May 17, 2019
Older employees are likely to enjoy improved wellbeing, according to a new study from The Myers-Briggs Company. The research claims that workplace wellbeing progressively increases with age and also highlights workplace relationships as one of the most important elements of wellbeing. (more…)
May 16, 2019
Mental ill-health is responsible for almost 13 percent of all sickness absence days in the UK, while it has been shown that UK businesses could save up to £8 billion per year through better support in the workplace. To empower workers and employers across the country, iHASCO has launched a new campaign aimed at removing the stigma that surrounds mental ill-health in the workplace. Six brand new courses are now available through the eLearning provider, including a short stress awareness course. (more…)
May 16, 2019
More than a third (37 percent) of employees aged 45 and over believe that age discrimination is an issue where they work, according to a new analysis from Aviva. Those aged 55 to 59 feel this most strongly (41 percent). One in five (19 percent) feel younger colleagues are favoured over older generations, while 19 percent believe their age has become a barrier to career progression and development. However, over half (53 percent) of employees aged 60 and over are not ready to retire, increasing to 61 percent for people still working past the age of 65. (more…)
May 15, 2019
The majority of British workers would put in an extra ten hours a week for growing firms, according to a new survey report from Kimble Applications According to the firm’s Business Growth Report, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in the UK, 56 per cent of British workers would commit to an extra ten hours of work per week if it meant working for a growing company. Moreover, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of employees say that the growth and success of their employer directly contributes to their personal happiness. Eighty per cent believe that working for a growing company will help them grow more professionally.
May 15, 2019
A new report from Breathe commissioned to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 implies that British workers are still uncomfortable disclosing mental health issues or burnout, as nearly a quarter (23 percent) admit they would rather take an unexplained sick day than discuss their issues with their employers. (more…)
May 15, 2019
The number of non-EU born workers in employment has increased over the past 12 months due to a tightening labour market, according to statistics published this week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figures show that just over a third of the 364, 000 net annual increase in the number of people in work over the past year has gone to people from outside the European Union, although the number of EU-born citizens in work has also risen. The number of non-EU born citizens in employment has increased by 123, 000 during the past year, while there has been a notable quarterly increase of more than 117,000 EU-born citizens.
May 14, 2019
The idea of a cocktail party might be a bit dated, but it is the perfect metaphor for describing one aspect of the most common complaints about modern office design. An idea called the cocktail party effect has been known to neuroscientists for decades. It describes how we are able to filter out a large amount of noise and focus almost completely on just one source of sound. So, while we clutch our Manhattan, we can listen intently to just one person and ignore the babble of voices that might otherwise drown them out. We can tune in to the source we think is important and tune out everything else.
May 14, 2019
Traditional workplace benefits like holiday allowances and pensions trump quirkier ‘benefits’ like being allowed to take your dog into the office, according to a survey by Aviva. Out of a wide range of workplace benefits, 43 percent of UK employees said they were least interested in being allowed to take their dog into the workplace. More than a third of workers (34 percent) also said they weren’t interested in office entertainment like table football and video games. And more than 1 in 4 people (26 percent) even said workplace socials like summer and Christmas parties were among the benefits they were least interested in. (more…)
May 14, 2019
Some people with mental health conditions could be waiting for over a year for employers to put in place much needed workplace adjustments, new findings published today suggest. The findings come from The Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey 2019, a comprehensive study of disability and long-term conditions conducted by Business Disability Forum and based on the views of over 1,200 employees and managers working with adjustments. (more…)
May 14, 2019
Two thirds of workers (66 percent) have felt stressed or anxious about work over the past year claims a new report from Acas. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19 May) Acas commissioned YouGov to ask employees in Great Britain about their experiences of stress and anxiety in the workplace. The most common reasons given for the way they felt included workloads (60 percent), the way that they were managed (42 percent) and balancing home and work lives (35 percent). As a result of the research Acas has produced a framework to help employers boost positive mental health at work.
May 13, 2019
Employers are having to be more flexible to fill vacancies as buoyant demand for staff is creating recruitment challenges. Two in five (41 percent) employers say it has become more difficult to fill vacancies in the past year, while three in five (61 percent) employers said that at least some of their vacancies were proving hard to fill. However, according to the latest Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and the Adecco Group despite the tightening labour market, this confidence has yet to translate into significant salary increases for all but new starters and those with key skills.
As recruitment and retention challenges grow, employers are changing their recruitment practices and drawing on a wider talent pool to fill vacancies, while putting more focus on training up existing staff.
Gerwyn Davies, senior labour market adviser for the CIPD said: “The majority of UK workers are long overdue a meaningful pay rise. However, many workers will remain disappointed with their pay packets until there are significant and sustained improvements to productivity. Organisations need to give much greater consideration to the obstacles that are preventing their people from performing better at work.
“A greater focus on training, development and better people management is needed to lift the UK out of its current productivity crisis. One upside is that many employers are already investing in developing their existing workforce to plug skills gaps. Strengthening workplace training and recruiting in a more inclusive, flexible way will ultimately deliver higher performing and fairer workplaces.”
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“A greater focus on training, development and better people management is needed to lift the UK out of its current productivity crisis.” [/perfectpullquote]
Recruitment outlook – jobs growth set to continue
Britain’s jobs boom is set to continue in the short term. The report’s net employment balance – a measure of the difference between the proportion of employers who expect to increase staff levels and those who expect to decrease staff levels – has increased from +20 to +22. Employment growth will continue to be driven by the private sector which has increased from +22 to +25 in the last quarter. The report shows that confidence is highest in business services (+39), construction (+36), healthcare (+31) and ICT (31 percent).
Skills shortages – employers are having to be more flexible to find candidates
Skills shortages are particularly being seen in professional occupations (e.g. scientists, engineers) where 50 percent of employers report that applicants don’t have the required level of skills needed. In response to skills challenges employers are having to rethink their recruitment practices and draw from a wider talent pool. The Labour Market Outlook found that:
In line with recent ONS data*, the report also found that employers were making greater efforts to hire those aged over 55 (8 percent) and those from disadvantaged groups (6 percent).
Despite rising recruitment and retention pressures, median basic pay expectations in the 12 months to March 2020 remain at 2 percent. However, pay expectations have fallen back in the private sector from 2.5 percent to 2 percent and have risen in the public sector from 1 percent to 1.5 percent.
In addition to hiring challenges, a third of employers (33 percent) said that it has become harder to retain staff in the last 12 months, particularly in the public sector (42 percent). In response, over half (54 percent) of organisations have increased salaries in some capacity and one in four organisations (25 percent) have increased salaries for key staff only.
May 16, 2019
Working from home and the future of work. How quaint 0
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Property, Technology
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