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Tag: Return to work

A fifth of Brits are indifferent to meeting colleagues

Only 3% want to go in the office more

New research has revealed that a fifth of UK employees don’t prioritise meeting colleagues in person.

However, the TravelPerk survey, which explored hybrid working patterns, cites a healthy 58% feel meeting in person is important because it creates a sense of belonging to the team.

  • 43% think it boosts creativity
  • 23% want to go into the office less
  • 3% wanting to go into the office more

The survey revealed that 69% of workers are required to go into the office a certain number of days per week or month. Of those, 28% work five days a week from the office compared to those that work four days (9%), three days (22%), two days (24%) a week or less (16%).

Only a small minority felt that hybrid working encourages better communication with their team (8%) and a better relationship with their boss (7%). A third use their time in the office for 1-1 meetings with their manager or team, followed by meeting new team members (30%). In-person meetings are also used for brainstorming or strategy sessions (22%), social events (20%), large meetings with multiple people (16%) and workshops or skill development sessions (13%).

The survey, is based on a sample of 1,000 UK employees working from an office or home. Almost half of hybrid workers like it because they spend less time commuting and have more quality time. Of those, 34% say they are more productive – 29% enjoy the balance of time at home and interacting with colleagues in the office, 27% say it has a positive impact on their mental and physical health and 15% are comfortable with their workstation setup.

Avi Meir, CEO, TravelPerk said: “Technology will never replace the magic and energy that exists when people get together in person. That’s why so many businesses are keen to encourage workers to return to the office and why many employees are embracing it – because the meetings that matter, happen in person.

“The need for in-person connections is deeply rooted in who we are as human beings, and this comes through very clearly in the survey. Those in-real-life connections enable meaningful interactions, business opportunities and team success stories, which are necessary for businesses to thrive.”

Visit www.travelperk.com for more information.

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Budget speech focusses on childcare and the return to work for the over-50s

A returnship of enhanced skilled programmes more appealing to the older workforce will be implemented 

According to Jeremy’s Hunt’s budget speech, the UK will now not enter a technical recession this year as previously modelled (didn’t pandemic modellers teach us anything?) by with independent forecasters, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), agreeing. Another big win for consumers and corporations alike is that inflation is expected to more than halve and reduce to 2.9% by the end of the year.

From a workforce perspective, a lot of the Chancellor’s Budget Speech specifically focused on two distinct groups of people – working parents and the over-50s and their much-coveted return to work? And for those he’s done quite a bit…

Parents who work 16 hours a week with children aged nine months to five years, will be given 15 hours of free childcare to encourage caregivers to enter the workforce. This will, however, be staggered from April 2024 to ensure enough places. Children up to two years old will get 15 hours free from April 2024, children from nine months up will benefit from September 2024, and from September 2025 every single working parent of a child under five will have access to 30 hours free childcare per week.

This is sure to free up those grandparents who have become caregivers to grandchildren and will therefore be in a position to re-enter the workforce – even in a part time capacity.

Off the golf course and into the workforce

The Chancellor will go even further and offer a new apprenticeship, called a ‘returnership’ that will be created for those aged 50 and older wanting to return to work. Mr Hunt said it will make existing skills programmes more appealing for older workers and focus on previous experience.

There has long since been a call by TA leaders for those over 50 to return to the workforce. They bring with them transferable skills and invaluable experience that could most certainly solve some of the problems organisations are experiencing amid talent shortages.

So, whilst there are still many challenges facing the wider workforce, not least around immigration and productivity, these two measures offer some practical and hopefully rapid relief to two of the most pressing challenges.

Ken Brotherston, CEO at TALiNT Partners commented: “For some time we’ve been saying that the workforce/talent agenda isn’t just something that has never been more important but is actually the most important issue organisations face and it seems the Chancellor agrees with us.

Rarely has a budget been more focussed on the issues of helping employers find and keep the people they need and support for families with young children (code for ‘get more women into work’) and the ‘returnerships’ for us oldies will hopefully stimulate employers more generally to think differently and more creatively about how to build the workforces for today’s economy.”

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Workers are resisting the call to return to the office

New candidates less likely to work remotely

UK’s Net Employment Outlook has fallen to +25% for Q4, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS). This figure shows a decrease of eight percentage points compared to Q3 and six percentage points year-on-year.

The MEOS is the most comprehensive employment survey of its kind and is used as a key economic indicator by the Bank of England and the UK Government.

The survey reveals that hiring confidence is still positive across all sectors, but new candidates have less bargaining power, with employers focussing on retaining their existing workforce.

In the survey, 2,030 UK employers were asked whether they intend to hire additional workers, maintain their current headcount, or reduce the size of their workforce in the coming quarter.

For the second quarter in a row, the Banking, Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate sector are in the lead with a Net Employment Outlook of +40%. This, however, is a decline of nine percentage points in Q3 and nine percentage points year on year.

Looking specifically at London, employers report an Outlook of +28% for Q4. This is a decline of 13 percentage points since last quarter. In Q1, employers in London were least likely to ask employees to work in the office full-time. Empty office space in London increased by 51% since the beginning of the pandemic, showing that working from home remains popular despite the increased cost of living, making working from home less affordable.

Chris Gray, Director at ManpowerGroup UK, said: “Employers are keen to get people back into the office, however employees still have a lot of bargaining power.”

“Over the last 12 months we have seen employers offer unprecedented benefits, from hefty signing bonuses to fully remote working, in order to attract skilled candidates. However, as demand for new workers cools, candidates are less able to secure these benefits – but many existing employees don’t want to give them up. One of our clients saw 75% of employees decline new contracts that didn’t guarantee fully remote work. This leaves employers engaged in a balancing act of keeping their existing employees happy while phasing out remote work for new candidates.”

“We’re seeing a shift from candidates holding all the cards to employers now having the leverage to ask candidates to come into the office – at least some of the time. Existing employees are more likely to have the bargaining power to retain their home working benefits, but new candidates will increasingly see pandemic-era benefit offers in the rear-view mirror.”

“As household energy bills hit record levels, trends may shift slightly with existing employees keeping their options open where possible to maintain their bargaining power. Decisions on whether to go back into the office will be based on individual circumstances. This is especially true for employees who moved away from big cities where commuting is most costly.”

“Despite the shift in power from candidates to employers, the fight for talent is still firmly underway, and employers need to meet candidates half-way to attract the best talent. That means offering sustainable benefits like increased annual leave and flexible working arrangements alongside increases in pay.”

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Over two-thirds of workers will return to office if employers pay for the commute

New survey looks at popular issues facing the future of work

According to Emburse’s new YouGov survey of 1,000 British office workers, it was found that 68% of British office workers would consider working from the office full-time if their commute was fully paid for. However, 27% of respondents wouldn’t consider coming back into the office full time, even if costs were covered by their employers.

The survey revealed that two-thirds agreed that Wednesday was the best day to work from the office if given a choice. On the other hand, Friday was the least popular office day at only 10%.

The top incentive to go back to the office was a four-day workweek (59%). Other findings related to incentives included:

  • Fully-paid commute: 52%
  • More paid holidays: 51%
  • Employer-paid lunch in the office: 30%
  • Reimbursement for lunch expenses: 24%
  • Paid childcare on workdays: 14%

The survey also found that most are not concerned about proximity bias, but 24% worry about career prospects.

Kenny Eon, GM and SVP EMEA at Emburse, commented: “The impacts of COVID and the Great Resignation mean that companies need to be more employee-centric in their approach, and humanising the workplace has never been more important. Part of this means ensuring team members get the best possible work environment. Whilst working remotely is certainly convenient for employees, there are clear benefits of having in-person interactions, as well as the cultural importance of bringing teams together. Data clearly shows that they are more productive than audio or video meetings, so there needs to be a balance between convenience and productivity. A relatively small investment from employers could have a significant impact in driving more in-office collaboration.”

“Given the sharp increase in the cost of living, businesses should consider how they can support staff by reducing the financial burden of attending the office in-person. Reimbursing travel and lunches can certainly help do this. It also doesn’t have to mean endless time on paperwork, as expense apps can make the process easy for both the employee and the finance team.”

With inflation reaching a 30-year-high of 7% and national insurance hikes, clearly, commute costs are deterring workers from returning to the office.

Employers will need to observe and respect their employees’ preferences to create a hybrid working arrangement to shape and maintain a productive workforce.

 

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Return to the workplace: Seven steps to manage stress

COVID-19 restrictions are lifting, and workplaces are reopening, but recent research reveals that three-quarters of UK workers fear going back into the workplace because it poses a risk to their health and safety. David McCormack, CEO of employee benefits and outsourced payroll provider HIVE360, says employers should take a simple seven-step approach that will support effective management of the workforce’s return to work.

Seventy three percent of workers admit they fear a return to the workplace. Responsible employers need to take action to support workers and ease their worries, to ensure they feel secure and comfortable whenever in the workplace, and know they have their employer’s support and commitment to maintain a safe environment.

The foundation to this is our seven-step return-to-work action framework:

  1. Communicate: Ensure workers know it’s ok to feel anxious about the return to the workplace. Encourage them to talk about their feelings so you can reassure them and take any additional action to ease any worries.
  2. Stay in touch: Make a point of checking in with staff regularly and ask how they are coping.
  3. Be flexible: For those feeling uncomfortable about being in the office, give them the option to continue working from home some days each week. For those anxious about a busy commute to work, be open to an early or late start and finish time for the working day.
  4. Be safe: People are counting on their employers to help them get back to work safely, and by putting employee health, safety and wellbeing at the heart of the return-to-work planwill help reduce any stress or anxiety:
  • Be COVID-19 aware, safe and secure. Employers have statutory duties to provide a safe place of work as well as general legal duties of care towards anyone accessing or using the workplace
  • Carry out a risk assessment of the entire workplace and implement measures to minimise these risks
  • Create a clear policy of behaviour in the workplace and share it with all employees. Policies should include the rules on wearing facemasks, social distancing, hand washing and sanitising, with the relevant equipment available to all. Include clear instructions on what people should do if they or someone they live with feels unwell or tests positive for COVID-19.
  1. Be caring: With concerns about the effects of COVID-19 on society and the economy, mental health is a growing problem, but people continue to feel uncomfortable speaking about it. This is unlikely to change, so make time to show you are an employer that recognises and understands by introducing and communicating the tools, support and measures available to them to help address any fears. Give them access to specialist healthcare resources, information and health and wellbeing support.
  2. Encourage work/life balance: Poor work/life balance reduces productivity and can lead to stress and mental health problems, so build-in positive steps to help the workforce achieve it by encouraging sensible working hours, full lunch breaks, and getting outside for fresh air and exercise at least once a day.
  3. Tailor solutions: Show that you understand that everyone’s personal situation is different and that you will do your best to accommodate it. Remind people of their worth as an employee, and the positive attributes they bring to the team.

Added benefits

Employee health and wellbeing support and benefits are a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have’. Onboarding and career progression, reward and recognition policies, training and development, employee benefits, work/life balance initiatives, financial, mental health and wellbeing support, are all essential components of an effective employee engagement strategy. Together, they improve and maintain a positive working environment.

HIVE360 is an expert in recruitment agency PAYE outsourced payroll. Our HMRC-compliant solution guarantees a speedy, transparent service, with no nasty fees for workers. It also delivers efficiency gains from payroll, digital payslips, pensions auto-enrolment and pay documentation support.

HIVE360 goes further. Our unique, customisable employee pay, benefits and engagement app Engage is provided as a standard element of our outsourced payroll solution. It gives workers access to an extensive range of health and wellbeing benefits and employee support services, including:

  • 24/7, confidential access to mental health support, counsellors and GPs
  • Thousands of high street and online discounts
  • Huge mobile phone savings
  • Online training resourcesand access to the HIVE360Skills Academy
  • A secure digital payslips portal
  • A real-time workplace pension dashboard to support employees’ financial wellbeing.
  • An incident reporting system to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace, which allows workers to – anonymously – raise serious issues or concerns with their employer directly through the app.

HIVE360 is a GLAA (Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority) license holder and is championing a new model of employment administration, redefining employment and pension administration processing. Visit: www.hive360.com

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Vaccine rollout boosting confidence in return to work

The rollout of the vaccination programme is a key factor influencing whether or not workers feel confident returning to their workplaces, according to new research.

A survey of more than 2,000 employed adults carried out for insurer Aviva in March and April found that 71% felt optimistic about going back to work due to the success of the vaccination campaign, up significantly from a previous survey carried out just after November’s lockdown.

Only 50% of respondents were optimistic about going back to work in the survey carried out in the five days ending December 1, a week before the UK’s inoculation effort kicked off on December 8.

Chris Andrews, Director of Risk Management Solutions at Aviva, said: “The vaccine rollout has had an enormous benefit to employee confidence in returning safely to the workplace.”

However, separate research from Ezra suggested that the speed of the rollout alone is not enough to convince workers – they also want to know specifically how this translates to their own workplace.

Its survey of more than 1,000 office workers found that only 51% felt confident going back to work if either they or their colleagues weren’t required to have a vaccination.

In recent months there has been much debate about the legality of ‘no jab, no job’ policies and the result would seem to be that many employers are steering clear of such policies.

Ezra’s research found that 80% of respondents did not have to be vaccinated before returning to work, while 17% were unsure of their company’s policy regarding vaccination.

This left 28% of those surveyed saying they weren’t confident about returning to work, while 21% were on the fence about it.

Nick Goldberg, Founder of Ezra, said: “It’s understandable that many of us might feel anxious about returning to the workplace while the threat of Covid remains such a big part of our day to day lives. Unfortunately, at these early stages we’re having to do so in the knowledge that either ourselves, or our colleagues, might not be fully vaccinated and remain vulnerable.”

Safety high on the agenda

While enforced vaccination may be off the cards at most offices, the Ezra research suggested employers were taking other measures to help workers feel safe.

These included socially distanced workspaces and a reduced number of staff onsite for 20% of respondents, the removal of social events for 14%, a requirement for PPE at work for 10% and a restriction on the use of communal spaces and kitchens for 10%.

One of the least commonly employed measures was weekly Covid tests, with only 6% of respondents reporting these were being used at their workplace.

However, the Aviva research suggested that workers may be more willing to undergo testing than is perhaps assumed by their employers.

Three-quarters of those surveyed by the insurer said they would be happy to be tested for Covid-19 for work, and only 7% said they would be uncomfortable with such a requirement.

But even without widespread testing, the majority of respondents in that survey felt their organisations had taken the necessary steps to allow them to return to work safely. Only 13% said they still had concerns about their health and safety at work related to coronavirus.

“Our research found that 80% of employees who have been working or furloughed feel confident their workplace is safe and that their employer has standards that they meet to keep employees and the public safe. This is a significant, positive step in our journey back to working normally,” said Aviva’s Andrews.

Photo courtesy of Canva.com

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