May 17, 2019

Flexible working for parents greatest challenge for SMEs

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Paid leave for new parents is a financial and operational challenge for 90 percent of UK SMEs, according to the findings of new research into the challenges faced by working women and their employers. The first ever Women in Business survey also claims that offering flexible working and covering the cost and resource of maternity and paternity leave is an even bigger concern for SMEs, with 96 percent of board level executives saying it’s a significant challenge for their business. More →

May 17, 2019

Study examines consequences of workplace bullying

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

New research reveals how frequently being the target of workplace bullying not only leads to health-related problems but can also cause victims to behave badly themselves. More →

May 17, 2019

Workplace wellbeing improves with age

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Older employees are likely to enjoy improved wellbeing, according to a new study from The Myers-Briggs Company. The research claims that workplace wellbeing progressively increases with age and also highlights workplace relationships as one of the most important elements of wellbeing. More →

May 16, 2019

New training initiative helps firms address mental health and wellbeing

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Insight promotion, Wellbeing, Workplace

Mental ill-health is responsible for almost 13 percent of all sickness absence days in the UK, while it has been shown that UK businesses could save up to £8 billion per year through better support in the workplace. To empower workers and employers across the country, iHASCO has launched a new campaign aimed at removing the stigma that surrounds mental ill-health in the workplace. Six brand new courses are now available through the eLearning provider, including a short stress awareness course. More →

May 16, 2019

Working from home and the future of work. How quaint ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Technology

In 1962, a professor of communication studies called Everett Rogers came up with the principle we call diffusion of innovation. It’s a familiar enough notion, widely taught and works by plotting the adoption of new ideas and products over time as a bell curve, before categorising groups of people along its length as innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. It’s a principle bound up with human capital theory and so its influence has endured for over 50 years, albeit in a form compressed by our accelerated proliferation of ideas. It may be useful, but it lacks a third dimension in the modern era. That is, a way of describing the numbers of people who are in one category but think they are in another.

May 16, 2019

Age discrimination in the workplace remains an issue

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

More than a third (37 percent) of employees aged 45 and over believe that age discrimination is an issue where they work, according to a new analysis from Aviva. Those aged 55 to 59 feel this most strongly (41 percent). One in five (19 percent) feel younger colleagues are favoured over older generations, while 19 percent believe their age has become a barrier to career progression and development. However, over half (53 percent) of employees aged 60 and over are not ready to retire, increasing to 61 percent for people still working past the age of 65. More →

May 16, 2019

Employers need to better understand flexible working

by Marie Hillen • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

Employers need to better understand the needs of younger candidates, particularly that of flexible working, says Gartner, after its latest Global Labor Market Survey claims that a rise in Gen Z candidate’s regrets is leading to high turnover, low engagement and low productivity. According to the survey, 40 percent of Gen Z respondents reported that they would not repeat their decision to accept the job offer they had accepted and only 51 percent said they could see themselves having a long career at their organisation. More than one-third of candidates who regret their decision intend to leave their position within 12 months.

May 15, 2019

Workers will put in extra hours for growing firms

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

The majority of British workers would put in an extra ten hours a week for growing firms, according to a new survey report from Kimble Applications According to the firm’s Business Growth Report, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in the UK, 56 per cent of British workers would commit to an extra ten hours of work per week if it meant working for a growing company. Moreover, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees say that the growth and success of their employer directly contributes to their personal happiness. Eighty per cent believe that working for a growing company will help them grow more professionally.

May 15, 2019

Increase in number of FTSE 100 CEOs from tech backgrounds

by Marie Hillen • Legal news, News, Technology, Workplace

Digital disruption has led to a rise in the number of FTSE 100 CEOs with a background in technology, but age, education and gender diversity remain stagnant, claim the results of the annual Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker. It shows that the proportion of FTSE 100 CEOs with a background in technology has increased by 27 percent in the last year, with 14 percent of CEOs now having a background in the sector. More →

May 15, 2019

Mental health stigma drives unexplained sick days

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

A new report from Breathe commissioned to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 implies that British workers are still uncomfortable disclosing mental health issues or burnout, as nearly a quarter (23 percent) admit they would rather take an unexplained sick day than discuss their issues with their employers. More →

May 14, 2019

Workers have little interest in table football and dogs in the office

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Traditional workplace benefits like holiday allowances and pensions trump quirkier ‘benefits’ like being allowed to take your dog into the office, according to a survey by Aviva. Out of a wide range of workplace benefits, 43 percent of UK employees said they were least interested in being allowed to take their dog into the workplace. More than a third of workers (34 percent) also said they weren’t interested in office entertainment like table football and video games. And more than 1 in 4 people (26 percent) even said workplace socials like summer and Christmas parties were among the benefits they were least interested in. More →

May 14, 2019

Are workers waiting too long for mental health support?

by George Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Some people with mental health conditions could be waiting for over a year for employers to put in place much needed workplace adjustments, new findings published today suggest. The findings come from The Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey 2019, a comprehensive study of disability and long-term conditions conducted by Business Disability Forum and based on the views of over 1,200 employees and managers working with adjustments. More →