(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 9th – 15th January 2023
Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash
Retaining Over 50s Workers
Labour is planning to make workplace changes for over 50s workers in an effort to retain those near retirement and entice others back into the workforce as a way of combating the ongoing labour market crisis. Jobcentres are to be geared towards supporting workers to find a better work/life balance and entice early retirees back into the workforce. They’ll discuss their finances, skills level and general health with a trained adviser to understand if early retirement really is the best decision. Source: Personnel Today.
Tech Skills As A ‘Digital Native’
Despite being dubbed ‘digital natives’, not all Gen Z’s are experts when it comes to technology and according to a WorkLife article, some struggle when using popular apps like TikTok. A report from HP reveals that many young professionals have experienced shame due to the presumption that they are comfortable with all things tech. Therefore, employers and the older generation need to understand that everyone needs adequate training to become skilled in any field, regardless of age. Source: WorkLife.
Police Officers Are Resigning
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has expressed an increasing frustration with the government due to inadequate pay and lack of help during the cost of living crisis, as a result almost one in five (18%) officers intend to resign. The PFEW’s annual pay and morale survey reveals that nearly all of the 36,700 officers identified low morale (98%), government treatment (96%) and pay (95%) as the leading reasons for contemplating resignations. Although the government hasn’t set any retention plans, it is set to release a manifesto to recruit 20,000 officers by March 2023. Source: Personnel Today.
Legalising Salary Transparency
A new campaign launched by Liberty Hive plans to make salary transparency a legal requirement. It intends to open communications with recruiters after finding that the majority (80%) of candidates were uncomfortable when discussing their salaries. A recent study by Fawcett Society revealed that the majority (90%) of candidates found questions about previous salaries a discriminatory way for recruiters to determine their new salaries and financial worth. The new law will make questions about salary histories illegal and has already been put into effect in New York. Source: People Management.
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Microsoft has adopted an unlimited paid time off policy for its US employees in a bid to improve productivity and create a better work/life balance. The Discretionary Time Off (DTO) policy is intended to reduce burnout and empower workers to manage their workload, especially for those that chose flexible ways of working. However, there are some concerns around the policy and Microsoft’s management strategies as often when employees are given autonomy over holiday’s they end up over-working due to anxiety over taking too much time off and not having a target to aim for. Source: UNLEASH.
Fighting Redundancy
Law firm Winckworth Sherwood is working towards an employment tribunal for around 43 former Twitter employees due to unfair redundancy dismissals that came without warning. Their complaint is seen as particularly strong as British law requires a consultation process when more than 20 employees are intended to be made redundant which was not met. Previously, Twitter has been involved in four class action lawsuits and 200 legal complaints in the US after Elon Musk made the decision to make half of their employees redundant (c3,700). Source: Personnel Today and HR Magazine.