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01 Oct 2021
by Annie Makoff

At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 24-30 September 2021

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

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Here are the headlines you might have missed between 24-30 September:

Employers have key role in supporting low-income families this winter
HR Magazine: With the Universal Credit (UC) cut looming next month and energy and living costs surging, low-income families need employer backing. Analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimates that a family with two children and one adult working full-time could end up needing to find an extra £31/week from October. Read Story.

One in three employees fear job loss due to diversity and inclusion
HR Review: New research has revealed an unintended consequence of diversity and inclusion, as almost one in three (31 per cent) UK employees fear losing their job in a more diverse organisation. This worry is significantly more prevalent amongst men, 35 per cent of whom are concerned about job security in a more inclusive organisation, as opposed to 26 per cent of women. Read Story.

Young people hit by development dip
Incentive & Motivation: The overwhelming majority (87%) of UK business leaders say young people have been hit by a “development dip” during COVID-19 as a result of the prolonged period of working from home, according to new research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network. Read Story.

Homeworking thought to help women’s career progression, survey shows
HR Review: According to a new survey carried out for the BBC, the majority of women believe homeworking would aid their career and allow them to juggle multiple duties. New data released by the BBC shows that over half of women (56 per cent) thought that working from home could help their careers, with childcare and caring duties becoming less of a hindrance. Read Story.

Pay awards stabilise for first time in two years
Incentive & Motivation: The latest data from XpertHR shows that the median basic pay increase is worth 2%, in the three months to the end of August 2021. The data suggests that 2% is now the new-normal, having dropped to a median nil award just over a year ago. Since that time, there has been a gradual increase in the value of pay awards, alongside a significant reduction in the numbers of companies implementing a pay freeze in place of any rise. Read Story.

81% of companies’ benefits packages are out of sync with employee lifestyles
Incentive & Motivation: Countless businesses are offering staff benefits such as hybrid working locations, table tennis tables and beer fridges. However, new research from Wet Ones has discovered that four-fifths (81%) of companies’ benefits packages are out of sync with employee lifestyles. The 2021 Employee Benefits, Health and Wellbeing Survey discovered that since moving to a home and flexible hybrid working model, many company perks have gone unused. Read Story.

Half of Brits never get advice but doing so boosts protection uptake – Openwork
Healthcare & Protection: Nearly half of Britons have never seen a financial adviser but doing so boosts protection uptake, according to research from The Openwork Partnership. It found 45% of all 2,000 respondents had never seen an adviser, with around 48% of under-35s saying they have never seen an adviser compared with 46% of over-55s. Read Story.

Furloughed workers borrow money to boost finances
Corporate Adviser: Furloughed workers have been forced to borrow money on loans or credit cards, or borrow from friends and family to sustain income levels during the pandemic according to new research. Canada Life found that 44 per cent of furloughed workers surveyed have borrowed or have considered borrowing money on credit cards while 42 per cent have borrowed or have considered borrowing money from family and friends. Another 41 per cent have taken out or considered a loan to make ends meet. Read Story.

92% of UK GPs report uptick in patients seeking help for work-related stress
Incentive & Motivation: Research from Perkbox, the global benefits and reward platform, has found that a staggering 92% of UK GPs report an increase in people seeking medical advice for work related stress and anxiety since the pandemic began. Read Story.

Most workers underestimate employer’s gender pay gap
Personnel Today: While nearly all workers agree that the UK has a gender pay gap, more than half (57%) do not believe there are gender pay disparities in their own workplace. Although workers have heard of the gender pay gap, few are clear on the details, few can make an estimate of what the gender pay gap is across the UK. Read Story.

Commuting by train could be a boost for the brain
Personnel Today: Research has found that travelling to and from work by train offers psychological benefits for both wellbeing and cognitive function as the rail industry encourages commuters to return. Research conducted as part of the rail industry’s “Get Back on Track” campaign found that people are expecting improved mental health (48%), work-life balance (46%), productivity (46%), motivation (47%) and fitness (51%) as they head back to their workplace. Read Story.

60% of employers have no plans to offer extra time off for mental health
Employee Benefits: Employee Benefits Poll: Awarding staff extra days off to support their mental health is finding lukewarm support among organisations, according to the latest survey by Employee Benefits. Just over a third (36%) of respondents confirmed that they are planning to give employees extra days off for their mental wellbeing, with another 4% of employers thinking about offering this benefit to staff. Read Story.

Panic sets in as parents worry more about children’s health than their own
HR News: As a record 435,430** students head off to university for the first time, internal data from MetLife reveals that more than half (52%) of MultiProtect policyholders have added children to their protection insurance to give themselves greater peace of mind. Read Story.

1 in 10 are kept awake by the dread of going to work
HR News: A recent survey revealed that over 4 in 10 Brits don’t sleep well on an average night, but why? The study, by And So To Bed, asked 1000 Brits about their sleeping habits to reveal what is most likely to keep them awake at night, the study revealed that over HALF of the UK (55%) can’t hack the heat when attempting to sleep. This was followed by a THIRD being kept awake by anxiety (36%). 1 in 10 admitted that their job and the dread of going to work kept them awake at night. Read Story.

Four-day week most sought-after benefit
Personnel Today: Almost two thirds of Britons would like to work a four-day week, according to research into the popularity of various employee benefits. Only 39% of UK workers were happy with their current benefits package at work, while 43% think they could be improved. One in ten of 2,200 adult workers polled by HR software company Factorial said their place of work does not offer any benefits. Read Story.

Long hours standing up causing foot pain among retail and hospitality staff
Occupational Health & Wellbeing Plus: A fifth of hospitality and retail workers are reconsidering their future in their role as they say the length of time they spend on their feet is causing physical pain. According to a survey, 79% of hospitality and retail staff spend four to 10 hours on their feet, with 34% spending eight to 10 hours standing. Read Story.

Extended holidays, soaring sickness and staff shortages – the perfect Autumn storm
The HR Director: Data*has shed light on the perfect September storm with the UK workforce having half of its annual holiday allowance left to take with only a quarter of the year remaining. Read Story.

End of furlough scheme could see increase in anxiety and money worries
Corporate Adviser: Mental ill health is expected to rise following the end of the government’s furlough scheme tomorrow, according to predictions from AIG Life. The insurer says the end of the job retention scheme could see more people being made redundant, which will increase financial pressures on individuals and families. Read Story.

47% of British staff work when ill one day a week
Employee Benefits: Nearly half (47%) of British workers admitted to doing their job when feeling unwell physically or psychologically at least one day per week, according to new research. Wellbeing solutions provider LifeWorks has released its monthly Mental Health Index, which revealed a negative mental health score among 2,000 Britons for the 17th consecutive month. It found that the overall mental health score of respondents was -10.7, nearly 11 points lower than the pre-Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic benchmark, but the highest point since the index was launched in April 2020. Read Story.

Employers should address their fertility policy ahead of egg-freezing legislation changes
HR News: The recently announced changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (the ‘HFE Act’) on the freezing of eggs, sperm and embryos mean that employees will have more choices about having children – which Peppy, the B2B digital health and wellness platform, believes should be a catalyst for employers to review their fertility policy. Read Story.

Employers stress the ticking time bomb of financial wellbeing
HR News: Employers have warned that financial wellbeing is a critical concern, with two thirds (65%) of HR decision-makers predicting that this will become the next big employee challenge for companies. Read Story.

64pc of furloughed workers received non-financial support from employer
Corporate Adviser: Nearly two thirds – 64 per cent – of furloughed workers received non-financial support from their employer, according to research from Canada Life. As the government’s job retention scheme ends today, research has revealed that more than half – 58 per cent – of furloughed workers also received support in the form of regular communication while 34 per cent received virtual check-ins and 33 per cent enjoyed improved employee benefits. Another 26 per cent were given new employee benefits while 25 per cent were offered training. Read Story.

Pension tax relief soars 12pc as mandatory contributions rise
Corporate Adviser: The cost of pension tax relief has gone up from £36.9bn in 2017/18 to £41.3bn in 2019/20, an increase of 12 per cent in two years, according to estimates published by HMRC today. LCP says the rise is due to mandatory contributions increasing by 8 per cent in 2019/20 from 2 per cent in 2017/18 under automatic enrolment. This has boosted the cost of pension tax relief and reflects a growing number of people saving. But LCP experts say it should not be used as an excuse by the chancellor to cut tax relief on pension savings in the budget. Read Story.

Arguments over fair wages spike when economic conditions are uncertain
The HR Director: Workplace disagreements between managers and employees over the fair pay of staff wages drastically increase when wider economic conditions are more uncertain, according to new research from emlyon business school. Read Story.

Workers face ongoing burnout risk
HR Magazine: In a continuing sign of the pandemic’s impact on mental health, one third (33%) of the UK workforce are expecting to feel tired and burnt out in 2022. A report by absence management software provider Edays found that a quarter (26%) of employees said their wellbeing had suffered comparative to 2019, and a further quarter (25%) said their wellbeing had varied in that time. Read Story.

Older workers at higher risk of redundancy as furlough ends, experts warn
People Management: Commentators highlight danger of ‘polarised’ labour market as employers are reminded they still have a duty of care over returning workers. Older workers are at higher risk of being made redundant when the furlough scheme comes to an end today, a number of organisations have warned. Read Story.

Employees expect to return to the office but want their workplace to better support their mental and physical health
HR News: Eighteen months since nationwide shutdowns, the global surge in COVID-19 cases is exacerbating the onset of virtual fatigue for many employees. JLL’s new “How Regenerative Workplaces Can Restore Employee Wellbeing” report explores opportunities for companies to redefine what employee wellbeing looks like and achieve organizational resilience through the physical workplace. Read Story.

Research indicates hybrid working could boost social mobility in the UK
HR News: The appeal of hybrid working is greater for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggesting an increase in employers offering flexible working could help improve social mobility in the UK. Read Story.