Letters
Related posts:No related photos. Comments are closed. Previous Article Next Article LettersOn 18 Apr 2001 in Personnel Today Thisweek’s lettersLetterof the Week: Parental rights can only hurt business Ihave been torturing myself by reading about the Parents at Work Green Paper onbalancing the needs of business and employees who are parents. Apparentlythe Government believes competitiveness and productivity (presumably on theemployers’ side) can be improved by giving rights to working parents andvirtually no options to employers.Itis not just industry that is suffering. In an increasingly competitiveenvironment, where local authorities are being encouraged to externaliseservices in the quest for Best Value, it is difficult to see a future for anyemployer, be they public or private sector.Inproposing a right for both mothers and fathers to work reduced hours during andafter maternity leave, the Government clearly believes that this will aidcompetitiveness, raise productivity and enable us to serve our customersbetter. Thereality is that we won’t be able to compete with less scrupulous companies andthe only productivity measure will be how fast we can make people redundant. Exactlyhow this will benefit the employee or the customer, who may well be out of workas a result, is difficult to imagine.Presumablythe proposed guidance on what would constitute harm to the business will bebacked up by sanctions that will produce yet more work for tribunals and thelegal profession. What was it someone once said about killing the golden goose?EricLucasVia e-mailAblend of old and new is the answerIread your “Industry shuns online training” piece with interest (News,3 April). Iappreciate that a significant number of HR professionals feel more comfortableemploying traditional training methods rather than embracing technology as adelivery method.However,as a player in the industry our experience of online learning take-up has beenpositive. In addition, analysts have an opposing view to that expressed in theCIPD report: IDC found a threefold increase in the use of e-learning in Europefrom 2000 to 2001, with predictions that the market will grow fivefold by 2004.What’smore, the rapid emergence of new online training suppliers is testament to thesurge in demand for online learning.Manymore individuals and enterprises now understand the benefits of online training.However,it is clear that some courses demand a classroom element and those companiesthat continue to succeed in the training marketplace will be those who providea blended approach to learning. DavidWimpressExecutive chairman, KnowledgePoolNoshake-up? You must be jokingSoPaul Turner, the CIPD’s new vice-president of training and development, saysthat side of the institute “doesn’t need shaking up” (Feature, 3April). Personally,I think it needs to be completely demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. MaybePaul Turner and I operate in parallel universes, but we can’t both be right. Soif he isn’t there to shake it up, what is he there for? I’m not sure – in twopages of interview I haven’t managed to find anything of substance. Isthis a role model and is Lloyds TSB an exemplar, or is this just anotherclassic case of senior HR people just talking a “good job”?PaulKearnsSenior partner, Personnel WorksSlogancertainly sticks in the mindReadingthe article in Guru on the use of the initial letters K, C, U and F (notnecessarily in that order) I’m reminded of the time at school when our artteacher asked the class to design safety posters for entry in a competition. Imaginethe hilarity caused by Eddie’s poster, which stressed the need to be carefularound agricultural premises with the slogan “Farm utensils can kill”(naturally the initial letters were large and in a different colour).Idon’t know whether it was entered in the competition, but, as I still rememberthe slogan, perhaps it should have been.RichardGreenEmployee development officer, Bath & North East Somerset Council Graduatescannot access vacanciesInthe study, Graduates lack job satisfaction (News, 5 December 2000) ProfessorAndrew Oswald indicated that graduate employees register the lowest level ofjob satisfaction. He believes this stems from a lack of graduate-level jobs anda tendency for them to idealise the jobs market. Butdemand for good graduates exceeds suitable candidates, as revealed by the largenumber of employers attending immediate vacancy careers fairs in London andManchester last summer. Recentgraduates face an uphill battle accessing objective information about vacanciesand the criteria that determines job satisfaction. The lure of big bonuses andhigh starting salaries often overshadows criteria fundamental to futurehappiness – company culture, what a job involves and the skills required.Better-informedjobseekers make more content employees. KarenNealeGTI Specialist Publisher
June 18, 2015 View post tag: ITS Vesuvius View post tag: Naval View post tag: Navy Share this article ITS Vesuvius Returns to Sea After Modernization After conducting an extensive maintenance period, the Italian Navy’s replenishment oiler ITS Vesuvius returned to the sea on June 8.The modernization works started at the end of 2013 and lasted for 17 months, covering the complete planned renovation and adaptation works.Prior to deploying, the crew undertook various operations to prepare, such as man overboard drills, maneuvering operations, fire drills and other.The vessel is currently in Taranto, Italy, where it will undergo further preparation for deployment.[mappress mapid=”16264″]Naval Today Staff, Image: Italian Navy
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View post tag: USS Ralph Johnson View post tag: US Navy Photo: Photo: US Navy A Sailor from a US Navy destroyer was medevaced by a Coast Guard aircrew off the coast of Washington on December 3, 2019.As informed, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received an initial request for a medevac from crew members aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) approximately 34 miles offshore.A 22-year-old female Sailor aboard the ship was experiencing chest pains and was being treated by naval medical personnel.A Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew rendezvoused with the destroyer at a coordinated location at approximately 3 a.m.However, the aircrew was unable to complete an initial hoist attempt due to hazardous weather conditions. The aircrew returned to Air Station Port Angeles to refuel.The aircrew launched a second time at 5:34 a.m. and successfully hoisted the Sailor off the destroyer at 6:37 a.m.The patient was transported to awaiting medical personnel at Air Station Port Angeles before being taken to Olympic Medical Center for further treatment.USS Ralph Johnson is the navy’s 64th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The ship was built by Pascagoula-based shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and delivered to the US Navy two years ago. View post tag: US Coast Guard View post tag: MEDEVAC Share this article
Fired Worker Still Entitled To Temporary Disability BenefitsOlivia Covington for www.theindianalawyer.comA worker who was injured on the job and was later fired for cause is still entitled to disability benefits, despite his misconduct, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.In 2013, Masterbrand Cabinets hired Douglas Waid as a production associate, a position that involved physical labor. During his time at Masterbrand, Waid was frequently “coached” on his workplace conduct regarding anger issues.A year after his initial hiring, Waid slipped at work and injured his lower back, but initially said medical care would not be necessary. However, Waid’s pain got worse, so Masterbrand referred him to Dr. James Butler, who eventually returned Waid to “full duty.”After working a full shift one day after his injury, Waid was unable to get out of bed. When he was able to return to work, Waid got into a verbal altercation with his supervisor regarding his pain and lack of work restrictions, threw his ice pack and cursed at the supervisor.Waid was terminated shortly thereafter and had a follow-up appointment with Butler, who released Waid from treatment in September 2014, found maximum medical improvement and assigned a 3 percent whole-percent impairment rating.After Waid filed a motion to compel an independent medical examination, Dr. Mike Chou found that Waid likely had an exacerbation of a pre-existing back condition and that 10 to 20 percent was attributable to the job injury. Further, Chou said Waid could return to sedentary work and that he would reach maximum medical improvement either when his pain resolved itself or after recovering from surgery to treat the pain.A single hearing officer of the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board found that Waid was entitled to an award for his temporary total disability, and the full board affirmed the decision when Masterbrand appealed.Masterbrand then appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals, arguing that Waid was not entitled to TTD benefits under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act because he was fired for misconduct. The Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana filed an amicus brief in Masterbrand’s favor, arguing that “once the employee is released to even sedentary work … the employee is no longer entitled to benefits because the inability to work is no longer related to the work injury, rather it was caused by the employee’s resignation or violation of company policies.”Conversely, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association filed an amicus brief in favor of Waid, holding that Masterbrand’s position could set a bad precedent because “potentially any time an employee disagrees with his employer over temporary total disability … the employer could terminate him claiming employee insubordination.”The Indiana Court of Appeals found in Waid’s favor Thursday, with Judge Michael Barnes writing that “the relevant inquiry is whether (Waid’s) inability to work, even for other employers, was related to his injury.”“The Board here found that Waid’s inability to work was related to his injury,” Barnes wrote for the unanimous panel. “That decision rested on a determination of Waid’s credibility and weighing of the evidence. On appeal, we cannot reweigh the evidence or judge the credibility of the witnesses.”FacebookTwitterCopy LinkEmail
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The Rev. Rick Carlson, former president of the Ocean City TabernacleThe Ocean City Tabernacle accepted the resignation of its president, the Rev. Rick Carlson, as of Oct. 31, according to Todd Chamberlain, chairman of the Tabernacle Association Trustees.“The Tabernacle board thanks him for his service and wishes him all the best going forward,” Chamberlain said.The Tabernacle is an interdenominational center for worship and events that dates back to the founding of Ocean City as a Christian retreat. It remains a vital part of the business, social and religious community on the island, and it provides many community services.Reached on Friday morning, Carlson said that the board informed him that his “gifts and talents did not match their mission.”He said the board found no specific area of concern or any sort of wrongdoing.“It was a matter of direction,” he said.Carlson said he was sad to leave Ocean City, and that “the staff of the Tabernacle is amazing.”He spoke as he was driving to Minnesota with a U-Haul trailer in tow. His children live in the Minneapolis area, and he said he will look for his next opportunity from there.“Coaches come and go,” he said.Chamberlain said the Tabernacle has retained Paula Bender as interim president/CEO and that the search for a new president is ongoing.“The Tabernacle remains committed to its core mission of bringing exemplary summer speakers to the Ocean City community,” Chamberlain said. “We continue to enjoy success in our other ministries, including the Son Club After School program, which recently expanded to include kindergarten and first grade (previously it started in 2nd grade.) More than 200 local families with children in grades K-8 participate in the daily after-school program.”The Tabernacle named Carlson as successor to Richard Stanislaw in September 2013, and he took over when Stanislaw retired in December.An ordained minister who had lived and worked in Minnesota and Florida, Carlson came to Ocean City with his wife, Pat. The Carlsons have two grown children, Kyle and Kelsey.The selection of Carlson came after a nine-month nationwide search. He had worked most recently with Faith Covenant Church in St. Petersburg, Fla.__________Sign up for OCNJ Daily’s free newsletter“Like” us on Facebook
Get ready for the Chili Chowder Fest this weekend in Ocean City at the Music Pier. (Courtesy City of Ocean City) Ocean City restaurateurs will be cooking up their favorite recipes for the third annual Chili Chowder Fest 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the Ocean City Music Pier. The feast features a wide variety of chilis and chowders and is set up under the roof of the Music Pier loggia with great ocean views. A DJ and kids’ activities will add to the fun.For the second year in a row, Ocean City firefighters will have their own Chili Cook Off with proceeds benefiting the Ocean City Fire Foundation.Admission ($15 for adults and $5 for children) is good for unlimited samples. Wrist bands can be purchased at the door or in advance at Randazzo’s, Varsity Inn, Johnny B. Goode Ice Cream Parlor (weekends only) or at any of Ocean City’s fire stations. For more information, visit eatinocnj.com.The Ocean City Fire Department and IAFF Local 4032 will hold their annual Open House at the station at 550 Asbury Avenue from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12. The event had originally been scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 11, but it was moved due to the weather forecast.Everyone in the community is invited to this free event. It will feature a live burn demonstration, a “smoke house” where kids can safely learn to navigate a dark and smoky structure, tours of trucks, a helicopter landing, a “Jaws of Life” demonstration, free hot dogs, pretzels and more.The annual event coincides with national Fire Prevention Month and gives the community a chance to learn more about how the department works. Off-duty firefighters from the local firefighters’ union volunteer their time to produce the event. For information, call (609) 525-9182.Firefighters will let kids try out the fire hose on “smoke houses.” (Courtesy City of Ocean City)Jeeps will be displayed on the Boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, during the Ocean City NJ Jeep Invasion. For more information, visit www.NJJeepInvasion.The Cape May County Bar Association 5-Kilometer Run is set for Saturday, Oct. 13. Pre-registration is at runsignup.com and race-day registration begins at 7 a.m. at the Music Pier. The race starts at 8 a.m. For more information, call Pam Kaithern at 609-463-0313.The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk will be held on Sunday, Oct. 14. Register at 9 a.m. at Sixth Street and the Boardwalk. Walk starts at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-ACS-2345. Also coming up in OctoberHundreds turned out in Ocean City for a fundraising walk benefiting the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers in 2016. This year’s walk is Oct. 21.OC READS (Oct. 10 to 17): OC Reads is a program designed to bring people together through literature by encouraging them to read the same book. This year’s book is “Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust” by Michael Hingson. A book discussion will be held 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Ocean City Free Public Library. The “Thunder Dog Learning Showcase” 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 13, will feature speakers discussing how they train their therapy dogs and seeing-eye dogs. Hingson will present a meet-the-author talk, Q&A and book-signing at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the library.Fridays With Friends (Oct. 12): Ocean City students in grades 8 to 12 are invited to the Ocean City Civic Center 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to hang out, eat pizza, play ping pong, pickleball, dodgeball, basketball, shuffleboard and more. The event is free to attend. For more information, call 609-398-6900.Porsche 356 East Coast Holiday (Oct. 19 and 20): Vintage (1948-1965) 356 series Porsches will roll into town and will be displayed on the Boardwalk between Fifth Street and 14th Street. For more information, visit www.eastcoastholiday2018ocnj.org.John R. Elliott Hero Walk (Oct. 21): The annual 5-kilometer HERO walk and run on the Boardwalk will take place at 9:30 a.m. Hero ceremonies are at 10:30 a.m. The event raises awareness of the importance of sober designated drivers. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Sports and Civic Center, Sixth Street and Boardwalk. For more information, visit www.herocampaign.org or call 609-626-3880.Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Annual Welcome Night (Oct. 24): Ocean City Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Welcome Night invites the community to the Ocean City Sports and Civic Center 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 24. Meet Ocean City groups, businesses and organizations. Free to attend. For more information, call 1-800-BEACH-NJ.The city’s 71st annual Halloween Parade is sure to scare up some laughs.Halloween EventsOcean City rolls into late October on Thursday, Oct. 25, with its 71st annual Halloween Parade. The event is a favorite on the fall calendar and features local children, families, bands, entertainers, businesses and organizations costumed for the occasion. The parade starts at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 25 and proceeds down Asbury Avenue from Sixth Street to 11th Street.The event is sponsored by the Ocean City Exchange Club. To register to participate, call 800-813-5580 or visit ochp.blogspot.com. Watching the parade is free – with great spots to catch all of the action from either side of downtown Asbury Avenue.The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company’s annual Halloween Costume Party is set for 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the Ocean City Yacht Club. Tickets are $65 until Oct. 13, then go up to $75. The party is for adults (21-and-over) and includes food, dancing and prizes. To purchase tickets, visit the Theatre Company’s website at www.oceancitytheatrecompany.com. Traditional trick-or-treating hours in Ocean City will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Halloween – Wednesday, Oct. 31.
The papers delivered at this autumn’s British Society of Baking Conference were excellent. I think every delegate left feeling they knew more about the potential of several major categories including premium cakes, thanks to George Thomopoulos of Rich Products, organic and wholegrain, revealed by Huw Edwards of Asda, and the current state of the harvest and world markets from Jon Tanner of RHM.The changing sandwich scene was covered in an informative address from Nigel Hunter of Buckingham Foods.And Gordon Polson, of the Federation of Bakers, made it clear that strong, concerted lobbying is the only thing that may, just may. save us in future from prescribed bread weights.In the following weeks we shall look at some of the papers, and the issues they raised, in more detail. But Asda’s Huw Edwards made a point that is worth repeating. He said that the Americans are really seizing the opportunity to talk up wholegrain breads and the health aspect, whereas in this country the breakfast cereals brigade – a big rival to bakery – has really taken the initiative and seems to be doing a far better job. On the train home I thought about all the advertisements for cereals and realised he is right.Here is a big chance to boost wholegrain breads as being healthy, full of fibre, fortified with essential vitamins, yet these are the very words being used to great effect by the breakfast cereals industry. And of course this industry has a big bonus in that it can target the lunchbox category too because 80% of sandwiches are made at home! We have reduced salt, increased grains but are failing to fully jump on the bandwagon – or better still lead it.Behind the scenes, where much of the networking goes on, the main topic of conversation was worry about the lack of students coming forward to learn about bakery. Not just the bakers of the future, but the bakery food technologists, and new product developers.As George Thomopoulos of Rich said: “How on earth can we communicate the passion we all feel for this industry when the youngsters are all going into catering where they work much longer hours, usually for a lower salary?”It is still a crisis in search of a solution.Sylvia Macdonald
A new initiative that transforms coffee shops into adult education centres by night is rolling out in Scotland.As part of the PopUp College project, students can attend Costa Coffee shops after closing to attend a range of night classes. Subjects include video editing and an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) qualification.The initiative partners colleges and independent learning providers with café sites – such as Costa and Krispy Kreme – who open their stores especially for adult learners after hours. Additionally, students can purchase coffee and cake during their class.From next week, City of Glasgow College will take bookings for an English language course at a Costa café in St Enoch shopping centre, priced at around £80 for six weeks.Although the colleges manage the process – including the teaching staff and programme selection – a small fee is paid to PopUp itself to cover marketing and organisation costs. The initiative has already proved popular in England, where over 30 sites have been launched over the last year.Created by former teacher Jason Elsom as a response to government cutbacks in the adult learning budget, the PopUp Colleges aim to provide a convivial and easily accessible learning space for adults looking to pick up new skills.“It’s about really making people feel relaxed, not sitting in rows of seats in a classroom, like you often find in a classroom environment,” said Elsom in an interview with weekly educational publication Tes.Costa initially approached Elsom to help develop its charitable foundation – which aims to extend education opportunities – wherein he suggested the firm offer space in its shops for classes.Additionally, PopUp College has longer-term plans to bring its set-up to rural communities – targeting adult learners who are distant from further education options.“We can access probably several thousands or tens of thousands of people who live in rural communities, who first of all wouldn’t necessarily consider going to college, but secondly perhaps wouldn’t do the half hour each way drive to go to a college,” continued Elsom. If the Glasgow offering proves popular, other courses could be set to follow.
Trey Anastasio Trio will follow their first tour since 1999 with a pair of newly-announced summer shows in Virginia and New York. The group—which finds Anastasio joined by bassist Tony Markellis, and drummer Russ Lawton—will perform at Charlottesville, Virginia’s Sprint Pavilion on July 5th before heading to New York City’s Central Park SummerStage on July 6th.As previously reported, Trey Anastasio Trio announced their first shows in nearly two decades after Trey Anastasio Band keyboardist Ray Paczkowski underwent surgery for a brain tumor. Consequently, Anastasio decided to reconfigure the tour as a run with his classic trio. The outing got started earlier this month and will soon wrap up with a three-night stand in New Orleans during Jazz Fest that will be webcast and a benefit show in Atlanta. This past Saturday, the trio offered up a few debuts and Phish favorites during the second show of a two-night Chicago run.Tickets for Trey Anastasio Trio’s newly-announced dates will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 27th. Pre-sale tickets will be available at noon ET on Wednesday, April 25th.