March 1, 2023

Nearly all senior managers say stress is a characteristic of their job

The cost-of-living crisis is the top cause of stress at work for people working in leadership and senior management roles, according to the findings of a new survey by HR software provider Ciphr. Around 98 percent of the 265 leaders and senior managers polled found at least one aspect of their work stressful, while two-fifths (83 percent) are affected by three or more work-related stressors (the average, per person, is eight). Yet, despite the obvious stress their work causes them, just 4 percent claim not to like their jobs. More →

January 25, 2023

Cost of living driving employees to seek new jobs or more help from employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A large majority (84 percent) of employees are experiencing stress and anxiety due to the cost-of-living crisis, yet two-thirds of employers aren’t offering any financial or emotional support. This is the key claim in a new report from Workhuman which suggests that employees across the UK are struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with 62.5 percent considering leaving their current job if their employer doesn’t recognise their financial struggles or does nothing to support them. The survey of 1,000 full-time employees across the UK also claims that 77 percent of employees said their employer could be doing more to support them financially and emotionally through the current crisis. More →

November 25, 2022

Business owners lose sleep over impact of mental health on their business, but don’t act

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A new poll claims that the majority of business leaders say that mental health support isn’t available for their employees or isn’t utilised enough, despite acknowledging how poor mental health impacts business performance. The survey was conducted by GoProposal and is based on 750 small business owners in the UK. It claims that over half of businesses (55 percent) either have no mental health support in place for their employees or have support processes that aren’t used enough. More →

November 15, 2022

The four day week and a case of less is more

by Sara Bean • Features, Flexible working, Premium Content

When 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 →

October 20, 2022

Winter is coming: don’t be in the dark about blackouts

by Jo Sutherland • Environment, Features, Wellbeing

The National Grid has warned that the UK could face blackouts this winter. The worst-case scenario is that homes and businesses could lose power for pre-defined periods of up to three hours if gas power plants are not able to keep running due to the energy crisis that keeps on giving – or rather, taking. While the British government has dropped its energy rationing campaign, which once formed a crucial part of its plan to prepare for potential energy shortages and blackouts, countries across Europe are drawing up winter contingency plans, as are forward-thinking businesses. More →

October 18, 2022

Monitoring remote workers is a good idea according to half of bosses

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new poll from the CIPD and HiBob claims that more than half of bosses (55 percent) agree with collecting information on regular home workers, including the amount of time spent on laptops each day and email sending behaviours to identify risk of burnout. However, only three in ten (28 percent) leaders say their organisations are using software for monitoring remote workers and their productivity, according to the study. Where workplace monitoring is in place, the CIPD and HiBob urge employers to consider its purpose, and to be clear to staff about what is being monitored and why. More →

October 12, 2022

Four day week would mean longer days, according to majority of workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The majority of workers would expect a four-day week to consist of longer working hours with one in seven stating that up to 10 hours per day would be reasonable. According to a new poll from Talent.com among 1,325 respondents, workers believe that a shortened working week would enable them to achieve better wellbeing and mental health. More →

October 7, 2022

Third of firms expect the four-day week to become a reality ‘for most’ in the next ten years

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A third of respondent organisations (34 percent) to a CIPD poll think the four-day week will become a reality in the UK for most workers within the next ten years. However, only a small minority of firms have moved towards the four-day week to date by reducing hours without reducing pay for their employees, or plan to do this over the next three years. One in ten (10 percent) organisations report they have reduced working hours without reducing pay for the whole or a significant part of their workforce over the last five years, although of these, under half of employers (42 percent) did so as a result of the furlough scheme. More →

October 4, 2022

One in four pregnant women reluctant to share news with employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than one in four (26 percent) pregnant women feel reluctant to share their pregnancy news due to fear of the stigma they may face from colleagues and managers, according to a new poll from Culture Shift. This jumped to almost half (46 percent) for those who had been in employment for less than six months when they fell pregnant. The survey conducted among mothers who worked while pregnant reveals more than one in five (21 percent) know someone who has faced maternity discrimination at work, while one in eight (12 percent) have experienced it themselves. More than one in ten (11 percent) say it was their manager who discriminated against them. More →

October 4, 2022

Three quarters of people admit to turning off webcam to hide what they’re doing

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new poll from Showpad, claims that three quarters of ‘office workers’ in the UK (76 percent) admit to turning off their webcam on video calls to hide what they are doing. The figure for workers under 24 rises to 85 percent. According to the State of Selling study, concentration on video calls when working from home appears to be one of the main issues with 80 percent saying they are more easily distracted in virtual meetings compared to real-world ones, with over half (52 percent) saying they have an attention span of less than half an hour in virtual meetings. More →

September 12, 2022

The wellbeing of parents should be a greater concern for employers

by Gosia Bowling • Comment, Wellbeing

A recent Oxford University study revealed that levels of stress, anxiety and depression unsurprisingly rose in parents and carers during the pandemic lockdowns. Although social restrictions have now lifted, the recovery from the significant mental impact will continue to take parents some time. Now, more than ever, organisations have a key role in remedying stress and burnout and supporting working parents’ wellbeing. More →

September 9, 2022

Right to disconnect laws are a turn-off for a third of employers

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Over a third of business leaders admit they don’t agree with the introduction of a law in the UK that would protect an employee’s right to disconnect, similar to the law in place in France, a new poll from iCompario claims. One in seven remain unsure (14 percent). The legislation, which was introduced in France in 2017, forbids employers from expecting their employees to engage in communications, such as emails outside of working hours. The data suggests that substantial two thirds (66 percent) of UK workers would support a similar law being introduced in the UK. More →