Search Results for: national insurance

We need to rethink everything we know about self-employment and the gig economy

We need to rethink everything we know about self-employment and the gig economy 0

by • Flexible working, News

The rise in self-employment is being led by workers in relatively ‘privileged’ high-skilled, higher-paying sectors such as advertising and banking rather than the gig economy. Their considerable tax advantages over employees, rather than new technology and the gig economy, are central to the rapid growth in self-employment, according to a new analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. Self-employed workers in the larger but slower growing ‘precarious’ sectors that have dominated the recent public debate, enjoy a much lower tax advantages over employees but still miss out on important pay and employment rights. The analysis shows that 60 per cent of the growth in self-employment since 2009 has been in ‘privileged’ sectors, despite them making up just 40 per cent of the self-employed. The fastest growing sectors have been advertising (100 per cent growth), public administration (90 per cent), and banking (60 per cent). The remaining 40 per cent of the growth in self-employment has come in more ‘precarious’ sectors, such as construction and cleaning. The Foundation notes that despite the focus on Uber in recent years, the sector that includes taxis is actually only up 7 per cent since 2009, a third of the 22 per cent growth in self-employment up as a whole.

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Gig economy represents a race to the bottom for many because of client behaviour

Gig economy represents a race to the bottom for many because of client behaviour 0

by • Flexible working, News

Gig economy

For many people, the gig economy represents a race to the bottom, with a large number of freelancers asked to work for free by entitled clients on the vague promise of future work, breeding anxiety and disillusionment. That is the key finding of a new study by Approve.io which found that half of freelancers and self-employed creatives had been asked by clients said that work had caused them anxiety this year with three quarters citing client behaviour as the primary cause. (more…)

While politicians squabble, here’s what the Budget meant for the workplace

While politicians squabble, here’s what the Budget meant for the workplace 0

by • Comment, Facilities management, Legal news, Workplace, Workplace design

Bash streetStrange as it may seem now, there was a Budget last week. We’d planned to produce a report on it once the dust had settled but given that whatever dust had originally been kicked up has now been swept away by a political storm, it’s only now we feel able to offer some perspective a few days out. As ever these days, the budget touched on a number of aspects of the workplace, sometimes hitting the mark and sometimes suggesting politicians don’t yet understand how people work. There was the usual stuff about rates and commercial property but also plenty to digest about the freelance economy, productivity, new technology, flexible working legislation and the current, often faltering attempts to develop wealth and infrastructure as well as the 21st Century creative and digital economy in places other than London. There’s plenty to digest here and plenty of people have already had their say, so a chance to grab a coffee and take all or some of it in.

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Four year surge in the numbers of over-50s and over-65s in UK workforce

by • News, Workplace

older UK workforceWe keep saying it but forget all the talk about Gen Y, the UK workforce is actually aging and becoming more diverse. New research from Saga shows that the number of employees over the age of 65 has increased by over a third over the last four years and the numbers of those between 50 and 64 has also increased – by nearly a tenth. The proportion of over 65s within the workforce is up from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent over the same period but there have also been increases in employment in younger age groups meaning the workforce is more diverse. There are now 1.09 million over 65s still in work and around 8 million in the 50-64 age group. The Saga Monthly Employment report, published in partnership with the Centre for Economics and Business Research, also found that older age groups are now just as economically active as younger demographics

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CIPD publishes manifesto on how next Government could shape future of work

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

CIPD manifesto on how next Government should shape the future of workA sustainable recovery and successful future economic performance depends on future governments adopting policies that address fundamental skills and productivity issues, as well as looking at other agendas which will actively shape the future of work. This is according to the CIPD ‘Manifesto for Work,’ published today, which calls on the UK’s political parties to focus on the key issues facing employers and the workforce in the run up to the General Election 2015. Amongst a set of proposals, the HR body is calling on the Government to take a “good practice” approach to employment regulation and policy by supporting the creation of a Workplace Commission, with the aim of helping employers raise standards of people management. CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese, says a better focus and understanding of the changing nature of work, the requirements and needs of the workforce, and the changing workplace will be needed to meet the future challenges. (more…)

CIPD calls for a budget to address decline in UK productivity

by • News, Workplace

UK productivity requires budget boostThe CIPD has urged the Chancellor to focus on delivering a “Budget for Productivity” when he delivers his 2014 Budget on 19 March. The employment body has today put forward a package of proposals which call for labour market inclusion and the development of more productive, inclusive, and engaging workplaces. It is calling for a fundamental review of UK skills policy, together with a new focus on the workplace, the nature of jobs for the future, and how skills are being utilised. This, the CIPD argues, is critical if the necessary leap in productivity is to be delivered to boost real wages. A recent CIPD report  found that already weak UK productivity has worsened as a result of a slow-down in job turnover during the recession and an extraordinary run of hiring that has preceded the recent return to growth. (more…)

Legal update – Employment Law changes ahead in 2014

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, Legal news, Workplace

Employment Law changes ahead in 2014

Some of the most hotly debated employment law issues from last year; including flexible working, workplace wellbeing and the contractual rights of employees look set to make more headlines this year, because 2014 is shaping up to be another year of significant change in UK employment law. While the timetable is subject to amendment, currently the Government is intending to introduce a number of revisions. The key employment law events and cases to watch out for in 2014 will include changes to TUPE, flexible working, flexible parental leave, employment tribunal procedures, redundancy consultation, Acas conciliation, calculation of holiday pay and post-employment victimisation;  which we list below in the date order in which they are proposed. (more…)

London BCO Awards winners highlight shift towards reuse and long term workplace design

London BCO Awards winners highlight shift towards reuse and long term workplace design

by • Environment, News, Property, Workplace design

The winners of the British Council for Offices London Awards 2026 have been announced, recognising a series of workplace projects that reflect changing priorities in design, sustainability and social value across the capital. Six schemes were selected as regional winners. Deutsche Bank’s headquarters at 21 Moorfields (main image) was named best corporate workplace, while Stonecutter at 1 Stonecutter Street took the award for best commercial workplace. The best refurbished or recycled workplace award went to 76 Southbank, and Rabobank at 60 London Wall was recognised for best fit out of a workplace. The award for projects up to 2,500 square metres was given to 170 Piccadilly, while TBC.London at 224 to 226 Tower Bridge Road received the ESG award. (more…)

Why smarter scheduling is becoming workers’ favourite benefit

Why smarter scheduling is becoming workers’ favourite benefit

by • Company news

In late 2023, The Conference Board asked more than 1,500 US employees which non?salary benefits matter most. 65 percent put workplace flexibility at the top of the list, above bonuses, paid time off, retirement plans and even healthcare.  In 2025, Gallup found that among over 10,000 US workers, 59 percent rated “greater work–life balance and better personal wellbeing” as a very important reason for taking a new job, more than any other factor for the third year running. (more…)

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

Employers increasingly see AI as a way of reducing headcount

by • News, Technology, Workplace

UK firms are bullish about the use of GenAI but their employees are not so certain, according to a new pollOne in six (17 percent) employers expect AI to shrink their workforce over the next year, with junior roles most at risk, according to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook which surveyed over 2,000 employers on their hiring, redundancy and pay plans.  Of those, almost two thirds (62 percent) believe that clerical, junior managerial, professional or administrative roles are most likely to be lost because of AI. The risk is highest in large private sector firms, where one in four (26 percent) expect headcount to fall, compared with 17 percent in the private sector overall and 20 percent in the public sector. (more…)

Climate health risks threaten global productivity, warns WEF

Climate health risks threaten global productivity, warns WEF

by • Environment, News

Climate-related health impacts could strip at least $1.5 trillion from global productivity by 2050, according to a new report from the World Economic ForumClimate-related health impacts could strip at least $1.5 trillion from global productivity by 2050, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF). The study warns that food and agriculture, the built environment, and health and healthcare are among the sectors most at risk unless businesses take urgent steps to adapt. The report, Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change, produced in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, highlights the growing economic burden of heat stress, infectious disease and other climate-driven health threats. It argues that protecting workforce health is now a strategic priority, not only for humanitarian reasons but also to safeguard business continuity and economic stability. (more…)

New study reveals link between workaholism and organisational harm

New study reveals link between workaholism and organisational harm

by • News, Wellbeing

The hidden ethical costs of workaholism have been highlighted in a recent study led by Aston University and University of Leipzig scholarsThe hidden ethical costs of workaholism have been highlighted in a new study led by Aston University and University of Leipzig scholars. Workaholism is an inner pressure to working, that provides a sense of fulfilment but can lead to physical and psychological problems, relationship issues and burnout. The study, published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, showed that it can interfere with moral self-regulation and subsequent ethical behaviour, particularly in organisations that prioritise bottom-line results and self-interest. (more…)

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