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28 Jun 2019
by Annie Makoff-Clark

At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 21-27 June 2019

Your quick-read round up of the reward and benefits stories appearing in the press in the past seven days.

The headlines you might have missed between 21– 27 June.

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Two-fifths outsource some element of their benefits package
Employee Benefits: EXCLUSIVE: Two in five respondents (41%) outsource some aspect of their benefits package, while three in five (59%) do not, according to research by Employee Benefits. Read Story.

Working long hours increases stroke risk, study finds
Personnel Today: Working long hours on a regular basis can increase the risk of stroke, according to a study. People who worked longer than 10 hours a day on 50 or more occasions per year were 29% more likely to have a stroke than those who did not, researchers from Angers University in France and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research discovered. Read Story.

Labour market statistics – employment of older people sets new records
The HR Director:  Today’s figures set a new record for the number of people aged over 50 in work, rising above 10.5 million for the first time ever. Read Story.

Hot-desking is actively harming workplace productivity, say employees
People Management: Workforce productivity is being harmed by open plan offices, hot-desking and excessive noise, research has suggested. Read Story.

Employers are misjudging the possibility of a severe issue affecting their staff
HR Review: Employers seem to be misjudging the chance of a severe issue such as an illness or bereavement affecting their staff within the next 12 months. Read Story.

Employees still want regular check-ins with their line managers
The HR Director: New research from performance management software specialists, Appraisd, has revealed that employees really do value regular conversations with their line managers. Read Story.

Two-fifths have seen no impact following salary sacrifice changes
Employee Benefits: EXCLUSIVE: More than two-fifths (43%) have not see any impact from changes to salary sacrifice arrangements, according to research by Employee Benefits. Read Story.

Half feel employers should support staff more in achieving work-life balance
Employee Benefits: Just under half (49%) of respondents feel that their employers should support them more in achieving a healthy work-life balance, according to research by Thomsons Online Benefits. Read Story.

Employee sickness absence rates stabilising
Health Insurance & Protection: A median 2.5% of working time was lost to sickness in 2018, equivalent to 5.6 days per employee across the UK, figures show. Read Story.

Report reveals one in ten have fallen asleep in meetings
HR Review: Hundreds of office workers from across the UK have admitted to switching off, leaving early, and even falling asleep, during all-day meetings, according to a new report. Read Story.

Most workers avoiding moving jobs due to low pay, research suggests
People Management: More than half (57 per cent) of UK workers are not moving jobs because the salaries on offer are too low, research has revealed, pointing to a vicious cycle of wage stagnation and lack of labour market movement. Read Story.

UK workers ‘ignorant’ about group risk products: survey
Corporate Adviser: Knowledge of group risk products remains low among the UK workforce, particularly when compared to other countries, according to a new research. Read Story.

Third of women have no pension plan, finds Willis Owen
Professional Pensions:  Just over a third of women claim they do not have a pension plan compared to 17% of men, a Willis Owen survey has found. Read Story.

51% of workers want a four-day work week
Dealer Support: Research conducted over last three years shows that just over half of UK workers (51%) want to work a four-day work week – favouring the idea of working longer hours Monday to Thursday and taking Friday to Sunday off. Read Story.

Half of UK employees afraid to voice ideas to bosses
HR Grapevine: Employees working within large organisations claim that management rarely or never listen to them or address their ideas, new research has found. Read Story.

Majority of employees want to access health benefits via an app
Health Insurance & Protection: Three quarters (76%) of UK employees would be interested in accessing health and wellbeing benefits via an app on their phone, a poll shows. Read Story.

Many employers unaware of tax implications of lump sum death in service benefits
Incentive & Motivation:  
Aon plc (NYSE:AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has found that just a third of UK employers have taken action to address the impact of lump sum death in service benefits on the Lifetime Allowance, by using Excepted Death in Service cover. Read Story.

4 out of 5 workers would trade employer for more growth and development
Incentive & Motivation:  SumTotal Systems, a global leader in Talent Management solutions, today announced the thought-provoking result of a joint research report with Fosway Group that highlights what is driving effectiveness in talent management and people development in EMEA, and perhaps more importantly, what is not working, as HR organisations strive to digitally transform their people functions. Read Story.

Half of staff believe they are invulnerable to serious health conditions
Personnel Today: More than half (54%) of workers are living in a state of “illness denial”, a health insurer has said, because they believe they are unlikely to suffer from major health conditions including cancer, stroke or heart disease. Read Story.

Financial services staff reluctant to raise mental health concerns, survey finds
Personnel Today: Three-quarters of staff who have a mental health concern are reluctant to make use of support provided by their employer, with those in financial services particularly hesitant to get help out of fear of receiving a formal diagnosis. Read Story.

One in four Brits will be aged over 65 by 2050 – ONS
Professional Adviser: An ageing population is drastically altering the economic landscape of the UK, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have indicated. Read Story.

Govt must act to defuse social care time bomb ABI says
Money Marketing: The government must urgently publish its green paper on social care as 90 per cent of over 65s have no plan for social care funding, the Association of British Insurers says. Read Story.

Squeeze on financial security for millennials and baby-boomers
Corporate Adviser:  Financial security for both younger and older employees is reducing, according to new research from Smarterly. Read Story.

Three in 10 plan to adapt to future challenges using better communications
Employee Benefits: EXCLUSIVE: In order to adapt to future challenges in the industry, fewer than three in 10 (28%) intend to use better or more targeted communications, according to research by Employee Benefits. Read Story.

Workers ‘bored’ with training
Fresh Business Thinking: Employees in the UK are ‘bored and disinterested’ in workplace training and are calling for more engaging and targeted development, according to new research. Read Story.

Robots will ‘replace 20 million’ jobs by 2030
Fresh Business Thinking: As many as 20 million factory jobs could be replaced by robots in the next 11 years, according to Oxford Economics. Read Story.

9.5m employees fear health concerns will stop them working
Corporate Adviser: Three out of four employees intend to work beyond the age of 65, but a significant number are worried that their health may scupper these plans. Read Story.

More carers experiencing financial difficulties
Health Insurance & Protection: There has been an increase in the number of carers who are struggling financially, research shows. NHS Digital figures reveal 10.6% of carers said caring caused them a lot of financial difficulties, up from the 2016-17 figure of 9.6%. Read Story.

Bosses overwhelmingly in favour of flexible working
Workplace Insight: Businesses that fail to accommodate staff looking to set their own work schedule in some way will struggle to attract and retain talent, claims new research from Vistage. Read Story.

Mental health is at 'unique moment in history' - Louise Aston
Cover Magazine:
We are experiencing a "unique moment in history" for mental health at work, with "more people talking than ever" about the issue, Louise Aston, wellbeing director for Business in the Community told delegates at Pensions & Benefits UK yesterday. Read Story.

UK workers lack tech skills needed for their current job
HR Grapevine:
As technology starts to make its way into more and more industries, in a bid to make jobs easier, it seems that many workers believe they don’t have the necessary tech skills to complete their role. Read Story.