Huge increase in staff absence in the run up to the end of the summer term
Data from the Department for Education showed that in July 2022, staff attendance in schools was at its lowest since the end of January 2022 in England. 42,000 teachers and leaders (around 8% of the workforce) and 49,000 support staff (around 6.8% of the workforce) were absent on Thursday 7 July. Pupil attendance was down 86.9% on the same day, down from 89.4% two weeks before.
COVID-19: one in 20 people currently infected
Although there’s been a decline in the estimated numbers of people with COVID-19, numbers are still high. In the week ending Wednesday 20 July 2022, the percentage of the population living in private households who had the virus was:
- 4.83% in England (one in 20 people)
- 5.14% in Wales (one in 19 people)
- 6.18% in Northern Ireland (one in 16 people)
- 5.17% in Scotland (one in 19 people).
Unions challenge new legislation allowing agency workers to cover striking staff
Twelve major trade unions have instructed solicitors to start proceedings to judicially review new regulations which allow employers to use agency workers to fill staffing gaps caused by industrial action. The unions allege that the Regulations breach Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which commits the UK to respecting, promoting and implementing internationally recognised core labour standards, including those relating to freedom of association and the recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
Miscarriage policies
Around one-in-eight pregnancies end in miscarriage according to the NHS. The Miscarriage Association wants discussions around miscarriage to be “less taboo” and for women to get the support they need.
It has a written a policy which is free to download (and provides links to other published policies) to help organisations support staff members during this time.
New data on working habits of parents with dependent children
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data outlining employment rates and practices of people with dependent children using survey information from April to June 2021.
The main findings of the survey include that:
- 75.6% of mothers and 92.1% of fathers were in work (an increase from 66.5% and 89.6% respectively in 2020)
- It’s more common for both parents to be employed in full-time work rather than one partner working part-time than it was in 2020
- 57.7% of families with one child had both parents working full-time, compared with 39.5% of families with three or more children.
The ONS data may be of interest to employers when considering family friendly workplace policies, flexible working arrangements (e.g. term-time working) and whether any working practices may be indirectly discriminatory on grounds of sex.
New help to get the over 50’s back to work
The Department for Work and Pensions has said that it will invest £22 million to help job-seekers over the age of 50 get back into work. This group will get individual support at Jobcentres to help them obtain work and, those who are thinking about retiring will be offered “mid-life MOTs” to help them “take stock of their skills and finances”.
Read more – August 2022
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