Opinion
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OpinionPeter Finding: Changes as a result of the Employment Rights Bill
After much fanfare, with the common thread that the prevailing employer and employee dynamic is in need of change, the new government’s Employment Rights Bill has been published.
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OpinionAmanda Glover and Jesse Akiwumi: Potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill
Source: Clarkslegal Jesse Akiwumi and Amanda Glover from Clarkslegal The Employment Rights Bill aims to put an end to exploitative zero-hour contracts. The bill introduces a requirement for employers to offer workers, on zero-hour or low hour contracts, the ability to move to guaranteed hours. ...
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OpinionJames Townsend and Elizabeth Coyle: Dealing with equal pay tribunals
On 22 August 2024, an employment tribunal held that Next discriminated against more than 3,500 female store staff by paying them lower hourly wages than male warehouse operatives. Sales consultants received lower pay of up to £3 per hour, meaning their average annual salary differential was more ...
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OpinionMartin Williams: The impact of Amazon mandating a return to the office
Amazon recently announced that it wants all staff to return to the workplace and no longer work from home. Granted, those in the warehouses do not work from home, but there are a large number of keyboard workers who do. How easy is it for employers to ...
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OpinionLovewell’s logic: Embracing authenticity
It was lovely to see so many of you at this week’s Employee Benefits Live. I always find the event invaluable for meeting new contacts, catching up with old friends and delving into the current trends in reward and benefits. Over the course of the two days, I had so ...
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OpinionJennifer Roberts: How can employers encourage staff to save money?
At Central Co-op, we recognise that helping our employees with their financial wellbeing is an essential part of our staff wellbeing programme, called ‘We’ve got you’. Encouraging employees to save begins with creating a culture that prioritises financial health. At Central Co-op, we leverage our Difference Maker ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: The right to switch off from work
How easy do you find it to switch off from work? Although this is not a new issue by any means, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the blurring of boundaries between work and home life has become more pronounced as a greater number of employees spend at least ...
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OpinionRichard Branson: Prepare for proposed increases to national minimum wage
In April 2024, the previous Conservative government increased the national minimum wage (NMW) for people over the age of 23 from £10.42 per hour to £11.44, a rise of 9.8%. The NMW rate for 21 and 22-year-olds also moved to £11.44 per hour from its previous rate of £10.18, representing ...
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OpinionAmanda Glover: Impact of new flexible working laws on employees
The employment law changes that came into effect in April 2024 are likely to have been overshadowed for many by the general election and the multitude of proposed employment law changes that have been put on the table by the Labour party.The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which came ...
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OpinionConfessions of a benefits manager: Candid reviews the reward strategy
It is always the way when Big Bad Boss comes back from a seminar; he gets a rush of enthusiasm for making changes. Well, not so much for making them, but for making me make them. This time he wants me to review the reward strategy. Now as it happens, ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting staff through troubling times
Current unrest across the UK mean this is a worrying and frightening time for many. The violence and ongoing threat of further unrest is extremely unsettling, even for those that have not been identified as potential targets.Although the actions of anti-racism protestors and local communities which came together against the ...
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OpinionPatrick Glencross: Reforms to employee holiday rights
Calculating annual leave and holiday pay for employees can be challenging, particularly for those who work irregular hours. The government has this year introduced significant changes to simplify the rules on holiday rights as part of its reforms to a range of employment rights that have developed from years of ...
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OpinionPaul McGrath: Understanding employment law reforms
The King’s Speech on 17 July saw the new UK government reaffirm its commitment to introduce new employment legislation in Parliament within its first 100 days in office. The government plans to do this with a new Employment Rights Bill, that is intended to deliver on the wide range of ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Are employers rethinking DE&I provision?
Has diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) become too ‘woke’? Earlier this week, this was the claim of some commentators after technology giant Microsoft was reported to have laid off some of its DE&I team.In a leaked email seen by Business Insider, an internal DE&I team leader reportedly wrote that the ...
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OpinionMerrill April: What employers need to know about changes to Tupe Regulations 2006
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (Tupe), the UK law which implemented the Acquired Rights Directive into UK law, require that an employer acquiring the employees and possibly workers of another must honour their terms and conditions, including holiday, pay and other benefits, with very limited exceptions.While ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Watching the Labour government bed in
We are now just over a week on from the Labour party storming to victory in the UK’s general election. The last time the UK moved to a Labour government after a period of Conservative rule, I was still at school and remember teachers trying to explain the significance of ...
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OpinionKevin Gude: Why should employers consider a corporate healthcare trust?
Employer-funded healthcare trusts are an established, tax-efficient way to deliver the benefit of medical treatment to employees without having to buy employer-paid health insurance.Traditional insurance involves paying an insurance firm a premium, including 12% in tax, that reflects the insurer’s prediction that claims will be made by employees, as well ...
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OpinionDebbie Coyne: Managing Euro 2024 and staff leave
With Euro 2024 football fever sweeping the country, employers are once again facing the age-old conundrum of balancing productivity and business operations with giving their staff the chance to watch their nation at a major summer tournament.Legally, employers are not obliged to provide time off for employees to watch Euro ...
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OpinionAndrew Rhodes: How to establish policies on belief and expression to avoid claims
With general election campaigning getting underway in the UK and US, as well as the continued culture wars all feeding into increased political polarisation, there is a considerable risk of disagreements spilling into the workplace.In response to this risk, employers should establish or review their internal policies on political beliefs ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Time to celebrate
Today (Friday 14 June) sees one of my favourite events of the year take place: the Employee Benefits Awards and Summer Party.Even though it feels like summer is yet to truly arrive this year, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work and achievements of so many ...