Majority of SMEs lack a health and wellbeing strategy

Majority of SMEs lack a health and wellbeing strategy

Majority of small businesses have no health and wellbeing strategyNew research from AXA PPP healthcare claims that eight out of ten (82 percent) SME business leaders don’t have a health and wellbeing strategy in place. The same research found two-thirds (24 percent) report experiencing job-related stress or anxiety and just 15 per cent believe their company provides a culture which supports their mental health. The research also claims  nearly half (46 percent) of employees working in small and medium sized businesses continue working when they’re feeling unwell and less than a quarter (24 percent) see a GP because they worry about taking time off work. One-fifth (18 percent) feel guilty for taking time away from their desk for lunch and more than a quarter (27 percent) send and receive emails outside of work hours.

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Worker confidence in the UK jobs market falls

Worker confidence in the UK jobs market falls

Confidence in jobs market fallsThe Monster Jobs Confidence Index, published for the first time by jobs board Monster.co.uk and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), claims that workers and job seekers confidence in the UK labour market has dropped by 10 percent, from 77 percent to 67 percent. The report defines confidence as how an individual feels about their ability to find a suitable job in the short-term, realise their career potential and build a better future for themselves.

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Discrimination against workers highest in UK

Discrimination against workers highest in UK

A new Europe wide study claims that reports of discrimination are highest in the UK where more than a third (38 percent) of respondents say they have been discriminated against, compared to a European average of 30 percent. It seems young people are also particularly affected, with 49 percent of UK workers aged 25-34 reported they had faced some form of discrimination.  The ADP Workforce View in Europe 2019 (registration) surveyed over 10,000 employees in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, delving into how employees feel about issues in the workplace. (more…)

Working lives dominated by stress and overwork

Working lives dominated by stress and overwork

Working lives are dominated by stressOver-work, stress and poor work-life balance are undermining attempts to improve the quality of working lives in the UK, new research from the CIPD claims. Over 5,000 people were surveyed for the UK Working Lives Survey, an annual assessment of job quality across seven different categories including pay and benefits, contracts and employment terms, and voice and representation. (more…)

Women and older workers drive record employment

Women and older workers drive record employment

ONS says women and older workers helped drive record employment ratesThe number of people in employment in the UK increased by 32,000 to a record high of 32.75 million in the three months to April 2019, according to the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). This was driven by women whose numbers increased by 60,000 on the quarter to a record high of 15.46 million.

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People can hit career dead end in their fifties

People can hit career dead end in their fifties

Career opportunities for over 50sWith a rising retirement age and the prediction that by 2020, a third of UK workers will be aged 50 or over, new research from job board Totaljobs and recruitment firm Robert Walters found that many workers in their 50s find their career options and development opportunities are extremely limited.

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The lack of female role models in STEM

The lack of female role models in STEM

Rosalind Franklin working and inspiring women into STEM fields A new study claims there is a serious lack of female role models within STEM (science, tech, engineering, maths), leaving a generation of girls without inspiration and identifiable routes to pursue careers in science and tech. In fact, the research from jobs board CWJobs claims that UK workers in STEM are at a loss when it comes to naming key role models in their industry. Despite working in a STEM field, these professionals are more likely to recognise the Big Bang Theory’s Dr Sheldon Cooper over celebrated real-life scientists and mathematicians. (more…)

Over half of US workers offered flexible Fridays

Over half of US workers offered flexible Fridays

Over half of US workers offered flexible Fridays this summer @GenslerThis summer, over half (55 percent) of US employers will offer employees the option to leave work early on Fridays or take the entire day off. The new survey by Gartner claims that so-called flexible Fridays are an example of the sort of perks organisations are offering to gain competitive advantage in attracting and retaining top talent in a labour market which features record low unemployment levels.

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Half of US workers have a “side hustle” to earn more

Half of US workers have a “side hustle” to earn more

Illustration of gig workers who use a side hustle to boost their incomeNearly half (45 percent) of US workers say they earn extra income by using a side hustle, according to a new report from Bankrate.com. This includes both full-time (43 percent) and part-time (51 percent) workers. For most (66 percent), the extra money accounts for less than half of their monthly earnings. However, around a third of the 2,550 people surveyed say the extra income is needed to pay regular living expenses. Slightly more (34 percent) say they use the money for discretionary spending and 27 percent say it’s to boost their savings. (more…)

On target for a toxic workplace culture

On target for a toxic workplace culture

A young woman using a sextant to illustrate the idea of setting targets to create a good workplace cultureSetting clear and bold targets has become part of leadership 101. We take it for granted that the first action for anyone taking over the helm of a business or team is to state or re-state targets. The rise of “management by objectives” in the 1970s drove the initial focus on target-setting and, in line with shoulder pads and lapel width, the 1990s saw a shift in management culture to ‘bigger is always better’. In 1994 Jim Collins and Jerry Porras wrote their highly influential best seller Built to Last. In it, they memorably wrote of the power of BHAGs – big, hairy, audacious goals. Targets were no longer for hitting but represented something bigger, a longer-term vision of the future.

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London workers more attracted to job than socialising

London workers more attracted to job than socialising

London workers more attracted by the job than socialising with colleaguesSocialising and drinking opportunities are some of the least enjoyable things about working in London, as loving their job and a chance to grow personally is more of an incentive for those who work in the Capital, a new report suggests. The survey of 1,000 London workers by Flexioffices, claims that 75 percent of employees in the city enjoy going to work for the personal development opportunities, training and the job itself. Flexible hours are becoming an increasingly enticing aspect of a job, with 21 percent of London workers liking their workplace because of the flexible hours available.

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Flexible working may not enhance productivity

Flexible working may not enhance productivity

flexible working at the office of GoogleThe majority of office employees (84 percent) believe good relationships with colleagues boost their quality of work, yet nearly three quarters (70 percent) admit to not knowing the people they work with very well, claims a new survey from Nespresso Professional. The study suggests that changing office environments and flexible working practices are not improving employees’ relationships with co-workers, or their creativity and output. (more…)