Latest news with #Jem
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
WWI letters and medals found in house in Tipperary
A collection of letters and medals from a soldier serving on the Front Line during World War I have been discovered in a house in Tipperary. They were found during a clear out of a house in Thurles. Denis Kenny and his family were recently clearing out the house of his late mother when they discovered a small box containing letters, cards and medals. The memorabilia are of his late grand uncle James Maher - or Jem - who served with the Royal Field Artillery Regiment of the British Army in WWI. James joined the war effort in 1915 at age 28. The box contains letters he wrote to his family at home in Thurles and details the living conditions of the soldiers on the front. In one of the letters, he expresses his hope for an end to the war and flags their preparations for an upcoming battle. This is understood to be a reference to the battle of Passchendaele or the third battle of Ypres, which resulted in over 900,000 casualties. James was among the casualties. He died on 11 August 1917 and is buried in the War Cemetery in Ypres. While James served in the British Army, his sister Josephine was a member of Cumann na mBan in Thurles, fighting against British rule in Ireland. Denis said the letters give a fascinating picture of family life in Ireland at a difficult time. "It's an unusual tale. Some people chose to fight with the British Army in Europe and my grand uncle Jem was one of those, while his sister Josephine at home fought against British rule in Ireland. "Their relationship didn't seem to be affected by this - going by their correspondence in the letters. But I wonder how their relationship would have panned out if he had returned alive from the war." The letters and war medals could have been thrown out accidentally during the house clear out, but Denis said that the family are very relieved to have found them and are now making plans to have them conserved.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Yeovil maternity unit closure a 'shock' to pregnant woman
A pregnant woman says she is "gobsmacked" that the maternity unit where she was due to give birth is being closed for safety District Hospital is temporarily shutting its birthing units on Monday 19 May after failing to meet staffing regulations in its paediatrics who is 29 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy, said: "I am extremely nervous about giving birth as a first-time mum, so moving hospital is not ideal."I'm classed as high-risk due to the IVF and due to my previous complications, so I have to have a consultant. I can't do a home birth and really don't want to move to a hospital more than an hour away." The closure at Yeovil comes after it was served a warning notice by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), external for failing to meet staffing regulations in its paediatrics from Wincanton, added: "We live 10 miles from Yeovil – now our options are Taunton, Bath, Dorchester or Salisbury which are all over 30-35 miles away so we're looking at least an hour's journey to deliver the baby when I'm in labour."I cannot fault Yeovil for anything they've done. They've put my mind at rest and I'm gobsmacked at this news." 'Shortage of doctors' Dr Melanie Iles, chief medical officer at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said it was "really hard to say whether it will only be six months, or not" as the hospital is struggling with a shortage of senior said: "I can't promise it will only be six months - we're working extremely hard to try and achieve that."The Care Quality Commission inspected paediatric services in January 2025 and issued a Section 29A warning notice because it assessed that the paediatric care at Yeovil District Hospital requires significant news of the birthing services closure comes a year after a critical report into maternity services at both hospitals in that were due to take place at Yeovil will now either be moved to Taunton's Musgrove Park, Bath's Royal United Hospital or Dorchester with the midwifery team contacting patients in the coming days. More than 1,200 babies were born at Yeovil District Hospital last year, with 3,000 births at Musgrove Park Hospital in maternity services, like antenatal appointments, are expected to continue at Yeovil during the six-month closure said she is in the process of transferring all care over to another hospital if she can and leave Yeovil said: "The last thing I want to do is have all my antenatal clinic appointments and consultant appointments at Yeovil and then have my baby at a different hospital with a different consultant." Hannah Francis gave birth at Yeovil District Hospital in October said her son was delivered via c-section and it was "so overcrowded" that there "were five new born babies in a tiny room"."It kind of felt like stepping back in time with the building," she said."The midwives were doing the best they could in the situation they are in but there was so little communication," she Francis said while she was "not medically ready to leave the hospital" she just "had to get out".The CQC report from 2024 acknowledged staff at the trust were "keen to improve the services and some of the problems were out of local leaders' control".
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Building digital trust with a deskless workforce
Traditional approaches are increasingly falling short, particularly for remote and mobile workforces. Image: File. Trust shapes every part of the employee experience, from engagement to performance. For companies managing large deskless teams, building trust means overcoming barriers of distance, limited communication, and outdated HR systems. Traditional approaches are increasingly falling short, particularly for remote and mobile workforces. Companies are turning to automation to close the gap. 'This is not to replace human connection,' Caroline van der Merwe, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Jem HR said. 'It's to make everyday tasks like checking your payslip, applying for leave, or getting company updates quick and straightforward, especially for employees working outside traditional office environments. These are usually the people least supported by conventional HR systems,' van der Merwe added. Jem, a South African HR technology company, delivers leave management, payslip access, financial services and benefits through WhatsApp. The approach meets employees where they are – on their phones – rather than expecting them to log onto systems they may never use. It's a model gaining traction globally. Research shows that 80 percent of the world's workforce is now deskless, yet just 1 percent of business software spending is focused on solutions for this group. The mismatch is forcing companies to rethink how they support, engage and retain their people. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Clear systems build trust Automation can sometimes feel like a threat. Even when the aim is to support workers, organisations need to be clear about why systems are changing. Simple explanations — such as who can access employee data or how payslip information is handled — go a long way towards building trust. Workers are far more likely to trust organisations when they understand how systems work. Leave management is a clear example. In many companies, applying for leave still means navigating confusing paperwork, inconsistent approvals, and unanswered queries. Digital systems give employees instant access to their leave balances, an easy way to submit requests, and visibility into approval timelines. The results are tangible. Research shows that employees in high-trust organisations are significantly more productive, more engaged, less stressed, and report greater overall satisfaction with their lives. Removing admin friction Repetitive admin tasks wear down trust over time. When employees are stuck chasing paperwork, they see inefficiency and unfairness. Automation removes these barriers, allowing workers to focus on the jobs they were hired to do. Seventy percent of workers say they value automation when it helps them focus on meaningful work. In deskless environments, fewer admin frustrations mean less friction across the organisation. Employees can complete tasks like booking leave, accessing payslips, or updating personal details quickly and easily, without unnecessary steps or delays. It's a small change with a big impact. However, one of the most common mistakes companies make is imposing new systems without involving the people who have to use them. 'When employees are consulted, there's a notable increase in trust and adoption,' says Van der Merwe. 'It's a simple principle: people support what they help build.' She advises employers to pilot new tools with small groups, gather real-world feedback, and refine systems before rolling them out at scale. This helps avoid costly failures when new tools are ignored or resisted. Small things matter most Automation also enables smarter personalisation, such as delivering targeted messages based on real activity. A worker who has not taken leave in months is a burnout risk, and in many frontline jobs, that is a safety concern. That worker could receive a reminder to take some time off. Someone consistently working long hours might be nudged towards available wellness benefits. 'Small personal recognitions matter,' says Van der Merwe. 'In industries where turnover is high and margins are thin, feeling seen and supported can tip the balance between staying or leaving.' For remote workers, who rarely interact with HR in person, reliable mobile systems are critical. 'Deskless workers are not asking for extra perks,' says Van der Merwe. 'They are asking for the basics to be fair, simple and reliable. Automation is one of the best tools we have to deliver that.' BUSINESS REPORT
TimesLIVE
02-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Innovate Africa: Fixing the HR gap for deskless workers — Jem HR's Simon Ellis speaks
Most HR systems are designed for office staff with computers and e-mail, but in industries such as retail, manufacturing and health care, many workers are on their feet, not behind desks. Simon Ellis, co-founder of Jem HR, says these workers are often left out of the tools meant to support them. Jem HR works differently. It runs through WhatsApp, giving workers direct access to their payslips, leave days, job information and messages. It also connects them to fair financial services — such as cheaper loans and insurance — without needing a bank account or formal credit history. 'In many workplaces, the people doing the work are the last to get information and the last to benefit from basic services,' says Ellis. Jem gives them what they need in a way that works for them.
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The Pogues say that Shane MacGowan 'wasn't always drunk' and remember him as a 'hard worker'
The Pogues have insisted that Shane MacGowan "wasn't always drunk". The 'late singer died of pneumonia in November 2023 at the age of 65 after years of struggling with addiction but now his former bandmate Jem Finer has insisted that it is "quite insulting" to reember him for his substance abuse issues. Jem told The Times: "I think it's quite insulting anyway, 'the drunken artist'. It's not someone who is perpetually drunk: it is someone who enjoys drinking. Shane wasn't always drunk. He knew how to work rigorously and hard. A Pair of Brown Eyes went through many different stages. It began life as a protest against the Falklands war." Jem noted that it all became "impossible" for Shane to be a part of the band, and he was fired mid-tour in 1991. He said: "It just became impossible. He didn't want to be doing it any more, and because he didn't want to let anyone down he wouldn't say that he needed a break, which was reflected in the way he behaved and it was untenable. But there wasn't any bad blood. When he joined again [in 2001], we carried on where we left off." Meanwhile, fellow bandmate Spdier Stacey has insisted that Shane was actually "quite shy" even at the height of his fame with the 'Fairytale of New York' hitmakers. He said: "Before, it was 'the Band'. Now Shane was the focus of attention. "And the fact is, Shane was actually rather shy. He was in a punk band before the Pogues, which was not for the faint of heart, but I think he was shy about doing Irish music because on our first tour of Ireland he was very reticent about how people were going to react, which I understand. I mean, playing the tin whistle to Irish people … it does come with a certain degree of impostor syndrome."
