At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 14-20 May 2021
Here are the headlines you might have missed between 14-20 May 2021.
One in five employees now more comfortable taking a sick day
Workplace Insight: New research from Love Energy Savings claims that one in five people are now more comfortable taking a sick day compared to pre-pandemic. Read Story.
Ditching ageism and ableism at work could pay dividends
Workplace Insight: A new report launched by the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) highlights how pervasive ageism and ableism in the workplace are still locking far too many people out of work as they age, costing not only individuals but employers and the economy. Read Story.
25% of 55-64-year-olds unaware of pension freedoms
Employee Benefits: More than six years after employees gained pension freedoms that gave them more control of their retirement savings, research has revealed one-in-four people aged 55-64 are not aware of them. Read Story.
Current flexible working regulations may be set to change
HR Review: The Government has responded to a report which found that policies linked to COVID-19 support were “repeatedly skewed towards men”. Responding to a report created by the Women and Equalities Committee, the Government has welcomed a range of the Committee’s recommendations and put steps in place to take action in certain areas. Read Story.
Work from home order could be lifted from 21st June, Prime Minister states
HR Review: However, this move seems to contradict advice given by SAGE which argued that workers should be homeworking indefinitely in order to avoid a third wave of the virus. The Prime Minister has stated his intention to end the work from home order on the day that all lockdown restrictions are lifted – in line with Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap. Read Story.
Employers join pledge to get a million vaccinated
Personnel Today: A group of employers has pledged to make sure a million staff receive the Covid-19 vaccine as part of a government-led initiative. Nine of the UK’s biggest employers – IKEA, Asda, Slimming World, Metro Bank, Procter & Gamble UK, Santander, Nationwide, Severn Trent and Merlin Entertainments – have formally pledged that they will promote “positive vaccination messages” encouraging employees to get the vaccine. Read Story.
Covid has increased risk of minimum wage underpayment, advisory body warns
People Management: The coronavirus crisis has increased the risk of minimum wage underpayment, a government advisory body has warned, with the complexities of the furlough scheme creating a particular challenge for businesses. Read Story.
Employers urged to help workers whose social networks have disappeared – analysis
Healthcare & Protection: Employers have been urged to help workers whose social networks have disappeared due to lockdown re-engage with their friends and families as new research draws a clear link between loneliness and increased risk of cancer. Read Story.
Protection industry pays out £6.2bn on 2020 claims
Cover magazine: The insurance industry paid out more than £6.2 billion in protection claims during 2020, a year-on-year increase of more than £438 million, the yearly figures show. Read Story.
Group risk industry pays out over £2bn for 2020 claims
Cover magazine: As many as 4,476 people were helped back to work by group risk insurers after a period of sick leave in 2020, data from Group Risk Development (GRiD) has revealed. A total of £2.01bn was paid out to thousands of UK employees and families (28,733) in group risk claims last year, an increase of £ 255.7m from last year's figure. Read Story.
Majority of firms have no plans to verify employees’ vaccination status, poll finds
People Management: The majority of firms have no intention of keeping track of their employees’ vaccination status, a poll of businesses has found. A survey of more than 1,000 UK employers by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) found almost four in five (78 per cent) had no plans to implement ‘vaccine certification’ to verify that employees had had the jab before they returned to the office. Read Story.
Progression and training stifled by Coronavirus
HR Magazine: UK employees feel as though the pandemic has stunted any career progression they may have had over the past year. Over a third (39%) of UK employees said they have regressed in their roles since the start of COVID-19, according to new research by recruitment software company Beamery. Read Story.
Health and financial services staff report worst work-life balance – LifeSearch
Healthcare & Protection: Healthcare and financial services workers are among those most likely to believe they do not have a good work-life balance, according to a study from LifeSearch. More than a third of healthcare workers and almost as many in financial services said they worked too much – notably above the UK average. Read Story.
Government delays on net pay costs low earners £150m
Corporate Adviser: Government delays in resolving the net pay issue has cost lower earners almost £150m in pensions funds, according to new calculations from financial adviser Quilter. The wealth management company pointed out that the government recognised and pledged to address this issue in November 2019. Read Story.
Employers urged not to discriminate against home workers
Personnel Today: Legal experts are warning employers not to discriminate, either deliberately or accidentally, as workers begin to return to the office. Data from the Office for National Statistics released in April covering 2010 to 2020 showed how before the pandemic, working from home could negatively affect an employee’s earning potential, their chances of promotion and their likelihood of receiving a bonus. Read Story.
Long Covid compensation decision could take more than a year
Personnel Today: Frontline workers experiencing ‘long Covid’ could be waiting more than a year to find out if they are entitled to compensation. According to the BBC, government advisers have indicated that a decision on a compensation scheme for key workers suffering the long-term effects of Covid-19, which many MPs and peers have pressed for, is not expected for a while. Read Story.
Working excessive hours increases risk of stroke and heart attack, WHO says
People Management: Working excessive hours can dramatically increase the risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease, research has found, as experts warn more needs to be done to limit hours for staff working remotely during Covid. Read Story.
Prove you’ve had vaccine before we come back, say a third of office workers
Incentive & Motivation: A third of office workers think people should have the vaccine and prove it before returning to the office, according to a survey by office property agents O&A Property. A further 24% agree that people should have the vaccine, but don’t think you can ask for Covid vaccine certificates. Read Story.
Family-friendly employers see improved engagement
Employee Benefits: New research has revealed that there is a clear link between family friendly benefits and improved employee productivity, engagement, loyalty and wellbeing. The Work and family snapshot 2021 employee survey from childcare provider Bright Horizons found that nearly half (48%) of workforces now see family life as a higher priority than before the pandemic. Read Story.
Employee wellbeing the top concern for SMEs
Cover magazine: WorkLife by OpenMoney's latest Small Business Monitor report has found that keeping employees safe from the risk of Covid-19 in the workplace (28%) and workers' mental wellbeing (26%), are top agenda items for SMEs. Read Story.
Marking long Covid as workplace disease could trigger injury claims, lawyers warn
Healthcare & Protection: Designating long Covid an occupational disease could make it easier for workers to pursue successful personal injury claims, with healthcare firms potentially at greater risk, lawyers have warned. Read Story.
Most employers uncertain of pension lifetime allowance rules
Corporate Adviser: Three out of four employers remain unaware of how a life insurance payment can impact on a beneficiary’s pension allowance according to new research from Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing. Read Story.
No FTSE 100 executives or senior managers have disclosed a disability, report finds
People Management: There are no executives or senior managers who have disclosed a disability at any of the UK’s top listed companies, according to company reporting. A report by The Valuable 500 and Tortoise Media, which looked at the 2020 annual reports of FTSE 100 companies, found not a single one had an executive or a senior manager who had disclosed they had a disability, although some did say they prefer not to say or otherwise chose not to disclose. Read Story.
Role of managers missing from government’s skills agenda, think tanks warn
People Management: The government has introduced legislation that will give employers a bigger role in directing post-16 and adult education, but experts have said it fails to recognise the role of line managers in supporting young talent. Read Story.
UK best equipped to combat long hours fatalities
HR Magazine: A worrying parallel between excessive working hours and life-threatening physical health issues has been revealed, but the UK may be best suited to combating overworking. A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found working weeks exceeding 55 hours are associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease than 35-40-hour weeks. Read Story.
Vaccinations buy employee confidence on return to office
HR Magazine: Over three quarters (78%) of UK employees will formally complain or leave the workplace if COVID-19 safety regulations are ignored on their return to work, according to new research by digital health service Tested.me. People who have been vaccinated are also less worried about returning to the office than those who have not been, the study found. Read Story.
Less than one in five see gender equality at work
HR Magazine: Just 19% of UK employees think there is gender equality in their workplace, according to new research by technology giant Samsung. Workplace gender stereotypes are reportedly still rife in the UK, as nearly half (44%) of workers said they still believe certain jobs are exclusively male or female. Read Story.
One in 11 BME workers are now unemployed say TUC
HR Review: The unemployment rate for BME employees has risen by 41 per cent to 8.9 per cent overall over the past year. A new analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reveals that unemployment among BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) workers has been rising at three times the rate of their white counterparts. Read Story.
Compulsory schemes could provide financial protection for employees
Employee Benefits: Mandatory schemes that include hardship support may be able to provide financial protection from economic distress caused by the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, according to research from Zurich Insurance Group and the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. Read Story.
UK workers face confidence crisis returning to work
HR Magazine: Almost two fifths (37%) of people returning to work after a year away experience a loss in confidence, creating more concerns for workplaces post-coronavirus and beyond. Extended periods away from the workplace has a gendered impact on the population as women were found to be almost twice as likely (42%) to report a knock in their confidence at work than men (24%). Read Story.
Female staff lie about days off for period pains
HR Magazine: A quarter (23%) of female employees say they have had to lie to their employer in order to take time off due to PMS symptoms. Over a quarter (26%) of females fear their period pains or PMS symptoms will not be considered a legitimate illness and therefore not a good enough reason to miss work, according a survey from period care company Yoppie. Read Story.
Single parents at risk of being left out of post-pandemic recovery, charity warns
People Management: Single parents are at risk of being left behind by the post-pandemic recovery without sufficient flexible working provisions and adequate childcare, a charity has warned. A report by Gingerbread and the Institute for Employment Studies said single parents had been one of the groups most affected by lockdown restrictions and needed to be supported and not pressured to return to work. Read Story.
Majority offer enhanced maternity and paternity pay
Personnel Today: Almost two-thirds of organisations offer enhanced maternity pay and almost the same proportion offer paternity pay that is more generous than statutory requirements. However, only a quarter offer enhanced shared parental pay, according to XpertHR. Read Story.
Make class protected characteristic, urges Social Mobility Commission
Personnel Today: The Social Mobility Commission has called on the government to make socio-economic background a protected characteristic in law after a damning report on class in the civil service. Read Story.
A third of people do not know whether their company has LGBT+ policies
HR Review: New research has found that only half of workers are confident that their company has instated LGBT+ inclusive policies in the workplace. Research by PinkNews investigates the attitudes towards LGBT+ workers and policies within the workplace, with many people still reporting they are uncomfortable with sharing their sexuality. Read Story.
25% of employees would accept pay cut for four-day week
Employee Benefits: Research by office designers MoreySmith has revealed that one in four employees would move to working a four-day week even if their wages were reduced by one-fifth. Read Story.