests to ensure their co-workers can spot them through the thick fog.

FACT OF THE DAY

2bn

OVERTIME is becoming the norm for half of Britain's workers because of the recession, with some employees feeling compelled to put in longer hours, according to new research.

A survey of 4,000 adults by BT Business showed that many were working an extra seven hours a week, equivalent to a day, worth some 2 billion to the economy.

More than a third of those polled said there was greater pressure on staff to perform well.

KILLER QUOTE

"ALTHOUGH to some extent this is 'old news', it does serve to emphasise the size of the hole out of which the UK must climb. The survey data suggest we have at least stopped digging, but the economy remains on course for a lacklustre pace of recovery."

RBS economist Ross Walker on yesterday's revised GDP data.

BAD DAY

Japanese economy

JAPAN'S jobless rate rose to a new five and a half year high in May and job availability sank to a record low. The number of employed people fell by 1.36 million from a year earlier – a record rate – as both manufacturers and the service sector cut staff.

GOOD DAY

Johnson & Johnson

DRUGS firm Johnson & Johnson said a US federal jury has ordered Abbott Laboratories to pay $1.67 billion in a patent infringement suit over rheumatoid arthritis treatments. J&J arm Centocor filed an infringement suit against Abbott in April 2007.