We have added some simple rules to ensure your computers have the best chance of providing a reliable and trouble free working environment:

How to ensure peak performance pt 2

Also don't forget to read part one:

How to ensure peak performance 

Hope you had a good leap years day!

From 29th February 2008, the penalties for employers who make use of workers who are in the UK in breach of their immigration requirements are substantially increased.

There is a criminal penalty against those who knowingly employ illegal immigrant workers: this amounts to an unlimited fine and / or a prison sentence. There is also a civil penalty relating to negligent recruitment practice: this is "limited to" a maximum of £10,000 for each offence or worker.

The following government web site may be of help:

Home Office site with details about preventing illegal working and how to comply to the law

Home Office Advisory Document

The Temporary and Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Bill received its second reading and was passed by a substantial majority (many Labour MPs not towing the party line). Whilst the debate was somewhat predictable in content, it can be found here (starting about half way down the page):

https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070302/debtext/70302-0010.htm

and continues

https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070302/debtext/70302-0011.htm

etc

The bill its self:

https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmbills/024/2007024.pdf

Informed comment:
https://www.tmponline.org/?p=344

There is a new tips and tricks item which talks about ensuring that reports are accurate.

We have new on line support software supplied by ISL online. The required settings for your firewall or web sense are

• here

If you want to find out more about this software then there is this following link to the ISL Online web site:

ISL Online

There has been at least one artfully constructed hoax article relating to the demise of support for MS SQL 2000.  The following Microsoft links clarify the situation. To sum up: there will be extended support until 2013. Extended support means security updates. If there is one more service pack, then a year after that service pack release, which ever is later.

How does this affect AvaPA? AvaPA runs on MSSQL 2000, MSSQL 2005 and MSSQL 2008 is in testing. AvaPA will be updated to implement features available in MSSQL 2008. If you are an existing customer and we have not already contacted you, then this can be achieved at a no cost option.

SQL Server 2000 Support Lifecycle 

The following link indicates that security updates are continued through the "Extended Support Phase", which for SQL Server 2000 is April 9th, 2013.

On Monday 11^th Feb 2007 the right wing think-tank organisation "Reform" published a report on its' view of the NHS. This was widely reported in the press. Ava has no affiliation with "Reform" and this reference does not constitute an endorsement by Ava for the views expressed. This information is provided so that those who would like to read the report itself as opposed to news paper summaries may do so. It can be found at:

NHS Reform - National Matra not local reality ( PDF ) 

Reform article about NHS Performance

The web site of Reform is:

Reform Website

There is a support item to help when a precautionary message is displayed on AvaPA start up.

The version of the Database differs from the application

The program is exiting as a precaution against corrupting data

AvaPA exits

• The article is here

A temp was continuously supplied to a client over a number of years. After a very significant period of illness, she returned to work to find her job had been filled by another worker from the agency. She tried to claim unfair dismissal. Her claim was rejected. The official document can be found at: https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2008/35.html

There have been a number of articles in various papers about the Conservative's question under the freedom of information act over temp staff pay. Here is a link to the Times on line article. https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article3300536.ece

What are your views on this, please feel free to leave a comment.