Balancing home life and work can be extremely difficult and a pilot project run by the Women’s Unit in the Cabinet Office has come up with ideas for supporting family friendly working in hospitals and supermarkets. The result is that some 40 National Health Service Trusts have signed up to take part in a project to spread an innovative approach in the private and public sectors. The Trusts will be working with retailers, including Asda, to share revolutionary ideas on how to encourage flexible working in the two sectors which traditionally have a high number of female employees and a 24-hour round the clock culture.

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The Inland Revenue did better in looking after its customers in the year ended in April 1999. It dealt with 97% of callers within 15 minutes, the target was 94%. It also replied to 81% of letters within 28 days, beating the target of 75%. Other customer service results set out in the Department’s Plan for 1999/2000 present an equally upbeat picture.

Read more on TAXPAYER SATISFACTION IN DOUBT…

By Tom Bentley and Ravi Gurumurthy

This ground-breaking report sets out, for the first time, a detailed national picture of the numbers of young people who are ‘off register’: not in work, full-time education or training and not claiming unemployment benefits. It shows that the problems facing those at risk are far greater than the limited picture provided by unemployment statistics or school league tables . The situation they face puts them at risk of long-term marginalisation, with huge costs to individuals, government and society as a whole.

Read more on DESTINATION UNKNOWN – ENGAGING WITH THE PROBLEMS OF MARGINALISED YOUTH…