Opinion – Page 3
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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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OpinionNigel Peaple: What does the new government's reform agenda mean for UK pension schemes?
The government’s pensions reform agenda could reshape the rewards and benefits landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for employers. So, what could this mean for the UK workforce? The newly announced pensions review presents an opportunity to improve pension adequacy. Likely to be considered during 2025, employers ...
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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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OpinionSarah Tahamtani: Supporting and celebrating neurodiversity in the workplace
The Buckland Review of Autism Employment, published in February 2024, identified that autistic jobseekers often struggled due to generic job descriptions which they could not satisfy, interview questions and approaches which were not adapted to fit their needs and challenging sensory environments.What is clear, is that there is a significant ...
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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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OpinionSamantha O'Sullivan: Employers need to prepare for P11D changes
It is no surprise the government is mandating the payrolling of benefits in kind (BIK) and expenses, with paper P11D submissions being abolished in April 2023. However, mandating payrolling of BIKs was introduced by a previous government; will Labour agree and pursue an implementation date of April 2026?Employers need to ...
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OpinionJemma Forrest: Domestic violence leave and why it is not coming to the UK
Ireland has introduced the right to five days of paid domestic violence leave annually, to help those affected by abuse access the medical visits, legal advice and counselling they may need.It is unusual for Ireland to lead the UK on employment law, but the UK government has since confirmed it ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Is there a disconnect around health and wellbeing?
Employee wellbeing is a top priority for many employers, but how many can say that their health and wellbeing provision is truly living up to its full potential?Two separate pieces of research published this week suggest that while employers are investing in supporting their workforces’ health and wellbeing, this often ...
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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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OpinionLovewell's logic: Solving the summer holiday childcare conundrum
The school summer holidays: a time that can incite both excitement and dread among working parents. Like so many others, this week I embarked on the juggle that this time of year so frequently involves.As well as experiencing guilt at working (along with a serious fear of missing out) while ...
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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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OpinionKate Langton: How can employers create a culture of fun?
Kate Langton is chief people officer at Phoebus Software
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OpinionGeorgina Cameron: How can employers create a culture of fun?
As a B Corp, looking after the Lily’s Kitchen team is hugely important to us. Having fair and robust HR policies to support our employees is only part of the equation. We strive to enable and empower everyone on our team so that they feel able to work to the ...
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OpinionMaranda Ridgway: How can employers create a culture of fun?
The rapid pace of change and pressures to continually increase productivity have led to rising levels of mental health problems that have negatively impacted personal and working lives. One response that organisations have adopted to combat work-related mental health issues, such as stress and fatigue, is to ...
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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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OpinionConfessions of a benefits manager: Candid takes charge of the benefits intranet page
It is a quiet time right now in reward; in between annual enrolment and various renewals, we can work on things that have fallen to the bottom of the pile. For months I have been wanting to get my hands on the benefits intranet site, so now is my chance.I ...