At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 31 May - 6 June 2019
The headlines you might have missed between 31 May - 6 June.
Half of workers struggling to pay soaring fuel costs
HR News: New research released today by employee benefits provider GettaSub has found that almost half of UK employees (44%) are struggling to afford fuel prices in order to get to work. Read Story.
Unlimited Time Off, Paid Sabbaticals and Spontaneous Days Off Are Among Creative Summer Employee Perks, Reveals New XpertHR Report
HR News:In today’s competitive labour market with a low unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, employers are doing all they can to engage their employees, particularly during the summer, says a new XpertHR report on summer perks. Read Story.
Long commutes cost businesses 20 MILLION days of staff productivity each year, research shows
Health Insurance & Protection: Long commutes are having a significant impact on people’s health and cost UK businesses an estimated £5.3bn, an analysis shows. Read Story.
NICE guidance urges better communication of sickness absence policies
Personnel Today: Organisations should implement and clearly communicate policies for reporting and managing sickness, according to new guidance from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), to ensure that uncertainty around the process is minimised. Read Story.
Average pay packets £3k higher than 2 years ago as employers increase spending on staff
Onrec: Advertised pay rates have increased by more than £3,000 over the past two years, despite Brexit uncertainty, according to the latest UK Job Market Report from job search engine Adzuna. Read Story.
Bad bosses creating toxic workplaces
HR Magazine: As fresh allegations emerge of bullying and toxic work cultures in high-profile organisations, research has found that bad bosses are largely to blame. Read Story.
More than a fifth would move job for a better benefits package
Employee Benefits: More than a fifth (22%) of respondents would consider changing jobs just to get a superior benefits package, according to research by employee-paid benefits provider Benni. Read Story.
61% believe the minimum wage should be equal across all age groups
Employee Benefits: Employee Benefits poll: Three-fifths (61%) of respondents believe that equal pay should be available across all age groups, with a universal minimum wage. Read Story.
HR role among best for work-life balance
HR Grapevine: HR business partners, recruiters and research fellows were among the top 15 best jobs for work-life balance in the UK according to new research. Read Story.
Pension savers who follow the crowd could lose out by £2m
The Telegraph: Millions of people have their pension invested in ready-made funds run by some of the biggest names in British finance that, if left unchecked, risk leaving them hundreds of thousands of pounds worse off in retirement. Read Story.
Most workers say they could do their job in a four-day week
People Management: Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of UK workers have claimed they could do their job to the same standard over four days as they do in five, according to a new report. Read Story.
Strengthen support for staff with neurological conditions, report urges
Personnel Today: Employers will need to become more aware of the needs of staff with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and migraine as the working population gets older, a report has recommended. Read Story.
Half of staff support pay transparency to promote equality
Personnel Today: More than half (56%) of staff would be happy for pay information to be made publicly available in order to tackle pay inequality. Women were more comfortable with the idea of pay transparency, with 58% supporting this compared with 54% of men, according to a YouGov survey of 2,000 UK employees. Read Story.
Half have spotted signs of stress among colleagues
HR Magazine: UK workers are being urged to take a more active role in their colleagues’ mental wellbeing, with almost half (49%) having spotted signs of stress among colleagues. Read Story.
'New mothers should be given £2,000 pension boost'
ITV.com: New mothers should be given a £2,000 pension boost so that they are not disadvantaged when they reach retirement, researchers say. Consumer organisation Which? found women who take time out to raise a family save an average of £15,000 less than those who do not take a break. Read Story.
Employees ‘want Silicon Valley-style tailored benefits’
Health Insurance & Protection: Multinational businesses that fail to offer more flexible employee benefits packages will struggle to attract and retain staff in an increasingly competitive market, a report has warned. Read Story.
Women less likely to negotiate on a job offer than men – and they’re paying the price
HR News: A survey taken by CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, reveals the key differences between men and women in the workplace, with the main trend showing that men are less afraid to ask for what they want from an employer. Read Story.
Grads in retail are most vulnerable to poor mental health, according to new research
HR News: According to the latest research by 10x Psychology, graduates in retail show the highest signs of poor mental health, with this sector scoring lower than any other industry. Read Story.
Union calls for mandatory disability pay gap reporting
Reward Strategy: The TUC is calling on government to introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting to help close the disability gap. Read Story.
Employees with cancer ‘want help returning to work’
Health Insurance & Protection: The majority of cancer patients want to return to work when they are feeling well enough, but require support and flexibility from their employer, according to RedArc. Read Story.
Employers favour workers that are adaptable, resilient and willing to learn
Onrec: New research from leading job board, CV-Library, reveals the key skills that employers are favouring right now, including the ability to adapt (71.5%), resilience (57.5%) and being able to balance your work and personal life (29.2%). Read Story.
Failure to understand employees creates culture of mistrust
Workplace Insight: Employees trust their CEOs less than they did seven years ago, although trust in line managers remains the same, new research claims. Read Story.
Brits choose festivals over holidays as their summer must-have
HR News: A fifth (20 per cent) of Brits are set to choose a festival over a holiday this year, with 32 per cent now seeing a live entertainment event as their main trip for the summer, new research by Barclaycard has found. Read Story.
One in eight Britons have skived off work to go on holiday
HR Review: New research has found that 12 per cent of Britons have taken unscheduled time off work to go on holiday. The reasons for doing so were found to be running out of annual leave, too many people being off at the same time and it being too short notice to book off. Read Story.
One third of businesses failing to support neurodiverse workers, report suggests
People Management: One in three businesses is failing to support workers with neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyscalculia, dyslexia and Asperger’s, research has suggested. Read Story.
Majority of employees now participating in a workplace pension
People Management: Almost nine in 10 UK employees were saving through a workplace pension last year, according to the latest government figures: a rise experts have largely credited to the introduction of auto-enrolment. Read Story.
Room for improvement in workplace volunteering, new research finds
Onrec: The experiences of people who give their time through employer-organised or employer-supported activities, known as employer-supporter volunteering (ESV), are positive but lag behind those who arrange their own volunteering, a new report from NCVO finds. Read Story.
4 in 10 believe their company doesn't value development
HR Grapevine: A recent study conducted by Instructure has highlighted a significant disconnect between many companies’ perception of employee development programmes, versus what employees feel they need. Read Story.
70% of staff want employers to boost sustainable practices
HR Grapevine: Almost three quarters of office workers (73%) want their employer to improve sustainability policies, according to new research. Read Story.
Rising medical costs fuelling ‘smarter’ healthcare decisions
Health Insurance & Protection Daily: Increasing medical costs are encouraging health insurers to help their members make smarter healthcare choices, research suggests. Read Story.
Workers urged to take up spin classes or yoga to fight obesity
HR Review: Employers should encourage staff to take up lunchtime spin classes or yoga in a bid to tackle obesity, health officials said. Other workplace measures mentioned include stand-up meetings, making staircases more attractive than lifts and telling workers to take a break and take a walk. Read Story.
Employers in the North West are failing to develop their workforces, contributing to UK’s growing skills shortage
Bdaily: New research from leading skills body City & Guilds Group has revealed that workers across the North West are being denied critical opportunities to upskill for the future. Read Story.