At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 6- 12 August 2021

Here are the headlines you might have missed between 6-12 August 2021.

Only one third of employers are using data to tailor their benefits for staff, Buck research finds
Incentive & Motivation: Only one third (36%) of employers are applying the data and insights gathered from their benefits platforms to tailor their offerings for staff, according to research from Buck, an integrated HR and benefits consulting, technology, and administration services firm. However, over half (53%) say that increasing personalised benefits would help their employees, which suggests this issue needs to be a primary focus. Read Story.

Firms are neglecting key parts of remote recruitment strategies that help attract and retain key talent
Incentive & Motivation: According to Omnipresent, an Employer of Record that helps organisations employ people globally, firms are largely unprepared for the barriers they encounter when hiring employees in remote locations – particularly when hiring overseas. Read Story.

Hospitality sector offering more employee benefits
HR Magazine: Over 93,000 EU workers have left the UK’s hospitality sector in the last year, and now the industry is offering better pay and more flexibility to attract more staff. Paying above the living wage (90%), offering flexible working hours (85%) and flexible shift patterns (83%) are now the top three most commonly offered benefits in the sector, according to recruiter Caterer.com. Read Story.

57% of staff say their employer welcomes flexible work
Employee Benefits: New research has found that only 57% of employees believe their organisational culture embraces flexible work, compared to 75% of executives. The 2021 Gartner hybrid work employee survey of 4,000 people revealed a perception gap between individuals and their managers on a range of working conditions. Read Story.

Urgent cancer referrals outstripping 2019 levels
Healthcare & Protection:  Ministers have revealed that urgent cancer referrals within the NHS are significantly outstripping the levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic hit as the backlog of patients start coming forward. According to NHS data published in March 2021, around 37,000 fewer people than would be expected since March 2019 had started a first treatment for cancer. Read Story.

Long Covid hits 380,000 people for at least year
Healthcare & Protection: Official data shows 380,000 people have been suffering symptoms associated with long Covid for a least a year. The latest Office for Nationals Statistics data covering the period to 4 July 2021 also found 835,000 people saying they had Covid for at least 12 weeks. Read Story.

41% of employers list pensions as a perk
Employee Benefits: Despite being a legal requirement, only 41% of employers listed pensions as a perk that potential employees can expect if their application is successful. Communications provider Moneypenny analysed 1,000 job advertisements on Indeed.com to discover the most popular and unique benefits on offer, as well as the industries that boast the greatest number of perks. Read Story.

Covid jab hesitancy declines among young
Healthcare & Protection:  Hesitancy to get a Covid vaccination has declined among younger age groups, according to official data. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for the period 23 June to 18 July 2021 revealed vaccine hesitancy among 16 to 17 year olds has fallen from 14% to 11%, from 9% to 5% among 18 to 21 year olds, and from 10% to 9% among 22 to 25 year olds. Read Story.

59% think physical healthcare should be prioritised
Employee Benefits: New data has highlighted that more than half of expatriate employees believe their workplace healthcare packages should prioritise physical health over mental wellbeing. The research from insurance business Aetna International, which included responses from expatriates in multiple markets around the world, revealed that 65% of those with dependent children were the ones who largely believed that their employers’ healthcare packages should focus on physical wellbeing. Read Story.

Remote health consultations will almost double in four years
Healthcare & Protection: The number of teleconsultations such as virtual GP appointments carried out across the globe is set to increase by 80% over the next four years, according to a report from Juniper Research. The report Telemedicine: Emerging Technologies, Regional Readiness & Market predicted remote consultations will grow from 422 million this year to 765 million in 2025. Read Story.

Almost half of young people feel the pandemic has harmed their long-term career prospects
Workplace Insight: With A level results day marking a new cohort of young people entering the toughest labour market for a generation, the CIPD launches its One Million Chances campaign. Read Story.

Employees ignore Sunak’s calls to return to offices
HR Review: Despite the recent lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, new data suggests that workers are refusing to take heed of the Chancellor’s calls to return back to offices.  New data released by Remit Consulting shows only a marginal amount of workers have chosen to listen to the Chancellor’s wishes of staff returning to the office in light of lockdown restrictions being lifted. Read Story.

Mid-Senior Level jobs offer the best remote work opportunities
Workplace Insight: Scotland and Wales are the two UK countries where the most companies offer remote work positions at 2.96 percent and 2.48 percent respectively, according to a new study by the AA. Read Story.

Half of professionals working longer hours at home, poll finds
People Management: More than half of Brits worked longer hours when working from home than before the pandemic, a poll has found. The survey of 8,301 professionals and employers conducted by Hays found that 52 per cent reported working longer hours when working remotely than before Covid. Of these, a quarter (25 per cent) reported working more than 10 extra hours a week, while another two in five (41 per cent) said they put in between five and 10 extra hours a week. Read Story.

Returning to the office isn’t enough to create social wellbeing, employers warned
HR Review: New research highlights the need for employers to formulate efficient wellbeing strategies, looking past simply returning to the office as a way of reconstructing morale. A new study by Tictrac, an employee wellbeing platform, warns employers that physical proximity may not be enough to foster significant social wellbeing in the workplace. Read Story.

Employers failing to fully utilise group risk support packages
Corporate Adviser: One in five employers do not offer any form of support for newly ill or injured staff according to research from Group Risk Development (Grid). Of those that do, Grid found that on average they only facilitate three types of support for staff in this position, when often a far broader support packages is required to help employees either stay or return to work. Read Story.

Employment tribunals increasingly concerning menopause
Cover magazine: Employment tribunals concerning menopause have increased four-fold since 2018, according to the latest data from female health advocacy group Menopause Experts. In the UK, five employment tribunals referenced menopause in 2018 before increasing to six in 2019. There were 16 in 2020 and with six in the first half of 2021 alone. Read Story.

COVID-19 fuels early retirement for fifth of 50+ Brits
Cover magazine: One fifth of British workers over the age of 50 (22%) are bringing forward their retirement plans as a direct result of the pandemic, according to new research from WEALTH at work. The financial education workplace provider has conversely found 13% of workers have decided to delay their retirement as they enjoy working. Read Story.

Health of loved ones biggest stress for Brits
Cover magazine: The health of loved ones, such as partners and children, have been identified as the biggest stresses for Brits, according to research from MetLife UK. In an analysis of consumer views of financial protection, the insurer conducted a survey of 2,000 UK adults.  Read Story.

CIPD chief slams government’s ‘mixed messages’ on homeworking
Personnel Today: CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese has joined the ranks of those accusing the government of sending out mixed messages over working from home. Cheese, who is also co-chair of the government’s Flexible Working Taskforce, said: “There seem to be slightly mixed messages because across the civil service there has actually been a lot of talk about embedding flexible working – the different departments being given the latitude to explore working from home”. Read Story.

UK women hit by gender pension gap at every stage of their career
HR Magazine: The gender pension gap is already at 17% at the beginning of a women’s career and increases to 56% towards their retirement. Research by Legal & General (L&G) has found there is always a difference in pension pot sizes between genders, even at the start of men and women’s careers. Read Story.

Half of working mums feel trapped in their job because of inadequate childcare, survey finds
People Management: Nearly half of mothers feel trapped in their current roles because of the poor availability of childcare, a study has found. A poll of 2,000 UK mothers, commissioned by Koru Kids, has found 45 per cent feel that a lack of before and after school care, also known as ‘wraparound care’, is preventing them from being promoted in their role. Read Story.

Emotional abuse at work is more significant than we think
Workplace Insight: While society has become more aware of psychological abuse in intimate or family relationships, psychological abuse in the workplace is more common and complex than we think, according to new research from NEOMA Business School, Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) at Erasmus University and Durham University Business School. Read Story.

‘Great Resignation’ sweeps across UK job market
HR Review: The UK workforce are beginning to rethink their career priorities, fuelling a ‘great Resignation’ in the job market. This is according to new research from SD Worx, who found that employees are eager to change roles in search of better benefits. Read Story.

Women and minorities facing “corporate side-lining” in FTSE 100 firms
HR Review: A new report highlights that whilst diversity has generally improved within the top companies, many women and people from minority backgrounds are still being sidelined for the most senior positions. A new analysis conducted by Green Park, a consultancy centred around D&I, has found that ethnic minority groups as well as women are still being consigned to positions which are less likely to culminate in C-suite roles. Read Story.

Quarter of employers refuse sick pay for Covid vaccine side effects
Cover magazine: A quarter of UK companies have not been providing company sick pay to staff who are off work due to side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine. A survey of 2,000 businesses carried out by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) found that 26% had not been paying full sick pay to staff members who had taken time off following the Covid-19 jab and with no plans to change this. Read Story.

Furlough figures hit lowest point since scheme began
Cover magazine: The number of people on full or partial furlough has fallen to less than 4%, the lowest proportion of businesses’ workforce since the furlough scheme began. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 3.7% of the nation's workforces were on furlough in July. This was down from 20% in January.   Read Story.

Remote working to become the norm for most UK businesses
Cover magazine: UK employees are likely to work from home an average of 2.8 days each week, a Crown Records Management study has found. The study, which asked employers about their working from home plans, showed 35% expected staff to continue home working for three days a week for the foreseeable. Read Story.

Staff may work 2.8 days a week from home in future
Employee Benefits: UK businesses believe employees will work from home an average 2.8 days each week, according to a new survey. National digital transformation business Crown Records Management carried out the research, which asked employers across the country for their plans regarding working from home. It revealed that 35% expected staff to work three days a week from home. Read Story.

Half of Employees feel happier in their jobs since working remotely
Engage Employee: Globalization Partners, which makes it fast and easy for companies to hire anyone, anywhere within minutes, via its global employment platform, today announced the findings of its third annual Global Employee Survey. Read Story.