All Opinion articles – Page 7
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OpinionRhiannon Barnsley: Automatic-enrolment act is no cure for the epidemic of under-saving
The Royal Assent of the Pensions (Extension of Automatic-Enrolment) Act marks a significant development in the UK pension landscape. There are notable changes that could shape the retirement savings framework for certain employers and employees, but more needs to be done to fix the consistent under-saving for retirement that is ...
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OpinionAdrian Crawford: Bankers’ bonuses uncapped
The bankers’ bonus cap has been scrapped in the UK from 31 October 2023 as a post-Brexit measure reportedly designed to liberalise City pay and boost the competitiveness of the UK as a financial centre.First introduced by the European Union in 2014 in response to the 2008 financial crisis, the ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Will the removal of the bankers bonus cap drive change in remuneration structures?
Is it better to pay a reasonable basic salary and place a cap on bonus payments, or to pay a lower fixed wage with the scope to earn a much larger bonus payout? This is the question that has arisen this week following the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) announcement that ...
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OpinionColin Godfrey: Supreme Court ruling on unlawful wages deduction from unpaid or underpaid holiday pay
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in the important case of Chief Constable of Northern Ireland v Agnew. In a judgment that will be welcomed, the Supreme Court has determined that, in a claim by an employee for an unlawful deduction of wages arising from unpaid ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting domestic abuse survivors
One in five people over the age of 16 have experienced domestic abuse of some kind, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics in November 2022. This means that in any workplace, or indeed, within the majority of teams, statistically, you may well know someone who is ...
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OpinionJenny Arrowsmith: The growing issue of menopause in the workplace
HM Courts and Tribunal Service’s June 2023 data revealed an increasing number of employment tribunal cases citing menopause as a contributing factor. There has been a steady rise in cases over the past few years. In 2017, there were five cases, increasing to six in 2018 and seven in 2019. ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Do employees feel comfortable seeking mental health support?
Tuesday 10 October marked World Mental Health Day, a day aimed at talking about mental health and demonstrating to everyone that mental health matters. This year’s theme for the day was ‘mental health is a universal human right’, which aligns with the messages of many workplace mental health strategies.As ever, ...
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OpinionLaura Tracey and Rubina Kakuji: How to support your employees during Baby Loss Awareness Week
Baby Loss Awareness Week is held every year in the UK from 9 – 15 October and is a time for people to come together to commemorate the lives of babies lost in pregnancy or at or soon after birth.Regardless of the stage of the pregnancy that loss occurs, it ...
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OpinionAudrey Williams: How can EU equal pay regulation benefit UK workers?
The government has confirmed that it will ensure European Union (EU) derived protection under equal pay laws will remain in place for employees and workers. It is important to remember the assurances given previously, that leaving the EU would not have the effect of eroding employment rights.This has come under ...
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OpinionChristopher Hitchins: The impact of The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023
In a bid to address the new types of working patterns that are associated with the gig economy, the government’s long-awaited private members’ bill entitled The Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 has received Royal Assent in the House of Lords.The bill, which forms part of the government’s 2017 ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: The power of strong ESG credentials
How far do your employer’s values and ethics align with your own? And to what extent does this consideration influence your decision to accept a role with an organisation?Research published this week by recruitment firm Resource Solutions found more than a third (39%) of respondents over the age of 55 ...
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OpinionSarah Clay: Should pension schemes trace missing members?
Many pension schemes will have missing members to whom benefits are due but cannot be paid as they are not contactable.As people move house, change their name or change their contact details, they may update as many organisations as they can with their new details. But what happens if they ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting staff who are childless not by choice
This week (11-17 September) is World Childless Week, which is aimed at raising awareness of those who are childless not by choice.According to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in January 2022, in the UK, 18% of women who reach the end of their childbearing years do ...
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OpinionDanielle Ayres: How employers can ensure future resilience for workplace absences
It is crucial to ensure employers have crystal clear practices and policies for managing employee absences. Employers which properly invest in handling absences in the right way will see a marked improvement in staff performance, retention, productivity and business resilience.Absence management is central to ensuring ongoing business operations, helping minimise ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Dreaming of enhancing sleep quality
Do you get enough sleep? This is a question I frequently ask of myself, especially since becoming a parent five years ago. If it isn’t children waking in the night, good intentions for an earlier bedtime are often thwarted by a seemingly never-ending list of household chores, life admin and ...
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OpinionKris Weber: The impact of BBC v Christina Burns on pension costs
BBC v Christina Burns concerns the ability of employers to amend their old-fashioned and prohibitively expensive defined benefit pension schemes to make cost-saving changes. Often this is done by closing a scheme to future accrual, so members no longer earn any further benefits in it. The court said the BBC ...
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OpinionHelen Burgess: Back to school and the impact on employees
It’s nearly that time of year again where parents and their children start planning for the return to or start of school. The school day and the typical 9am to 5pm working schedule are not aligned and parent employees may request to change their start and finish times permanently, or ...
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OpinionTony Ark: Invesco supports UK workforce with comprehensive health benefits
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has long recognised that great health and wellbeing is a core enabler of employee engagement and organisational performance. Promoting wellbeing by taking a proactive approach to benefits that help prevent stress and create a positive working environment is therefore a priority for ...
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OpinionAmanda Trewhella: Supporting employees with menstrual health and menopause transition
Women’s health, and in particular the menopause transition, is a topical issue that has finally received significant coverage in the media during the last year or so.In the UK there are currently no legal regulations specifically requiring employers to provide support to people affected by menstruation issues or the menopause. ...
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OpinionLee McIntyre-Hamilton: How to make cross-border remote working successful
Cross-border remote working has never been easier for employees. However, the same cannot be said when it comes to employer compliance.First and foremost, employers need to ensure that their employees have the legal right to work in the overseas country. Employees may need a visa or work permit. Also, employees ...