Employers that offer green benefits to their employees have seen a marked improvement in the company’s image. Anyone can offset their carbon emissions by making contributions to environmental charities that will plant trees capable of absorbing atmospheric carbon; by offering this as a workplace benefit, employers have found that they can enhance their image in the process.

Travel while on company business is a major contributor to carbon emissions, but companies can reduce this through a green travel plan, as reported in our case study of Nottingham City Council.

Pay issues have again made the headlines. Local authority workers held a two-day strike on 16 and 17 July in protest against a 2.45% pay offer. This is well below the median 3.2% pay rise seen across the economy as a whole, as shown by the latest figures from the IRS pay databank.

The strike prompted the chancellor to make another statement (external website) about pay restraint and the effect of high pay settlements on the economy. But data from IRS show that pay rises are stable and the research does not support the much-feared wage/price spiral.

Other stories in this issue include:

• Generalist directors top the HR earnings league
• Pay is key to recruitment and retention
• Average cost of living rises by 9.7%

Sheila Attwood,
Editor,
Pay and Benefits Bulletin

Pay reports recently added to the site:

BBSRC: three-year harmonised pay deal agreed

DAS: 4.2% paybill increase

Pay review update: 25 July 2008

The latest pay review update table contains pay settlements covering Eli Lilly & Co, the Guardian, the Department for Work and Pensions, police officers and many more.

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Statistics and forecasts

The datafile contains the most recent inflation, earnings and labour market statistics, pay settlement data and inflation and earnings forecasts. Our panel of City and academic forecasters is expecting headline inflation to peak at 4.3% in the third quarter of the year, before falling to average 2.9% over 2009. Average earnings growth is expected to average 4% in 2008 and 3.9% in 2009.

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From the blog

Launched and run by the editorial team that produces XpertHR and the IRS e-journals, the Employment Intelligence blog is regularly updated with news, comment and links to the latest employment developments. Recent posts include:

• Can we expect a wage/price spiral?
• Equal pay reviews: the view from the private sector
• Pay transparency and the internet

Today's tip: find pay data for your sector

Do you need to benchmark your pay and benefits package against other organisations in your sector? Click on the Pay and Benefits data by sector to locate your business sector, from chemicals and pharmaceuticals to transport and communication. All the latest news and data for your sector is at your fingertips.

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