UK consumers pass judgement on corporate response to COVID-19
As the Prime Minister announced the reopening of non-essential shops and the UK economy prepares to emerge from lockdown, new research shows that consumers are likely to reward companies and brands they think have acted in a socially responsible way during the COVID-19 crisis. These intentions reflect a widespread belief among a large majority (77%) of the general public that companies and brands have a broader social purpose, beyond...
Majority of Brits worried about losing their job during the coronavirus pandemic
According to an exclusive new study from the UK’s leading independent job board, CV-Library, the majority (53.2%) of Brits are worried about losing their job during the coronavirus pandemic. What’s more, three-quarters (77.2%) of workers on furlough have expressed concerns that there may not be a job available for them once the scheme is over. The study surveyed 1,408 UK professionals and found that...
How can companies can manage post-Covid 19 work challenges?
Employers are facing major long-lasting work challenges following Coronavirus and may need to adopt new ways of managing employees, says Adrian Lewis, Director, Activ Absence. New research from GoldLeaf[i], a video conferencing company, highlights that 60% of people would like to work from home more often than they did before lockdown. Of these, almost two thirds would like to work from home either two or three times a week, and one...
Surge in employers signing up to Cycle-to-Work schemes following Covid-19
Cycling has received a huge boost since the Coronavirus crisis, with more people cycling to avoid public transport and get back to work. Halfords has reported that sales of some cycling equipment had risen by 500% since the lockdown, and bike sales have doubled this month[i]. Cycle-to-work schemes giving tax benefits to employees to buy a new bike from official stores have also reported a doubling in sales – a figure expected to rise...
Half of UK employees still expect to be furloughed, fired, or take a pay cut in the next three months
Only half of current employees (51%) expect to continue to work normally over the coming three months, according to new research from professional services consultancy Barnett Waddingham. The rest expect to be furloughed, made redundant, or take a pay or benefits cut. Nearly a quarter of UK employees have already been furloughed; HMRC has announced that a total of 6.3m jobs had been temporarily laid off by 800,000 companies, with...
Employers of global staff need to adapt to different pandemic recovery strategies
Whilst we are still amidst the pandemic, comparisons are already being drawn between the success rates of how different countries have managed the Covid-19 outbreak. Some countries are easing lockdown restrictions, whilst others maintain rigid constraints. It is important that organisations with an international workforce keep abreast of changes globally, via reputable sources such as the World Health Organisation and local...
How to tackle mental health in the workplace
Adrian Lewis, Director, at Activ Absence says there is a lot employers can do to help break the taboo of mental health, including having systems in place so they can uncover the reasons behind employee absence. A recent survey[ii] conducted by Censuswide and Slater and Gordon found that in 2019 workers took on average 3.75 days off for mental health reasons including stress, exhaustion and depression because they were...
5 Million workers uncertain of post-COVID role
Covid-19 is expected to significantly change the skills required for as many as 5 million job roles across the UK, driving a surge in employees seeking out distance learning opportunities, according to The Open University. With coronavirus uncertainty affecting half (49%) of current job roles across the UK, a quarter (24%) of employees have taken on additional learning opportunities to boost their employability and protect the value...
Life after Covid-19: How the workplace will change
By Ben Williams, Director of Advocacy at eyeo (makers of Adblock Plus) This week, the UK Government is expected to deliver its exit plan from lockdown. Much speculation has been played out in the press and across social media on what this might look like. Businesses have been leveraging this information to make their own return to work plans. While tactics will vary business to business, one thing we can expect to remain is remote...
Employers cut entry-level jobs by 23% due to corona crisis
School leavers and graduates entering the labour market this year will find it harder to find employment as firms cut entry-level jobs by nearly a quarter, according to new research by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE). All types of entry-level roles have been reduced this year because of the coronavirus. Employers are hiring 32% fewer people onto apprentice or school leaver programmes than planned this year and graduate jobs...
Work from Home Day: Covid pandemic shows potential for more homeworking and support needs for those who can’t
The UK’ annual Work from Home Day takes place today – Friday 14 May – organised by Work Wise UK. The restrictions introduced to counter the spread of Covid-19 have been dramatic. They have completely changed our way of life, with many more people having to work from home. Some employers and workers are experiencing it for the first time. Work Wise UK says that it could present a vision of the future, with an opportunity to promote...
Bringing a civil claim following death or injury from Covid-19
Many employers are concerned about the prospect of facing compensation claims from staff who contract coronavirus at work. Andrew Morgan and Richard Kenyon* examine the likelihood of civil actions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. Where someone contracts Covid-19 in the course of their employment, they may be able to make a civil claim against their employer. Recent advice from the Chief Coroner states that coroners should be alive...
3 Sanitization Tips for Nurses Working with Highly Contagious Patients
As a nurse, you are on the frontline when it comes to dealing with all sorts of infectious diseases including, of course, COVID-19. You spend your shift working closely with the public to provide education, treat illnesses and more. Unfortunately, delivering high-quality care to sick patients puts you at risk of becoming sick yourself or transferring harmful germs and bacteria to other patients, employees or your own family. While...
Online Shopping during COVID-19 Lockdown: What are your consumer rights?
With the Coronavirus lockdown showing no signs of abating, many of us have moved online for most of our shopping which has lead to a huge rise in online spending and has placed tremendous pressure on retailers to meet the rise in demand during the lockdown. With the pandemic creating a unique and unprecedented set of problems, what are our retail rights online if we have problems with an overseas delivery, receive a faulty item,...
Post-lockdown predictions: Experts discuss how enforced WFH will change workplace culture forever
Having recently been forced to adopt working from home measures, many businesses are finding that operations are more functional than expected. With attitudes seemingly changing towards remote working, employees are left questioning how the lockdown will affect their future routine. Leading experts in the legal sector have weighed in on the issue and shared their hopes and predictions about how forced WFH will affect future...
