February 18, 2020
More women on boards but progress remains slow
Slow progress is being made towards more women on boards across Europe and less gender pay disparity, a study has suggested. According to Korn Ferry’s latest ‘Non-Executive Directors in Europe’ report, the proportion of women on boards increased to 34 percent in 2019, up from 32 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2017. The number of committees without any female directors fell, with 19 percent of audit committees (down from 24 percent) and 25 percent of remuneration committees (down from 29 percent) being all male. More →
Nearly six in 10 British workers (58 percent) worry about disappointing their manager, with more than a third (36 percent) saying they rely on praise from their boss to help boost their confidence at work, a survey has claimed. 
Flexible working can help employees manage mental illness and keep them in the workforce during difficult life events, a 
The public sector must uphold high standards of conduct when adopting AI, a 
More than 40 percent of workers have a hidden health issue they’ve never disclosed to their employers, with younger employees the most likely to withhold information from their bosses, according to new research. A survey of 1,000 employees, carried out by healthcare provider 
Some 47 percent of employees who care for both children and elderly relatives (sandwich carers) are keeping these responsibilities hidden from their employer, a survey from 
Two surveys have highlighted continuing fears among freelancers about the changes to the IR35 rules due to take effect in April. The reforms will shift the responsibility for defining contractors’ tax status from the individual to the employer to crack down on so-called ‘disguised employment’, where off-payroll workers are able to pay less tax than employees. However, concerns have been raised that the rules could force organisations to bring genuine contractors and freelancers on to the payroll, reducing flexibility for both parties. 
The UK’s ‘alternative workers’, comprising gig economy workers, freelancers and contractors, have cited lack of pay, benefits and job security as their most significant concerns in new research. Yet according to 
Executives in small and mid-sized businesses in the UK are more anxious about major decisions at work than critical decisions at home that affect their family, a new study has claimed. The new study by 
‘Touch base’ and ‘no-brainer’ are apparently the most loathed pieces of office jargon in the UK, with ‘outside the box’ and ‘go the extra mile’ following closely behind. According to a survey of 2,000 people by Premier Inn, almost one in five people say they can’t stand one of these four pieces of corporate speak. 
February 12, 2020
Workplace leaders must adapt to a new technological reality
by Brian Kropp • Comment, Technology, Workplace