At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 9-15 July 2021
Here are the headlines you might have missed between 9-15 July 2021.
Office mask policies redundant as advisers embrace flexible working
Healthcare & Protection: A mask wearing policy seems to becoming redundant as more and more advisers embrace flexible working. Earlier this week, Health & Protection quizzed insurers up and down the country to find out about their mask policies ahead of 19 July when it is expected that the the legal obligation on wearing a face covering will be removed. Read Story.
Rishi Sunak urges staff to go back to the office
Personnel Today: Chancellor Rishi Sunak wants as many people as possible to return to offices as soon as work from home guidance is lifted on 19 July. He said that young workers especially have been disadvantaged by remote working during the pandemic and highlighted that there is a benefit to employees being with their colleagues in workplaces. Read Story.
Fatal injuries at work increased during pandemic
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Plus: The number of workplace fatalities in Great Britain increased last year, with the rate of fatal injury remaining highest in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and waste and recycling. Some 142 workers were killed in work accidents in the 12 months to 31 March 2021 according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – an increase of 31 on the previous year. Read Story.
Requests for sick notes jump 78%
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Plus: The number of requests for sick notes leapt in May according to an on-demand GP service. Gogodoc reported a 78% increase in requests for sick notes compared with April. Twenty-two per cent of these requests related to stress, 18% to anxiety, and 12% to depression, which the GP service said highlighted just how much the pandemic has affected workers’ mental health and wellbeing. Read Story.
More employers join push to get staff vaccinated
Personnel Today: A number of employers have joined forces in a further government-backed push to ensure as many people as possible receive the Covid vaccine. Amazon, Molson Coors, Sky and Three UK are the latest companies to join the list of employers publicly committing to encourage vaccinations among staff. Read Story.
Four in five against four-day week on lower pay
Personnel Today: Four in five UK workers would be against a four-day working week if it meant taking a pay cut – especially those in routine and lower-paid roles. According to the Social Market Foundation (SMF) think-tank, only 11% of workers would be happy to take a pay cut in order to work less, while 80% would be opposed to it. Read Story.
CBI urges self isolation rethink from ministers
Personnel Today: Employers’ body the CBI has called on the government to bring forward changes to Covid self-isolation rules to 19 July rather than wait until 16 August. Firms have reported that their plans to open up from 19 July are in disarray because of the number of employees having to self isolate as the number of new cases rises particularly among younger people. Read Story.
Employees less career focused post Covid: Aviva
Corporate Adviser: Almost one in two employees say they are now less career focused as a result of Covid-19, while more than a third say their work/ life balance has improved since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Read Story.
Working from home during pandemic has taken toll on mental health
Workplace Insight: New research by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) claims there are links between working from home during the pandemic and increased levels of loneliness and mental distress. NatCen analysed data from interviews carried out with 8,675 people before the pandemic and in May, July and November 2020 for the Understanding Society COVID-19 survey. Read Story.
Lisa early exit charges triple as a result of Covid
Corporate Adviser: Early withdrawal charges imposed on lifetime Isas have more than tripled over the past year, as investors accessed their savings in response to the pandemic. Under a freedom of information request wealth manager Quilter found that withdrawal charges stood at £33m in the 2020/21 tax year, compared to £10m in 2019/20. Read Story.
Professional qualifications bill makes hiring more complex, experts warn
People Management: Business groups and other experts have called on the government to revise draft legislation for recognising the qualifications of foreign professionals post Brexit, warning that the current version could cause problems for firms that are recruiting. Read Story.
Pandemic drives UK businesses to improve parental leave
HR Magazine: Employers are three times more likely to offer generous and extended parental leave than three years ago, according to new research by job site Indeed. While employers are legally obliged to give new parents paid leave, the number of job descriptions mentioning staff benefits over and above the statutory minimum has continued to rise. Read Story.
Unions urge government to rethink the end of mask mandate
People Management: Unions have urged the government to rethink plans to end the mask mandate in England as the prime minister confirmed previously outlined plans to lift the last of the lockdown restrictions on Monday. Read Story.
Purpose, responsible business and diversity key priorities for companies
Workplace Insight: Organisational purpose, responsible business practices and diversity are growing in importance at Board level and for HR teams, as employers make the connection between good environmental, societal and governance practices and business growth, according to survey findings from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) and Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB). Read Story.
Four in five employees feel colleagues aren’t heard equally
Workplace Insight: As organisations increasingly struggle to retain their current workforce as well as hire fast enough to keep up with consumer demand, new research from The Workforce Institute at UKG exposes a troublesome gap between employee voice and employer action that — if left unresolved — can disengage workers, fuel turnover, and hinder business performance. Read Story.
Line managers failing to enact ESG and diversity commitments
Corporate Adviser: More than nine out of 10 companies see more responsible business practices being a key driver of future growth, according to new employee benefit research. However, the findings suggest that for this to be effective, more needs to be done to embed good environmental, societal and governance practices within the wider workplace. Read Story.
Greening pension ’57x more impactful than going vegan’
Corporate Adviser: Greening your pension is 21 times more impactful in tackling climate change than going vegan, stopping flying and moving to a renewable energy provider, according to Make My Money Matter. Research from Make My Money Matter, Aviva and Route2 reveals that making your pension green is the single most effective action an individual can take to reduce their carbon footprint. Read Story.
‘Gradual return to work’ expected over summer
Personnel Today: A ‘gradual return to work over the summer’ is expected rather than a rush back to the office en masse, the prime minister said has he confirmed that all legal Covid-19 restrictions will end on 19 July. Read Story.
‘Team building boom’ as companies turn to away days to engage
Incentive & Motivation: A New Forest location that specialises in family activities and corporate “away days”, New Forest Activities believes that team building is the ideal way to break down barriers in new working environments. Read Story.
Employer support drops for FTSE 350 DB pensions
Employee Benefits: Employer support for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes has fallen to levels similar to those at the start of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Read Story.
‘Illogical’ government easing and ‘inconsistent’ guidelines mean employers should encourage mask wearing – Square Health
Healthcare & Protection: Employers would be well advised to continue to encourage the wearing of masks if government isn’t prepared to mandate their use, according to the co-founder of Square Health. Read Story.
Gender equality critical to post-pandemic profits
HR Magazine: Gender parity is crucial for COVID-19 recovery, as new research reveals women in senior roles outperform male-run companies by nearly 40%. Released today (14 July), a new report by diversity and inclusion specialist The Pipeline has found gender equality in the FTSE 350 is needed to progress the UK’s COVID-19 financial recovery. Read Story.
Report recommends ethnicity pay gap disclosure
Personnel Today: Systemic racism persists in England, according to a report submitted to the United Nations by the race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust. The report argued that the findings of the recent government-backed report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were misleading and that outcomes for ethnic minority groups had worsened over the last five years. Read Story.
Excess deaths drop to record low despite rising Covid cases
Corporate Adviser: The mortality rate fell to a record low during the second quarter of 2021 according to the latest Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) figures. The CMI, an independent body under the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, has been publishing frequent mortality analysis since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Read Story.
Widespread ignorance of pension access changes
Corporate Adviser: Seven out of 10 adults are unaware that the age at which they can access their pension will increase in the near future. From 2028 savers will have to be 57 before they can access their pension savings. Currently these can be accessed at 55. But research by Aegon found 68 per cent of adults were completely unaware of these changes. Read Story.
A fifth of staff do not know how their employer supports them in ill-health
Workplace Insight: A fifth (19 percent) of employees do not know how their employer would support them if they were absent through ill-health or injury, 16 percent think that their employer provides no support and nine percent said they would only receive Statutory Sick Pay of £96.35 per week. This is according to new research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector. Read Story.
Half of UK staff would quit their job if not given flexibility post-pandemic
HR Review: A new survey reveals the importance of providing flexibility post-pandemic – with almost half of UK employees stating they would quit their job without this. New research by EY shows that just under half of staff (47 per cent) in the UK workforce would quit their job if their employer failed to provide work flexibility post-pandemic. Read Story.
53% offer salary sacrifice to non-company car drivers
The number of employers offering salary sacrifice to non-company car drivers has increased as a result of low tax rates on electric vehicles (EVs), according to a new report by Arval Mobility Observatory. Read Story.
Acas publishes new flexible working guidance
HR Magazine: Acas has published new flexible working guidance ahead of 'Freedom Day' on 19 July when most COVID-19 restrictions will end in England. The body encouraged employers to have open conversations with employees about how they want to work going forward in the guidance. Read Story.
Skills shortages a worry as vacancies return to pre-pandemic level
Personnel Today: Job vacancies in the UK leapt in April to June 2021, reaching almost 10% above pre-pandemic levels, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. The number of vacancies, an estimated 862,000, reached its highest in 15 months in the last quarter. This was 9.9% above the figure for January to March 2020 and 38.8% higher than January to March 2021. Read Story.
Avoid ‘class divide’ in flexible working, TUC warns
Personnel Today: The TUC is warning employers not to create a “class divide” by overlooking the flexible working needs of people who must be present in a workplace, as Acas publishes guidance on hybrid working. The union body’s general secretary Frances O’Grady said that “every worker in every job should be able to work flexibly” and urged the government to publish its long-awaited consultation on rights to flexible working from day one. Read Story.
Workplace return guidance offers ‘little to dispel confusion’
Personnel Today: The government has published guidance around the return to workplaces in England this summer, outlining ‘sensible precautions’ employers can take to manage Covid-19 risk and support their staff. Read Story.
Blog post alleges sexual harassment and misogyny in advertising sector
Personnel Today: A senior advertising agency figure has exposed the extent of sexual harassment, assault, misogyny and discrimination in the industry. In a blog post, Mad men, furious women, Zoe Scaman suggests that the industry is losing female talent in droves because many are leaving for the sake of their own wellbeing, are being forced out by toxic cultures, or dismissed by their employers after they start a family or speak up about mistreatment. Read Story.
Millions of UK women reconsidering career options to allow more flexibility
Workplace Insight: New research from beauty company Avon claims that nearly half (46 percent) of UK women are currently reconsidering their career options to allow more flexibility. Read Story.
£10k state pension in sight under surging pay projections
Corporate Adviser: The flat-rate state pension could top £10,000 a year if current wage increase projections are borne out, presenting the Chancellor with a triple lock headache that could add billions to public spending. Read Story.