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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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The end of furlough will make ‘returners’ mainstream
Returner programmes – which take the concept of an internship and make it relevant to older workers who have taken a career break – have been around for a good number of years, particularly in sectors where women are under-represented. But with furlough winding down to a close at the end of September, many UK […]
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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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Flexibility isn’t just the ‘working from home’ option
We don’t yet know exactly when, but at some point in the coming weeks many of us who have been spending our working hours in the bedroom, dining room, living room or kitchen will start reconnecting with the offices we were forced to abandon more than a year ago. What form this workplace restitution takes […]
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More jobs for the young, but it’s a long way yet to go
Graduate recruitment is rebounding from the depths of last year’s plunge that has pushed long-term unemployment among the UK’s youngest workers to a five-year high, signalling a welcome respite for those who have borne the brunt of pandemic job losses. Recent research by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) found that more than a third […]
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Fathers move to the fore in debate over parental leave
It’s six years on from the introduction of shared parental leave (SPL) in the UK, yet uptake of what was meant to be progressive game-changing legislation to level out gender disparities remains stuck in low single-digit percentages. The paucity of those using SPL is such that campaigners, trade unionists and economists have united in calls […]
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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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Beware the dangers of creating a vaccination divide
More than half of UK employees in a recent survey by Glassdoor said Covid vaccinations should be mandatory for those returning to work, with 14% going so far as to state that they would hand in their notice if they were asked to return to the office before everyone has had the jab. The poll […]
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4 positive things in the world of work in 2021
Whatever industry you work in, 2020 no doubt had a big impact on your career. Whether you lost your job, were placed on furlough, had to work under new health and safety measures or switched to working from home full time, it was a year of big changes and hard adjustments. With yet another lockdown […]
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The dream employee: fact or fiction?
Is it possible to recruit a candidate who will not only perform well in their new position but fit in with your team and boost business? In other words, is the dream employee fact or fiction? Our answer is an emphatic yes. Naturally, there are challenges involved in making dreams come true. Certain criteria must […]