Search Results for: labour

Want to hold on to people? Pay them enough

Want to hold on to people? Pay them enough

In spite of all the chatter about the so-called Great Resignation whether people decide to stay with an employer still largely depends on payIn spite of all the chatter about the so-called Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting, whether people decide to stay with or leave an employer still largely depends on whether they think they are paid enough. According to a new poll from SD Worx, pay remains the number one reason employees will stay with a company or leave. For the report, SD Worx surveyed 5,000 businesses and 18,000 employees in 18 countries across Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium. (more…)

Third of people would like workplace AI ban, half feel jobs are insecure

Third of people would like workplace AI ban, half feel jobs are insecure

A new poll from CYPHER Learning claims that one in three workers would like to see AI banned from the workplace, while nearly half express concern that AI poses a threat to their future job securityA new poll from CYPHER Learning claims that one in three workers would like to see AI banned from the workplace, while nearly half express concern that AI poses a threat to their future job security. The study, suggests that women, workers over the age of 55, and those in clerical or manual labour roles feel most at risk. The survey of 4,543 workers across the US, UK, and Mexico found that AI is reshaping job roles, with 63 percent of respondents reporting that AI technologies has already changed the skills required for their jobs. More than half of those surveyed (52 percent) believe that AI will either completely transform or have a major impact on their roles within the next two years. As a result, 38 percent of workers anticipate the need for retraining due to job obsolescence, and almost half (45 percent) are worried about their future job security. (more…)

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demandA ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demand, a new report from the NHS Confederation and Boston Consulting Group claims. According to the report, “Improving our Nation’s Health: A Whole-of-Government Approach to Tackling the Causes of Long-Term Sickness and Economic Inactivity”, reintegrating between half and three-quarters of people who have dropped out of the workforce for reasons of ill health since 2020 could deliver an estimated £109-177 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (2-3 per cent in 2029) and unlock £35-57 billion in fiscal revenue over the next five years. (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…)

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

NHS to offer workplace health checks to middle aged staff

The NHS is set to launch a comprehensive initiative aimed at preventing heart attacks and strokes by conducting health checks in workplaces across the UK. Over the next six months, more than 130,000 middle-aged employees will be offered free workplace health checks in their places of work. This national drive, known as Health MoTs, is designed to identify individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes or heart disease through a 20-minute evaluation that includes weighing staff and measuring their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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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…)

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

How generative AI is shaping a new landscape for creativity

 

The impact of generative AI on creative workflows is challenging, profound and multifaceted, writes Chris Hewish Every significant leap in technology has promised more than it has delivered. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has delivered something different from what was promised. When automation began infiltrating manufacturing in the 19th century, there was widespread fear that it would render human labour obsolete. Instead, it transformed the nature of work, creating new categories of jobs and even eradicating others. The digital revolution of the late 20th century followed a similar trajectory. It shifted the burden of tasks, spawned entirely new industries, and necessitated new skill sets. (more…)

Most people support shift to a four day week

Most people support shift to a four day week

A new poll claims that a significant majority of voters who supported the new Labour government are in favour of transitioning the UK to a four day weekA new poll claims that a significant majority of voters who supported the new Labour government are in favour of transitioning the UK to a shorter working week. According to data collected by Survation and commissioned by The Autonomy Institute, 72 percent of Labour voters back the idea of a four-day work week. The survey, which included responses from 2,048 adults, specifically asked whether participants would support a government initiative to move towards a shorter working week, with no loss of pay, by the year 2030. (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…)

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

A number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threaten the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data InstituteA number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threatening the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data Institute. The paper Building a better future with data and AI is based on research carried out by the Institute in the first half of 2024. It claims to identify significant weaknesses in the UK’s technological infrastructure that threaten the predicted potential gains – for people, society, and the economy – from the surge of interest in artificial intelligence and its applications. It also outlines the ODI’s recommendations for creating diverse, fair data-centric AI. (more…)

People and firms are shifting away from remote work, survey suggests

People and firms are shifting away from remote work, survey suggests

One of the most prominent findings from the report is the pronounced decline in both the practice and preference for remote workThere has been a recent significant shift in working habits and preferences among employees in the post-pandemic landscape, according to the fourth Commuter Census from Mobilityways. One of the most prominent findings from the report is the pronounced decline in both the practice of and preference for remote work. The survey of 10,325 participants suggests that 40 percent of people no longer engage in any form of remote work, despite a mere 15 percent of employees expressing a preference for this arrangement.  Only 26 percent of respondents would consider working from home as an alternative to their current commuting routine, marking a significant 42 percent drop from the previous year. (more…)

The city and the office have much to teach each other

The city and the office have much to teach each other

It’s common to hear people say that the boundaries between the traditional workplace and the outside world have become blurred but it might be closer to the truth to say that in a growing number of cases they have been eradicated and that the evolution of cities and offices is informed by a two way exchange of DNA. Whatever you might hear, these times are far from unprecedented. History has lessons for us both in terms of how we view the events of 2020 and how we might respond to them, including how we progress as a species and make our lives and the world a better place. In 1832, there was an epidemic of cholera in the UK’s towns and cities. In those with a population of 100,000 or more life expectancy was just 26 years. The reasons for this were picked up on by a government official called Edwin Chadwick as a member of the Poor Law Commission.   (more…)