Opinion – Page 8
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OpinionDr Vanessa Beck: There is still a long way to go to normalise menopause conversations in the workplace
Menopause in the workplace has become a much more common subject of public discussion, but what has not yet been established is whether this makes any difference to individuals and their workplaces. Drawing on three surveys conducted with the general public between June and July 2018 as a baseline survey; ...
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OpinionEmma Swan: Vaccine passports could prove more than a customer problem for hospitality
Requiring customers to produce vaccine passports could create employment law problems for hospitality businesses.If hospitality and leisure venues such as pubs, restaurants and cinemas request customers to produce a vaccine certificate, there’s also a reasonable argument that they should require the same of employees. Staff at these venues will be ...
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OpinionRhona Darbyshire: Employers should review their remote working policies
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is planning to conduct a public consultation later this year on strengthening workers’ rights in relation to flexible and remote working, according to a recent report in The Times.This news comes as the Work after lockdown research project, published by the ...
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OpinionSally Wilson: Global workforces are facing similar health and wellbeing issues
Amid a constant news feed about the differential impact of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) on individual countries it is easy to forget areas of commonality: regardless of geographical location, the issues facing employees are similar. The ‘work at home if you can’ message has been heeded by much of the developed world ...
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OpinionVictoria Von Wachter: Untangling the knot of furlough leave entitlement
Many industries are gearing up to reopen on 12 April, bringing furlough to an end for thousands of employees.As Prime Minister Boris Johnson provides hope that borders may reopen on 17 May, these employees may be wondering how their previously furloughed status will affect their annual leave entitlement.Can employees expect ...
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OpinionAbi Frederick and Paul Norris: Employers have a duty to support home workers
Employers have a duty to take steps that are reasonably necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of homeworkers. The risks include feelings of isolation, a lack of supervision, issues arising from prolonged use of display screen equipment, working long hours and taking inadequate breaks. Employers need to ...
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OpinionCharles Cotton: Employers are likely to take a targeted approach to pay post-Budget
The focus of this year’s Budget was on supporting lives and livelihoods. For instance, to help protect jobs, the furlough scheme was extended to September, while to support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) invest more in IT and improve management capability, the Help to Grow initiative was launched.In terms of ...
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OpinionKavitha’s keynote: A year of home working
This week marked the one-year anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown and, for many employees, it was also the first anniversary of their unexpected shift to full-time home working.While there is no doubt the pandemic has presented numerous challenges for employers – largely due to the very sudden need to ...
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OpinionDebbie Sadler: Can employers insist on Covid-19 vaccination?
With the UK’s Covid-19 (Coronavirus) vaccination programme now in full swing and starting to get down to those who are of working age, there has been growing interest about whether firms can follow a ‘no jab, no return to office’ policy.Now that offices can potentially re-open by mid-June, there is ...
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OpinionDr Carolyn Axtell: Remote working requires regular wellbeing conversations
As a result of restrictions during the pandemic, more people are working from home and are using online meeting platforms to collaborate with others. There are some efficiencies and benefits related to this way of working as people don’t have to travel between meeting rooms and can flip from meeting ...
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OpinionDr Rea Prouska: How can employers meet staff benefits needs in the current environment?
The current Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and Brexit crises are creating multiple challenges for employers. While business survival takes precedence in employer agendas, there are crucial employee consequences that also need to be addressed. These include the impact of adverse working conditions on employee motivation, job satisfaction, performance, productivity and on ...
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OpinionRanjit Dhindsa: What do employers need to plan for 2021?
It's been said that 2020 was an unprecedented year, but perhaps 2021 will be an even bigger test. Last year, businesses had to deal with the final countdown to Brexit coupled with a pandemic that still continues to plague the world.This year, employers will again need to juggle a number ...
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OpinionNick Pahl: Employers should review their approach to health and wellbeing support
Are employers providing the right benefits going forward? It is crucial help is offered to employers so they can shift quickly to offer the correct benefits to maintain employee health and wellbeing.We know the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is having a major impact on how and where we work. Are benefits ...
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OpinionIta Waller: More needs to be done to support the long-term health of employees
Last year fundamentally challenged long-established certainties about what we think is safe and what we believe to be healthy.The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic brought many changes and challenges to our working lives that we neither predicted nor planned, and people who experienced health conditions before found their feelings were intensified.The health ...
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OpinionDr Lynda Shaw: Employers need to prioritise employee health and wellbeing
We have been living in a heightened state of fear and stress due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. The best leaders at this time are not just visionaries, nor are they simply those who are able to make decisions quickly and adapt to changing circumstances. The best leaders in ...
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OpinionAlexandra Evreinoff: A truly inclusive benefits strategy can be an effective support mechanism
Employers already know that offering a competitive compensation package is one of the most effective ways to attract and retain talent. What’s often overlooked, however, is the opportunity to better support their workforce by ensuring their employee benefits strategy is truly inclusive.While compiling a new strategy, employers should keep relevance ...
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OpinionSusan Gee: Yorkshire Water has support in place for employees with long Covid
Supporting employees with long-Covid symptoms is an emerging challenge for employers as the symptoms are varied, with some being more easily recognised than others. For example, breathlessness, fatigue and cognitive impairment appear to be common.At Yorkshire Water our approach to supporting employee health has always been person centred, and while ...
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OpinionShalina Crossley: Employers need to be aware of how to support staff with long Covid
Since the start of the pandemic, a significant minority of people have reported long-term adverse effects related to Covid-19, often referred to as long Covid. While we do not have medical clarity about its effects and duration yet, reported symptoms include fatigue, pain, headaches, breathing difficulties, muscle weakness, lasting fever, ...
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OpinionDiane Lightfoot: Government support for disabled staff
Since the start of the pandemic, the government has announced a series of funded measures aimed at supporting the long-term unemployed and young people to find work. While these measures offer vital opportunities for many people struggling to access employment and pay during this time of economic uncertainty, disabled jobseekers ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Out of sight, out of mind?
Throughout 2020, Employee Benefits’ daily email alerts have been filled with stories of employers introducing or enhancing the support they offer for their workforces as life changed significantly as a result of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. But is this true of all organisations, particularly as many battle for survival amid ...