October 23, 2024
Sick days have surged by 41 percent over the past three years as employers continue to struggle with declining levels of productivity. The latest Hiring Trends Index by Totaljobs, surveying 1000 UK HR decision-makers, highlights how this rise in absenteeism is perpetuating a cycle of poor business performance affecting both employers and employees. More →
October 16, 2024
A new report from the British Council for Offices (BCO) argues that if employers want their staff to ‘return to office’, they need to approach the workplace in the same way they would their customers by creating spaces that offer experiences workers actively seek out. The report, titled Towards Experience Utopia, claims to serve as a comprehensive guide for creating optimal working environments that integrate the best aspects of both remote and in-office work. Commissioned by the BCO Occupiers Group, which includes major employers like NatWest, PwC, Deloitte, and Goldman Sachs, the report highlights how the shift towards hybrid working has transformed the expectations of employees. More →
October 16, 2024
CEOs face sleepwalking into reputational disaster through a concerning over-confidence which masks inadequate crisis planning to mitigate modern day risks, according to a new report [registration] from PHA Group. The survey questioned 150 CEOs across the UK’s £240bn professional services sector on confidence and planning in navigating business critical issues. Examining issues from workforce management and whistleblowing to climate change and regulation, CEOs from law firms, insurance, finance and accounting, consultancy and recruitment conveyed confidence but also revealed a lack of investment and planning. More →
October 11, 2024
Details of the UK’s new Employment Rights Bill were released yesterday. The legislation represents what the government claims is a significant overhaul of workers’ rights, offering more protections and benefits and helping to promote practices like flexible working. Key elements of the bill include granting workers access to statutory sick pay and parental leave from the first day of employment, and introducing a ban on exploitative zero-hour contracts. It also aims to curb controversial “fire and rehire” practices and gives employees the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one, rather than after two years of service. However, businesses will still be allowed to operate probationary periods to ensure fit for roles, with discussions suggesting a maximum of six months. More →
October 8, 2024
Millions of workers aged 57 and over in the UK are being overlooked for job opportunities, as employers increasingly consider this age ‘too old’ to hire, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Totaljobs, claims that a third of people over 50 worry they will struggle to find work due to age discrimination, with one in seven reporting being rejected for jobs because of their age. The study suggests that two-fifths of HR decision-makers have faced pressure to hire younger candidates, placing older workers at a disadvantage when looking for work. In response, more than a fifth of over-50s have chosen to omit their age from their CVs, while a quarter hesitate to apply for roles, fearing potential bias. More →
October 1, 2024
A new poll from YuLife suggests that there are significant gaps in the ability of employers and the NHS to support the long-term sick in their recovery and rehabilitation. The survey of UK employees conducted by YouGov sets out to explore workers’ experiences of recovery after long-term illness or injury as well as the overall state of workplace wellbeing. According to the report, a majority (52 percent) of employees who have experienced an illness or injury lasting more than two weeks said that their employer did not help with their recovery and return to work. Around one in five UK employees (21 percent of the workforce) has experienced a long-term health-related absence from work with no recovery or rehabilitation assistance from their employer. More →
October 1, 2024
Our friends at comms specialist Magenta Associates have announced that the business is now owned by its employees. The company has set up an Employee Ownership Trust which owns the majority of the business. The trust will be led by five trustees to ensure the management team is running the business in the best interests of the employees. Magenta was set up in 2011 by Cathy Hayward, the former editor of FM World (now Facilitate) and FMJ magazine who spotted a gap in the market for a PR agency specialising specifically in facilities management. More →
September 23, 2024
UK chief executives see implementing Generative AI (GenAI) as an opportunity to change the nature of work and create highly skilled workforces without reducing the number of jobs in the market, according to KPMG’s 10th annual CEO Outlook survey. KPMG surveyed more than 1,300 CEOs around the world – 150 in the UK – in July and August, revealing that two thirds of UK CEOs (65 percent and 76 percent globally) see GenAI as a positive disruptor with 68 percent (65 percent globally) agreeing that GenAI remains a top investment priority. More →
September 19, 2024
Two thirds of UK organisations say they are prioritising AI in their IT and customer service thinking, according to a new poll from 8×8. As a result they are starting to assess the roles and working hours of employees. The Future of Work: 2030 Vision Report [registration], surveyed the opinions of over 400 IT and Customer Experience (CX) managers. It looks into the projected makeup of the global workforce in 2030, organisations’ technological priorities between now and then, and the current and future challenges they may face. More →
September 19, 2024
In spite of all the chatter about the so-called Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting, whether people decide to stay with or leave an employer still largely depends on whether they think they are paid enough. According to a new poll from SD Worx, pay remains the number one reason employees will stay with a company or leave. For the report, SD Worx surveyed 5,000 businesses and 18,000 employees in 18 countries across Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium. More →
September 18, 2024
A new poll from CYPHER Learning claims that one in three workers would like to see AI banned from the workplace, while nearly half express concern that AI poses a threat to their future job security. The study, suggests that women, workers over the age of 55, and those in clerical or manual labour roles feel most at risk. The survey of 4,543 workers across the US, UK, and Mexico found that AI is reshaping job roles, with 63 percent of respondents reporting that AI technologies has already changed the skills required for their jobs. More than half of those surveyed (52 percent) believe that AI will either completely transform or have a major impact on their roles within the next two years. As a result, 38 percent of workers anticipate the need for retraining due to job obsolescence, and almost half (45 percent) are worried about their future job security. More →
October 15, 2024
Employers need to be proactive to address problem of sexual harassment at work
by Ray Silverstein • Comment, Workplace