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More women are working than ever before. According to figures from the ONS, 72 per cent of women between the ages of 16 and 64 are in employment, a 52 per cent increase from 1971. And with increasing life expectancy and the UK’s retirement age set to reach 67 by 2028, more women are staying in work for longer. In fact, a quarter (25 per cent) of retirees return to the work...

​It’s no secret that moving to a fully online model has meant that most leaders have had to completely relearn how to manage their staff effectively. According to recent reports, managers are struggling to come to terms with trusting their employees away from the office and are at risk of falling victim to micromanagement or subconsciously promoting presenteeism. But as we...

​Job pressure is at a particular high at the moment due to an unsteady market. It’s unsurprising that research by Doodle, Career Development in a Pandemic, found that only 36 per cent of respondents' careers progressed throughout the pandemic. Because of the crisis, most employees have seen their careers stand still, setting their development back by months. Despite the slow...

​Worryingly, over half of professionals feel that the move to remote working has negatively impacted their careers. From the inability to network to increased mental ill-health, poor internal connections and less opportunities to showcase evidence of progression, concerns around whether climbing the career ladder at the same rate as pre-pandemic is possible are rife.However,...

​There’s no question that the past year and a half has completely changed our working practices for good. Where once a rigid 9-5 routine stood, a much more flexible model has overtaken. However, much like nearly everything over the past 15 months, our attitudes towards work and the future of work have fluctuated with great degree. In the initial few months of the pandemic...

​For many UK businesses, the most recent announcement that lockdown easing will be delayed by four weeks means they will be working remotely for a little while longer. Despite reaping the benefits of lockdown, such as more flexibility and a healthier work/life balance, the negative impacts on people are nothing new. Research by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH...

This week (10th-15th June) is Employer Branding Awareness Week which celebrates companies creating and communicating great workplaces. As modern candidate's job desires and priorities change, employers are realising the importance of highlighting their company culture in order to attract and retain top talent.Research by Wonderful Workplaces found that 90 per cent of job see...

After more than a year of enforced remote working, the country is finally on the road to recovery and the end of lockdown restrictions are in (albeit blurry) sight. For some, the idea of getting back to ‘normality’ and once again immersing themselves into their workplaces for the first time in six months couldn’t be more exciting. However, not everyone is as eager.Inevitably...

Recently, we undertook a piece of research which took a deep dive into the needs and wants of employees in 2021. Drawing upon a similar scope of research done in June 2020, we wanted to see whether, a year on, the expectations of teams have shifted as a result of a year of living in the depths of a crisis.It’s no exaggeration to say that the whole world has been completely t...

As the country begins on the path of recovery post-pandemic, workplaces are starting to look at how the past 14 months have shaped the business landscape and what this means for 2021 and onwards. Here are some of the key trends and changes the HR industry could witness in the not-too-distant future.   Digitalisation The pandemic kickstarted the shift to digitalisation...

Undoubtedly, we are about to witness a complete overhaul of ‘usual’ working practice as the country reopens once again and some sort of ‘normality’ ensues. The consensus amongst many businesses is that the way forward post-pandemic is the implementation of hybrid working models, with staff working some days in the office, and some from home. This notion is supported by ou...

The pandemic has changed the world of work for good. As the country starts on the path  towards recovery, we can clearly see how the crisis of the past year has re-shaped teams’ needs, wants and expectations.   According to our latest Staff Welfare research, conducted in February 2021, 69 per cent of employees would now prefer a hybrid working model, with many wanting to wor...

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed never-seen-before pressures on organisations, and the words “unprecedented times” will ring in our ears for years to come. The economic pressures have squeezed thousands of businesses around the world, and our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing have been pushed to the extreme. Consequently, the longer the pandemic has continued, the gre...

As companies begin to plan what their business model will look like on the return to ‘normal’ post-pandemic, the largest trend we are seeing spreading like wildfire is the implementation of remote working.It is expected that 93 per cent of business leaders will be offering at least a hybrid working model to employees in the near-future. Only 22.5 per cent will expect their s...

For many of us, working from home has become the norm. And most have reaped the benefits of it; more time spent with family, regular exercise or indulging in new or lost hobbies.But, despite its many benefits, working from home has its pitfalls. A new survey from Nuffield Health has revealed that 80 per cent of Brits feel remote working has had a negative impact on their men...

2020 has been one of the most turbulent years businesses have had to face in decades. When it began, the pandemic was being compared to the 2008 financial crash, but it soon became clear that this was something much bigger and far more devastating.Businesses of all shapes and sizes had to quickly re-think their business plans. Survival was at the forefront of their minds ove...

Once you’ve hired your new talent, it’s time to think about onboarding. Research suggests this is a critical time for new employees. Sixty-nine per cent of people are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they have a positive experience upon joining. While face-to-face restrictions during Covid-19 have presented challenges for hiring teams, they have also sho...

Accountants continue to play a key role during Covid-19. If you’re considering how to progress your career in 2021, take a moment to acknowledge the unique challenges and opportunities this backdrop presents. In a global survey undertaken by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), nine out of ten respondents said that the pandemic has altered wor...

Since 2017, it has been enshrined in law that businesses with 250 employees or more must publish their Gender Pay Gap figures within a detailed report. This highlights the average difference between men and women’s hourly earnings across full-time and part-time employees at all levels.Gender Pay Gap reporting helps businesses understand and address the internal issues they m...

The long-anticipated wait for the IR35 reforms to take effect is nearly over. After a delay of a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 6 April is fast approaching, and the new legislation will undoubtedly change the working landscape for employers and contractors alike for good.What exactly is IR35?IR35 is the technical term, coined in 2000, for the off-payroll working rule...