Search Results for: maternity leave

The four day week and a case of less is more

The four day week and a case of less is more

four day weekWhen a pilot programme for a four day week was announced in the UK early in the New Year, #4dayweek trended for days on twitter, with jokey comments on how employees taking part in the trial should do everything not to ‘f*** it up for the rest of us.’ But behind the humour there’s a real issue with productivity in the UK. Recent Office for National Statistics reveals that while productivity grew across all G7 countries during the pandemic, the UK experienced the largest falls in GDP growth and an increase in the number of hours worked. More →

Half of employers support extension of statutory paternity rights

Half of employers support extension of statutory paternity rights

paternityNew data from the CIPD suggests that almost half of organisations support extending statutory paternity/partner leave and pay, with 29 percent of those backing an extension to either six weeks or more. In response, the CIPD is urging the Government to increase statutory paternity/partner leave to six weeks, either at or near the full rate of pay, to help families balance caring responsibilities and provide more financial support for working parents. Currently, under statutory paternity leave, employees can choose to take either one or two consecutive weeks’ leave if they have been employed for at least 26 weeks. Statutory paternity pay for eligible employees is currently either £156.66 a week or 90 percent of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. More →

Are these the best countries in Europe for work-life balance?

Are these the best countries in Europe for work-life balance?

work-life balanceA new study from recruitment firm Remote claims to analyse how European countries are looking after the work-life balance of their employees. The report sets out to take an ‘holistic’ view on work-life balance taking into account of factors such as minimum wage, maternity leave, statutory annual leave, sick pay, the country’s healthcare system and the country’s overall happiness level to help workers determine the best locations for life-work balance. The UK comes in a lowly 28th place, in case you didn’t want to click on the report link. More →

Flexible working models best for mental health of parents, research claims

Flexible working models best for mental health of parents, research claims

flexible working and mental healthEmployees who are able to split their working time between home and a formal workplace are 40 percent less likely to experience mental health difficulties, new research has shown. Wellbeing charity stem4 surveyed 1038 working parents and carers across the UK to mark Parent Mental Health Day (27th January). It suggests that four in ten overall (39 percent) were experiencing problems – most commonly stress (62 percent), depression (54 percent) and anxiety (50 percent). More →

For a workplace culture to flourish, sometimes you have to let go

For a workplace culture to flourish, sometimes you have to let go

Great workplace cultureTen years ago, the day after I left my full-time job at FM World magazine* to set up Magenta I wrote a blog called In Defence of the Office about how people feel when they’re asked to work flexibly. I talked about how many people struggle, finding that without the structure of day-to-day office life, they can’t manage their time properly, can’t discipline themselves to work and get distracted by domestic life. And they find, because perhaps they haven’t got to grips with the new technology, that they can’t locate important files or connect to that key person. They find that without the workplace they can’t work – or at least not as well. More →

Half of employers don’t have a financial wellbeing policy

Half of employers don’t have a financial wellbeing policy

financialDespite the financial hardship wrought by COVID-19, half of employers (49 percent) don’t have a financial wellbeing policy. This is according to the latest Reward Management Survey from the CIPD (which 420 employers responded to). More →

Working parents still not getting enough support to deal with pandemic

Working parents still not getting enough support to deal with pandemic

A new report from work-life balance charity Working Families claims that there remains a pressing need for increased support for working parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is informed by queries to the charity’s free legal advice helpline, which the charity says have quadrupled since the start of the pandemic. Since mid-March, over 36,000 people have accessed the charity’s coronavirus-focused legal advice web pages. More →

Equal pay: women too polite to ask for more money

Equal pay: women too polite to ask for more money

equal payMillions of women could be missing out on higher salaries as 82 percent never negotiate their pay when applying for jobs, new research has claimed. The fear of being “rude” or “ungrateful”, compounded by concerns from 21 percent that asking for equal pay could jeopardise benefits such as maternity leave or flexible working, is silencing women when it comes to money, the survey of 1,000 working women suggests. More →

Flexible working and always on culture have a negative effect on families

Flexible working and always on culture have a negative effect on families

flexible working and familiesWorking parents’ ability to switch off from their work is being undermined by the rise of modern communications and the uptake of flexible working practices, with almost half agreeing the boundaries between home and the workplace have blurred, according to the most authoritative annual survey of working families in the UK. More →

Women less likely to progress at work than male colleagues after childbirth

Women less likely to progress at work than male colleagues after childbirth

women at work Women and men experience a ‘large divergence’ in their career paths in the years following childbirth, according to a study following more than 3,500 new parents. Only 27.8 percent of women are in full-time work or self-employed three years after childbirth, compared to 90 percent of new fathers. And while 26 percent of men have been promoted or moved to a better job in the five years following childbirth, the figure is just 13 percent for women.

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Women still face broken rungs on the career ladder

Women still face broken rungs on the career ladder

More women than ever before occupy senior executive positions, but true gender parity hasn’t yet been reached and women continue to face unique challenges in their careers according to the latest Women in the Workplace Report from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company. This year’s study—which is based on data and insights from 329 companies employing over 13 million people and more than 68,500 employees—identifies a key point on the corporate ladder where women lose the most ground: the first step up to manager. If companies fixed this broken rung, it could add one million more women to management in corporate America over the next 5 years. More →

Working mums call for more flexible work options

Working mums call for more flexible work options

Women are a key part of a growing contingent workforce of freelancers, consultants and part-timers. Despite numerous government policies to attract more mothers back into the workplace, retention is still a significant struggle. Several data collected indicates working mums who return part-time, combining professional careers with raising a family, are increasingly frustrated.  The research shows that the modern workplace often fails to cater for the needs of mothers and carers as they face the pressures of combining busy working lives with lifestyle and family obligations.

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