(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 14th – 20th August 2023
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Return-to-office mandates aren’t working
Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA)’s report has found global employees who are required to be in-office twice a week are, on average, only attending 1.4 days a week which is the same average as employees with no in-office obligations. In the UK, the average stands at 1.6 days a week.
The report shows nearly three-quarters (70%) of businesses, on average, have less than 40% attendance.
Gemma Dale, Business Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University says, employees don’t see the benefit of working in-office and are resisting employers' return to office efforts. She adds, the demand for remote and hybrid working continues to be high on employees' priorities list and many are willing to change jobs and adjust their lives to obtain more flexible working structures.
Ben Marks, Executive Director of the #WorkAnywhere Campaign says, businesses need to focus on flexible working policies to support employees rather than trying to push in-office work - many people including as parents, carers and people with disabilities are unable to work without such policies. He adds employers need to build on the workplace changes that have been introduced due to the pandemic so that employment is accessible for all.
Dale adds, if employers want employees in the office, they need to make the reason and benefits clear rather than making it mandatory. She adds that allowing employees to choose where to work improves wellbeing, motivation and engagement, whereas arbitrary obligations will only create resentment.
Jess Lancashire, CEO and Founder of From Another, which delivers practical solutions to help organisations, team leaders and individuals manage flexible work, says: “Employers and managers need to invest time in understanding the unique needs and circumstances of each team member. Flexible work arrangements are deeply personal, and crafting solutions tailored to individual requirements fosters trust and a sense of care.
At the same time, it’s vital to align flexible work arrangements with the organisation's goals and requirements. Exploring how these arrangements can contribute to productivity and employee satisfaction supports overall success for all”.
Source: HR Magazine.
Over 50s disproportionately affected by redundancies
Following Mel Stride’s suggestion that over 50s looking for work should consider delivering takeaways and consider options they may not have thought of, the current Work and Pensions Secretary has since received some backlash.
Tim Sharp, Senior Policy Officer for Employment Rights at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says, Stride’s comments aren’t a solution to the issues over 50s are facing - instead, it glorifies gig work and ignores the lack of workers’ rights associated with it, such as the low pay, lack of job security and lack of employment rights.
In 2021, Deliveroo revealed there was a 62% increase in its over 50s delivery riders.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) found that the only age group to become ‘economically inactive’ during the pandemic were people over 50 and out of the c8.6 million people who currently aren’t working - c3.4 million are over 50 but under the age of retirement.
Chris Brooks, Head of Policy at Age UK says, due to poor job matching and a lack of support for carers and people with health conditions - many people are being forced to retire and are unable to find a new job.
A study carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), on behalf of the Centre for Ageing Better shows that more than half (57%) of over 50s feel they would be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs due to their age.
The Centre for Ageing Better’s report also says, ageist job descriptions and stereotypes, a lack of age-related data and unstructured interviews are some of the things that put over 50s at a disadvantage during the recruitment process.
Jenny Holmes, HR Research Consultant at IES says, employers are open to improving the recruitment process to make their workforce more inclusive. She adds that the employers surveyed believe their workforces are diverse in age so they don’t see it as a priority during recruitment - but they acknowledge that can’t be sure as they don’t currently collect age-related data. Therefore, Holmes says that collecting and analysing age-related data should be a key part of the recruitment process - similar to how gender, ethnicity and disability are.
Source: HR Zone.
How important are job titles to Gen Z?
Research from Walters People shows more than a 50% increase in job vacancies with “lead” or “manager” in the title that requires a maximum of two years of experience in the UK and Ireland.
Andy Challenger, Senior VP at Challenger, Gray and Christmas says, the importance of job titles differs based on the industry such as in the financial services.
Walters People’s report also found that more than half of the Gen Z employees want an annual promotion and will consider changing jobs to get it but don’t see climbing the career ladder as the way to develop their careers - nearly half (47%) of young employees don’t associate management roles with seniority.
Janine Blacksley, Director of Walters People says, Gen Z employees value being able to contribute their own thoughts when high-level decisions are being made which is what has created this inflation in job titles.
Challenger says, sometimes a job title bump comes with stock options or better benefits and compensations so getting one might still be worth it.
Source: WorkLife.
And here are links to other really interesting news stories this week:
The HR Director: Is return to work fuelling burnout? | theHRD
WorkLife: How Adoption of AI could dent workplace ageism - WorkLife
HR Magazine: Degrees may no longer be a requirement as skills-based hiring surges
People Management: Average UK employee clocks 18 days of unpaid overtime a year, research shows