April 9, 2019

CIPD warns stress related absence is a growing problem for UK workplaces

by Marie Hillen • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Heavy workloads and poor management styles are behind the increase of nearly two-fifths (37 percent) in stress-related absences over the past year, according to a new report from the CIPD and Simplyhealth. Respondents say having heavy workloads (62 percent), which can be attributed to poor management, is the top cause of stress-related absence. The second biggest contributing factor is management style which has risen from 32 percent to 43 percent in the last year. The annual Health and Well-Being at Work Survey Report found that more than four-fifths (83 percent) of respondents have observed ‘presenteeism’ (going to work when ill) in their organisation and a quarter (25 percent) say the problem has got worse since the previous year.

April 8, 2019

Ten employment law changes to look out for in the rest of 2019

by Hayley Marles • Features, Legal news, Workplace

This year is set to be a busy year for HR and employment law. From post-Brexit immigration rule changes and gender pay gap reporting, to age discrimination at work, employers are faced with amended employment laws and new deadlines for their organisation to meet. These are ten important areas of the law that HR professionals and business owners need to be aware of. More →

April 5, 2019

Digital inclusion empowers women but does not lead to better jobs

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

All European regulatory frameworks cite technology as a key factor in promoting competitiveness and innovation, and right alongside it is its greatest tool, the population’s digital inclusion. Digital inclusion makes it possible to develop human capital able to adapt to labour market challenges and contributes to ensuring equal opportunities in terms of accessing online resources related to work, education and social participation. Is this inclusion, however, sufficient in itself to ensure improved economic status and equality? According to the results of a study produced by Lídia Arroyo, a researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya IN3 GenTIC research group, the answer is no. More →

April 2, 2019

Gaslighting widespread in the UK workplace

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than half of people questioned in research by HR software and services provider MHR claim they have experienced what they consider to be gaslighting at work. The Twitter poll of 3,033 people aged between 18 and 54 found that 58 percent of respondents have experienced what they consider to be gaslighting during their working lives. Thirty percent of respondents said they hadn’t experienced gaslighting in the workplace, with 12 percent saying they didn’t know. More →

April 1, 2019

Against metrics: how measuring performance by numbers backfires

by Jerry Z Muller • Features, Workplace

More and more companies, government agencies, educational institutions and philanthropic organisations are today in the grip of a new phenomenon. I’ve termed it ‘metric fixation’. The key components of metric fixation are the belief that it is possible – and desirable – to replace professional judgment (acquired through personal experience and talent) with numerical indicators of comparative performance based upon standardised data (metrics); and that the best way to motivate people within these organisations is by attaching rewards and penalties to their measured performance. More →

March 29, 2019

Why are graduates favouring Manchester over London?

by George Eltringham • Cities, News, Workplace

The economic performance of UK cities is increasingly dependent on the skills of their workforce. Cities across the UK face the challenge of both attracting and retaining high-skilled talent. The Great British Brain Drain investigates migration within the UK, specifically within cities. It finds that many university cities lose their graduates to London, with this movement especially strong for the highest performing graduates with 2.1 or 1st class degrees from Russell Group universities. Despite this, most university cities experience a ‘graduate gain’: they gain more graduates than they lose.

March 29, 2019

Need for employee resilience heightened in a time of constant change

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

Challenges facing UK businesses in the next five years have heightened the need for employee resilience, according to new research from recruitment specialist Robert Half UK. As businesses adapt to an ongoing period of change, more than nine in 10 (94 percent) CFOs think developing resilience amongst their employees will be important over the next two to five years, with 43 percent citing this as very important. This is critical to almost all (97 percent) CFOs from London-based businesses – the UK’s financial hub. More →

March 28, 2019

Government lacks the know-how to help disabled people get into work

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The Department for Work Pensions has limited evidence of what works when it comes to supporting disabled people to work, according to the National Audit Office (NAO) in a report published today. The number of disabled people in work has risen by 930,000 (31 percent) in the last five years, but this has not been matched by a reduction in the number of disabled people who are out of work. The NAO found that the government’s headline goal of getting one million more disabled people into work from 2017 to 2027 cannot be used to measure the success of its efforts. The Department itself recognises that this measure cannot be linked directly to any specific government policy or programme. Broader factors, such as more people who are already in work reporting a disability, and rising employment rates, have a significant effect on the measure. It therefore lacks a target for which it is willing to be held to account. More →

March 28, 2019

Millions more people say they would like to work as freelancers

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The so-called gig economy is likely to increase dramatically over the next few years, new research suggests. Along with over 8 million people who currently work on a freelance basis, over 5 million more say they would like to go freelance. The data collated by Direct Line for Business claims that 5.3 million people (10 per cent) dream of becoming their own boss in the future, by embracing a career as a freelancer. This is in addition to the 8.6 million (16 per cent) who currently freelance and are either full time self-employed or carry out contract work alongside their main jobs.

March 27, 2019

Third of UK employees work way outside contracted hours

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Over 35 percent of employees regularly arrive at work early or stay late, and that younger people are more likely to work longer hours than their older colleagues. The study, conducted by Love Energy Savings discovered that 8 percent of British employees work a staggering 20 hours or more each week than their contracted hours. Of those surveyed, over 40 percent of 18 to 24-year-old employees admit to working more than their contracted hours, a higher number than any other age group; 10 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds admitted to working over 20 hours of overtime per week.

March 26, 2019

CIPD report finds employers can do more for women going through the menopause

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

CIPD: employers need to do more to help women going through the menopause The majority of working women experiencing the menopause say it has a negative impact on them at work, finds a new survey from the CIPD. The research found that three out of five (59 percent) working women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms were finding it impacted them at work. In response, the CIPD has launched free guidance on managing the menopause at work to help break the silence surrounding the topic. More →

March 26, 2019

Majority of UK business leaders believe costs and red tape will rise after Brexit

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Workplace

Over half (58 percent) of UK business leaders expect costs to rise after Brexit, even if a deal is struck and just over a third (38 percent) believe that access to local business funding and grants will also become more challenging post-Brexit, claims a new survey from Vistage. Respondents were also sceptical about the so-called ‘bonfire of red-tape’ which was a key part of the Leave campaign’s manifesto. Thirty-eight per cent believe bureaucracy will become more of a hurdle post-Brexit, versus just 17 percent who believe a deal with the EU will lead to fewer regulations and less red-tape.