Yes / We have come along way in terms of equality law since Lord Davey made his statement. Not only was he unable or unwill-ing to see the law as a vehicle for protecting individuals from discrimination in employment, he was also very definitely talking about a ¿workman` and the fact that this might be a woman had probably not occurred to him. Times and contexts have changed and the law now has a clear role to play in protecting individuals from dis-crimination on a number of grounds. This Law in Brief summarises the legal framework relevant to gender equality in the employment sphere. This Law in Brief also acts as a background paper for a pilot research project looking at women`s progression in the academic sector.1

No / This paper examines the relationship between foreign direct investment inflows and employment using international business strategy literature to identify the factors influencing the development of subsidiaries that might affect employment growth in host regions. A survey of German subsidiaries in North West England is used to test the significance of the variables that are identified as likely to affect employment. The results of logit regression indicate that entry mode, technology transfer, and firm age affect the growth of employment. The study also highlights that other factors, such as sector, organisational structure, the level of diversification of operations by subsidiaries in the local economy, and range of markets supplied may have important affects on employment. The research indicates that further conceptual and empirical work is required to clarify our understanding of how the organisational, operational, and diversification characteristics of subsidiaries affect employment.

No / Das hoch regulierte deutsche Arbeitsbeziehungsmodell steht immer wieder in der Kritik. Gelegentlich wird es als Grund für die Abwanderung deutscher Unternehmen ins weniger regulierte, mitbestimmungsfreie Ausland genannt, gelegentlich als mitverantwortlich für die angeblich geringen ausländischen Direktinvestitionen in Deutschland oder eine Unterbewertung deutscher Aktiengesellschaften angesehen ¿ das deutsche Modell sei eben international nicht anschlussfähig. Der Beitrag untersucht deutsche und amerikanische Tochterunternehmen in Gro¿britannien, weil einerseits das permissive Umfeld im Vereinten Königreich alle denkbaren Arbeitsbeziehungsstrukturen ¿ kollektive, direkte, Mischformen oder reines Managementprärogativ ¿ zulässt, andererseits mit den US-Tochtergesellschaften das internationale Benchmark-Modell Multinationaler Unternehmen als Vergleichsgruppe dient. Es wird danach gefragt, ob sich spezifische Arbeitsbeziehungsmodelle finden lassen und ob diese signifikante Einflüsse auf die betriebliche Performanz haben. / Hans Blocker Foundation

No / Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of visible body piercings (VBP) in explaining the extent of self‐reported workplace sexual orientation discrimination. Design/methodology/approach – Using the 2002 wave of the UK Gay Mens’ Sex Survey, OLS and logit equations are estimated to analyse the extent of self‐reported denial of job opportunities. Findings – The possession of visible body piercings is shown to increase the level of discriminatory activity. There is evidence that tongue piercings are the major contributory type of body decoration. The overall effect is seemingly ameliorated for those gay men who engage in more extensive concealment effort with regard to their sexual orientation. Research limitations/implications – The sample is to some extent self‐selecting, which may affect the results. Further studies using alternative methodologies would be required to explore this issue. Practical implications – This paper sheds light on the importance, or otherwise, of presumed visual clues such as body piercing in triggering discriminatory behaviour towards gay men. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the self‐reported experience of post‐entry discrimination by gay men using a major national survey comprising over 15,000 observations.

No / The enactment of a third statutory union recognition procedure in Britain in 2000 led to a sharp rise and then fall in the number of new, largely voluntary, union recognition agreements being signed. This article examines and explains this trajectory, finding that the interaction of a weak procedure with its wider environment has led to a situation where the outcome of a reflexive law is heavily determined by the external balance of power in employment relations.

No / This article focuses on the workforce characteristics of the German and UK operations of McDonald’s Corporation. The UK workforce is characterised by predominantly young workers with very limited work experience, the German workforce is much older and mostly foreign workers. The analysis suggests that despite these differences and differences in labour market regulation, there is a key similarity between the workforces. The corporation is able to draw on similarly “weak” and marginalised segments of the labour market and these segments are likely to be particularly acquiescent to managerial prerogative. National institutional arrangements can still constrain the employment relations policies of multinational enterprises (MNEs). However, this analysis supports the notion that there is a growing diversity within national systems increasingly explained by MNE policies and practices. This does not necessarily mean that national systems are becoming redundant, but that there is a dynamic relationship between such systems and the needs of MNEs. / This paper was awarded the Literati Prize.

No / There is growing evidence that multinational enterprises (MNEs) increasingly develop organisation-based employment strategies, which promote the transmission of employee relations practices across national borders. This article provides an analysis of one MNE’s employee relations practice and what appears to be its preference for operating, where possible, independently of national industrial relations systems. The findings, which draw on a UK/German comparison, raise a number of questions about the adequacy of even highly juridifed national systems to protect workers rights in practice.

Yes

Yes / The effective disposal of medication and more specifically accidental exposure to fentanyl via transdermal patches has recently been highlighted in two key documents [1, 2]. Whilst the volume of unused medicines cost the NHS over £300 million every year [1], the volume of transdermal patch waste is unknown. There is a need for greater pharmacy intervention in the effective disposal of medicines to resolve issues such as hospital (re)-admissions, stockpiling leading to patient self–prescribing/dosing, and land and water pollution. The aim of this study was to examine transdermal patch disposal systems and practice amongst private sector care providers in the UK. This was part of a larger study focusing on transdermal patch application. / The full text will be available on permission from the publisher.

Yes / The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and The Scottish Accountancy Trust for Education and Research (SATER)