Casual office dress codes were already on the increase before the pandemic, with ‘dress-down Friday’ a popular perk to end the week. However, the pandemic saw a major shift in dress code as workers swapped their traditional business attire for pyjamas and sweatpants, with a ‘zoom shirt’ hanging over the back of their chair for more formal meetings! Employers are increasingly reporting that workplace attire has become more casual since employees returned to the office.  Some have actively promoted this more relaxed approach to incentivise people to resume office working, whilst others are ..read more

This next week is Volunteers Week (1-7 June) which is an opportunity to recognise the contribution people make through volunteering. Research from Pilotlight indicates that 21% (approximately 6 million people) of the UK workforce are currently utilising their work skills for volunteering, which is benefitting 8,300 charities and social enterprises every year. Benefits to the volunteer Volunteering is a great way to make a difference and give something back, allowing people to connect with their community and make it a better place. Dedicating a little time can help people make new friends, get ..read more

Fertility treatment in the workplace has been an increasingly talked about topic since the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill was submitted to the house of commons in November 2022 and the Fertility Workplace Pledge launch last year. The pledge kicked off with signatures from large companies such as NatWest group, The Co-op group, Metro Bank group, The Guardian, Channel 4 and UK Hospitality. Whether your company, or the company you work within, is large or small, there is a fair probability that at least one of your employees is undergoing, considering, or awaiting fertility treatmen ..read more

The Christmas party season is now well and truly upon us. Following the disruption caused by the pandemic which meant parties were held virtually or put on hold, this year employers are now returning to more traditional celebrations. The annual Christmas bash is a great way to reward staff and boost morale. However, if not managed correctly these social occasions can often present risks for employers, with alcohol induced absences and inappropriate behaviour. Here are some tips for avoiding a HR hangover during the festive work celebrations. Employees should be reminded that despite an event ..read more

The latest Employment Tribunal and EAT statistics have been published by the Ministry of Justice. They cover the period April 2021 to March 2022 and whilst they don’t include how many claims were made during this time (due to the Tribunal transitioning to a new database), they’re still useful in assessing employment litigation trends. The full report is available here (ref: Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal Tables 2021 to 2022), but the headlines are as follows: Unfair Dismissal Highest – £165,000 Average – £13,541 Median – £7,650 Sex Discrimination Highest award – £184,961 ..read more

The results of the world’s largest 4-day working week trial, conducted by 4 Day Week Global, in partnership with the think tank Autonomy, the 4 Day Week Campaign, and researchers at the University of Cambridge and Boston College, have recently been published. The 6-month trial took place in the UK from June to December 2022, and involved 61 companies and around 2,900 workers. The report found that overall, the trial had been a ‘resounding success’ and that revenue increased by over 8% in 33 of the companies taking part. Among other things, employees reported less burnout and fatigue, and ..read more

The government is investing millions of pounds to give young people access to T Level qualifications to help them gain the skills they need to secure rewarding careers. What are T Levels? T Levels are 2-year courses which are equivalent to 3 A Levels and are becoming one of the main choices for students following GCSE’s. Based on the same standards as apprenticeships, T Levels have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers to meet industry needs and to prepare students for entry into employment, apprenticeships or further / higher education. They offer students pra ..read more

The FIFA World Cup 2022 has been surrounded with controversy with regards to host Qatar’s poor human rights and LGBTQA record, but although there are some people who may boycott the tournament altogether, there will be many who will still be watching to cheer their team along. As the tournament kicks off, employers might find themselves with an influx of holiday or time off requests and there may well be an increase in sickness or unauthorised absence. So how do employers stay on the ball and prevent unwanted HR issues arising before the first whistle is blown? In this article we discuss a few ..read more

Trade unions and other campaigners have called for legislation to ban unfair tipping practices following media reports in 2015 of employers in UK restaurant chains and the wider hospitality industry taking a proportion of employees’ tips. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Robathan to introduce a legal obligation on employers to ensure all tips, gratuities and service charges are paid to workers in full, without deductions. The bill makes similar provision for troncs, which are special payment arrangements recognised by the HMRC ..read more

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) are the legal minimum wage rates that must be paid to employees in the UK and are based on age and apprenticeship level. NMW is the minimum hourly rate of pay for workers under 23 (or first year apprentices) NLW is the minimum hourly rate of pay for workers over 23 years of age On the 1 April 2023, the NLW is increasing to £10.42 per hour, a significant jump from the current rate of £9.50 and welcome news for many. New NMW rates are as follows; £10.18 for those aged 21 – 22 £7.49 for those aged 18 – 20 £5.28 for t ..read more