We round up the latest employment news.
Women in their 30s impacted most by caring responsibilities
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has published an analysis revealing that women are seven times more likely than men to be out of work as a result of caring commitments, with women in their 30s being the most affected, compared to men the same age. The TUC also found that women take on most of the care for older and disabled relatives, and it wants the government to act immediately to help women remain in work and to ensure they are paid fairly.
New guidance on helping people to return to work
The government has published new guidance to help employers support people who want to return to work after a period of absence. It includes advice on making minor changes to recruitment, offering flexible working and advertising posts as being suitable for returners.
Government reviewing whistleblowing laws
On Monday 27 March 2023, the government published a press release confirming that they’ve launched a review of the whistleblowing legal framework. It will take views from whistleblowers, key charities, employers and regulators. The review aims to find out if the current legal regime enables workers to speak out about wrongdoing and protects those who do so.
New consultation about 2024 National Minimum Wage rates
The Low Pay Commission has published a consultation seeking views on the impact of National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) increases for 2024. The NLW is expected to rise to between £10.90 and £11.43 in 2024. The information gathered will be used to inform its recommendations to the government in the Autumn.
The consultation closes on Friday 9 June 2023.
Miscarriage Leave Bill stalls
A private members bill which would have provided three days of paid leave for women who have miscarried or experienced ectopic pregnancies didn’t proceed to a second reading scheduled for March 2023. The government didn’t support the bill and it’s now unlikely to progress.
Equality and Human Rights Commission suggest that sex should mean biological sex
The government recently asked the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for advice on the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act 2010. It has now published its initial response which suggests that limiting the definition of sex to biological sex could bring clarity to the law. It does note that it could create ambiguity in other areas.
According to the Guardian newspaper, government sources said they were looking carefully at the EHRC response, and warned that the legislation was complicated.
New survey on employee loneliness
Glassdoor has published a blog with insights from its new study which surveyed 2,000 employees to understand the levels of employee loneliness in the UK. Key findings include:
- Six-in-ten people with less than five years of work experience are lonely all or most of the time
- Only 51% of employees connect socially with colleagues at least once a month
- 28% of workers under 35 would stay in a job they didn’t like if the workplace social life was good
- 89% of workers believe feeling a sense of belonging with their company is vital to their overall workplace happiness
- Nearly 49% of workers say a good social life has a significant impact on their overall job satisfaction and mental health.
Common reasons for workplace loneliness include less in-person interaction with co-workers, inflexibility in the workplace, and a lack of focus on creating a sense of belonging or community by an employer.
New review into work prospects of autistic people
The Department for Work and Pensions, supported by the autism charity Autistica, has launched a review to increase the employment prospects of autistic people. It will consider how the government can support employers to recruit and retain autistic people and enjoy the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce.
Recommendations for change will be made to the Secretary of State in September 2023.
New report reveals that autistic people have the lowest rates of employment for disabled people
The House of Commons has released a research briefing on autism, policy and services which reveals that the lowest rates of employment among disabled people are those on the autism spectrum. In the 2020–21 financial year, 26.5% of disabled people on the autism spectrum were in employment, compared to 52.5% of all disabled people and 80.4% of non-disabled people in the same period. In 2016, the National Autistic Society reported that 77% of unemployed people with autism wanted to work.
Read more - April 2023
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