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FORGET THE ENVIRONMENT AND TERRORISM, IT'S MONEY THAT KEEPS US AWAKE
AT NIGHT
DESPITE the
major issues that are dominating the news agenda, such as the
environment, crime and terrorism, new research from Abbey reveals
that finances are perceived as the biggest threat to quality of
life. The Abbey Lifestyle Report, which looks at working trends and
concerns across the UK, shows that 24% of people identify money
worries as the biggest threat to their quality of life. By contrast,
environmental concerns barely registered, with only 4%highlighting
the environment as a major worry.
Retired people are among the least concerned with the environment
(3%), with the research indicating that pensioners may be some of
the biggest carbon culprits, spending almost a quarter of their
leisure income on travel. For this group their personal health is
the biggest concern and they are the section of society with the
biggest fear of being victims of crime. Parents are the most
concerned about the environment although only 1-in-20 see it as the
biggest threat to their quality of life.
Other issues high on the news agenda but low on the public’s list of
worries include crime (11%) and terrorism (9%). Fears vary greatly
by region though, and while only 6% of Scots see terrorism as the
biggest threat this rises to 11% in the Midlands, the location of a
number of recent police operations linked to the prevention of
terrorism. In spite of these concerns, the nation is
optimistic about 2007 with 32% of UK adults believing that they will
have a better quality of life next year compared with only 15% who
think their quality of life will deteriorate. Students are the
most optimistic, with 49% believing that they will have a better
quality of life in 2007. Retired people are the most pessimistic,
with just 21% believing that they will have a better quality of
life.
Sue Hayes of Abbey commented:- “People are generally positive
about their quality of life in 2007 and the much-publicised issues
around crime and the environment don’t seem to be denting this
optimism. The real concern for people is money and we are hoping
that this is a signal that people are planning to get more engaged
with their finances in 2007.” |
EMPLOYMENT LAW SUFFOCATING SMALL BUSINESSES
COMPLEX
employment laws are stifling businesses in the North West, according
to figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses. The FSB -
which represents around 18,500 businesses employing around 200,000
people in Manchester, Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside -
warned that many small businesses experience tremendous pressures
due to government legislation such as age discrimination.
A free legal helpline for FSB members receives over 200 calls per
day and queries about age discrimination have increased by a
phenomenal 664% since 2005. This rise is in response to new
and proposed legislation including the recent introduction of a
national default retirement age of 65 which has caused a headache
for many small employers. Confusion over religious
discrimination laws also led to a 92% increase in calls on the
subject while sexual discrimination legislation provoked a 56% rise
in queries. Many small businesses were also concerned about
proposed changes to part time workers annual leave, as a 68%
increase in related calls shows.
FSB North West policy manager Paul Henly explained:-
"Employment law is vital to ensure that both employers and employees
know where they stand and to protect both parties as they carry out
their work. The complexity of these laws is placing an
intolerable burden on smaller firms who are not big enough to have
their own HR department. The average small business owner spends 28
hours per month filling in forms for the government. Our phone
line study shows that many small businesses are becoming less
efficient due to the time and energy lost to dealing with employment
law. This strain could have an affect on the growth of companies and
employment in the North West as creativity is lost to form filling."
Paul Henly added:- "With more than half of the private sector
workforce employed by small businesses, these pressures could have
serious economic consequences. Reducing the burden of red tape
on small businesses allows them to increase activity and the number
of people they employ - leading to a boost for both owners and
workers." |
