Tag: workplace

Fewer than 3% of job ads on offer in March offer support to women

According to new research from Adzuna, UK employers are failing to prioritise supporting women in the workplace, with fewer than 3% offering benefits necessary to help them thrive.

Adzuna analysed over a million job ads advertised in March 2023 which revealed the number of postings promoting perks aimed at women – and the dire need for employers to step up.

Overall, only 29,501 of the 1,043,451 job ads available cited perks aimed at retaining women in the workplace and supporting them to thrive. Only 17,638 ads promoted enhanced maternity or parental leave, and just 6,410 postings offered some kind of support with childcare costs (including on-site daycare or backup childcare).

Despite recent evidence showing 1 in 10 women aged 45-55 leave the workforce due to symptoms of the menopause, only 821 job ads mention menopause support, and of those just 30 postings are offering paid HRT therapy.

Only five UK job ads offered menstrual leave. Research by YouGov has found nearly half of Brits are in favour of the introduction of menstrual leave legislation, and 40% of women said they regularly get period pain bad enough that it affects their ability to work. Some countries are waking up to the huge negative impact this has on women in the workplace: Spain has recently introduced legislation allowing three days per month of state-paid for menstrual leave for those with incapacitating periods.

Fertility benefits such as egg freezing and IVF support are also rare, with just 51 job ads mentioning these types of perks. LinkedIn was one of the first companies to offer UK its staff these benefits, covering up to £21,000 towards IVF (around £5,000 per cycle) or adoption costs from 2019, and following in the steps of Facebook, Google and Apple in the US. But with hiring in large tech companies currently depressed, women seeking employers offering fertility benefits are facing limited options.

Other popular perks found by Adzuna included duvet days (619 job ads), unlimited holiday (953 ads) and free gym membership (3,912 ads) continue to be offered by many employers.

Paul Lewis, Chief Customer Officer at job search engine Adzuna, comments: “Women remain woefully undersupported in the UK workplace. Instead of duvet days or free gym membership, employers need to focus on benefits that support female employees. In particular, evidence shows menopause and menstruation are top factors making it harder for women to thrive at work, even leading many to drop out of the workforce. Women shouldn’t need to suffer in silence; employers need to step up, introduce open dialogues around these topics and add more flexibility for women juggling their health with work. Furthermore, keeping women in the workplace is key to filling skill gaps, so introducing benefits that help attract, support and ultimately retain women makes sense from a business as well as a societal perspective.”

Share this article on social media

Sweden has most women in leadership roles

Findings from a survey conducted by Reboot Online have revealed that Sweden is the best European country for women to work in while the UK was ranked 12th.

Reboot SEO Agency found that the UK has the highest number of women in leadership positions of all the European countries studied, taking into account wage equality for similar work and estimated income – that’s 317 active-duty leadership positions in 2022. However, the data revealed a disappointing 11.6 paid full weeks of maternity leave which equals a score of 6.9/ 100 for the UK.

The Reboot Online survey also showed that Sweden is the best European country offering the best work opportunities for women in 2023, with a combined total of 241.4 points out of a possible 300. It is unsurprising that Swedish women thrive in the workplace, as the data showed that there are plenty of opportunities for women in leadership positions (93.1/100) which equates to 13.8 fewer points than neighbouring country Norway in third place.

Following in second place was Finland with a combined score of 227.6 out of 300, 13.8 fewer points than Sweden. Finland scored 86.2/100 points for women in leadership positions and economic opportunity. That equated to 65.5 more points for women in leadership than Estonia in seventh with 20.7 out of 100 for this category.

In third place is Norway with a combined total of 213.8 points out of a possible 300, 6.8 more points than Lithuania in fourth. The data showed that the country offers 39.9 full paid weeks of maternity leave, which gave them a score of 55.2/100, equal to the maternity leave in Finland.

Turkey is the country with the least economic opportunities for women

In last place is Turkey, scoring 31 points out of a possible 300. Despite its poor performance, the country surprisingly earned more points for women in leadership (27.6/100) than countries known to champion gender equality, such as Austria (13.8/100 points).

Naomi Aharony, CEO and Co-Founder at Reboot SEO Agency commented: “The overall results have suggested that there is some progress in terms of gender equality in the workplace in Europe. Norway, Finland and Sweden ranked highly, indicating that there are some improvements being made. Although, the disappointing positions of European countries such as Austria and Czech Republic reaffirm that the progress towards gender parity remains slow in Europe.

Although it is good to see some advancement, women still face numerous challenges when it comes to gender equality in the workplace that involves not only the wage gap, lack of leadership representation, government incentives and work-life balance.”

Full report can be found at https://www.rebootonline.com/

Share this article on social media

Why women are taking strain at work

A new study has revealed that female employees are 54% more likely to suffer from anxiety and twice as likely as men to work through illness – an issue known as presenteeism.

The study revealed that, during the last year, female employees experienced more work-related health implications than men. In addition to their raised anxiety levels, they are also 17% more at risk from excessive stress due to work life. In addition, 35% said that their mental health had worsened in the last year because of the workplace.

With International Women’s Day (IWD) being observed on 8 March, these statistics put a spotlight on the disproportionate health implications that women face due to their workplace. This year’s IWD theme is #EmbraceEquity, to encourage employers to support women’s health and well-being in the workplace.

According to the survey, 27% of female employees have experienced insomnia, making them 42% more susceptible to sleep deprivation. This is important to note, considering that the first signs of burnout, anxiety or depression are insomnia and trouble sleeping, according to the NHS.

A study of over 1,000 employees also found that sore backs, shoulders, or necks are experienced at a rate 58% higher in women than men. In addition, other physical health concerns were 60% more likely in women.

These results suggest that employers aren’t doing enough to support women in the workplace. In further support of this indication, a recent study across the UK-wide study into employee health and well-being found that 85% of employees would like their company to be more proactive in boosting employee health, well-being, and healthy habits. The study also found that:

  • Training managers to provide better support will help (33%).
  • promoting the use of sick leave when people are struggling with physical or mental health is important (32%).
  • employees want access to stress management training (25%).

It is not a benefit for employees to feel supported; companies benefit too:

  • 38% of employees feel more productive at work.
  • 33% of employees feel engaged with the work they do.
  • 31% say they’re less likely to seek job opportunities elsewhere.

Kate Palmer, HR Advisor and Consultancy Director at Peninsula, says: “Equality should be at the forefront of employers’ priorities and, as recognised by International Women’s Day, the only way to achieve this is through equity. Widespread prejudices against women and damaging biases such as: they’re unable to juggle a career and family, or be as resilient as men in the workplace, can often lead to women having to work longer and harder than their male counterparts just to access the same opportunities, even if it means working when they are unwell.

 “ All employers should consider offering an employee assistance programme and trained mental health first aiders to help identify individuals struggling with their mental health at an early stage, and signpost them to professional resources. Knowing women may be more at risk should be a prompt for employers to proactively implement these measures.”

Ruth Tongue, director of employee wellbeing company Elevate, says: “Equity is not something to only be addressed once a year – companies must think strategically about how to support women in their workplace.

 “Employers should offer emotional and mental wellbeing support for everyone via counselling, supyesport sessions with experts on stress management and championing women in the workplace by offering recognition not only financially but also visibly through promotions and praise.”

 

Share this article on social media

Rapid diversified growth in STEM-related industries will be their focus

Airswift, the global workforce solutions provider, announced on 2 March 2023 that they have appointed Anna Frazzetto as Chief Revenue Officer. This appointment aligns with Airswift’s drive to continue its diversification and growth across STEM-related industries.

Frazzetto is an established technology recruitment executive based in New York. She most recently held the roles of Chief Digital Technology Officer at Tential and Harvey Nash.

The company believes that Frazzetto’s deep domain experience in addressing critical business challenges and expanding digital capabilities will allow Airswift to maximize revenue growth opportunities.

Frazzetto has been listed as Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) Global Power 150 Women in Staffing for five years and has a recognised consultative approach that will generate powerful, tailored solutions for Airswift’s diversified clients and internal teams.

Janette Marx, CEO at Airswift, commented: “Technology is fundamentally changing every aspect of our lives – and the world of work is no different. Anna’s understanding of how to harness the power of technology and match that with the right skills will be critical as we continue to expand into STEM industries. As a fellow passionate advocate for advancing women in STEM, her addition to the team will not only drive diversified revenue growth, it will also increase the opportunity to enhance equity in the space.”

Anna Frazzetto, CRO at Airswift, added: “Workforce demand in STEM industries has never been higher across the world. Energy and technology sectors in particular need on the ground support to ensure the right people are recruited to propel these industries forward. I’m delighted to join the passionate team here at Airswift, who will support me in delivering the global growth strategy of the business. I’m looking forward to enhancing and diversifying our offering across STEM industries – ensuring we deliver the best tailored and scalable workforce solutions to our customers.

Share this article on social media

Or is it rather a four-day work gimmick?  

News agencies have reported on the results of the four-day work week trial and apparently it’s been a resounding success.  

A total of 61 British companies adopted a four-day week for the second half of 2022, with almost 3,000 staff involved and has been trialled for six months.  

The landmark research project run in by the University of Cambridge and Boston College has found that, on average, businesses adopting a four-day working pattern increased their revenues by more than a third. It’s also been said that it improved happiness and lower stress levels among the participating staff. 

 At least 56 businesses said they would continue with the programme, with 18 saying they will adopt the new policy permanently. Only three opted to scrap the scheme at the end of the pilot. 

 It comes amid a fierce debate about how to solve Britain’s long-running productivity crisis. 

Supporters of the four-day week have claimed that has incentivised staff to do more in a shorter period of time but a previous study has suggested that it can in fact make employees less productive and could tip staff towards burnout.  

 According to the Cambridge study, businesses generated 1.4pc more revenue at the end of a six-month trial than they did at the start. 

But when scientists compared the six-month window with a distinct and comparable half-year span they found the four-day work week saw an increase in revenue of 34.5pc. 

Campaigners and academics will present the findings to MPs at an event in the House of Commons today as they claim this is a “major breakthrough” for productivity and the way we work.  

The event is being chaired by Labour MP and former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Peter Dowd, who introduced the 32-Hour Working Week Bill in October. 

The bill which would reduce the maximum working week from 48 hours to 32 hours, paving the way for a four-day week. 

Employers had to make sure there was no reduction in wages for staff who took part in trialling a 32-hour week. 

At least 56 out of the 61 firms which took part said they plan to continue with the four-day working week, including based in London. 

Advertisement 

The research carried out based on the trial has revealed that the number of sick days taken by the 2,900 staff fell by about two-thirds, with 39% of employees saying they were less stressed. 

Marcus Beaver, UKI Country Leader at Alight Solutions commented: “We knew that the four-day work week would increase employee happiness and reduce burnout – now we have the proof that it has tangible business benefits. It’s clear that it’s not about cramming more work in fewer days. It’s about producing better results with the days we’re given. Companies depend on their staff, and with boosted productivity and profits, the system clearly benefits employees and employers.  

“The workforce landscape is changing, and companies must now implement what works best moving forward, or risk being in the past.” 

 Laura Baldwin, President at O’Reilly commented: “When it comes to work schedules, what people really care about is flexibility. It’s not about fourdays or five. Either is still very prescriptive and doesn’t account for the varied reasons many employees want flexibility – for example, to manage five-day-a-week school pick up hours. For the burnt out, overworked employees who went above and beyond during the pandemic, fewer hours, worked flexibly across five days is likely to mean more than a fourday slog.  

“For businesses, the fourdayweek can also create complicated scheduling nightmares – especially for smaller organisations. There needs to be more effort invested in creating real cultures of flexibility, which can best serve employees without forgetting the needs of customers. 

“Quite simply, customers expect (at least) a five-day-a-week service and until every organisation moves to fourdays as standard there will be a very hard balancing act to cut to four. Dropping the ball on customer experience to pay lip service to flexibility is a losing strategy for all. 

“If you’re thinking about a fourdayworkweek, use it as a prompt to ask, what is it that you are really trying to solve? Are you trying to create a shortcut to flexibility? Will this rather drastic move really create the flexibility your employees want? Will it enable work-life balance, but also get the work done? Could it be you are looking for a sticking plaster to bigger issues? Rather than embracing trust and flexibility for your teams, are you just seeking another way to exert control behind a facade of a fourday gimmick?” 

Share this article on social media

UK narrowly avoids recession again

According to the ONS latest labour market report, the UK employment rate was estimated at 75.6% in October to December 2022. That equates to increase in employment of 0.2%. The increase in employment over the latest three-month period is said to have been driven by part-time workers.

The report has revealed that the number of payrolled employees for January 2023 has also increased. It’s up 102,000 on the revised December 2022 figures, to 30 million.

The unemployment rate for October to December 2022 has however, increased by 0.1% on the quarter, to 3.7%. This figure is driven by people aged 16 to 24 years. Those unemployed for over six, and up to 12, months also increased, while those unemployed for over 12 months decreased in the recent period.

Talk of a recession has dominated the news but the latest figures show that the economic inactivity rate decreased by 0.3% on the quarter, to 21.4% in October to December 2022.

The ONS has stated that flows estimates between July to September 2022 and October to December 2022 show that there was a record-high net flow out of economic inactivity, driven by people moving from economic inactivity to employment. This is great news for the labour market as job posts, although decreasing online, remain at record highs.

In November 2022 to January 2023, the estimated number of vacancies fell by 76,000 on the quarter to 1,134,000, the seventh consecutive quarterly fall since May to July 2022. The fall in the number of vacancies reflects uncertainty across industries, as survey respondents continue to cite economic pressures as a factor in holding back on recruitment.

Growth in average total pay (including bonuses) was 5.9% and growth in regular pay (excluding bonuses) was 6.7% among employees in October to December 2022. For regular pay, this is the strongest growth rate seen outside of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic period. Average regular pay growth for the private sector was 7.3% in October to December 2022, and 4.2% for the public sector; outside of the height of the coronavirus pandemic period, this is the largest growth rate seen for the private sector.

In real terms (adjusted for inflation), growth in total and regular pay fell on the year in October to December 2022, by 3.1% for total pay and by 2.5 for regular pay. This is smaller than the record fall in real total pay seen in February to April 2009 (4.5%), but remains among the largest falls in growth since comparable records began in 2001.

James Reed, Chairman, Reed.co.uk, commented: “The job market remains healthy despite talk of Britain only narrowly avoiding a recession. A key factor driving the boost in job applications that we are seeing is the cost-of-living crisis. People are recognising that one way in which they can secure a pay rise is to move jobs.

“Interestingly, while wage growth remains stable across the jobs market, it is blue-collar roles; jobs that cannot afford such flexibility with remote working, that are seeing the biggest growth in pay. This January, comparing year-on-year, it is customer service and engineering roles that have experienced the most significant pay hikes – up 9.8% and 7.8%, respectively.

“This trend suggests an ‘in-person premium’ when it comes to pay – with organisations having to boost salaries to attract people to roles that cannot provide the flexibility now associated with the white-collar market.”

 Chris Gray, ManpowerGroup UK Director, said: “The UK labour market continues to be very tight and also very resilient. Employers are for now shrugging off the concerns of an economic slowdown but for those looking to hire it remains very tough. Job vacancy levels remain high at around 1.1 million although having reduced a little over the month which points to a slight cooling in demand.

“Pressures on household spending show little sign of easing up – regular pay has fallen by 2.5% when taking inflation into account returning a wage growth average of 6.7% and will be front of mind for both employers and workers alike.

“We’ve heard The Chancellor already outline plans to encourage more over 50s back into the workforce. Money and costs may be a motivator for some over 50s but social stigma also presents a challenge for many within this age group. We have to create the right working environment to overcome some of these issues with more flexibility offered and ensure that employers are listened to, and better accommodate, the needs of this demographic in the workplace. It’s a particularly complex area and there is no silver bullet, but employers and government must work closely together to find the best solutions.”

Share this article on social media

Low awareness and trust of processes in the majority of businesses

Results from a new survey have highlighted that a majority of HR professionals (57%) in the private and public sectors believe their employees are actively encouraged to speak up about wrongdoing. A further 36% said that employees know they can report wrongdoing.

In contrast, the survey findings also suggest that a large proportion of employees are unaware of what to do if they witness or discover wrongdoing in the workplace.

The findings showed that there appears to be a low investment in the training and promotion of whistleblowing processes and policies, even when such processes and policies exist.

The whistleblowing survey, commissioned by UK-based Safecall, found that the majority of respondents – some 83% – have a whistleblowing policy in place.

There is no legal requirement for an organisation to have a whistleblowing policy; however, under the Corporate Governance Code, if a listed company does not have one, senior management must be able to explain why they don’t.

The survey revealed that HR managers are overwhelmingly aware of the EU Whistleblowing Directive. However, just over 20% admitted that they were unaware of the Directive and its possible impact on their business.

These findings suggest that nearly two years of awareness activity have largely worked. However, the findings revealed that 43.5% of organisations have not bought into or are completely unaware of the benefits of actively promoting whistleblowing.

Most respondents said whistleblowing training is not mandatory in their workplace. In addition, over 61% of organisations do not do any promotion and education within the workforce.

Where companies provide internal whistleblowing services, only 58% of their investigators have been formally trained, indicating that the balance of investigators (42%) are conducted by employees who have either learned through experience, are self-taught, or have no experience at all.

The risks of this lack of training may be huge for an organisation. The main reason organizations lose tribunals is failing to follow legislative and tribunal processes.

Joanna Lewis, MD at Safecall, commented: “Awareness and adoption of whistleblowing processes and policies seem fairly high, which is great to see. However, it’s when you start delving into the mechanics and trust of such processes that we see some worrying trends.

 “There are organisations that have put whistleblowing reporting systems in place but are not bought into actively encouraging reports. A minority of organisations – even if they do have whistleblowing reporting channels in place – see whistleblowing as a tick-box exercise with no benefits to the revenue, morale or profit of the organisation.”

 “While progress is being made, more needs to be done to persuade some HR management teams that whistleblowing has multiple lasting benefits to both themselves and their organisation.”

 “If there is little or no training on what whistleblowing is about, then employees will revert to their ingrained upbringing, which tends to result in not informing on colleagues. Wrongdoing will go unreported and potentially continue.”

 “The fact that 42.6% of respondents felt employees ‘generally feel safe’ in reporting concerns of wrongdoing is actually pretty damning. It doesn’t sound overly confident.”

 “One of the hardest things any employee can do is to become a whistleblower – only a relatively small proportion will ever do so. Any hint that an employee will suffer reprisals if they report wrongdoing will actively reduce the possibility of uncovering problems in an organisation.

 “These survey findings highlight a real opportunity for companies and organisations to review their whistleblowing processes, promote better to their employees and ensure there are robust independent whistleblower hotlines and reporting procedures.”

Share this article on social media

How businesses can respond to Rishi Sunak’s childcare reform u-turn

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indefinitely shelved childcare reform plans. The overhaul of the UK’s childcare system was initially proposed by Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss.

The overhaul included plans to scrap mandatory staff-child ratios and increase free childcare support by 20 hours a week. Instead, Sunak is preparing his own reform plans on a far smaller scale, which are expected to take months to arrive.

Sunak’s announcement comes at a time when food prices are the highest on record, and parents have unprecedented childcare fees to contend with; the annual fee for full-time care for a two-year-old increased by 171% from 2000 to 2021.

In response, the Confederation of British Industry highlighted the difficulties facing working parents across the country, announcing that £9bn of investment is required to improve the childcare system.

Businesses must focus on improving workplace fluidity by promoting flexibility and granting autonomy to support employees emotionally and financially through rising childcare costs, suggests Nicole Bello, Group Vice President EMEA at UKG.

Nicole Bello, Group Vice President EMA at UKG, said: “Businesses should not underestimate the mental and financial toll the cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on their staff, and they have a moral obligation to support employees in these trying times. This means engaging with the political and economic climate to identify how employees are being impacted and introducing measures to address these challenges.

“The childcare reform U-turn is a prime opportunity for business leaders to proactively support staff who are struggling with rising bills. The easiest way businesses can assist the employees affected is to offer a truly flexible model of working, that gives colleagues the chance to schedule shifts or office days around childcare demands.

“For example, employers may consider lowering the minimum requirement of days spent in the office per week so that staff can stay home and save on nursery fees. Alternatively, businesses could scrap office rotas and instead let employees decide which remote working days best suit them, allowing colleagues to venture into the office when relatives can offer childcare support.

“Leveraging HR technology and automating ‘People Operations’ are also effective ways of introducing much-needed malleability to schedules and granting staff the autonomy to work around childcare needs. Self service HR tools allow employees to swap shifts, change their availability or pick up overtime via their mobile device, making it easy for staff to alter shift patterns and reduce the financial burden of external responsibilities.

“Businesses should also make educational resources accessible through HR portals, as well as sending out targeted alerts that update staff when new material becomes available. Doing so provides colleagues with the knowledge to make informed financial choices and notifies them whenever a new measure is introduced with their financial welfare in mind.

“Times are undeniably tough for both businesses and their staff, but the organisations that prioritise the needs and wellbeing of employees will be rewarded with loyal and engaged personnel for years to come. It’s important to remember that nobody understands the requirements of the current workforce better than employees themselves, so trusting them with an agile and empowering working environment is the most effective way of offering support.”

Share this article on social media

Time to rethink strategies to get over 50’s back to the office

With skills shortages still impacting the economy, the government is pushing ahead with plans to get over 50s back to the office through a ‘midlife MOT’.  This drive, however, is likely to hit roadblocks unless workplaces go through an MOT, too, warns workplace creation business, Unispace.

Unispace believes that workplaces are not aiding this demographic’s attraction and retention.

In a study of 3,000 office workers across Europe, Unispace discovered that 78% of those over the age of 45 would make significant improvements to the office environment. Access to free lunches (67%) and enhanced amenities (57%) were on top of the list from this demographic.

A further 45% agreed that they missed the social aspects of working in an office. The findings indicate that to encourage more over 50s back into work, businesses will need to rethink how the entire workforce uses the office to create the social environment that many in the older demographic desire.

Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO, EMEA at Unispace commented: “With skills shortages still impacting the UK despite the tough economic climate, the plans to encourage those who retired early back into work is a move that many will welcome. However, we cannot overlook the fact that there are reasons why those that fall into this group left in the first place. While the current ‘MOT’ plans are focused on re-engaging the over 50s, the role that the office itself plays is crucial. The older segment of the workforce places a clear value on more from the workplace than just having a location to work from.

“While the older workforce clearly values better amenities in the office, it is the social interaction element that today’s firms can ill-afford to ignore. The ability to socialise with peers is a big driver for this age group, but in order to provide this for returning retirees, firms need to encourage others to also make greater use of the workplace. How we all interact with the office has evolved significantly in a short space of time and if they are to be truly used as the valuable attraction and retention tool that they should be, workspaces need their own MOT.”

 

Share this article on social media

Gender pay gap also remains an issue in the workplace

A new report by team building company Wildgoose revealed that 27% of women have pregnancy discrimination as a key concern in the workplace, highlighting the need for UK businesses to address their policies and culture.

The 2022 Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Report found that women are significantly less likely to state that their workplace is inclusive. Only 75% of female employees believe their workplace is inclusive, compared to 88% of male employees.

The areas of inclusion that companies need to focus on differ regionally. The report found that discrimination against pregnancy in the workplace, for example, insufficient maternity/paternity allowances, was most common in the East Midlands (35%).

The report surveyed employees from 133 UK workplaces, asking whether their workplace is an inclusive environment, where their organisation could improve, and whether they have experienced discrimination or inequality at work.

The report also revealed that almost one in five female respondents had experienced discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. A further 13% said their companies did not deal with the issue. Clearly, there are real flaws in the culture at many UK workplaces, where efforts are not being made to help women feel respected and safe.

Another cause for concern is the gender pay gap. More than a quarter of employees said they know they or a colleague receive less salary than someone else in the same position. Twenty-nine percent of female respondents said they experienced pay disparity in the workplace, compared to only 25% of males.

Pay inequality is more prevalent in London. The report found that employees in the North East are most likely to receive ‘pay parity’; however, 20% of people in the North East were aware of instances in their company where salaries were unequal.

Pay parity is vital in creating an inclusive workplace, whereas unequal pay causes employees to feel unrecognised for their work.

Jonny Edser, Managing Director at Wildgoose, commented: “With a potential recession around the corner, businesses will be looking to optimise performance as much as possible. One way to do this is by making sure they’re a meritocracy, where people can make the most of their abilities and rise regardless of their gender or background. By combating discrimination, they’ll also be creating a more harmonious working environment and higher job satisfaction.”

 “With so many workplaces suffering from inclusivity issues, it’s important that companies make efforts to bring their people together. We know how effective social activities can be in forming bonds between colleagues and creating a level playing field. And that has to be the aim: to make employees realise they’re all equal.”

Share this article on social media