All Opinion articles – Page 45
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OpinionDr Thomas Calvard: The health effects of presenteeism on employees
Presenteeism, or attending work while ill, has become a subject of interest in HR practice and research over the past decade. Since 2010, as reported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in its Health and wellbeing at work survey, most recently published in May 2018, presenteeism has ...
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OpinionEmma Satyamurti: The fight continues for equal pay
That a woman should be paid the same as a man for doing the same or similar work is no longer controversial. Sadly, this does not mean that pay parity is a guaranteed feature of our workplaces. This year, we saw a recent high-profile example of this in the case ...
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OpinionKevin Yip: How can health and safety measures align with an organisation’s overall health and wellbeing strategy?
Workplace wellbeing is no longer a nice-to-have; it is an essential ingredient for creating thriving workplaces and productive organisations. More and more, we are seeing employers of all sizes investing in the health and wellbeing of their employees and looking at how to build happier and healthier workplaces.We seem to ...
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OpinionHelen Smith: Why caring commitments impact health and wellbeing
For those with family and caring commitments, balancing the often-conflicting elements of work and life can be a major cause of stress and mental health issues. Financial problems, loss of sleep, relationship breakdowns and many other triggers can affect emotional wellbeing, and all of this can in turn impact on ...
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OpinionProfessor Kirk Chang: Are incentives outdated?
There are thousands of types of incentives, but they usually fall into three main category bases: holiday, finance and workshop or training.These have been used around the world in various types of organisations, and they all have their positives and negatives. No reward system is perfect, but, in general, they ...
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OpinionCarys Roberts: Should employers encourage a four-day week to increase productivity?
Reducing working time would have many benefits for society. Since 2014, more people in the UK have wanted to reduce their working hours than increase them. A reduction in the working week could redistribute hours from those who want to work less, to those who would like to work more. ...
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OpinionKatherine Wilson: Should employers encourage a four-day week to increase productivity?
According to the 2011 census, three million people in the UK combine working with caring for a disabled, seriously ill or older relative or friend. Without the right support, the stress and pressure of juggling work and care can force people to leave their jobs. Indeed, two million people have ...
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OpinionChristine Brotherton: Should employers encourage a four-day week to increase productivity?
It was a world first when Perpetual Guardian announced in February 2018 that we were undertaking an organisation-wide trial, whereby all staff would be asked to do 100% of their work, for 100% of their normal pay, but only over 80% of the standard work week; that is, if they ...
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OpinionFrances O’Grady: Should employers encourage a four-day week to increase productivity?
It is the Trades Union Congress' (TUC) 150th anniversary, and we have marked the occasion by publishing a report, in September 2018, on the future of work.The government estimates that new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics could boost UK gross domestic product (GDP) by at least £200 billion ...
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OpinionHannah Ball: Employers need to consider national minimum wage in conjunction with TUPE employees
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has changed the way it enforces the national minimum wage following a transfer of employees under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).Since 2 July 2018, all national minimum wage liabilities are being enforced against the new employer, whereas previously the old ...
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OpinionRosie Gloster: Embedding flexible working into your organisational culture
In some organisations, employees who work flexibly can experience a lack of skills development, or pay and career progression, while workplace cultures and practices can at times leave flexible or part-time employees in isolation.This seems to be a negative outcome of the discord between HR policies and the realities of ...
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OpinionJonathan Maude: The legal perspective on flexible working arrangements
'Flexibility' is the buzzword around modern working. If employers do not embrace a flexible working pattern, they are likely to lose talent to competitors, and in the current uncertain market and economic conditions, this is the last thing they can risk. So, employers need to fully embrace flexibility for the ...
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OpinionProfessor Alex Bryson: All-employee share plans increase loyalty and productivity
Across Britain, around half of all listed organisations run some kind of all-employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), offering workers the opportunity to buy shares in the firm at discounted rates.In How does shared capitalism affect economic performance in the UK?, Bryson and Freeman, 2010, we found plan members behave differently ...
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OpinionNicola Butterworth: Agency Workers Regulations may apply to more businesses than employers think
Perhaps the most surprising element of the decision in the recent case of Brooknight Guarding Limited v Matei, published in August 2018, was that the organisation argued it was not a temporary work agency for the purposes of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (AWR). On the stark facts of the ...
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OpinionDr Shainaz Firfiray: How can employers promote employee motivation?
Motivating employees is a topic of critical importance to organisations; a motivated workforce is more productive compared to a disengaged group of employees. Meanwhile, a lack of motivation can negatively impact competitiveness, because disengaged employees can transmit skeptical attitudes across an organisation.There are a few measures organisations can take to ...
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OpinionBill Alexander: There is more to work than money in the wallet
Employers need to adjust their approach to motivation in the workplace and cannot ignore the direct link to performance, productivity and profit.It is fair to say that the majority of today's forward-thinking organisations have motivation strategies in place. However, it appears that many have the wrong approach.It is not just ...
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OpinionProfessor Vlatka Hlupic: Mindset and organisational culture can influence job-hopper retention
Job-hopping could be a choice, or it might be a necessity. In some cases, people change jobs because they are seeking new challenges, greater growth or extra income. Far too often, however, individuals switch employment because of bad management or poor retention efforts.Many job-hoppers could, therefore, be retained with proactive ...
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OpinionDr Justin Varney: Using technology as an enabler for workplace wellbeing
Technology can be an amazing enabler for personal health and wellbeing in the workplace. However, it is only useful if it is used.Many have downloaded apps in a moment of inspiration, or guilt, only for them to collect digital dust after a few days. Although trying each one may help ...
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OpinionTessa Robinson: Paid parental bereavement leave continues legislative journey
On 8 June 2018, The Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) published its response to the government's consultation on parental bereavement leave. The response will help inform the government as it considers whether grieving parents should be granted the legal right to paid bereavement leave.In March 2018, The Department for Business, Energy ...
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OpinionJohn Lamb: Assistive technology can create a better workplace for all
Organisations with a diverse and inclusive workforce reap vast benefits in terms of access to a wider range of skills, increased staff loyalty and greater customer satisfaction.One key factor in ensuring accessibility in the workplace is the use of assistive technology to enable d6isabled people to work alongside non-disabled colleagues. ...