UK see largest contraction in Labour Force since the 1980s

UK see largest contraction in Labour Force since the 1980s

The final report from the two-year Commission on the Future of Employment Support claims that the UK needs ‘once-in-a-generation reform’ to boost growth and improve living standards in the face of a huge contraction in the country’s labour force. The report suggests that the UK is one of the few developed nations where employment has fallen post-pandemic. The UK has dropped from having the eighth-highest employment rate globally to fifteenth. Had the original position been maintained, the economy would be £25 billion larger annually, with public finances £16 billion better off. (more…)

Graduates don’t offer employers enough creativity in the workplace

Graduates don’t offer employers enough creativity in the workplace

A new report claims to reveal that UK graduates are falling short when it comes to offering organisations the creativity they need in the workplace.A new report claims that UK graduates are falling short when it comes to offering organisations the creativity they need in the workplace. The poll from Canva of around 1,000 recent university graduates, educators, and hiring managers in the UK, suggests that over three quarters (77 percent) of graduates and 66 percent of hiring managers consider creativity essential for landing a job and succeeding in the workplace. (more…)

Most firms have little to no idea how people get their work done

Most firms have little to no idea how people get their work done

The report suggests that nearly half of organisations (45 percent) do not conduct "employee journey mapping," leaving them uninformed about how digital friction -the difficulties people have working with technology - affects people's ability to perform tasks at workMany companies remain unaware of how their employees’ digital workplace experiences impact productivity, according to a new report by Scalable Software [registration]. The report suggests that nearly half of organisations (45 percent) do not conduct “employee journey mapping,” leaving them uninformed about how digital friction -the difficulties people have working with technology – affects people’s ability to perform tasks at work. The report claims that this limits their understanding of the challenges people face when working with tech. (more…)

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

Shared Parental Leave (still) failing to deliver for working dads

New research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reformNew research suggests that Shared Parental Leave (SPL) has failed to encourage greater take-up or longer leave by fathers, prompting calls for policy reform. Introduced in April 2015, SPL was designed to let parents share the load of looking after their children, giving fathers a greater role at home and encouraging mothers to get back to work sooner. But new research by economists from the Economics Department and Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at the University of Bath and Cardiff University shows that the policy has fallen flat. Workplace Insight has been tracking the bumpy passage of the legislation over the past nine years. You can see our coverage here. (more…)

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

How younger generations are redefining workplace exits

 

The modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generationsThe modern workplace is witnessing a significant shift in the dynamics of workplace exits, largely driven by younger generations—especially those born after 1997, known as Gen Z. It’s not just in the places we might expect. For example, in Japan, a country with a reputation for long tenures and employee/employer loyalty, resignation agencies such as Momuri offer services that allow individuals to quit their jobs remotely. Even where moving jobs is relatively rare, this “resignation-as-a-service” has sprung up as a result of discontent within the workforce. This phenomenon, particularly pronounced among younger demographics, is challenging traditional notions of loyalty in the face of workplace dissatisfaction. (more…)

Workers unsure about the government’s New Deal for Working People

Workers unsure about the government’s New Deal for Working People

 

Workers in the UK are lukewarm towards the "New Deal for Working People," a cornerstone of the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill.Workers in the UK are lukewarm towards the “New Deal for Working People,” a cornerstone of the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill. This ambivalence is coupled with a significant lack of awareness about their current workplace rights and their employers’ stance on various aspects of the deal. These insights come from the latest Robert Half Jobs Confidence Index (JCI), an economic confidence tracker developed in collaboration with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). (more…)

People can be so obedient in the workplace, they become Stepford Employees

People can be so obedient in the workplace, they become Stepford Employees

The ‘Stepford Employee’ is a growing phenomenon in the workplace, where staff become overly agreeable, seldom ask questions, and rarely push boundariesThe ‘Stepford Employee’ is a growing phenomenon in the workplace, where staff become overly agreeable, seldom ask questions, and rarely push boundaries, hindering both their personal growth and their organisation’s success.  The term ‘Stepford Employee’ originates from the popular feminist horror novel, “The Stepford Wives”, which highlighted the dangers of subservience and docility for women. This growing trend in the world of work sees employees getting stuck in the status quo – not challenging leaders or pursuing professional growth. (more…)

A large pay gap between business leaders and staff is bad news for businesses

A large pay gap between business leaders and staff is bad news for businesses

Employees may be less productive and have more negative emotional experiences at work when there is a large pay gap between them and those in leadership rolesEmployees may be less productive and have more negative emotional experiences at work when there is a large pay gap between them and those in leadership roles, a new study shows. The ‘vertical pay gap’ between leaders and other employees has been found to have risen markedly over the past five decades. (more…)

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking.A new report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, in collaboration with Canva, claims to have uncovered the significant challenges organisations face when it comes to fostering creativity within the workplace. Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking. (more…)

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

Getting the long term unemployed back into work will transform the economy, says Government adviser

He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the "toxic" reliance on immigrationThe rising costs of welfare and the country’s increasing dependency on immigration have become significant concerns, prompting a call for reform from a prominent government health adviser. Alan Milburn, a former health secretary, has emphasised the need for individuals with long-term illnesses and others stuck in a cycle of long term unemployment to actively seek employment. He argues that this approach is essential to address the unsustainable welfare costs associated with the long term unemployed and to mitigate the “toxic” reliance on immigration for the workforce. (more…)

If you offer people universal basic income, they work less but have more choice, study finds

If you offer people universal basic income, they work less but have more choice, study finds

A new study from the Open Research Lab found that while unconditional cash transfers such as universal basic income slightly reduced employment rates and work hours, they increased the financial stability and agency of recipientsA new study from the Open Research Lab found that while unconditional cash transfers such as universal basic income slightly reduced employment rates and work hours, they increased the financial stability and agency of recipients. People were 2 percent less likely to be employed and worked 1.3 fewer hours weekly but had higher incomes when including the cash transfers. The financial support allowed individuals to pursue education, caregiving, health improvements, and more meaningful work. Overall, cash transfers provided recipients with the flexibility to make employment decisions aligned with their personal goals and circumstances. (more…)

Government says launch of Skills England will transform the economy

Government says launch of Skills England will transform the economy

Skills England is intended to collaborate with central and local governments, businesses, training providers, and unions to address the skills needs of the next decade nationwidePrime Minister Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have unveiled Skills England, an initiative designed to unify the fragmented skills landscape and foster a cohesive national ambition to enhance the nation’s skills. Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the Department for Education (DfE), has been appointed as the interim Chair of the new body. (more…)