Search Results for: workplace

Gig economy is a “trap” for vulnerable workers

Gig economy is a “trap” for vulnerable workers

The promised flexibility of the gig economy is an illusion for many workers, who need to put in long hours to make ends meet, a new report has claimed. The report by Doteveryone, a think tank set up by businesswoman Martha Lane Fox, calls on the government to create a ‘minimum gig wage’ to ensure workers have enough to live on after expenses such as petrol. It also urges employers to be clearer with workers about their true pay and to inform customers where their money goes. More →

Gig economy workers should not all have equal rights

Gig economy workers should not all have equal rights

gig economyPolicy makers should beware of classifying all gig economy workers as “employees”, a new research report has claimed. Such workers vary in age, income and education in a similar way to the traditional workforce and crafting regulations that treat both fully committed and occasional gig workers as one group is unlikely to be an efficient solution, the report from IZA World of Labor contends. More →

Firms swap overseas placements for short-term trips

Firms swap overseas placements for short-term trips

overseas placementMany companies are moving away from long-term overseas placements in favour of short-term transfers, a report has suggested. To reduce costs and meet changing business and worker needs, firms are shifting from typical transfers of one to three years to moves of around three to 12 months, KPMG International‘s latest Global Assignment Policies and Practices (GAPP) survey says. Although this shift allows organisations more flexibility, they must implement the necessary processes to remain compliant with immigration and tax rules, the report warns. More →

Don`t believe what you read about wellbeing, except this

Don`t believe what you read about wellbeing, except this

wellbeing and the workplace messengerAs we are told repeatedly, the modern workplace is not very good for our physical and mental wellbeing, and potentially a death trap. Most of us are lucky to get home in one piece at the end of each day, regardless of the job we do. More →

Third of job seekers suspect class discrimination

Third of job seekers suspect class discrimination

Two-thirds of employees believe class is an issue when it comes to securing a new job, with one in three saying they’ve been discriminated against because of it, a new study has claimed. In contrast, more than half of employers said they don’t think class discrimination is an issue when hiring. More →

Is your biggest competitor already working for you?

Is your biggest competitor already working for you?

competitorEmployers worried about rivals poaching their staff should be looking closer to home to spot their next competitor, a new study has claimed. In a survey of 3,000 UK employees by Synergy Creative, nearly half (47 percent) said that they would love to be their own boss, raising the prospect of them setting up in competition to their existing employer. Of those intending to find a new job in 2020, a third said their ideal job is to work for themselves, compared to 25 percent who are looking to move to another company. More →

People ten times more likely to stay in their job for friendships than a pay rise

People ten times more likely to stay in their job for friendships than a pay rise

friendshipsFollowing reports that job applications on the first working Monday of the New Year spiked by 89 percent compared to the average Monday in December, many UK businesses may be missing a trick in their efforts to retain staff, new research has suggested. When researchers commissioned by Eko asked 1,000 employees what factors would make them stay in their job for longer, they were ten times more likely to stay put for friendships than for a pay rise. Indeed, only 3 percent of workers cited a pay rise as something that would make them stay with their employer for longer. More →

Failure to put employees at heart of data strategy costs UK firms £10bn in lost productivity

Failure to put employees at heart of data strategy costs UK firms £10bn in lost productivity

data strategyA new report from Qlik and Accenture, titled “The Human Impact of Data Literacy” and conducted on behalf of The Data Literacy Project, claims that while most organisations understand the incredible opportunity of data, a gap has emerged between organisations’ aspirations to be data-driven and their employees’ ability to create business value with data. The report argues that data is a ‘gold mine’ that can fuel a culture of innovation and growth as part of a data strategy. However, when employees struggle to make sense of data, productivity and business value can be affected.

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Getting on with colleagues key to job satisfaction

Getting on with colleagues key to job satisfaction

Job satisfactionGetting on well with colleagues gives workers greater job satisfaction than having a good salary, new research has claimed. “New Decade, New Direction” by the Institute of Leadership & Management asked more than 2,100 workers to identify the factors that affect their job satisfaction and explored their career plans for the new decade. More →

Equal pay: women too polite to ask for more money

Equal pay: women too polite to ask for more money

equal payMillions of women could be missing out on higher salaries as 82 percent never negotiate their pay when applying for jobs, new research has claimed. The fear of being “rude” or “ungrateful”, compounded by concerns from 21 percent that asking for equal pay could jeopardise benefits such as maternity leave or flexible working, is silencing women when it comes to money, the survey of 1,000 working women suggests. More →

1800s warehouse opens its doors for coworking

1800s warehouse opens its doors for coworking

CoworkingAn 1860s warehouse located in the original Granada Studios estate in Manchester city centre has opened its doors as a coworking space for small and medium businesses. Bonded Warehouse, managed by All Work & Social, part of Allied London, includes work and social spaces on all six floors, a space for wellness and fitness, event spaces, a brewery and tap room, gin bar and 24-hour coffee lounge for collaboration and socialising. More →

Over half of UK small firms lack high speed internet

Over half of UK small firms lack high speed internet

high speed internetUK SMEs are facing a serious digital dilemma, with three in five operating their business without a high speed internet connection. This finding, from Bionic’s Business Efficiency Index (registration), is part of an overall picture of the UK’s small business community struggling to keep pace with tech acceleration; small minorities have modern payment methods or access to e-commerce channels. 57 percent of SMEs do not have high-speed internet, and under one in ten businesses (9 percent) plan to invest in access in the near future. More →