Search Results for: employers

Workers’ attitudes to data theft at odds with employers’

data theft

Half of employees who left or lost their jobs in the last 12 months kept confidential corporate data, according to a global survey from Symantec and 40 percent plan to use it in their new jobs. The results show that employees’ attitudes and beliefs about intellectual property (IP) theft are at odds with the vast majority of company policies. Employees not only think it is acceptable to take and use IP when they leave, but also that companies don’t care. The survey reveals 62 percent believe it is acceptable to transfer documents to PCs, tablets, smartphones or file sharing applications and the majority never delete the data they’ve moved because they do not see any harm in keeping it.
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Work-life balance proposals could cause employers to wobble

flexible work

Employment experts have raised concerns on the impact on employers of the Children and Families Bill, announced by the government this week, which introduces shared parental leave and extends the right to request flexible working to all employees. The idea behind the reforms is to give parents greater flexibility about how they ‘mix and match’ care of their child but Jonathan Exten-Wright, Partner from DLA Piper said: “Employers would no doubt welcome further guidance on how the new shared leave should operate in practice.”

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Employers overlook flexible working alternative to redundancy

Flexible

Only 22 per cent of UK managers believe their companies are very effective at redeploying employees rather than making redundancies. And according to new global research it’s a worldwide problem, with almost three in ten employers believing their organisations are “not effective”. Mark Hodgson, practice leader of Talent Management in Right Management UK & Ireland said: “The results suggest that businesses aren’t seeing redeployment as a feasible way of making savings and keeping staff. Businesses can’t afford to underestimate the importance of a flexible workforce in this tough economic climate.” (more…)

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

Hybrid working is stabilising around the world, office occupancy report claims

A new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settledA new study of office utilisation trends around the world suggests hybrid working patterns have largely settled, with average occupancy remaining well below pre-pandemic norms and peak attendance continuing to cluster midweek. The Hybrid Occupancy Index 2025–2026 [registration] published by workplace analytics firm HubStar, draws on data from more than 300 million square feet of office space across 173 buildings in 13 countries, covering more than 27,000 workspaces between January 2023 and December 2025. (more…)

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

A new white paper offering practical guidance for employers on how to recognise, understand and respond to trauma in the workplace has been published by Nottingham Business SchoolA new white paper offering practical guidance for employers on how to recognise, understand and respond to trauma in the workplace has been published by Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University. Recent national figures show that more than 8.5 million adults in England and Wales are survivors of childhood abuse, underlining the scale of trauma?related experiences within the UK workforce. Managing Trauma in the Workplace: Strategies for Wellbeing and Organisational Resilience brings together research, survivor perspectives, and evidence?based recommendations to help HR professionals and managers create psychologically safe working environments. (more…)

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to cut more jobs than it creates

Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations.Artificial intelligence appears to be contributing to a net loss of jobs, according to a new analysis of how organisations are adopting the technology across their operations. Research by Morgan Stanley, based on responses from nearly 1,000 companies that have been using AI for at least a year, suggests that British firms have shed more roles than they have created as a direct result of AI deployment. The study indicates a net reduction of around 8 percent of roles in the UK over the past twelve months, a higher figure than reported in comparable surveys of companies in the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia. (more…)

Beating Blue Monday: International Workplace launches free occupational health and wellbeing training for SMEs

Beating Blue Monday: International Workplace launches free occupational health and wellbeing training for SMEs

International Workplace is doing its bit to ease the New Year’s blues today by equipping small businesses with the tools to champion mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.International Workplace is doing its bit to ease the New Year’s blues today by equipping small businesses with the tools to champion mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. ‘Blue Monday’ – the third Monday in January each year – is often cited as the most challenging day of the year for the UK workforce. With the festive season over, wintery weather taking its toll, and a long wait for payday, it’s a time when a little extra support from managers can make all the difference. (more…)

Major surge in people working past retirement age … matched by rise in age discrimination claims

Major surge in people working past retirement age … matched by rise in age discrimination claims

with the number of older people in the workplace growing, employers need to be more proactive to avoid age discrimination and prevent conflicts from developing between workers of very different generationsNew research by specialist employment law firm Littler, based on 2024-25 data from HM Revenue & Customs, suggests there has been a 12 percent rise in the number of people working past retirement age over the past five years up from 1.39 million in the year to March 31 2020-21 to 1.56 million in the year to March 31 2024-25. The firm claims that, with the number of older people in the workplace growing, employers need to be more proactive to avoid age discrimination and prevent conflicts from developing between workers of very different generations. Although these conflicts are often seen as just workplace ‘banter’ they can cross the line to the point an employee feels they have been unlawfully discriminated against. For instance, where workplace ‘jokes’ have a repeated ageist element or stereotypes about young or old people stray into being seen as unlawful harassment. (more…)

Furniture Makers accepting nominations for 2026 Young Professional Industry Experience 

Furniture Makers accepting nominations for 2026 Young Professional Industry Experience 

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is accepting nominations for its Young Professional Industry ExperienceThe Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is accepting nominations for its Young Professional Industry Experience. The programme provides aspiring young people working in the industry a unique opportunity to visit sector leading companies and understand all areas of the wider trade, including materials, designing, manufacturing, pricing, marketing, sales and customer service. (more…)

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

Workers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for adaptability, according to new global research from the Adecco GroupWorkers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for flexibility, according to new global research from the Adecco Group, which suggests the so called Great Resignation has given way to a more cautious approach to how ambitious people would like to seem. The Workforce Trends 2025 report [registration] is based on responses from 37,500 workers and 2,000 senior executives across 31 countries. It finds that while employees continue to value growth, flexibility and meaningful work, these priorities are increasingly secondary to stable income and employment certainty as economic and social uncertainty persists. (more…)

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Widespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health FoundationWidespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health Foundation. The poll of 2000 UK adults aged 18+ found that the average person only gets three nights of good quality sleep per week.  This lack of meaningful rest has resulted in one in three UK workers (33 percent) admitting that poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate at work while more than one in five (22 percent) shared that tiredness has led them to make more mistakes than usual. One in eight respondents (13 percent) reported having fallen asleep at work. (more…)

Embedding AI into daily tasks can heighten stress and confuse people about their role

Embedding AI into daily tasks can heighten stress and confuse people about their role

While AI is taking on work across the economy, it may also create new demands on the human workforce that employers must stay ahead of and respond to.While artificial intelligence is taking on work across the economy, it may also create new demands on the human workforce that employers must stay ahead of and respond to. Researchers from Microsoft and Imperial College London highlight in the Society of Occupational Medicine’s (SOM) journal Occupational Medicine  that AI tools will bring a multitude of benefits to the workplace. The technology is likely to make accessing workplace health support much easier for employees and managers, for example by automating and simplifying booking processes and appointments. (more…)