January 18, 2021
Search Results for: discrimination
January 12, 2021
Employers failing to tackle age bias in recruitment
by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture
Employers are failing to identify and tackle potential age bias in their recruitment process, with most employers interviewed not seeing it as a ‘problem’ in their organisation, according to a new report by the Centre for Ageing Better. More →
November 24, 2020
Legal and mental health concerns mount as businesses brace for redundancies
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Wellbeing, Workplace
Despite the last-minute extension of the furlough scheme, new research conducted among UK business leaders claims that great concern remains around making redundancies and in particular the legal risk. The survey of over 440 UK business leaders, conducted by employment law and HR support firm Ellis Whittam, also claims two-thirds (66 percent) believe the prospect of making redundancies has negatively impacted their mental wellbeing. More →
November 19, 2020
Covid-19 is levelling the playing field for disabled workers
by Ruby Gullon • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
As many of us cope with yet another lockdown, optimism is easy to misplace but, for disabled workers, this could result in monumental change for future employment. On the month commencing the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act and the run-up to International Day of Disabled Persons, could this be the final push for change? As we swing in and out of remote-working, whether you love it or loathe it, one thing is abundantly clear – it can be done. Something that the 2 billion people currently living with disabilities have always known. Life can be accessible anywhere if you put your mind to it. More →
October 20, 2020
One in five working parents treated unfairly since COVID onset
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Work-life balance charity Working Families has released a new report “Flexistability: Building Back Better for the UK’s Working Families”. The report claims that one in five, or 2.6 million working parents in the UK feel they have been treated less fairly at work because of their childcare responsibilities since the onset of COVID-19. More →
September 30, 2020
People still prefer permanent jobs despite rise in number of freelance roles
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives
Workers (82 percent) would rather have permanent jobs than “be their own boss” in a freelance or contract role, even as the self-employed and gig economy has grown rapidly in recent years, claims new research from the ADP Research Institute. Many workers believe that permanent work is preferable for a host of reasons including regular hours, better pay, timely payments, and the ability to get credit. More →
September 17, 2020
No jab, no job? Can employers demand that workers take COVID-19 tests?
by Emily Hocken and Lloyd Davey • Features, Flexible working
As workers’ begin to populate office floors once more, employers must navigate a number of potential risks to ensure they are ‘COVID-19 secure’. As a result, the subject of ‘employee testing’ has made headlines, with the decision over whether employers can, or should, test their employees becoming an area of contention. More →
September 3, 2020
Long hours main reason workers take their employer to tribunal
by Jayne Smith • Legal news, News, Workplace
UK workers are most likely to log a claim against their employer for making them work excessively long hours, claims new data by health and safety training provider DeltaNet International. The data, which looks at the number of employment tribunal cases over the last five years, suggests there have been 160,299 jurisdictions (complaints) in relation to employers breaking the Working Time Directive, which outlines the maximum weekly working hours. Under the directive, a UK employee cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average – normally averaged over 17 weeks – unless there is an exception. More →
August 17, 2020
Is it time to get rid of all workplace policies and procedures?
by Freddie Steele • Comment, Workplace
After twenty-five years of telling employers that their first response to any workplace problem should be ‘draw up a policy’, it pains me to even suggest this; but what if we abolished all workplace policies and procedures? Yes, you heard me correctly – no policies for discipline and grievances, for handling sickness absence, menopause, mental health, flexible working, redundancies, emails, dress codes, discrimination etcetera. More →
June 23, 2020
The key features of the post COVID-19 office you should consider
by Paul Seddon • Company news, Workplace design
With millions of people now working from home or furloughed, they may be wondering when they will be asked to return to the office, perhaps imagining what their office will look like on their return and feeling a little anxious about going back to their work space. A TUC survey issued 27 April 2020 confirmed that 39 percent of workers returning to the office are concerned about safe distancing from their colleagues. More →
April 30, 2020
Immunity certificates could lead to a two-tier workplace
by Neil Franklin • News
Proposed “immunity certificates” allowing individuals to move freely in society could lead to discrimination, claims Edgar Whitley, Associate Professor from London School of Economics’ Department of Management, and other contributing experts in a new report. More →
November 30, 2020
We need to understand and channel workplace conflict in the right way
by Jon Maddison • Comment, Workplace
Earlier this month, in a sudden and unexpected turn of events, the prime minister’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, walked out of 10 Downing Street for the last time, having resigned/been asked to leave, depending on whose account of the episode you believe. However, the affair unfolded in reality, it seems clear that the departure of Cummings and Director of Communications, Lee Cain, was precipitated by workplace conflict and a series of internal disagreements, which had pushed their relationships with certain colleagues to breaking point. More →