HR

Workforce shrinks by 8,000 posts – with GovCos and privatisations accounting for much of the change

Simon McDonald tells MPs it would be "illogical to focus fire on the FCO" in November's Spending Review

When members of the public want to complain about government bodies, it falls to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate. Sarah Aston speaks to the watchdog's newly-appointed non-executive directors Julia Tabreham and Ruth Sawtell about efforts to simplify the system, and change the perception that complaining doesn't make a difference

PCS and Prospect members at the Natural Environment Research Council take half-day action over 1% cap and progression pay move

Lord Macdonald tells File on 4 that policy and legal advice functions will “suffer” amid squeeze on resources – but current director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders praises "dedicated" staff

Trade Union Bill easily clears latest hurdle in the Commons, as TUC warns of impact on “productivity, pay and demand”

The official view: Clare Short spent six years as Tony Blair's international development secretary. Here she tells us about motivating officials, how her private secretary snuck her into a global trade conference, and why the civil service must pay "fair wages" to its staff

Culture secretary tells MPs budget cuts will lead to “difficult decisions” for DCMS but department not in “any danger” of disappearing 

Current deputy director for innovation at the Intellectual Property Office, Ceri Witchard, to oversee community interest companies

Chief operating officer at Standard Chartered Bank to succeed David Godfrey as new chief executive of UK Export Finance 

The Official View: Former communities minister Bob Neill on the strengths and weaknesses of the civil service

New report shows rise in successful applications to graduate scheme from black and minority ethnic candidates, but slight dip in proportion of women accepted onto the programme

Treasury minister Greg Hands tells pay review bodies to target higher rises in areas which would improve recruitment and retention

Recruitment drive for job centre staff on temporary contracts slammed by PCS in the wake of departures of permanent staff

Successful bidders for government contracts will see agreed commitments to apprentice recruitment written into contracts above £10m from next month

Three new members join former DfE non-executive Sir Theodore Agnew as Ministry of Justice’s non-executive board

Images of journeys, food and friends work wonders in speeches – but phrases like “accelerating reform” are a definite turn-off. Oliver Rowe reviews Simon Lancaster’s Winning Minds: Secrets from the Language of Leadership

Public and Commercial Services union makes "strong representations" to tax authority about "timescale and process" of 90-day talks, which department says may result in compulsory redundancies

With nominations for the 2015 Civil Service Awards closing at midnight tonight, cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood talks to Civil Service World about why he thinks officials should shout louder about the achievements of their colleagues

Exclusive: Tax authority says it will aim to "avoid the need for compulsory redundancies" when 90-day process opens next week

Ofqual’s chief regulator announces plans to step down in February 2016

Government Digital Services chief Mike Bracken – who is leaving the unit in September – to become chief digital officer at the Co-op group

Unionised civil servants to lose right to automatic payroll deduction of fees - known as “check-off” - under plans set out by Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock

What do ministers really think of their civil servants? We asked Liberal Democrat former justice minister Simon Hughes to appraise the civil service