Opinion – Page 14
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should the Flexible Working Bill go further?
When the Flexible Working Bill received Royal Assent last week, many commentators, particularly parental rights campaigners, hailed this as a huge step forward.In a nutshell, the new legislation makes several changes to the way flexible working requests will work in practice, including:Giving employees the right to make two flexible working ...
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OpinionNeha Lugg and David Lorimer: How to make work events that involve alcohol more inclusive
Alcohol-free is fast becoming not only a religious or cultural choice, but a lifestyle choice. There have also been a significant number of alarming headlines demonstrating the role that alcohol has played at workplace events, resulting in harassment or other inappropriate behaviour, and significant reputational harm.Employers should look at workplace ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Are employers meeting employees' ESG expectations?
At a time when the cost-of-living crisis means higher pay is a focus for many employees, it is testament to the ever-increasing focus on sustainability that nearly half (48%) of employees hailing from generation Z say they would consider leaving a job if their employer did not demonstrate action on ...
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OpinionPaula Squire: The issues surrounding work-from-anywhere policies
With flexible, remote and hybrid working now the norm within many UK businesses, the concept of work from anywhere has begun to take off, with employers fielding increasing requests from workers who want to pack up their laptop and log on from a tropical beach or a new bustling city.This ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: It's good to talk
When was the last time you spoke to each member of your team? And how about colleagues from other departments across the business?This week, it was really brought home to me how easy it is to feel that you have been in touch with colleagues and friends, without actually speaking ...
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OpinionStephen Morrall: How flexible working trends have developed since lockdown
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 ...
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OpinionLaura Tracey: New guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health
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, ...
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OpinionRuari Grant: CDC schemes are a new protagonist in workplace pensions
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 ...
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OpinionCharlotte Dodge: Clifford Chance supports men's health with range of benefits
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 ...
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OpinionMartin Williams: Amazon’s term-time contracts come with a new set of problems
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 ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Celebrating with the best
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. ...
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OpinionKatie Ash: Can a flexible-working request be reversed?
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 ...
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OpinionMel Duffield: Could conditional indexation deliver high value pension benefits?
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 ...
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OpinionKeely Rushmore: Proposed changes to holiday pay for temporary workers
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 ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Who is caring for unpaid carers?
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 ...
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OpinionNaomi Brown: Should pension scheme trustees think of their members as customers?
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 ...
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OpinionYvonne Gallagher: Deliveroo rider worker status appealed at Supreme Court
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 ...
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OpinionSusannah Bottriell: Will government guidance on ethnicity pay reporting create more equal workplaces?
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 ...
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OpinionPaul Gilshan: Are employee benefits as important as salary?
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 ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Extending support for neonatal care
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 ...