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Lowest-paid should be able to access flexible working
A poll by the TUC has highlighted there may be an “emerging class divide” in the future of flexible working arrangements. The poll found that 60 per cent of people in higher-paid occupations had worked from home during the pandemic, compared to 23% of people with low-income roles. The union body is arguing that “working […]
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Job quality holds steady, but at arguably meagre levels
While much has changed in the world of work during the past 15 months of Covid, some things have remained the same, one of which appears to be the quality of employment available in the UK. Surveys conducted as part of the 2021 Good Work Index produced by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development […]
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Conundrum of the mysteriously shrinking workforce
Crazy though it may seem when unemployment is so high, research has suggested that one of the biggest hurdles to economic recovery from the pandemic could well be a shortage of skilled workers. A recent report produced in conjunction by KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation found that the availability of labour has fallen […]
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Poverty wages don’t add up to good business strategy
In-work poverty is not new, but in years past, the link between unemployment and extreme financial hardship was far stronger than it is today. Continuing job losses as the furlough programme starts winding down will undoubtedly tip more people over the edge of “just about making it”, but the problem was getting worse even before […]
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Workplace conflicts costing UK businesses billions
From genuine differences of opinion through to ill-timed banter, microaggression and right up to the fireworks of a full-blown clash of personalities, conflict has always been a feature of the workplace. To a certain extent friction is unavoidable, and even beneficial, as the change and innovation required for organisations to thrive will always create a degree of […]
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Hidden furlough divide threatens workplace stability
With lockdown restrictions now easing, the hope is that many of those who remain on furlough will be going back to work in the coming weeks. The natural assumption is that those who do will feel an intense sense of relief, however new research has revealed that further difficulties could be on the horizon. The […]
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Unsettled workers eye up their options for the future
More than a year of lockdown has left many feeling restless, and not just for a night on the town, a long drive in the country, or a holiday abroad. According to a new poll by Aviva, 60 per cent of UK workers are planning to shake up their professional life as a direct result […]
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Employers should play part in helping younger talent
Analysis from the Learning and Work Institute and The Prince’s Trust has found that youth unemployment will cost the UK nearly £7 billion in lost national output next year. On top of this, the report predicts that the cost to the Treasury of higher spending on benefits and lower tax revenues will amount to an additional […]
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Older workers delay retirement because of pandemic
New research by merchant banking group Close Brothers has found that one in five older workers in the UK have had to delay their retirement because of the current pandemic. The survey of 2,000 workers uncovered that 19 per cent of those aged between 65 and 75 and also that 14% of those aged between […]
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Time for straight talking on racism in the workplace
The time has come to have an open and honest conversation about race in the workplace. In fact, the discussion is well overdue. Recent research from the TUC found that a third of ethnic minority workers felt they had been unfairly turned down for a job, compared to just 19 per cent of white workers. […]