Top trends for HR teams in 2025
The HR team is under greater pressure than ever to find innovative, flexible solutions that will improve employee engagement and well-being. Talent competition is fierce as 2025 approaches. Employees are demanding greater support from their employers, from better financial wellness to improved work-life balance. Companies that are able to meet these needs will be at […]
The challenges and divides in the UK’s remote working experience
Remote working has become a lasting feature of the UK workforce. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 41 percent of Britons worked from home all or part of the time as of September 2024. However, enthusiasm among senior management for remote and hybrid working is waning. A recent KPMG survey found that 83 […]
Cost of employing low-wage staff to hit record high
The cost of employing low-wage workers will hit a record high in 2025, according to an analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies. The think-tank claims that businesses will create fewer positions because of a 60% increase in taxes due to impending rises in employer national insurance contributions and a lower threshold at which it […]
Working parents set aside £1,540 for childcare emergencies
Research from MetLife UK reveals that half of working parents (50%) have taken time off due to their child experiencing an accident, a figure that rises to 77 percent for parents dealing with sudden illness. The findings show that one in six parents (16%) dealing with injured children had to take unpaid leave, with the […]
How HR is navigating the stormy waters of higher education
In recent years, the higher education sector has faced a number of challenges relating to people. These range from budget pressures to strikes. Universities HR, the professional body for HR in HE, reflects upon how the sector has overcome these obstacles and what lies ahead by 2025. Higher education has had a turbulent few years. […]
Buy, build or automate to address the skills shortage?
We don’t have the right talent to complete all of our tasks. It’s an old story. Business leaders often say they lack the talent to implement their digital transformations and AI strategies. This issue is of paramount importance. It’s important for companies to fill vacancies, but also to ensure competitive positioning and drive growth in […]
Flexible working and childcare: it is possible!
Flexible working is often viewed as a ‘difficult’ option for certain frontline sectors, such as childcare. Euan Cameron argues that almost any profession can adopt flexible working. It’s all about how you go about it. Recently, flexible working was brought back into the spotlight amid fears that recruitment issues are leading to a shortage in […]
How to develop a career plan for your employees
In discussing career plans, it is important to focus on retention and not replacement. It’s better to develop and retain current employees than to hire new ones. Employees are an investment and they are worth it. Organizations can increase productivity and loyalty by motivating and upskilling their employees. It’s important to understand the essence of […]
Can we learn anything from the financial sector about whistleblowing?
Ruth Christy, Paul Fontes and Paul Fontes discuss the issue of whistleblowing in financial services and the developments that have taken place. Gareth Snell, MP, became the latest campaigner on 18 December 2024 to introduce a new whistleblowing law to Parliament, in an effort to enhance whistleblowing laws introduced first in 1998. Since movements like […]
Understanding and meeting the needs of 5 generations in a single workplace
Five generations are working together in one workplace for the first time. We have the opportunity to hire the most diverse group of employees in history, but do employers understand their needs? Recent data showed that Gen Z found it difficult to focus at work. 27% of Gen Z said it was because the offices […]