The Ultimate Guide to Business Travel During COVID-19
A lot of businesses are facing significant setbacks because of the ongoing global pandemic. The majority of trade shows, business meetings, and long-planned conferences and seminars have been postponed to ensure the safety of business owners and employees; and rightly so. It is important to value the health and safety of those who work for you. However, there is some good news. Countries have been keen for business to continue on as...
Employer duty of care: Seven in ten employees say their employer has a social responsibility to them
Employers are now more aware of their employee’s personal situation and family commitments than they were pre Covid-19, according to the Re:Me report from MetLife UK. This report, which explores the changing relationship between employers and employees amid the global pandemic, found that seven in ten (71%) employees now feel ‘employers have a...
More than half of UK workers planning to take on a side hustle since Covid-19 pandemic
Over half (54%) of UK workers say they are more open to taking on a side hustle or freelance work since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research from Fiverr. Over 2 in 5 (44%) agree they are more open to it, due to the flexibility that working from home has given them. In light of increasing numbers of people looking to build a freelance career following Covid-19, Fiverr is launching Subscriptions, a new feature that allows...
Vaccinations at work: What HR teams need to consider, from personal rights to morale and mental health
By Alex Hattingh, CPO at Employment Hero With the UK Government’s plans to lay out the Covid-19 roadmap for the coming months on 22nd February, as well as the nationwide vaccination roll-out well and truly underway, it appears there’s an end in sight. Business owners and HR teams are now thinking about how they can best transition into a ‘new normal’, post-Covid working environment. ‘No job, no jab’ policies are being hotly debated,...
Flexibility and reskilling top priorities for UK employers in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is driving a fundamental shift in the way companies operate, accelerating the need for an adaptable and agile workforce to drive business success. According to Mercer’s 2021 Global Talent Trends study, the financial impact and work-life disruption caused by the pandemic is causing UK employers to focus on redefining flexibility and skills development to ensure their business and employees become more resilient...
Six ways to help your employees talk their way into a more resilient mindset during lockdown.
Many parents are undoubtedly feeling increased stress and exhaustion due to the intense pressure of trying to home-school and take care of their children, whilst maintaining a full-time job, keeping their relationships intact and their home in a modest state. Psychologists have likened the impact on parents to a state of burnout with commonly reported mental and physical symptoms including exhaustion, irritability, and emotional...
Six in ten employers have increased wellbeing support to staff in light of the pandemic
Over six in ten (63%) employers have increased their support to staff across one or more areas of mental, financial, physical and social wellbeing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research* amongst HR decision-makers undertaken on behalf of GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector. Half (50%) of these businesses increased the communications around...
Can Employers Require Employees to Have a COVID Vaccine?
Associate solicitor Laura Binnie, in leading law firm Blandy & Blandy’s Employment Law team, answers the question, ‘can employers require employees to have a COVID vaccine? With the UK’s (so far) successful vaccine rollout, the largest in the country’s history, continuing at pace and the majority of the non-working adult population expected to have received their first immunisation by mid-February, the question among many is...
How To Take Staff Health Seriously While Working Remotely
Working remotely offers many benefits like more flexibility for staff and increased productivity when faced with fewer office distractions. But it can also take its toll on your staff when they’re stuck at home on their own all day. They are likely to start feeling lonely and isolated, and there’s a risk or burnout if they’re working longer hours. In this post, we’ve covered a few tips for taking staff health seriously while working...
Three quarters of SME business owners have one or no rest day after strain of pandemic
86% of small business owners are working over the recommended maximum of 48 hours a week, a new report has revealed. The 2021 Business Challenges report carried out by card payments specialist takepayments Limited, has revealed the true strain the pandemic has put on the wellbeing of SME business owners, including making difficult staffing decisions to keep financial costs down. Of those asked, one in three (29%) business owners...
COVID-19 alters employer and staff relationships
Covid-19 has had a significant impact on employer and employee relationships, and this is hampering productivity, according to a new report from MetLife UK. Most UK employers (72%) feel the relationship has changed, with 62% of employees agreeing. As a result of Covid-19, 32% of employees feel that the relationship with their employer has been weakened and has subsequently also reduced employees’ sense of belonging to the business....
From Isolation To Homeschooling, Top Tips To Help Your Employees Get Through Lockdown 3.0
By Alex Hattingh, Chief People Officer at Employment Hero UK As Boris confirms lockdown will last until 8th March, and the idea of homeschooling continues to overwhelm working families around the UK, it is important employers are providing extra support and care for those suffering after nearly a year of remote working. The success of any team is everyone’s responsibility. But as a manager, it’s vital to support your team through...
Preparing the Office for a Post-COVID World
It’s vital that as workplaces reopen and we enter a post-COVID world, employers prepare the office to ensure that staff feel safe. Read our tips here. As vaccines are rolled out and life tentatively moves towards a ‘new normal’, many businesses will start reopening or considering a phased return to work. Although some of us have taken to working from home, teams always benefit from collaborating and there will always be a need for the...
Working from home & COVID: Badly set up workstations can impact your health
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced a lot of workers to set up a working from home ‘office’. As we approach the one-year-on mark, from when the government ordered people to stay at home, some people may have adapted well to the change. Whereas others may still be struggling with an unsuitable working set up, perhaps working from the kitchen table or with a laptop precariously balanced on the sofa. Now is a great time to check in...
The pandemic effect: Salary tops employee priority list as UK workers focus on self-preservation
As businesses attempt to stay afloat amid the fluctuating circumstances in the UK, research finds that UK employees are increasingly placing salary packages as the most important factor when it comes to career management. The research by HR and Payroll Specialist, SD Worx, examined what employees in Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom consider important in the context of their work. On the topic of wages,...
