Search Results for: government

Happiness levels in UK workplaces growing, says Government.

by • Knowledge, News, Public Sector, Workplace

smiley faceThe general level of satisfaction in the UK’s workplaces has increased significantly in spite of ongoing economic uncertainty according to a report from the Government published yesterday. The study of more than 21,000 employees, found that job satisfaction levels actually increased in 2012 with a fifth (20 per cent) of employees either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with all aspects of their job, compared to just 16 per cent in 2004 when the survey last appeared. The report also showed that levels of commitment to individual employers had also increased over the same period, with the proportion of employees who said they shared the values of their organisation up from 55 per cent to 65 per cent. (more…)

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

Rebuilding belonging: how offices can overcome loneliness  

by • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

In the coming weeks it will be six years since the UK entered lockdown and working life changed overnight. While much has stabilised, the impact of the pandemic still shapes how people experience work, particularly when it comes to connection and belonging. Loneliness is widely recognised as a growing societal issue and government data shows that around a quarter of adults in Great Britain report feeling lonely at least some of the time, rising significantly among younger age groups. Hybrid working has not created this challenge but it has highlighted that for many people the workplace was a consistent source of social interaction. (more…)

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion

by • Flexible working, News

Introducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefitsIntroducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefits worth nearly £3 billion per year to the UK, research has found. The proposal, published in a new Institute for Policy Research (IPR) policy brief, argues that providing paid leave for self-employed and worker fathers – including contractors or those in gig-economy roles – at the Statutory Paternity Pay rate (£187.18 per week) would deliver significant economic and wellbeing benefits for families and for UK society as a whole. (more…)

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

by • AI, Comment

It's too early to know what precise impact AI will have on jobs, writes Jo Sutherland. Fortunately for us, the future is still ours to shapeAs someone who works at the intersection of communications and responsible AI, I spend a lot of time thinking about how emerging technologies are explained, sold, feared, embraced and misunderstood. Nowhere is that more palpable than in conversations about AI and the future of work, where certainty is sometimes projected before it’s earned. Over the past few months alone, taking part in debates at both the Westminster Employment Forum and the University of Cambridge, I’ve been struck by just how wide the spectrum of opinion still is. Depending on who has the floor, AI is framed either as a magical productivity fix or an existential threat to jobs. The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. (more…)

Decline in number of jobs offering remote work could hinder efforts to get more people into work

Decline in number of jobs offering remote work could hinder efforts to get more people into work

by • Flexible working, News

A significant decrease in the availability of jobs offering fully remote work in the UK is a potential obstacle to government plans to boost employmentA significant decrease in the availability of jobs offering fully remote work in the UK is a potential obstacle to government plans to boost employment, according to research from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University. The study, part of a large mixed-methods research project examining remote and hybrid working among disabled workers, surveyed more than 1,200 people. Around 85 percent of respondents said access to remote or hybrid work was essential or very important when looking for a new job, and nearly half said they would prefer to work fully remotely. (more…)

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

by • Business, News

Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition,Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition, according to the latest State of Small Business Britain report from the Enterprise Research Centre. The annual study draws together findings from a range of business surveys and shows that 36 percent of working age adults are now starting, running or planning to launch a business. This is the highest level recorded since the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor began tracking activity in 1999. Early stage entrepreneurial activity has doubled since the early 2000s and has stabilised at around 12 percent. (more…)

Employment Rights Act is already putting the brakes on hiring, CIPD warns

Employment Rights Act is already putting the brakes on hiring, CIPD warns

by • News, Workplace

New research from the CIPD suggests the Government’s Employment Rights Act could discourage employers from recruiting permanent staff, add to business costs and increase workplace conflictNew research from the CIPD suggests the Government’s Employment Rights Act could discourage employers from recruiting permanent staff, add to business costs and increase workplace conflict. The findings come from the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook, based on a survey of more than 2,000 UK employers. It reports that overall hiring intentions remain at their lowest level on record outside the first year of the pandemic. (more…)

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

New white paper offers actions for managing trauma in the workplace

by • News, Wellbeing

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…)

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

by • Company news, Wellbeing

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…)

New research highlights entrenched UK regional inequalities and policy hurdles

New research highlights entrenched UK regional inequalities and policy hurdles

by • Cities, News, Property

New analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and partner universities suggests regional inequalities across the UK remain deep, persistent and shaped by a combination of economic, social and mobility factorsNew analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and partner universities suggests regional inequalities across the UK remain deep, persistent and shaped by a combination of economic, social and mobility factors, according to a symposium of research published this month. Researchers say disparities in earnings, productivity, educational opportunity and life outcomes continue to vary sharply between regions, with many places that were struggling two decades ago remaining comparatively disadvantaged today. (more…)

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

by • News, Wellbeing

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…)

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

Business leaders bemoan slow progress on ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’

by • Cities, News, Property

The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley.Britain’s ambition to turn the Oxford–Cambridge corridor into a globally competitive technology and life sciences hub is facing renewed scrutiny as business leaders warn that delays to infrastructure risk undermining investor confidence, even as ministers restate their commitment to accelerated delivery. The government has positioned the so-called OxCam growth corridor as a central plank of its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves describing it as having the potential to become (inevitably) Europe’s Silicon Valley. The plan centres on better connecting Oxford and Cambridge, stimulating housing delivery and encouraging high-value research, technology and manufacturing to scale across the region. (more…)

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