Search Results for: job satisfaction

Poor management to blame for low performance and poor mental health of workers

Poor management to blame for low performance and poor mental health of workers

A new report from the CIPD suggests that there is a direct link between poor management and negative mental health, job satisfaction and performanceA new report from the CIPD suggests that there is a direct link between poor management and negative mental health, job satisfaction and performance amongst workers. In response, the CIPD is highlighting the need for better people manager selection and development to ensure managers have the skills needed to effectively lead and support their teams. Its report, The importance of people management, draws on data from the CIPD’s annual Good Work Index, which asked employees to rate their managers on a range of people management behaviours. More →

Four day week pilot results are very encouraging indeed, say researchers

Four day week pilot results are very encouraging indeed, say researchers

Businesses that adopted a four day week as part of a pilot programme say they are more profitable and their staff are fitter, happier and more productiveBusinesses that adopted a four day working week as part of a pilot programme say they are more profitable and their staff are fitter, happier and more productive, researchers have told MPs. A large majority of companies that took part in the pilot now plan to carry on. The programme, led in the UK by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign and think-tank Autonomy,  involved around 3,000 workers through a six-month trial of a four day week, with no loss of pay. This brings the global campaign’s total number of completed pilot participants to 91 companies and approximately 3,500 employees. More →

Firms should focus on people in the drive for long term growth

Firms should focus on people in the drive for long term growth

A new report by Economist Impact, sponsored by Kyocera Document Solutions, claims that human-centric strategies are needed for businesses to drive sustainable business growth, focusing on three pillars: productivity and infrastructure, employee engagement and culture. The Magnetic Workplace Barometer claims to gauge confidence both today and in five years’ time across  what the report terms the three main pillars of productivity and infrastructure; employee engagement; and culture. The barometer scores are scaled from 1 to 7, 7 being the most confident. More →

Workplaces are plagued by classism, report claims

Workplaces are plagued by classism, report claims

Toffs and Toughs famous photo that illustrate class divide and classismA new poll claims to highlight the need to tackle classism at work, with 57 percent of employees witnessing discrimination or a lack of inclusivity in the last year alone. A third of UK employees say classism is active in their workplace, according to the 2022 Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Report from Wildgoose. The report is based on a survey of employees from 133 UK workplaces. It asked if their workplace is an inclusive environment, what areas of diversity their organisation could improve upon, and whether they have experienced discrimination or inequality in the workplace. More →

Hybrid working balance isn’t right for a third of people

Hybrid working balance isn’t right for a third of people

An isolated house to depict the loneliness for some people of hybrid workingSome 39 percent of office workers are so-called hybrid “misfits” and don’t have the right balance of home and office working, a survey funded by the Economic and Social Research Council claims. The researchers discovered that workers who were in the office more often than they wanted were more likely to want to change jobs, have lower job satisfaction and have worse work-life balance.??The research suggests that office working is often beneficial for people who are able to enjoy hybrid working. More →

People going back to basics in terms of what they want from work

People going back to basics in terms of what they want from work

A new poll claims that growing economic uncertainty has forced employees to reprioritise what they want from their employers. People are increasingly interested in basics such as job security, a safe and comfortable workplace, salary and benefits, and a better workplace culture. The BCW Expectations at Work study [registration], which surveyed more than 13,000 people across five industries and 15 countries around the world, claims that one in two workers say they value the basics of job security (52 percent), workplace safety and comfort (50 percent), salary and benefits (49 percent) and workplace culture (48 percent) most out of 62 components across five dimensions of the employee experience.  More →

Skills shortages won’t be solved by offering people more money

Skills shortages won’t be solved by offering people more money

skills shortagesAs businesses across the country face rising costs, new research from the CIPD and Omni warns that using pay to attract talent simply isn’t enough to tackle on-going skills shortages. While an increasing number of organisations (54 percent) are inflating pay to retain talent, this approach is not sustainable for most employers in the face of rising costs. To tackle the skills shortage, organisations need to highlight other components of good working practices when recruiting, such as offering flexible working and promoting career development opportunities. For instance, the latest Resourcing and Talent Planning survey shows that 68 percent of employers that offer hybrid/ remote working say it has allowed their organisation to attract and retain more talent.  More →

Getting working culture right is essential to hiring, supporting and retaining workers

Getting working culture right is essential to hiring, supporting and retaining workers

working cultureAs workers continue to adjust workstyles to fit with their new priorities, a PwC survey reveals nearly two-thirds of workers are on the hunt for a new job. Many employers are scrambling for strategies to attract top talent and retain their employees. But actively developing working culture and designing new ways to secure the best talent and look after it requires first listening and reacting to the impact the changing work landscape is having on employees’ mental and physical health, as well as understanding and prioritising new and sought-after benefits. More →

Established businesses must do more to support local entrepreneurs and startups

Established businesses must do more to support local entrepreneurs and startups

With SME’s accounting for the employment of more than half of the UK’s workforce, supporting these businesses is of benefit to everyone while geopolitical events and the impact of the pandemic continue to cause economic uncertainty.  Entrepreneurs and small businesses are vital for spurring on evolutions in our technology and creating new markets for services and products, therefore bringing about competition which in turn boosts productivity that benefits our own and other economies, helping them withstand and recover faster from financial downturns. More →

Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees

Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees

psychological contractCompanies and employees are often acutely aware of the terms of their written employment contracts. The roles, responsibilities, working hours and salaries are clearly laid out for all to see. What is often overlooked, however, is that there is a second, hidden, contract within the employment relationship. This is known as the psychological contract. The psychological contract refers to the often implied, unwritten mutual expectations, beliefs and obligations between employee and employer. For example, an employee may take on additional work in the expectation that it will help to advance their career, or an organisation might expect employees to be more flexible in their working patterns during peak times. More →

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

Benefits of zero-hours contracts outweigh downsides for most people

zero hours contractsNew research from the CIPD suggests there needs to be a more balanced and nuanced debate about their place in the labour market, that recognises both the positives and downsides to zero-hours work. The CIPD’s new research ‘Zero-hours contracts – Evolution and current status’– claims that this kind of arrangement – where there’s no guaranteed minimum number of hours that must be worked – is an established part of the UK labour market. It finds that the number of people on ZHCs has changed little since 2015, making up just 3 percent of employment. Fewer than a fifth of employers (18 percent) use ZHCs, and they’re most often used in the hospitality and entertainment industries, in the voluntary sector, and typically in roles such as bar staff, waiters/waitresses, and care workers. More →

The four day week might be the wellbeing solution workers need

The four day week might be the wellbeing solution workers need

Mental health and four day weekIt’s been a couple of months now since 70 companies in Britain began their four day week pilot program, where thousands of employees went from celebrating the Queen’s 70th Jubilee to celebrating shorter work weeks without reduction in pay for the remainder of 2022. The pilot had been highly anticipated by workers and employers alike – and has already seen tremendous results — but it’s also created a heated debate on whether it’s actually workable across industries, demographics, and different sized companies. More →