Labour’s benefit crackdown: the DEI alarm HR cannot afford to ignore
Labour’s proposal for a “benefits crackdown” is presented as a way to combat economic inactivity and reduce welfare dependency. The changes include tightening the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence payments (PIP) as well as Universal Credit disability top ups, and encouraging disabled and chronically-ill individuals to enter employment. The plan appears simple enough on the […]
Negative colleague relationships among Gen Z could cause problems for the four-generational workforce
A new study paints an alarming picture of workplace relationships by 2025. Inter-generational friction is a major factor. Gen Z (aged 18-27 years) office workers are more likely than millennials, Gen X and boomers to describe their overall workplace relationship as negative. As the retirement age is creeping closer, and with many UK organisations now […]
GenZ’s Equal start: Can we preserve their early career optimism?
By Dr. Cecelia Herbert, Principal Behavioural Scientist at Qualtrics Remember your early career days? Remember the excitement, that feeling of anything being possible? This feeling is still present for young people today who are entering the workplace, and it’s felt by both men and women. Nevertheless, somewhere along the line this equality begins to slip. […]
ONS data: Wage growth and job vacancies stabilise
Wage growth and job vacancies have stabilised, according to new labour market data from the Office for National Statistics. Ahead of an interest rate decision today by the Bank of England, the figures show wage growth including bonuses at 5.8% – broadly unchanged in the three months to January. The unemployment rate was unchanged at […]
Finland’s workplaces the key to top spot in World Happiness Index
Finland has retained its position as the world’s happiest country for an eighth year running, with the country’s comprehensive welfare system having a strong sway on the outcome, according to analysts. The UN-sponsored World Happiness Report saw Costa Rica and Mexico enter the top 10 for the first time. The UK slipped to 23rd in the […]
Why the apprenticeship shakeup is good news for construction
The government recently announced apprenticeship reform plans that will make them shorter and more flexible, opening doors to up to 10,000 more apprentices each year. Sam Sutcliffe outlines the potential benefits for employers in the construction sector. The Department of Education has relaxed English and Maths requirements for adult apprentices, as well as reducing the […]
Five years later: employers ‘still grappling with effects of Covid’
Many employers in the UK are still adjusting to the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic five years after the first lockdown on 23 March 2020 according to the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. The pandemic impacted businesses and individuals in multiple ways – including health concerns, job losses and business […]
Customer service is ranked second by HR and recruitment
According to a new study, the HR sector and recruiting is ranked second for customer service. The ‘Customer Service Report,’ by WhatsApp’s business communications specialist Esendex analysed Trustpilot reviews to calculate a weighted score for each industry out of 100. This was done after weighing in the overall review scores as well as average sentiment […]
Sullivan Review shows how ‘sex’ has been purged from data
The Sullivan review, commissioned under the last Conservative government, has shown how biological sex has been erased from official data and that the meaning of sex is ‘no longer stable’ in administrative or major survey data. This instability is evident across key policy areas including health and justice and has led to a “widespread loss […]
UK is only advanced economy where economic inactivity is increasing
The UK is an international outlier when it comes to economic inactivity, a new government-commissioned report has found, as employers find it cheaper to replace workers than retain them. The discovery phase of the new Keep Britain Working Review, led by Sir Charles Mayfield, found that “the costs borne by employers for sickness absence are […]