Search Results for: covid-19

A new social contract can improve the everyday experience of work

A new social contract can improve the everyday experience of work

It’s not happening quickly enough for some and too slowly for others, but most companies are in the midst of managing a return to work and grappling with a very different post COVID-19 world and what it means for employees. HR professionals are paying close attention to how well employees are faring and are looking to build new forms of employee care into company cultures and values. But maybe there is something more they can do to foster employee trust and safety? (more…)

Number of calls to mental health helpline jump as depression cases double

Number of calls to mental health helpline jump as depression cases double

Data from the health and wellbeing provider, Health Assured has revealed the number of people calling for support for depression on their EAP (employee assistance programme) helpline increased by 31 percent in June compared to May this year. In June, the helpline received an additional 249 calls regarding the illness. (more…)

US workers under lockdown three times more likely to report mental health issues

US workers under lockdown three times more likely to report mental health issues

According to a recent survey of more than 1,500 US based respondents, workers are now three times more likely to report poor mental health than they were before the pandemic. The study also claims that seventy-five percent of people have experienced burnout at work, with 40 percent saying they’ve experienced burnout during the pandemic specifically. The report suggests that this is not surprising, given that 37 percent of employed respondents are currently working longer hours than usual since the pandemic started. (more…)

Workers routinely conceal mental health issues from employer

Workers routinely conceal mental health issues from employer

Three-in-ten (30 percent) office employees have claimed to be physically ill when calling in sick despite in fact suffering from a mental health problem, according to a new survey of 2,000 white-collar employees in London by Helix Resilience. The responses suggest that 18-24-year olds are the most likely to conceal a mental health problem when calling in sick – with 37 percent of this age group reporting to have done this at least once. (more…)

Commuting, not Covid, main reason employees are avoiding offices

Commuting, not Covid, main reason employees are avoiding offices

commutersEmployees worried about returning to the office post-lockdown are most concerned about work-life balance and the daily commute, rather than their health, according to research from absence intelligence company e-days. Whereas only a quarter of employees are most worried about potential health implications, results of a snapshot poll of 100 workers show that 7 out of 10 of us are more concerned with impact to work-life balance (37 percent) or the office commute (34 percent). The research follows the change in government advice on 1 August 2020 meaning employers can make their own decisions about staff returning safely to work. (more…)

Job clusters and urban sprawl will become evident post lockdown

Job clusters and urban sprawl will become evident post lockdown

job clustersFor most of us the experience of working from home this year has, on balance, been positive – enough that it may well become the norm after the COVID-19 crisis ends. But modelling by Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies shows there will be costs alongside the personal benefits, with more urban sprawl, job clusters with a flight to the biggest cities and greater economic disparities between regions. (more…)

Workers only apply newly learned skills half of the time

Workers only apply newly learned skills half of the time

Employees are applying only 54 percent of the new skills they learn, despite the number of skills required for a single job increasing by 10 percent year on year, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner TalentNeuron data also claims that 33 percent of the skills needed three years ago are no longer relevant. (more…)

Pay equality and benefits key considerations for future of flexible working

Pay equality and benefits key considerations for future of flexible working

flexible workingAround half of UK workers polled in a new study, think that pay and benefits should be based on ability, regardless of where an employee is located. The Global Workforce Revolution report, published by Remote, claims to identify the key priorities for companies looking to extend remote and flexible working practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. (more…)

People increasingly confident about return to offices

People increasingly confident about return to offices

Half (49 percent) of employed British adults feel positive about the prospect of returning to their place of work after lockdown, with less than one in five (18 percent) feeling negative, an Aviva study claims. The findings paint a relatively positive picture for businesses that have supported their people through lockdown, such as regularly communicating with workers and taking necessary steps to manage the risk of infection in the workplace. However, where businesses have not embraced risk management and prevention strategies, employees may decide not to return to work at all. (more…)

People plan to retain sustainable new habits after lockdown

People plan to retain sustainable new habits after lockdown

Britons are keen to continue with low-carbon lifestyle choices adopted during lockdown, according to research by Cardiff University and The University of Manchester. Two wide-ranging surveys conducted by the UK Centre for Climate and Social Transformation (CAST), which is coordinated by Cardiff University, suggested lockdown had upended people’s habits, from buying and travelling less, to reduced energy use and cutting down on food waste. (more…)

Workers largely trust their employers to create a safe workplace

Workers largely trust their employers to create a safe workplace

safe workplace returnThree quarters of UK employees (74 percent) trust their employer to create a physically safe workplace and generally healthy work environment and the vast majority (92 percent) of employees are at least “a little” comfortable with contact tracing led by their employer for the purpose of organisational safety. This is according to a new survey Kronos Incorporated of 3,903 employees across 10 countries. (more…)

BCO releases lift and escalator guidance for reopening offices

BCO releases lift and escalator guidance for reopening offices

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has published new guidance for the safe use of escalators and lifts, as the country begins to return to the office. The safe use of lifts and escalators has been a priority for the industry, with 90 percent of decision-makers and influencers in the commercial office sector saying they were worried about their safe use. To help solve these headaches, the guidance emphasises the importance of social distancing and strict hygiene measures. (more…)