Human Resources
June 26, 2017
Study suggests ways staff could work fewer hours while raising productivity
Employers can implement simple changes to reduce fatigue while raising worker productivity, a new academic study suggests. Research published by Manel Baucells from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business offers some useful insights for today’s workforce in overcoming fatigue while at the same time raising productivity. The paper “It is time to get some rest”, co-authored with Lin Zhao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, looks at how workers’ efforts can be best distributed throughout the day. The study’s implications affect not only our health and quality of life, but business and the economy too. “The bottom line is, when it comes to rest and managing fatigue, the incentives of companies and workers are perfectly aligned: Reducing fatigue increases productivity, lowers the cost of providing effort, increasing work satisfaction, lowering turnover and absenteeism, and ultimately increasing profits,” said Baucell. “Google seems to have learned this lesson and makes the work environment pleasant, promoting fun distractions, while at the same time encouraging long work hours.”
June 23, 2017
Many business owners are baffled by workplace law jargon
A survey of 250 business owners by Attest market research for HR and employment law advisors Peninsula found that 54 percent of business owners were baffled by workplace law jargon with many thinking the human resource management method – Bradford factor – stood for the best singer in Bradford instead of a means of measuring worker absenteeism. 44 percent thought TUPE meant total under taxation of parliament expenses not transfer of undertaking regulation, 30 percent thought EAT meant employment advice team not employment appeal tribunal. Meanwhile the Conservatives’ election slogan ‘strong and stable’ clearly left a huge mark on people’s thoughts as a number of business owners thought that ‘SSP’ stood for ‘strong and stable professionalism’ instead of the correct meaning of ‘statutory sick pay.’
June 22, 2017
Firms still paying lip service to digital transformation, but change may be coming
Britain’s biggest businesses risk being disrupted by the pace of technological change because their senior leaders are paying lip service to the need for digital transformation, according to a study from tech startup AVADO. The study of senior managers responsible for the learning and development (L&D) of staff at Britain’s biggest firms with turnovers of over £100m found that the need for digital transformation is accepted, almost universally, among respondents. 86 percent say they have assessed the business risk of not taking action and 88 percent have taken steps to address this. Yet, despite 93 percent of L&D professionals saying a digital transformation strategy is in place, the report suggests critical top down buy-in is missing. Yet, a second report from recruiters Robert Half suggests that a growing number of firms in the key finance sector are now actively recruiting to improve their digital transformation strategy.
June 20, 2017
Extending the length of working lives could boost UK GDP by £80 billion
The UK could boost its GDP by around 4.2 percent (around £80 billion at today’s values) if the employment rate of workers aged over 55 could match that of Sweden, the highest performing EU country, according to a new PwC analysis comparing the employment of older workers across 34 OECD countries. There is a 12 percentage point gap between the employment rates of workers aged 55-64 in the UK and Sweden. PwC’s Golden Age Index is a weighted average of indicators – including employment, earnings and training – that reflect the labour market impact of workers aged over 55. The UK has remained middling in the rankings since 2003, falling by one place from 18th in 2014 from 19th in 2015. The report suggests that extending working lives could have a transformational effect on the economy.
June 20, 2017
Half of UK employees say the workplace has a negative impact on their wellbeing
UK employers are falling short of fully supporting mental health in the workplace, with half of UK employees say their workplace has a negative impact on their physical, mental and financial wellbeing, a new survey claims. And according to the Global Employee Benefits Watch 2017/18 from Thomsons Online Benefits of over 2,000 office workers around the world, multinational organisations are not using benefits effectively to improve employee wellbeing and provide a positive workplace experience. Almost 40 percent of employees cite improving mental wellbeing as a life goal, yet less than half of those (18 percent), feel that their benefits scheme supports this. The situation is similar for those wanting to get fit and healthy; 44 percent of employees are keen to do this, yet less than half of them (20 percent) say their employer is helping them to fulfil this ambition.
June 20, 2017
As UK heatwave continues, Acas issues hot weather tips for employers
With the Met Office predicting that the hot weather looks set to continue for much of this week, workplace expert Acas, has offered some tips to help employers manage workplace challenges due to the hot weather. From a legal perspective, it advises that workplace temperatures should be reasonable as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has stated that the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings must be reasonable. The HSE offers advice on how to carry out a thermal comfort risk assessment if employees complain about the temperature. Acas Senior Guidance Adviser, John Palmer, said: “Today’s sizzling weather may be ideal for the beach but staff getting into work on one of the hottest days of the year may not feel the same way. Certain workers may be adversely affected by the extreme heat such as pregnant women, elderly employees and Muslim staff that are currently fasting during Ramadan. Our advice offers some top tips for employers to help ensure their businesses remain productive during the heat wave whilst keeping staff happy too.”
June 19, 2017
Businesses sound the alarm over Brexit as negotiations get under way
The end of free movement of people from the EU will damage UK businesses and public service delivery unless post Brexit immigration policies take account of the need for both skilled and unskilled labour from the EU. This is a key message in new research from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). It also calls on businesses to broaden their recruitment and people development strategies to ensure they are doing all they can to attract and develop UK born workers, and highlights the need for significant changes to Government skills policy. The study joins a growing chorus of business leaders appealing for a rational approach to Brexit negotiations. Britain’s top business lobby groups have already come together to demand open-ended access to the European single market for as long as it takes to seal a final Brexit deal.
June 19, 2017
Billions of pounds in wages and holiday pay is underpaid every year
Billions of pounds are denied to workers every year in wages and holiday pay, a new academic study claims. An interim report, The Weighted Scales of Economic Justice , from researchers at Middlesex University and the Unpaid Britain project shows £1.2 billion of wages are unpaid each year, along with £1.5 billion of holiday pay. The research, led by Professor Nick Clark, also found numerous breaches of employment rights, with one in 12 workers not receiving a payslip and one in 20 receiving no paid holiday. The report claims that many companies and directors were repeat offenders in withholding wages, and directors of half the companies that were dissolved and had defaulted on wages, returned as directors of other companies. Lead author, Nick Clark, said he believes these facts are the “tip of the iceberg” as accurate data around unpaid wages is difficult to uncover.
June 15, 2017
Technology that creates a virtual office is biggest catalyst of change in the workplace
Companies are increasingly using sophisticated technology offerings as a way to attract and retain talent, as faced with a competitive hiring environment, and rising occupancy costs they must create a user experience that makes employees more efficient and effective and the office the preferred place to work. This is according to CBRE Research’s latest Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs report (registration needed) which found – not uniquely – that technology is the biggest catalyst of change in the workplace today, as mobile devices, virtual networks, videoconferencing and cloud storage create a seamless transition from the physical workplace of the 20th century to the virtual workplace of the 21st century. This technology is also being used by occupiers to understand and manage their occupancy patterns in sophisticated ways and create an environment that maximises employee efficiency.
June 15, 2017
Millennials most likely to have left their jobs by the end of this month
An exodus of staff is expected at the end of June, claims a new study which predicts that 36 percent of employees will have left their jobs by the end of this month. Research from Robert Half UK entitled: ‘It’s time we all work happy: The secrets of the happiest companies and employees’ finds employees in London and the East of England are most likely to have left their roles by the end of June with nearly half of Londoners (49 percent) and 42 percent of those in cities like Cambridge, Norwich and Peterborough admitting they anticipate quitting their jobs in the first six months of the year. This trend is being driven by the millennial generation (aged 18–34), who despite experiencing above average levels of happiness (71.7) and interest (71.3) in their roles, are more likely to have left their jobs (49 percent) compared to a third of 35–54 year old’s and a fifth (21 percent) of those aged over 55. more…
June 14, 2017
Job polarisation is being driven by lack of access to technological skills, warns OECD
The employment rate throughout OECD areas is finally returning to pre-crisis levels, but people on low and middle incomes have seen their wages stagnate and share of middle-skilled jobs fall. This is according to the latest OECD Employment Outlook 2017 which finds that the employed share of the population aged 15 to 74 years rose for the third consecutive year, and is expected to reach 61.5 percent by the end of 2018, above its peak of 60.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007. Its projections for the UK’s economy for 2017-18 anticipate that growth will ease as rising inflation weighs on real incomes and consumption, but business investment will weaken amidst uncertainty about the United Kingdom’s future trading relations with its partners.
June 14, 2017
Caring responsibilities are main cause of workplace absence and lower productivity
An increasing number of workers are taking on caring responsibilities, be this for children, elderly relatives or other dependents, and it’s becoming a major cause of workforce absence, claims new research. According to data released by group risk industry body GRiD, for 61 percent of employers these issues are a main cause of short-term absence (less than 4 weeks); for 49 percent of employers these issues are a main cause of mid-term absence (4 weeks to 6 months) and for 43 percent of employers these issues are a main cause of long-term absence (in excess of 6 months). They can also be a contributory factor in the development of mental illness or the deterioration of mental health. Indeed, mental ill-health is another major cause of absence, due to the knock-on effects of stress and deteriorating mental health that results in more absence. In terms of what employers are doing to reduce absence and improve attendance, flexible working comes out as the top-rated solution, with 36 percent of employers citing this as one of the measures they have put in place to minimise absence.
