The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Long-Term Problem of Social Mobility and the Lack of Socio-Economic Diversity in Many Workplaces. What Are the Key Issues for Employers to Consider and What Should Employers Be Doing Now?
There is a widespread perception that even prior to Covid-19, progress on improving social mobility in the UK had stalled and many employers were not as socio-economically diverse as they could be. As the UK economy starts to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that the pandemic has had a serious negative impact on social mobility and that […]
Read MoreNew Discussion Paper on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in the UK Financial Sector Demonstrates the Increased Importance UK Financial Regulators Are Placing on D&I
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), Bank of England (BoE) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (together, the “Regulators”) published a joint Discussion Paper (DP) on 7 July 2021 in which they seek to engage with UK regulated financial entities and other stakeholders to discuss how the pace of meaningful change on diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the UK financial sector […]
Read MoreNew Duty for Employers to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Third-Party Harassment in the Workplace. What Should Employers Be Doing Now?
On 21 July 2021 the Government published its response to the consultation on workplace sexual harassment which was launched in 2019 to determine how to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. The Government’s proposed changes are intended to encourage employers to prioritise the prevention of sexual harassment by taking proactive steps to make the workplace safer for everyone and […]
Read MoreThe Importance of Normalising the 3 M’s of Female Fertility Issues at Work: Menstruation, Miscarriage & Menopause
The number of women in the workplace at both ends of the spectrum is growing. 51% of the population are female and of these, 71% work. More female than male graduates are entering the professional working world, where menstruation could be an issue for them. Women over the age of 50 are the fastest growing group in the workforce and […]
Read MoreHybrid Working – Will It Really Be the Best of Both Worlds for Employers and Employees?
As 19th July, the “Terminus” date for lockdown restrictions has now passed, employers are finalising their plans for a potential return to the workplace in some form or another either gradually during the Summer or from September onwards. Many employers will put in place hybrid working arrangements, but will these really be the best of both worlds for employers and […]
Read MoreJudicial Notice Must Be Taken of the “Childcare Disparity” Between Women and Men
The EAT has held in the landmark decision of Dobson v North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which is being hailed as a victory for working mothers, that Employment Tribunals must now take judicial notice of and consider if relevant “the childcare disparity” which exists between women and men, in that women still experience the greater burden of childcare […]
Read MoreThe “Always on” Work Culture. Is a “Right to Disconnect” the Next Step in the Home Working Revolution? What Employers Should Start to Consider Now to Protect their Employees and Businesses.
Many employees are working harder and for longer hours than before the Covid-19 pandemic, and many are increasingly required to (or feel that they are required to) monitor and respond to their work emails and any work calls and voicemails out of hours. This is having a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of some employees, and some trade […]
Read MoreShould Authenticity Replace Diversity as the Focus of Diversity and Inclusion Groups?
I was recently considering the similarities between what happens in a secondary school environment and how this can play out in the workplace more than a decade later. What can workplaces learn from schools and what type of values and conduct should parents and society seek to embed in and expect of young people, so that respectful, tolerant, and inclusive […]
Read MoreBritish Gas ‘fire and rehire’ boiler engineers resulting in mass dismissals – Unfair Dismissal?
British Gas have been in a long running dispute with boiler engineers over changes to their terms and conditions of employment. The 9-month long dispute resulted in numerous strikes by British Gas engineers, backed by the GMB trade union. The engineers were asked to sign new contracts which required them to work longer hours, for no additional pay. Originally, around […]
Read MoreA Road Map to Normality: The Return to the Office? What Are the Key Issues for Employers to Start Considering Now?
In the Government’s Covid-19 Response – Spring 2021 (the “Roadmap”) published on 22 February 2021, and Boris Johnson’s announcement on the same date, the Government set out its plans to “cautiously” ease the current national lockdown restrictions in England which have been in place since January 2021. This will be implemented in England in four stages, with the first stage […]
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