Tax relief available for UK employees WFH
Back in October 2020, HMRC launched a brand new microservice that meant that even if you had only worked from home for one day during the Coronavirus pandemic, you could be eligible to claim for tax relief. Martin Lewis OBE has been urging employees around the UK to take advantage of this opportunity via his website, Money Saving Expert, founded in 2003. Martin Lewis wrote an article about this microservice, encouraging those who have...
New report reveals how a year of Covid-19 has seen employees embrace stress management
Employees have adapted to the changing pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic by embracing a range of mental health support, according to a global report by the world’s largest wellbeing platform, Gympass. The report, ‘What a year of Covid-19 has taught us about stress and adaptability’, features data from nine countries around the world, including the UK, USA, Spain and Germany, on use of thousands of fitness and wellbeing...
Employers bringing healthy nutrition to their workforce during COVID-19 uncertainty
One in three people worldwide suffers from malnutrition today, making it a massive global concern impacting individuals, businesses, and economies alike – in both developing and developed countries. The health impacts of COVID-19 on workforces are bringing heightened concerns to businesses worldwide. In response, employers around the globe are increasingly investing in the nutritional health of their employees, realizing the strong...
What employees want post-pandemic: 5 ways for employers to show they care
Bernerdine Noronha, innovator of digital personal storage platform, myFRP Last March, we saw millions of employees in organisations across the country break away from normality, finding themselves almost immediately dispatched from their offices to begin the biggest working from home experiment in history. Following this drastic change and time of uncertainty for many businesses, employees have proven to be invaluable in supporting...
One year on: New research reveals the lessons we’ve learned from lockdown
Last week we officially reached the milestone of a year since the first national lockdown. With lots of change and uncertainty – both at home and work – many of us turned to Google for advice and support. During 2020, Google searches for the mental health condition ‘boreout’ increased by 680%Recent research from Bupa UK revealed that 63% of the UK workforce have injured their back, hips, wrist, and neck over the past year...
COVID-19 pandemic: has it turned back the clock on gender equality?
By Aleksandra Traczyk, Solicitor at Winckworth Sherwood Not long into the start of the pandemic gender equality commentators warned about the potential disproportionate impact on women. One year on, we now have statistics to back them up. The report published by the Women and Equalities Committee on 9 February and data from the Office for National Statistics published on 10 March have shown that more women than men have been adversely...
Year of debt: average Brit accrued £2,263 in debt over the last year
Brits estimate they’ve built up £2,263 in personal debt, excluding mortgages, since the first lockdown came into place on 23 March 2020.1 During Debt Awareness Week (22nd – 28th March 2021), research from leading savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals how much debt the nation has accrued over the last year, and investigates the feelings surrounding people’s financial situations. Over a third (36%) of people...
How can employers introduce COVID-19 rapid workplace testing?
On 6March, the Government announced that its rapid workplace testing initiative, which allows employers in England to order free rapid lateral flow tests, would be expanded to cover businesses of all sizes, having previously limited the scheme to businesses employing 50 or more employees. According to the Government’s web site,[i] ‘’around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus don’t have symptoms, meaning they could be spreading the virus in...
Long Covid could lead to a rise in costly absenteeism if employers are unprepared
Growing concerns around the number of people suffering from Long Covid should be prompting employers to consider how they might support employees suffering symptoms and manage rising absences, warns Adrian Lewis, Director, Activ Absence. According to the Office for National Statistics around one in five people who tested positive for Covid-19 had symptoms that lasted for five weeks or longer, and one in 10 had symptoms that lasted for...
Confusion over whistle blowing can leave employees unprotected
MAYBE IT’S SOMETHING I SAID? During the pandemic, the subject of whistleblowing (protected disclosure) has come to the fore with more and more employees expressing concerns over health and safety and breach of regulatory issues in the workplace. And with employees now starting to make their return to the workplace whilst restrictions remain in place, it is a trend which is not only set to continue, but likely to escalate. A protected...
New report reveals liquidation rate of businesses around the UK from the past year
Business Rescue Expert has analysed data from the past 12 months to reveal the Year of Lockdown report, which reveals the state of businesses, the liquidation rate and the sectors and regions most likely to undergo an insolvency event. Since the beginning of the first lockdown, 11.2 million workers have been furloughed in the last 12 months which equates to 1 in 3 of the UK’s workforce. There have been 8,205 company insolvencies from...
A year in lockdown: Tech hiring & training remain priority for UK businesses post-pandemic
When lockdown was officially announced last year on 23rd March 2020, the majority of the UK shifted to remote working. As a result, reliance on technology became more important than ever and businesses across the UK had to prioritise and accelerate their digital transformation strategies. In response to the increased demand due to Covid-19, research from CWJobs found three quarters (72%) of businesses increased their overall...
The worrying statistics for women’s health throughout the pandemic
The UK government has had to make many changes to its healthcare system in the last year to stop the spread of coronavirus, including asking people to stay home when possible, prioritising higher-risk patients and putting many routine appointments on pause. Despite the NHS doing everything in its power to keep people safe, The Care Quality Commission warns there was 26.7 million fewer NHS appointments between March...
1 in 5 (19%) UK residents are concerned about their alcohol consumption levels during the pandemic
Our lives have changed significantly during the course of the pandemic, so Health Hub has asked people around the UK how they are now spending their time, what new habits they have developed and if they intend to make any lifestyle changes after the pandemic. You can view the full piece here. During the pandemic we’ve had to find ways to adapt to the new ways of living, and have adjusted the ways we spend our time and our routines and...
Asleep at the wheel? Thousands of UK small business owners hit by insomnia in lockdown
Two in five (39%) SME owners say the stress of Covid-19 has caused them to experience sleep problems or insomnia, according to a new study from small business insurer Simply Business. The study, which spoke to 765 small business owners, found that two in five (43%) SME owners say Covid-19 is causing them to get 1-2 hours less sleep a night, while one in five (20%) say they’re now getting 2-3 hours...
