July 23, 2019

Apprenticeship levy has failed to increase investment in workplace training

The Government made an empty promise when it said the apprenticeship levy would boost the amount of money employers spend on workplace training, claims a new report from the CIPD. Addressing employer under-investment in training, the case for a broader training levy reveals that 31 percent of levy paying employers say the levy will lead them to increase the amount they spend on training. This is down from 45 percent in July 2017 when it was introduced. More →

November 28, 2016

Britain is missing a trick by not getting workplace training right ⁰

by Steve Hill • Comment, HR

New research from PwC highlights Britain’s failure to provide opportunities for young people. The study brings attention to the fact that the country ranks a lowly 21st out of 35 OECD members for its ability to get 15 to 24 year olds into work, education or training. If the UK could equal Germany’s low youth unemployment rate it would stand to gain around £45 billion, a 2.3 percent increase in GDP. The PwC report compares numerous countries, however Germany, Austria and Switzerland come out on top when it comes to providing career opportunities and workplace training to young people. Perhaps a clue to their success is that these nations all have so-called ‘dual education systems’ where work-based learning sits with equal stature alongside traditional academic study.

April 21, 2021

Nearly a third of employees don’t receive training in a hybrid workplace

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

Lane4, has announced the findings of its nationwide survey which suggests how organisations need to better support their employees as some begin to return to their on-site workplaces, while others remain remote. More →

May 10, 2023

How to eliminate tech-shaming in the workplace

by Aaron Taylor • Comment, HR, Technology

Technology has impacted our everyday lives – from how we keep in touch with old friends all the way to how we do our weekly shop, as well as our work lives. The skills which are in demand are vastly differently to what they were just a decade ago. As a result, we have seen a rise in the incidence of tech-shaming and the current generation has needed to develop a different skillset to what their predecessors had to learn. Dell Technologies found that 56 percent of respondents between the ages 18 to 26 across 15 countries, said “they had very basic to no digital skills education.” A third of them said their education had not provided them “with the digital skill they need to propel their career” and what they know comes from the apps they use on their own time. More →

February 9, 2023

Firms struggle to get a grip on people data despite workplace challenges

by Jayne Smith • HR, News, Technology

A new CIPD survey of business leaders claims there is a significant mismatch between the scale of the challenge that workplace issues currently pose to businesses and how often workforce issues and people data are discussed by senior leaders. In response, the CIPD is warning that organisations are unlikely to perform well in the long term unless decisions taken at a board and executive management level are informed by an in-depth and evidence-based understanding of the value and risk their workforce poses. More →

January 12, 2023

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. More →

September 20, 2022

Lack of training in communication is setting up line managers to fail

by Neil Franklin • News

A new report from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) Inside Group claims that while the successful running of any organisation relies on effective line manager communication, and this is a high HR priority, designated line managers are ultimately being “set up to fail” through a lack of specific communications training. The report – ‘Effective line manager communications’ – surveyed line managers, HR professionals, and internal communicators, and it showed a clear mismatch between the expectations of line managers and the support provided. More →

August 24, 2022

Workplace decision making is subject to a number of conflicting forces

by Neil Franklin • HR, News

A new survey from 15Five claims that the workplace is in a state of upheaval, with one-third of workers planning to quit their jobs despite the potential economic downturn. Conversely, nearly one in five organisations are planning on layoffs, and more than one-third of HR leaders have rescinded job offers. The poll of 1,000 US full time employees and 500 HR leaders [registration] also claims that work-life balance is a top concern for employees, behind only pay and health benefits. When HR leaders were asked what was most important to their employees, work-life balance claimed the number one spot (64.6 percent), followed by health benefits (62.8 percent) and growth opportunities (54.6 percent). More →

July 28, 2022

MPs call for Menopause Ambassador role to help women in the workplace

by Neil Franklin • HR, News, Wellbeing

Lack of support from employers for women with symptoms of the menopause is pushing ‘highly skilled and experienced’ women out of work, claims a new report from the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee. The authors call on the Government to act, amending the Equality Act to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic, and to include a duty for employers to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees. The MPs also urge the Government to remove dual prescription charges for oestrogen and progesterone as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) nationwide, replacing it with a single charge for all women.

February 24, 2022

Building workplace resilience in a changing environment

by Jennifer Bryan • Business, Features, Flexible working, HR

For decades, it has been agreed that change is a constant. So, doesn’t it stand to reason that before a change or crisis happens, an organization should have the ability and resilience to transform? In the McKinsey report, The resilience imperative: Succeeding in uncertain times, resilience is defined as, “the ability to withstand unpredictable threat or change and then to emerge stronger.” In other words, it is the ability to sustain and endure. And it applies just as much to workplace resilience as any other element of the organisation. More →

January 27, 2022

Learning first aid is an essential skill for the modern workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Promotion

First aid is a type of emergency care that is administered in the event of an injury. Volunteers within the community can receive this training so that they can help with emergencies before the proper authorities arrive on the scene. First aid includes CPR, cleaning wounds, and supporting breaks or sprains. A person giving first aid cannot fix a problem- that is for the paramedics and doctors to do. So, why is learning first aid so important, especially in the modern workplace? More →

December 8, 2021

Nearly half of UK employees are ready for a workplace metaverse

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Technology

Research released by Owl Labs suggests that nearly half (47 percent) of the UK population want companies to adopt the metaverse – a highly immersive virtual world that recreates opportunities for work, socialising, entertainment, and education – in the workplace. More →