Major new report recommends action by the Accountancy Profession to prioritise
Workforce Health
It’s a problem that is estimated to cost UK employers £14 billion annually, but despite the fact that most management teams agree that “employees are our most valuable asset”, senior accountants and finance directors show limited interest in the health and wellbeing of their workforce, according to new research published by ICAS.
'Recognising Workforce Health as a Key Organisational Asset: A Study of Current Thinking and Practice', by Professor Robin Roslender, Dr Howard Kahn and Joanna Stevenson, investigates how finance directors and HR directors in the private and public sectors view issues surrounding the health and wellbeing of their workforce and how workforce health can be ‘valued’. The report draws on case studies of three very different organisations – AstraZeneca, South Lanarkshire Council and South West Water. [more...]
Debt Dependency a threat to Economic Stability - says Skeoch
The UK’s recovery from the recession should take hold in 2010 but changes must be made to the structural nature of the nation’s debt dependency if increasingly volatile boom and bust cycles are to be avoided, according to Keith Skeoch, Chief Executive, of the global fund manager Standard Life Investments. [more...]
Sir David Tweedie nominated as vice-president of ICAS
Sir David Tweedie CA, Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), has been nominated as Vice-President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. This is in recognition of Sir David’s outstanding contribution to the accountancy profession and to ICAS, and is made with a view to his becoming President of the Institute in 2012. Sir David retires from the IASB on 30 June 2011. [more...]
Promotions at Biggart Baillie
Leading law firm Biggart Baillie LLP has announced the internal promotion of one associate to partner and two assistants to associate with effect from 1st January 2010
Jennifer Spence is promoted to Partner. Jennifer joined Biggart Baillie in 1998 as a trainee and quickly specialised in litigating and particularly in the fast growing field of Public and Administrative law. She has particular experience in human rights issues Judicial Review proceedings and Public Inquiries. She principally acts for local authority clients and other public bodies and she was recently one of the first Scottish solicitors to take a case to the new UK Supreme Court. [more...]
US visit marks first overseas mission
for new Scottish Enterprise Head
Lena Wilson will make her first visit to the US shortly as chief executive of Scottish Enterprise (SE), in a trip which will see her meet some of the biggest foreign investors in Scotland. The visit, which is part of a series of overseas trips designed to promote Scotland and Scottish businesses internationally, aims to explore new trade and investment opportunities for Scotland in the region. [more...]
Securities & Investment Institute becomes a chartered body
The SII has announcd that from 1st November 2009 it changed its name to the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI). The gaining of Chartered status is the most significant change for members since the formation of the Securities Institute in 1992. The broadening scope of the Institute’s work led to a change of name in 2004 to the Securities & Investment Institute. In the past few years, the growth and development of the Institute has seen staff representatives appointed in Scotland and Ireland and the opening of offices in four major financial centres globally: Mumbai, Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore. [more...]
Standard Life reports favourable prospects
Standard Life has reported a very positive interim outlook up to September and Standard Life investments net inflow are 75% higher than the same period last year. Their life and pensions net inflow in the third quarter are 91% higher. There is also strong growth in assets as markets begin to recover – although new business sales do reflect the impact of weaker average financial market levels. [more...]
Morton Fraser moves into landmark Edinburgh location
Leading law firm Morton Fraser have moved into new purpose built offices at the Quartermile development in Edinburgh. The firm will occupy the top four floors of the £20m six storey office development at Lister Square. The firm, which has 35 partners and employs more than 250 staff in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, has taken a 15 year lease on more than 36,000 sq ft in Quartermile, signalling a new phase in its long history. [more...]
Positive outlook in PwC business survey
Private business leaders in Scotland are more confident in their future than other UK regions, despite the current recession, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP has found. 81.1% predict that, rather than decline, their business situation will improve or stay the same in the next 12 months — the most positive region according to results from the forthcoming PwC Enterprising UK 2009 survey. [more...]
Tolley’s Yellow Tax Handbook increases by 150% under the Labour Government
LexisNexis has announced the launch of the 2009 edition of its authoritative tax guide, Tolley’s Yellow Tax Handbook. Over the last 12 years, the annual guide has more than doubled in size, highlighting the growing complexity of the UK tax system and the impact of the government’s recent attempts to introduce recession busting legislation. [more...]