May 24, 2022

Disabled workers to get their own mentor programme from World Economic Forum

The Valuable 500, which claims to be the largest network of global CEOs committed to disability inclusion, has announced the launch of Generation Valuable, a programme designed to accelerate opportunities for disabled workers to join the boardroom. Generation Valuable plans to connect and incubate C-Suite talent with disabled talent. Over 1.3 billion people across the world live with some form of disability yet, according to Return on Disability, only 4 percent of businesses are focused on making offerings inclusive of disabled people. Moreover, research shows that minority talent faces promotion barricades just below the Executive rung. (more…)

April 14, 2022

Half of large office occupiers plan to rethink their property requirements

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Larger office occupiers are getting to grips with the fallout following the pandemic and are now reassessing their office property needs, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by law firm Irwin Mitchell. The survey of over 500 office property decision makers shows that nearly half (46 percent) of large businesses and (39 percent) of medium sized companies plan to rethink their office space- whether by upsizing, downsizing, or relocating. The survey shows that one in five large businesses plan to increase their existing office space, with the same proportion looking to reduce space and 5 percent to relocate. In addition, 11 percent are looking to reconfigure their existing space. While 37 percent plan to stay the same. (more…)

January 18, 2022

How to provide a great place to work for remote workers

by Richard Guy • Company news, Flexible working

Remote working swiftly evolved from a stopgap lockdown solution into a globally successful workstyle – and it’s set to stay. According to research quoted by CityAM, “84 per cent of UK businesses plan on having a hybrid, flexible or remote workforce following the pandemic”. Some companies, like Deloitte, have placed all bets on remote in closing their offices and basing employees from home, enjoying a vast reduction in operational costs. This flexibility has offered immediate benefits for remote workers, ranging from lifestyle and financial to positive influences on wellbeing. Workers in particular social groups have experienced life-changing situations, securing work in previously inaccessible geographic locations. (more…)

December 7, 2021

Fifth of business leaders ‘unlikely’ to hire candidates with known disabilities

by Neil Franklin • News

Recruitment firm PageGroup has releases a study which claims to shine a light on the wide range of perceived barriers facing disabled individuals in the world of work. The findings reveal how far UK businesses still have to go to level the playing field for disabled candidates. According to Parliamentary Briefing Papers on Disability Equality in the Workplace, 8.4 million people in the UK are disabled and of working age, yet only 4.4 million are in employment. During a period of candidate shortages across multiple sectors, PageGroup polled 1,000 business leaders to understand the obstacles their business faces when looking to hire disabled candidates. (more…)

October 25, 2021

The power of science can help companies create better menopause policies

by Gosia Bowling • Comment, Wellbeing

According to research, nearly 8 out of 10 menopausal women are in work, at a time when many are likely to move into top leadership positions. Despite the challenges and difficulties faced by those experiencing menopause in the workplace, it remains largely invisible, undiscussed, and unsupported. That’s why it’s important for businesses create menopause-friendly workplaces using the principles of behavioural science and health psychology. (more…)

October 25, 2021

Impact of flexible work demonstrates a fragile post-pandemic business world

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

Lucid and Vitreous World, have launched the results of new research that surveyed individuals across the UK to analyse employee sentiment and the impact of flexible work as a direct result of the pandemic. (more…)

September 27, 2021

Long Covid could become a major problem for employers

by Kerry Garcia and Sarah Taylor • Features, Legal news, Wellbeing

As workers are encouraged to return to offices in greater numbers, employers should prepare for an influx of employees reporting symptoms of Long Covid. Cases are rising in the UK and it is estimated that a significant percentage of those testing positive for Covid-19 go on to develop Long Covid, a debilitating condition with symptoms ranging from fatigue and muscle aches, to breathing-related problems and chest pain. The duration of symptoms varies, with some sufferers recovering after 12 weeks and others continuing to suffer for far longer. While working remotely, it may have been possible for some employees to manage their symptoms privately; however, the requirement to attend the office may prompt them to disclose their condition and seek the support of their employer. (more…)

September 21, 2021

Almost half of UK workers would hide health issues from employer

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Almost half of UK employees would not talk to their employer if they were experiencing a health issue, having a detrimental impact on business performance and culture, according to new research from Benenden Health. (more…)

September 20, 2021

Unemployment for those with learning disabilities reaches record high

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

The number of supported adults with learning disabilities in paid employment fell by 87 percent in some areas during the pandemic, according to the latest PHE data. In some local authorities in England, just 0.4 percent of people with learning disabilities are in paid employment. (more…)

September 17, 2021

Over a third of UK adults have suffered discrimination at work

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Workplace

New research into workplace discrimination, commissioned by CIPHR, claims just how widespread employment bias is in the UK. On average, one in six people (16 percent) report having suffered ageism, one in ten (10 percent) say they have been the subject of gender-based discrimination (12 percent of women and 7 percent of men), and around one in twelve feel that they have been on the receiving end of prejudicial treatment because of a disability, their race or sexual orientation (9 percent, 9 percent and 8 percent respectively), at some point in their careers. (more…)

May 17, 2021

Long working hours increase deaths from heart disease and stroke, says WHO

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Long working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016, a 29 per cent increase since 2000, according to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization published in Environment International today. In what the authors claim is the first global analysis of the loss of life and health associated with working long hours, WHO and ILO estimate that, in 2016, 398 000 people died from stroke and 347,000 from heart disease as a result of having worked at least 55 hours a week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to long hours increased by 42 percent, and from stroke by 19 percent. (more…)

May 14, 2021

Ditching ageism and ableism at work could pay dividends

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture

A new report launched by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) highlights how pervasive ageism and ableism in the workplace are still locking far too many people out of work as they age, costing not only individuals but employers and the economy. (more…)