We round up the latest employment news.
Long-COVID and illness has driven 400,000 more people from the workforce
Research carried out by The Progressive Policy Think Tank has found that there are now over a million workers missing from the workforce compared to the pre-pandemic trend. And, around 400,000 of these aren’t working because of poor health, such as long-COVID, disruption to health care and declining mental health.
If health inequality doesn’t improve, the research estimates that it will drag down economic activity this year by an estimated £8 billion. The report also shows that the relationship between health and the economy goes much further than just keeping workers away from their jobs, it’s also a decisive factor in the UK’s low productivity, low growth, and vast regional inequalities.
Rise in disability pay gap
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a report into the differences in income between disabled and non-disabled people in the UK, finding that there’s been an increase in the median pay gap from 11.7% in 2014 to 13.8% in 2021.
The statistics also show that the disability pay gap remains wider for disabled men (12.4%) than for disabled women (10.5%), that the disability pay gap in Wales (11.6%) is the narrowest of the four UK nations, and that those whose disability affects their day-to-day activities a lot had a wider pay gap (19.9%) than those whose disability affects their day-to-day activities a little (12.1%). People with autism as their main disability had a 33.5% median pay gap.
Huge increase in the number people working with a disability
The latest labour market figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the number of disabled people in employment has increased by 1.3 million since 2017. And the number of disabled people in work in January to March 2022 was 4.8 million.
Furlough fraud
According to a recent survey reported in LAW360, HMRC seized £39 million worth of assets in the last 11 months from people and businesses suspected of defrauding government-funded furlough programmes and other economic support schemes linked to COVID-19.
One-in-four SMEs struggling to find staff
More than a quarter of SME firms are struggling to find staff to fill vacancies according to new research by WorkLife. The survey found that 32% of employees had left to pursue other opportunities and 29% left to get better pay and conditions. These findings correspond with other data about the impact of the ‘great resignation’.
SME businesses struggling to retain staff said the key issue was the cost of rewarding and incentivising employees in line with their expectations (32%), along with a perception that competitors are offering more attractive pay and benefits (28%) and low staff morale (27%). Many also wanted more flexible working arrangements such as being able to continue to work from home.
20% of employers say they intend to implement a ‘no jab, no job’ policy
Over 20% of employers intend to implement a ‘no jab no job’ coronavirus policy for new and existing staff in the year ahead according to a new survey from Acas.
Acas advises employers to support staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine rather than require them to get it. But, if they do go ahead with a vaccination policy, it recommends that they should talk with staff or a trade union.
How should HR handle the cost of living crisis?
Inflation is likely to hit 10% in the autumn. Many people are already feeling the pinch, including many people who work full-time.
Personnel Today provide six tips to consider:
- Being creative with reward
- Supporting employee’s mental health
- Mitigating costs
- Acting fairly in terms of the wages paid
- Reducing the commute
- Developing staff.
Read more - May 2022
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