Italy considering trialling four-day working week
To help tackle Italy’s growing unemployment, councillors have put their support behind proposals to introduce a four-day week. The proposals will cut the working week from 40 to 32 hours. This, councillors claim, would create around 200,000 jobs by introducing new job roles in a variety of industries and provide work for the country’s 160,000 […]
Court rejects firm’s appeal for its plumbers to have self-employed status
The gig economy remains firmly under the spotlight as Pimlico Plumbers loses its fight over the classification of its workers. Gary Smith worked as a plumber for Pimlico Plumbers for six years. He won an employment tribunal that challenged the company’s opinion that he worked for them as a self-employed contractor. The company had […]
Female employment at all-time high
Female employment is the highest on record, with wage growth rising at its fastest pace in over a year. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the three months from the end of August last year saw 69.9% of 16 to 64-year-old women in work. This compares to 69.1% a year earlier, and the […]
What’s the future of the gig economy?
Following the recent employment tribunals of City Sprint, Uber and Deliveroo workers, what is the future of the gig economy? For several years, the gig economy and self-employment in the UK has seen a steady rise. Self-employed people make up about 15% of the UK workforce. Between July and September 2016, an extra 213,000 people […]
Companies speed up the recruitment process
Nearly half of companies have shortened their recruitment times so they can get staff in post much quicker. Research by Totaljobs reveals that 46% of employers have streamlined their hiring procedures to make it easier to find good candidates and get them in post quickly. They were also concerned that candidates were put off […]
Tribunal win for City Sprint courier
A courier has won her tribunal against City Sprint, which will likely have huge repercussions on the industry. The tribunal agreed that the courier should have worker status. A self-employed person does not have rights to sick pay, paid holidays and receive the national living wage. But with worker status, they could expect the same […]
French employees have legal right not to check emails outside work
From 1 January 2017, employees in France will have the legal right to ‘disconnect’ from work while out of hours. French employers will have to guarantee that their workers have a ‘right to disconnect’ from technology. Companies with over 50 workers will have to outline when it’s acceptable for staff to be offline outside the […]
Southern Rail strike
Southern Rail bosses have made a direct appeal to drivers to end the strike action that’s costing the UK £300m. The firm sent letters to over 1,000 drivers outlining their improved offer in a bid to end the ongoing dispute. The unions have already dismissed the same offer. The train operator’s parent company GTR, promises […]
Brexit fears blamed for fall in UK employment
Employment has fallen for the first time in over a year as fears over Brexit start affecting the jobs market. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the employment rate slipped from a record high of 74.5% to 74.4%. The first drop since February to April 2015. Some experts suggest that the labour market […]
British Airways crew vote to strike over Christmas
People travelling with British Airways over Christmas could see their plans disrupted after 2,000 cabin crew vote for strike action. Around 15% of the airline’s cabin crew were balloted about striking at Heathrow airport and around 79% voted for the action. The vote came after cabin crew rejected a proposed 2% pay rise. Unite union […]
MP accuses government of hiding tribunal fees report
The government faces accusations of hiding a report that reveals employment tribunal fees affect women and ethnic minorities the most. Figures show a 70% drop in cases, including a 50% fall in race discrimination cases since the introduction of fees in 2013. Dawn Butler, shadow minister for diverse communities, claims people can no longer access […]
Britain still urgently needs migrant workers
The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) claims that Britain urgently needs migrant workers. CBI’s Director-General, Carolyn Fairbairn, has told MPs that Britain’s borders must remain open to foreign labour. The UK’s high demand for low skilled labour cannot be met without it, she argues. Much of the debate since June’s EU referendum result have centred […]
Expedia named top place to work in 2017
Expedia is one of the best places to work for the second year, according to employees. The Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards also saw ARM, HomeServe UK, and Mott MacDonald and Hays named in the top five. Voted by employees The Employees’ Choice Awards is in its ninth year and recognises the best places to work […]
Employee Assistance Programmes underused
Employers need to do more to encourage take-up of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), according to a new report. EAPs can be hugely beneficial for people with mental health problems or on prolonged sickness absence. But despite the benefits, EAPs have a very low take-up. The Lancaster University Work Foundation’s report, suggests that many people see […]
Finance companies aim for third of senior roles filled by women
Finance companies are hoping to have a third of senior management posts filled by women in the next five years. Firms signing up to the Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter, have set targets of 35% of management roles to be held by women. The current figure is 27%. The charter aims to encourage companies to […]
Over 500 Kwik Fit staff to lose jobs
There were emotional scenes at a Kwik Fit call centre as 521 staff heard they will lose their jobs. Director Ant Middle told the stunned employees that the site will close by the end of March 2017. The jobs will go from the Kwik Fit Insurance Services call centre in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire. Ageas, the […]
CitySprint face legal challenge from its couriers
The so-called “gig economy” is again under the spotlight as delivery firm CitySprint becomes the latest company to face a legal challenge over the employment status of its couriers. Maggie Dewhurst, a CitySprint cycle courier is challenging CitySprint’s claims that she is an ‘independent contractor’. At the employment tribunal, she told how a controller tells […]
Firms could be forced to reveal CEO and worker pay gap
The government has announced proposals to make large UK companies reveal the pay gap between their top management and average workers. In a move intended to stem the rise in anti-big business and anti-globalisation, the government are considering a number of measures as part of a consultation to curb the excesses of corporate pay. These […]
Salary sacrifice schemes scrapped
The 2016 Autumn Statement confirmed fears that it is the end of the road for many salary sacrifice schemes. The writing was already on the wall in the Spring Budget, with hints that the government could limit the range of tax savings benefits available through salary sacrifice schemes. And now the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond […]
Squeeze on living standards expected to worsen
Wage growth for this decade could be at its lowest since the 1900s. Many Britons could face a significant drop in living standards as they struggle to keep up with rising living costs. In his recent Autumn Statement, the Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn statement revealed the UK faces a £122 billion black hole. The Resolution […]