Opinion – Page 24
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OpinionMandy Garner: Good parental leave policies are key to talent retention
The starting point for supporting pregnant women and parents returning from extended parental leave must be an empathetic culture where people feel valued, where line managers have the information they need to support staff, and where that support is recognised by their own managers.When it comes to policies, it is ...
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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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OpinionEmma Mamo: Employee mental health has never been of more importance for employers
As we pass a year since the initial lockdown, it’s a good time for employers to reflect on staff wellbeing and the support offered by their organisations. This time last year, many of us found ourselves hastily packing up our things in the office and began working from home for ...
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OpinionSusan Kelly: Don’t discount changes to Tupe just yet
We’re barely a couple of months into our post-EU lives, and already there has been strong speculation about how workers’ future protections might change.Just a few weeks ago came the news that business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was reviewing job protections; a move much criticised as signalling the start of the ...
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OpinionRandall Peterson: Remote working has changed the rules of motivating employees
Think back to a time not so long ago when working from home felt like a real privilege. If an employee had the right type of job, and the trust of the boss, they were granted the opportunity. The great 2020 pandemic changed all of that and employers the world ...
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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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OpinionKris Weber: Legislative changes could see pension scheme members lose out
Corporate failures have for many years adversely impacted both the defined benefit pension schemes operated by ailing entities, and the ‘member outcomes’ of those using them to save for retirement. 'Anti-avoidance' then became a big thing and The Pensions Regulator's (TPR’s) powers are soon to be further widened when the ...
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OpinionKatharine Moxham: The group risk market has risen to the challenges brought by Covid-19
The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic really has brought our human frailty to the fore. Both employers and their people have realised that during their working life there’s a real chance of dying, being extremely ill or being left with a lasting health condition as a result of contracting Coronavirus. The group ...
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OpinionPaul Hollick: The future of company cars is electric
There’s something that sounds like a common-sense argument about perk cars being made in some quarters during the pandemic. It says that people currently working from home who never really needed a company car for their job won’t want to pay tax on that vehicle and are pushing for a ...
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OpinionLouise Skinner and Lee Harding: The government’s Spending Review plans for April
Due to come into force from April 2021, the details of the UK government’s Spending Review 2020 on health, education, transport and public services, were particularly high-profile this year due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. While NHS staff are expected to receive a pay rise based ...
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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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OpinionAndrew Barnes: A four-day working week concept is a benefit for employer and employee
From a simple idea we implemented at my company, Perpetual Guardian, in New Zealand in 2018, the 4 Day Week has evolved to be a global phenomenon. The concept has now been discussed in more than 87 countries, with active campaigns in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States, ...
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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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OpinionKatie Davenport: CJRS changes to allow furlough of working parents
Following closure of primary and secondary schools on 5 January 2021, HMRC amended its guidance on which employees can be furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). An employer can now furlough an employee if they are unable to work, whether in the workplace or from home, because they ...
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OpinionRob Yuille: A look at the pensions dashboards progress
Tuesday the 19th of January saw the Pension Schemes Bill overcome the last legislative hurdle before being signed into law by the Queen. While it covers many areas, some of the most hotly contested were the clauses regarding pensions dashboards.The Association of British Insurers (ABI) and others have already been ...
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OpinionNigel Peaple: Pensions dashboards will give people more control over their savings
After a long wait the Pension Schemes Bill will soon officially enter into law, having passed through the Parliament stage on 19 January.Among strengthening the powers of the Pensions Regulator, enabling a stronger funding regime for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes and allowing the creation of collective defined contribution (CDC) ...
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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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OpinionNick Gilbey: Turning IR35 changes into an opportunity
The new IR35 changes, also known as the Off-Payroll Rules, come into effect on 6 April 2021. As UK organisations struggle to maintain a flexible labour force while attempting to rebuild following the pandemic, employers that use limited contactors will now face a tax and regulatory change that has caused ...