Sick pay reform should encourage people back into work, government claims

Sick pay reform should encourage people back into work, government claims

A parliamentary committee of MPs has called for a 'long-overdue' boost to statutory sick payA parliamentary committee of MPs has called for a ‘long-overdue’ boost to statutory sick pay (SSP), emphasising the need to strike a delicate balance between workers’ wellbeing and employers’ financial constraints. The Work and Pensions Committee has recommended aligning the SSP rate with the flat rate of Statutory Maternity Pay, a move that they say could significantly improve the financial safety net for workers. More →

Up to 8 million UK jobs already at risk from AI without intervention

Up to 8 million UK jobs already at risk from AI without intervention

An analysis of the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the UK labour market uncovers a ‘distinct sliding doors moment’, with possibilities for huge job disruption in future or significant GDP gains, depending on government policy. The report from think tank the IPPR claims to identify two key stages of generative AI adoption: the first wave, which is here and now, and a second wave in which companies will integrate existing AI technologies further and more deeply into their processes. More →

Highly organised CEOs can hold back a firm’s flexibility in times of change

Highly organised CEOs can hold back a firm’s flexibility in times of change

CEOs who prioritise planning and organisation can find their skills make them a hindrance to their organisations when it comes to adapting to external changes, according to new research from Durham University Business School. The researchers say that this is because organised CEOs tend to be more rigid in their practices, thus making it more difficult for them to change their ways. The researchers also found that CEOs who are anxious and can get stressed easily also make it difficult for the organisation to adapt quickly. More →

New objectives in workplace design guide set out to increase biodiversity in government estate

New objectives in workplace design guide set out to increase biodiversity in government estate

The UK's Government Property Agency has published details of how it intends to protect the natural environment and increase biodiversity across its extensive estate.The UK’s Government Property Agency has published details of how it intends to protect the natural environment and increase biodiversity across its extensive estate. The Biodiversity and Nature Recovery Annex (BNRA) forms part of the Government Workplace Design Guide. As the largest office property holder in government, the GPA believes it ‘has an opportunity to improve the environment for the benefit of everyone by playing a part in ceasing the extensive loss of biodiversity in the UK’. More →

A third of people say they have experienced a toxic manager

A third of people say they have experienced a toxic manager

A third of employees (33 percent) in the UK have experienced a toxic manager at work in the past five years, and over four in ten (41 percent) have left a job due to their dissatisfactionA third of employees (33 percent) in the UK have experienced a toxic manager at work in the past five years, and over four in ten (41 percent) have left a job due to their dissatisfaction with management. The findings are from Corndel’s Workplace Training Report 2024, based on research conducted with 250 HR decision makers at large organisations and 1,000 UK employees. Toxic manager traits defined by the poll  including micromanagement, inflexibility, intimidation, gaslighting colleagues and a deflecting accountability.  More →

Republic of Korea to join Horizon Europe programme

Republic of Korea to join Horizon Europe programme

Korea will join the growing group of countries associated to Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programmeKorea will join the growing group of countries associated with Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme. Horizon Europe is the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever with a budget of €95.5 billion for the period 2021-27, complemented by the financial contributions from associated countries. It is open to the world, which means that participants from all over the world can participate in nearly all calls. Entities from associated countries have additional opportunities in collaborative projects and are treated on par with the entities of EU Member States regarding the access to funds. More →

AI will leave a lot of people with nowhere to go in the job market

AI will leave a lot of people with nowhere to go in the job market

Non-graduates, 'silver surfers' and those in lower socio-economic brackets will be left behind as AI creates a 'skills glass ceiling'Non-graduates, ‘silver surfers’ and those in lower socio-economic brackets will be left behind as the rise of AI creates a ‘skills glass ceiling’. That’s according to the latest Robert Half Jobs Confidence Index (JCI) – an economic confidence tracker produced in partnership with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The latest iteration of the Robert Half JCI revealed that almost half (45 percent) of the UK workforce is concerned that AI will disrupt their career in the next six to ten years. More →

Wannabe entrepreneurs likely to ignore important financial warnings

Wannabe entrepreneurs likely to ignore important financial warnings

Wannabe entrepreneurs are highly likely to ignore poor financial performances in order to pursue their dream, according to new researchWannabe entrepreneurs are highly likely to ignore poor financial performances in order to pursue their dream, according to new research by emlyon business school and ESC Clermont Business School. The researchers found that in the early stages, new entrepreneurs are so blinded by their dreams of becoming successful, they believe entrepreneurial spirit can get them out of a difficult situation. More →

UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices

UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices

The location of the UK Space Agency's new headquarters, the Quad Two building at the Harwell Science Campus’ Space Cluster in Oxfordshire.The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire and regional offices in Scotland, Wales and the Midlands as it works to support the space sector across the UK.  According to the government, the expansion will enable the Agency to collaborate more closely with the UK’s space sector, while promoting regional skills and job opportunities to deliver ‘increasingly ambitious missions and capabilities’. As set out in the Space Industrial Plan, the government says it is committed to continuing its support for space clusters across the UK and ‘providing the tools needed to drive collaboration between them and catalyse further investment’. More →

Commuter towns becoming main place of work for many people

Commuter towns becoming main place of work for many people

over the past two years workers have significantly increased their use of office workspaces in rural, suburban and commuter townsNew office footfall data from IWG taken from more than 400 locations across the UK, suggests that over the past two years workers have significantly increased their use of office workspaces in rural, suburban and commuter towns, choosing to forgo lengthy daily commutes and work closer to home. More →

Half of people ‘struggle’ with the idea of more face to face meetings

Half of people ‘struggle’ with the idea of more face to face meetings

A new poll claims that half of office workers in the UK, who have experienced an increase in face to face meetings, are struggling to copeA new poll claims that over half (52 percent) of office workers in the UK, who have experienced an increase in face to face meetings, are struggling to cope with the increased demand, as business travel and in person time is on the rise. For many this has resulted in an increase in business travel, with 35 percent admitting the frequency of work related travel has steadily increased over the last two years – in fact 66 percent of office workers have travelled up to 50 times for business in the last 12 months. More →

Most US firms are yet to match their culture to the demands of flexible working

Most US firms are yet to match their culture to the demands of flexible working

most employers have not adapted their working culture and practices  to support the shift to flexible workingA survey of 900 leaders in HR, real estate, IT, and product roles at US based firms suggests that most employers have not adapted their working culture and practices  to support the shift to flexible working. In addition, according to The 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report from TechSmith Corporation in partnership with workplace research firm Global Workplace Analytics and Caryatid Workplace Consultancy three quarters of workers have yet to receive any training for the rise of flexible working arrangements. More →