At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 1-7 October 2021

Here are the headlines you might have missed between 1-7 October:

Half of UK workers struggle when planning for retirement
The HR World: Nearly half (47%) of people in work do not know how to plan for their retirement, according to new research. The study, from Aviva, reveals fewer than one in three people (28%) feel secure in their knowledge of how to manage their pension as they get closer to retiring. Read Story.

Doggy perks tempt staff back to the office
Employee Benefits: Something for the weekend: For those employers struggling to motivate staff to return to the office, Rover.com has the ultimutt solution to boost morale – doggy perks. Latest research by the pet-sitting and dog-walking network has revealed that two-thirds of dog owners (66%) would be more willing to get back to the workplace if it was dog-friendly. Read Story.

Almost half of UK employees say workplace has negatively impacted wellbeing during pandemic
Workplace Insight: New research by Edays, who surveyed employees across the UK to determine the impact of the workplace on employee wellbeing, and changes to employee perceptions over the past two years, claim that 41 percent of the workforce feel that their workplace has negatively impacted on their wellbeing during the pandemic. Read Story.

Rise of small DC pension pots requires many solutions says industry led group
Corporate Adviser: The complex issue of small DC pension pots requires many solutions says The Small Pots Co-ordination Group, the body responsible for developing practical solutions to the proliferation of small deferred pension pots. Read Story.

Improved rest facilities will boost health workers’ wellbeing
Personnel Today: A campaign has been launched to promote the need for better rest and catering facilities for healthcare workers in Scotland, which it says will help combat stress, promote healthier lifestyles and improve patient care. Read Story.

Quarter of workers have been on furlough at some point during pandemic
Personnel Today: One in four employees (26%) have been on furlough at some point during the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’s operation. The scheme, which was announced on 20 March 2020 and finished on 30 September 2021, supported 11.6 million jobs and was used by 1.3 million employers. Read Story.

Half of women sexually harassed at work during lockdown were targeted online, poll finds
People Management: Nearly half of women who experienced in-work harassment did so online, a report has found, warning that employers are putting too much emphasis on women reporting harassment and not enough on preventative measures. Read Story.

Half of employers predict higher pay rises in 2022
HR Review: New research suggests recovery in terms of pay with half of employers anticipating they will be awarding higher pay rises next year. According to new data released by the Incomes Data Research (IDR), many employees will benefit from higher pay rises in 2022 with half of employers intending to award this. Read Story.

Poor strategy crippling D&I efforts
HR Magazine: Over half (51%) of SMEs don’t have a process for setting diversity hiring goals, according to a new report. A poll of 400 talent leaders by talent management software company SmartRecruiters revealed that less than a sixth (15%) of participants remove identifying factors (i.e. race or gender) from internal applications, and a third (32%) of companies have no diversity and inclusion (D&I) budget. Read Story.

Employers can reduce poverty by offering flexible work
HR Magazine: Flexible work for parents can be a key factor in lifting children out of poverty, a report on poverty in Scotland by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has found. While half (54%) of families in Scotland with no employment are in poverty, having a family member work part-time cuts this to 30%, and families with at least one person in full-time employment have a poverty rate of 10%. Read Story.

UK gender pay reporting rules will not fix the problem, charity says
People Management: UK gender pay gap reporting “has no teeth” and is focused on monitoring rather than fixing wage disparities, research has found, ahead of the enforcement of the pay reporting deadline tomorrow (5 October). Read Story.

British employers still shun workplace mental health support for their staff
HR News: People management platform Employment Hero reveals new data on how employees and employers are managing mental health support in the workplace.  Read Story.

Recruitment and retention ‘found wanting’ as employers take ad hoc approach
HR News: A recent survey completed by CIPD revealed that 43% of the surveyed businesses are taking an ad hoc approach to recruitment and retention, without spending time to develop a strategy. Read Story.

66% of BAME workers face discrimination
Reward Strategy: Bosses in the finance sector can’t “bury their heads” as data finds ethnic minority workers in the industry are experiencing discrimination. Read Story.

Talent war boosts maternity and parental leave packages
HR Magazine: A majority (79%) of employers now offer enhanced maternity pay, compared with 57% in 2017, according to a new poll. This increase (22%) is matched by a rise in the number of companies offering enhanced paternity or partner leave pay, up by 23%. Read Story.

Employers pledge to offer menopause support
Personnel Today: Employers including Tesco, PwC, HarperCollins and Santander have signed a pledge to support staff who experience the menopause. The pledge, launched by campaign group Wellbeing of Women and Hello! magazine, urges employers to recognise that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace; to talk openly and positively about the issue; and to actively support and inform staff affected by it. Read Story.

Lockdown boredom and anxiety drove increase in smoking
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Plus: Nearly half (45%) of smokers have been smoking more since the pandemic began, with lockdown boredom and anxiety the key drivers of the increase. Public Health England is urging people to quit smoking for 28 days in October, with the aim of stopping smoking permanently, as part of its Stoptober campaign this month. Read Story.

Education, collaboration and access key to increasing vaccine uptake
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Plus: Improving access to vaccinations and educating people about their benefits could help boost uptake among at-risk groups, a report has recommended. Millions of people in the UK live with a health condition thats put them at greater risk of serious illness from diseases that could easily be prevented by vaccines, such as influenza (flu), pneumococcal disease (pneumonia) and Covid-19. Read Story.

Missing line manager mental health support risks legal action, lawyer warns
Healthcare & Protection: Employers who fail to provide mental health support training for line managers, are running the risk of personal injury claims being brought against them. This is according to Melanie Stancliffe, partner at law firm Cripps Pemberton Greenish, who told Health & Protection firms who fail to provide such support also risk reputational damage. Read Story.

45% of female staff have financial anxiety
Employee Benefits: Almost half of female employees (45%) feel more financial anxiety than they did before the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic compared to 38% of men, according to new findings. Close Brothers’ report, Expecting the unexpected: a spotlight on preparing for a crisis, included responses from 2,000 UK-based employees working for businesses with 200 or more employees, and revealed that 24% of female staff felt financially unprepared for the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns compared to 14% of men. Read Story.

Disconnect between executives and employees on returning to the office
Workplace Insight: Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack to help companies reimagine work in the new digital-first workplace, has released the latest findings from the Future Forum Pulse, a global study that claims a huge divide between executives and non-executives on returning to the office: “the Great Executive-Employee Disconnect.” Read Story.

Hybrid workers retain concerns of discrimination, career and always on culture
Workplace Insight: Poly has released a new report outlining the evolution of the workplace and changing employee attitudes to the 9-5. The Poly Evolution of the Workplace report provides analysis on the findings of a survey of 7,261 hybrid workers from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the United Arab Emirates. Read Story.

Ageism will ‘lock out’ older workers from employment as furlough ends, experts warn
People Management: New guidance released today aims to help businesses address disparities between workers and ensure recruitment processes are fit for purpose. Workers aged 50 and older who have been made redundant following the end of the furlough scheme could see themselves “locked out of work” by ageism in the recruitment process, a think tank has warned. Read Story.

Mental health prevalence and access to relevant support are key concerns
Cover magazine: Several pieces of new research show the depth of the challenge facing both individuals and employers across the UK when it comes to addressing mental health issues. Poor mental health is now the most common medical complaint among UK adults, with those suffering from more complex and enduring issues struggling to access the right assistance, while men are far less likely to access mental health support than women. Read Story.

Male employees not accessing mental health support
Workplace Insight: Women in the workplace are twice as likely as their male colleagues to ask for help with emotional wellbeing, according to the very latest figures provided by Towergate Health & Protection, prior to World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2021. Read Story.

Research says flexible working is only a ‘sticking plaster’ until businesses embrace wholesale culture change
Workplace Insight: A new white paper published by corporate wellbeing consultants, CHAMPS, states that businesses need to look beyond home-working and wellbeing support services in order to sustain business success in a post-COVID world. Read Story.

Research: stress and anxiety worst for Gen Y employees
Incentive & Motivation: According to research conducted by GRiD, the industry body for group risk, employers believe that their Gen Y employees are affected by stress and anxiety more than any other generation. Read Story.

Mental health fuelling a mass exodus
The HR Director: UK businesses could be facing a £48.2bn1 recruitment bill to replace 16 million2 workers who are looking to move jobs, according to the latest research from Westfield Health. This is a huge increase on the 3.3 million that moved job in 20181 costing businesses an estimated £9.9bn. Read Story.