Opinion – Page 9

  • flexible working trends
    Opinion

    Stephen Morrall: How flexible working trends have developed since lockdown

    2023-07-12T08:00:24Z

    With the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill moving closer to becoming law, employees are set to benefit from a positive reform of employment rules which reflect growing trends toward flexible working across the UK.Under current legislation, a person who has 26 weeks of continuous service with their employer can request ...

  • mental health
    Opinion

    Laura Tracey: New guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health

    2023-07-05T08:00:27Z

    Mental health problems are and continue to be a significant concern and employers have not only a moral, but a legal obligation to help protect and support employees who may be suffering from such issues.Employees may find mental health conditions difficult to talk about and even try to conceal them, ...

  • Ruari-Grant-PLSA
    Opinion

    Ruari Grant: CDC schemes are a new protagonist in workplace pensions

    2023-06-30T09:31:57Z

    As of April this year a new protagonist appeared on the UK workplace pensions scene, when the Royal Mail collective pension plan was authorised. Collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes, part of pensions regimes in other countries, offer that middle ground many employers might find attractive, as they transition away from ...

  • Charlotte-Dodge-Clifford-Chance
    Opinion

    Charlotte Dodge: Clifford Chance supports men's health with range of benefits

    2023-06-30T05:00:43Z

    Research shows that men visit the GP 32% less than women during working years, that one in five men die before they retire, and it is estimated that 50% of premature male deaths are preventable. These sort of statistics are the reason why Clifford Chance launched Peppy Men's Health last ...

  • Amazon flexibility
    Opinion

    Martin Williams: Amazon’s term-time contracts come with a new set of problems

    2023-06-28T08:00:33Z

    The idea proposed by Amazon to offer contracts that revolve around term-time working is an interesting one. At first glance it can seem generous, allowing a degree of flexibility for workers who find school holidays a difficult time to balance work and childcare.However, Amazon is not being totally altruistic. It ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Celebrating with the best

    2023-06-23T05:00:02Z

    Today (Friday 23 June) marks one of my favourite events in the Employee Benefits calendar: the Employee Benefits Awards and Summer Party.All year round, we cover some of the fantastic initiatives and strategies employers have put in place for their employees, so relish the chance to celebrate these in person. ...

  • flexible working
    Opinion

    Katie Ash: Can a flexible-working request be reversed?

    2023-06-21T08:00:20Z

    For many, the Covid-19 crisis is starting to feel like a distant memory. However, there are still changes to the way we live and work today that were influenced by the restrictions that were put in place. The biggest example in employment law is the shift to working from home.Employers ...

  • Mel-Duffield-USS-press-office
    Opinion

    Mel Duffield: Could conditional indexation deliver high value pension benefits?

    2023-06-15T05:00:15Z

    There has been much recent discussion in the UK about whether there are new ways of sharing pension risks. These might potentially give greater stability of outcome and cost than the current very distinct alternatives of either defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution (DC) pension schemes.Much of this discussion has ...

  • rolled up holiday pay
    Opinion

    Keely Rushmore: Proposed changes to holiday pay for temporary workers

    2023-06-14T08:00:09Z

    In a bid to reduce the administrative burden on employers, the government has announced plans to allow rolled-up holiday pay. The plans were set out in the Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy policy paper published in May 2023 and are one of a number of changes proposed to the ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Who is caring for unpaid carers?

    2023-06-09T10:02:27Z

    How many employees in your organisation have unpaid care responsibilities? Between 2010 and 2020, more than 1.9 million people in paid employment became unpaid carers each year, according to Census data. One in seven carers, meanwhile, juggle work and care, according to Carers UK’s report State of caring, published in ...

  • Naomi-Brown-Sackers-KBPR
    Opinion

    Naomi Brown: Should pension scheme trustees think of their members as customers?

    2023-06-09T05:00:22Z

    How was your pension scheme experience today? We are all used to businesses telling us that we are valued customers, asking us for feedback, how likely we would be to recommend them to a friend, or simply to rate our experience by choosing from 🙂😐☹️.But is it time for pension ...

  • Deliveroo Supreme Court
    Opinion

    Yvonne Gallagher: Deliveroo rider worker status appealed at Supreme Court

    2023-06-07T08:00:03Z

    The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents a number of riders working for the app-based delivery service Deliveroo, has appealed to the Supreme Court seeking support for its claim that it should be entitled to be recognised by Deliveroo for the purposes of collective bargaining rights for ...

  • ethnicity pay reporting
    Opinion

    Susannah Bottriell: Will government guidance on ethnicity pay reporting create more equal workplaces?

    2023-05-31T08:00:06Z

    Following the UK government's commitment in March 2022, on 17 April this year it published its guidance on ethnicity pay gap reporting. Unlike gender pay gap reporting, ethnicity pay reporting is voluntary. Many elements of the government’s guidance align with gender pay gap reporting guidance, particularly the calculations. The guidance ...

  • Paul-Gilshan-Tusker-comms
    Opinion

    Paul Gilshan: Are employee benefits as important as salary?

    2023-05-30T05:00:02Z

    Employee benefits are an important aspect of any job, but can be overlooked when thinking about changing roles. Depending on those on offer, benefits can be just as valuable as a pay rise, and in some cases, even more valuable.It is quite natural for us to focus on salary. After ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Extending support for neonatal care

    2023-05-26T10:16:50Z

    The birth of a child can be life changing. Having the time to adjust to new family dynamics and get to know their newborn is, therefore, vital for new parents. However, not every pregnancy and birth goes as parents envision.Every year, more than 90,000 babies are cared for in neonatal ...

  • divorce
    Opinion

    Subecca Sheikh: How can employers support staff going through a divorce?

    2023-05-24T08:00:29Z

    A year has passed since the introduction of the no-fault divorce. The idea behind it was to pave the way for amicable collaboration, easing negotiations and overall reducing the mental health impact of divorce. It was a way to make the process manageable and approachable.The law was set to forge ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Should the office be the default working environment?

    2023-05-19T10:08:35Z

    The working-from-home debate was reignited this week following Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s comments that the office should be the default location for workers, unless they have good reason to work from home.Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference, Hunt said that despite the exciting opportunities offered by working from home, ...

  • AlisonHeatonJoannaPowis
    Opinion

    Joanna Powis and Alison Heaton: Is a four-day week the future of work?

    2023-05-17T08:00:24Z

    Coming out of the pandemic, there has been an increased focus on work-life balance, mental health and wellbeing, and employers’ roles in supporting staff on these fronts. Employers in some industries have also seen a talent war emerge as they find it harder to recruit and retain the best employees.These ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Why dying matters

    2023-05-12T08:55:41Z

    This week (8-14 May) was Dying Matters Awareness Week. Part of Hospice UK’s Dying Matters campaign, the week was launched with the aim of encouraging people across the country to come together to speak about death, dying and grief in the workplace.According to research by Marie Curie, Respecting and supporting ...

  • Maternity protection
    Opinion

    Michelle Hobbs: Maternity protections are on their way

    2023-05-10T08:00:56Z

    The Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill is expected to receive its final reading in the House of Lords imminently, and should be passed into law soon.The bill aims to extend current protections from redundancy for expectant and new mothers, and introduce new protections for those taking and returning from ...