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[our aims] [foreward by the chair] [the national picture] [an overview of thurrock citizens advice bureau]
[staff & volunteers 2007/2008] [volunteering and the citizens advice] [the schedule]
[debt advice] [welfare benefits and tax credits advice] [advice on housing issues] [advice on employment issues]
Annual Report 2007/2008:
Advice on Employment Issues
Overview of Employment Issues
Employment issues were presented to bureaux by 276,000 clients in 2006/07. The top categories for advice were pay & entitlements, dismissal, terms and conditions of employment and dispute resolution.48
Employee stress impacts the individuals concerned, the workplaces and the wider community. About 1 in 5 people say that they find their work either very or extremely stressful. Over half a million people report experiencing work-related stress at a level they believe has actually made them ill. 49
More than 70% of all discrimination issues presented to bureaux in 2006/07 related to employment discrimination. Discrimination on the grounds of disability (excluding mental health) was the most common form of employment discrimination presented to bureau (23% of all employment discrimination). This was followed by sex / gender discrimination (21%), race discrimination (14%) and pregnancy / childcare (13%).48
Individual Benefits of Employment Advice
Some or all of the personal negative impacts of employment problems and related impacts can be eased by good advice.
As a result of bureau advice, clients with employment problems can retain their job, protect their terms and conditions, or, where it is not appropriate for them to return to their job, Citizens Advice bureaux can gain financial compensation through tribunals.
With Terms and Conditions the most common of all employment issues presented, one of the main benefits of employment advice provided by Citizens Advice Bureaux is ensuring clients are aware of their rights as an employee.
Community Benefits of Employment Advice
Each case of stress-related ill health leads to an average of 29 working days lost. A total of 13.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2001. Work-related stress costs society between £3.7 billion and £3.8 billion a year.49 Timely advice can reduce stress and mitigate the economic cost.
Contribution of Employment Advice to wider social policy and Central Government
The Department of Trade and Industry identifies "Working to deliver equality and to maximise potential in the workplace" as a key objective.
Measuring the Value of Thurrock CABs Employment Advice
In 2006/07, Thurrock CAB advised 800 clients on Employment issues. The most common area we advised on was terms and conditions of employment.
Three months after receiving advice, we surveyed 80 clients that had presented an Employment problem (more than 10% of employment clients).
Clients were also asked if they felt they had benefited in other ways, aside from financial gains. 100% of the 95 clients that were surveyed felt the bureau had made 'a lot of difference' or 'some difference' to their knowledge of their employment problem.
Thurrock CAB secured employment, reinstatement or return to work for 56 clients in 2005/06. This was either through the provision of face-to-face advice and casework, or representation at employment tribunal.
Further, we secured £15,000 of compensation payments or monies due from employers for our clients.
Thurrock CAB is actively involved in local social policy. We have a large local Polish community and two advisers who provide advice in Polish. The issues faced by the community are predominantly housing and employment related. We have been proactive in meeting with the community through group sessions to discuss these issues and provide advice in information in Polish.
48 Analysis of Advice Issues and Client Profile: England and Wales, Citizens Advice, 2007. Available at (internal only): http://www.cablink.org.uk/analysis_of_advice_issues_2006-07.pdf
49 Tackling Stress: the management standards approach, Health and Safety Executive, 2007. Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg406.pdf
Thurrock CAB Annual Report 2007/2008
 Download the full annual report 2007/2008 (PDF 274kB)
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