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Research carried out on 750 senior financial and HR decision makers in UK small businesses between 14 and 22 March 2021 by 3Gem - a market research company - has shown that 21 per cent of small businesses expect to lay off staff by September.

In addition, 90 per cent of those surveyed say that they have been approached by employees with their worries - 32 per cent have concerns about losing their jobs; 28 per cent have concerns about their personal finances after the pandemic and 21 per cent worry about a reduction in their salary.

Digital employee benefits service provider, Worklife, has based their Small Business Monitor on this research - which reveals that 29 per cent of small businesses have had to furlough staff since November 2020; 25 per cent have had to cut staff hours; 22 per cent have reduced pay and 20 per cent have been unable to offer an annual salary increase.

With the Bank of England predicting that unemployment will peak at 5.5 per cent when the furlough scheme finishes, Worklife’s analysis has found that 14 per cent of permanent small business jobs and 9 per cent of temporary small business jobs are potentially at risk.

Regarding income, 31 per cent believe that their revenue will increase, but 45 per cent think that revenue will remain quiet over the next year - pointing to the fact that the future for some employees will be uncertain.

Steve Bee - Director WorkLife - states that this demonstrates the need for employers to rebuild their businesses and the confidence and wellbeing of their staff, also. 

He commented:

“While the past year has been tough for bosses, things haven’t exactly been rosy for their employees, many of whom now face continued job insecurity alongside higher living costs due to rising inflation. So, while ensuring the business is equipped to meet future operational challenges will be crucial, just as important will be supporting the wellbeing of staff as we move through the recovery phase. For firms facing continued income issues and thinking they might need to cut employee numbers, it’s important to note that the most valuable support won’t come through direct and expensive remuneration, but rather by embracing flexibility and offering genuine understanding towards people’s worries and concerns. This might be achieved through allowing people time away from work to interview if they’re facing redundancy or looking at offering low-cost benefits such as shopping vouchers to boost people’s pay packets if they’re not getting an annual salary increase. 


Whatever situation the business is in, over the next few months a key priority should be providing an affordable but meaningful benefits package for staff that provides genuine support for the day-to-day challenges they might encounter.”

Between June 2020 and March 2021, software company, Culture Amp, carried out a global survey on 4,841 people, of which 683 UK HR professionals participated.  As a result of the findings, experts say that it is vital that people in the HR profession keep a check on their own wellbeing.

As HR professionals work with every department of a company - forcing them to be great at juggling different tasks and needs - and are often the people who create and implement wellness and mental health programmes, they often experience burnout themselves.

The survey showed that just 39 per cent of those polled thought that they felt well able to cope with the demands of both their work and personal life at present.  This is a fall of 7 per cent from the second quarter of 2020, when 46 per cent of respondents replied that they could balance their work and personal lives.

The same percentage - 39 per cent of respondents - agreed that they were equipped to deal with the requirements of their role, such as operational and people or cultural responsibilities.  This was also down from 46 per cent in the second quarter of 2020.

According to experts, short 10 to 15-minute breaks are essential for people to take a moment to relax and regroup. However, only 31 per cent of respondents stated that they were able to take regular breaks throughout the day. This was down from 43 per cent last year - whilst 31 per cent agreed they were able to effectively switch off from work, down from 36 per cent in 2020.

Nick Matthews - General Manager and Vice President for EMEA at Culture Amp - said the figures made for “concerning reading”, at a time when employers were preparing to bring their employees back to the workplace or were contemplating hybrid working.

He said:

“Business leaders need to be proactive in supporting HR teams as they recover from their heroic pandemic efforts and recognise that their roles have evolved and will be even more relevant in this new world. It’s imperative that HR takes the time to check-in on their own wellbeing and calibrate their work-life boundaries if necessary.”

Despite this however, it was found that 60 per cent of HR professionals said - in the first quarter of this year - that they could see that their work was having a positive difference.  This percentage had dropped though, from 73 per cent last year.

Since HR work is outside any other department, it can have access to more than just the HR team for assistance. When help is needed assistance should be requested - and 55 per cent of respondents did say they felt supported by the other people at work when they needed it. This figure is down from 67 per cent last year. Just 49 per cent said they were feeling productive - again, down from 67 per cent last year.

It will require close collaboration between business leaders and HR to ensure that employees know how to adapt appropriately to office reopening.

People Management surveyed 556 HR professionals and senior management to find out what apprehensions are being felt by both employees and employers - and what preparations businesses are already making to ensure success.

Last month it was confirmed by the Prime Minister that - provided the infection rates remained under control - the government’s advice that people in England should work from home, if possible, would be withdrawn in mid-June.

The survey found that 83 per cent of respondents said that their workforce was optimistic about returning - but there were some concerns.  HR professionals will be required to keep in touch with employees through frequent communication about upcoming plans, to help reduce anxiety about returning to the office. In extreme cases, if some workers do not want to return - and businesses force the issue - employees could decide to leave their jobs.

Of the respondents to the survey, 53 per cent said their staff were worried about contracting coronavirus in the workplace and 43 per cent said their employees were worried about contracting it on public transport. Another main concern for 21 per cent of respondents was childcare - with 46 per cent worrying about care for people other than children.

Rachel Suff - Senior Policy Adviser for employment relations at the CIPD - said that coronavirus was still an issue and work arrangements would still be disrupted - particularly for those with caring responsibilities for children, or others. 

She stated:

“People's circumstances in some cases have changed over the past 15 months, so their needs will have changed. Organisations needed to be proactive in having those conversations and giving guidance to everybody about what procedures to keep them safe will be in play and what role they as individuals have got to play in that as well.”

Extra mental health support for those returning from working from home was promised by 62 per cent of HR professionals; 34 per cent said they would provide it for workers returning to the office from furlough; 57 per cent said that their organisation would provide homeworkers with training on Covid guidelines and 35 per cent offered to provide Covid guidelines training to furloughed workers.

Most of respondents to the poll run by People Management - 94 per cent - said that staff would be able to work in the office, with 40 per cent saying that staff would be able to go in on days specifically chosen by them and 35 per cent saying that workers would be able to go in on days allocated to them by the business.  Only 15 per cent of respondents said that they planned to make attendance at the office mandatory - and 4 per cent said that staff were only required to go into the office to attend meetings.

When asked how organisations would manage employees who did not want to return to the office at all, 43 per cent said they would require staff to attend the office for a minimum number of days, whilst 40 per cent said they would support home working - provided staff were able to commit to frequent office visits for meetings.

According to the respondents to the survey, 57 per cent reported that their workforce was worried about the extra time taken up by commuting, whilst 44 per cent were concerned about reverting to more structured hours.

Gemma Dale - a Senior HR professional and co-founder of The Work Consultancy - said that giving workers autonomy in when and how they worked allowed for a productive workforce.

She said:

“When people have got lots of control, and lots of autonomy, that's a good predictor for wellbeing and good mental health. Think about flexibility in its broadest sense.”

She urged employers to consider offering flexible hours and not just the option of working from home.

According to a study of over 1,000 UK office workers - conducted by flexible office specialists Workthere - those aged 25-34 years old are the most likely to expect more flexibility in their typical working week, post the pandemic.

Amongst the 25-34 year olds, 87 per cent now expect to be able to request flexible working in the future - as opposed to only 60 per cent of those aged over 55 years.

The wish for shorter hours and more flexibility is particularly obvious amongst younger staff, with 79 per cent stating that they already work less than 38 hours per week - the national average.  

However, it was found that 45-54 years old workers were twice as likely to work more than 38 hours, with 40 per cent stating that they are overworked - compared with only 20 per cent of the younger employees.

Nearly 86 per cent of workers in the younger age bracket said that their ideal working week would be less than 38 hours a week, as opposed to 78 per cent of 45-54 year old workers.

Workthere predicts that the growing pursuit of flexibility could remain for generations to come as a more relaxed approach to work appears amongst younger employees.

The BBC has revealed - through research - that at least a million UK employees are not expected to work at their office after the crisis. Of the UK’s biggest employers, 86 per cent have committed to flexible working for staff.

Cal Lee - Global Head of Workthere - remarked:

“With so many people working from home over the last year, it’s clear that this is altering the approach and attitude towards what we previously perceived to be a standard working week.

With the younger generations now used to having flexibility in their week, be it when or where they work, it appears this desire for more freedom is a trend that is set to develop further as the UK continues to recover from the pandemic.

This in turn may see more and more businesses re-evaluate their previous practices and make changes to accommodate this.”

Global talent assessment platform provider - Thomas International - recently conducted research with over 500 HR and Talent leaders across a variety of sectors.  The result of this suggests that recruitment processes in the UK are broken, with more than half of all new hires not working out as planned.

The managers researched were asked how they hire; the common challenges they face; what works in their hiring process and what does not - as 57 per cent of new hires made in the last 12 months are not working out in some way and 25 per cent are not working at all.

The result of the research disclosed a trust gap in recruitment, which is growing. Of the 500 senior managers and recruiters researched, 46 per cent found that there was a poor job fit between the role being offered and the applicant and 44 per cent found a poor job fit between the applicant and culture.  These are the two top reasons found for the hires not being successful.

After the disorder caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the average cost in the UK of hiring a new employee was found to have escalated to £3,000 - as businesses are battling to return to normal.

Additionally, the research has shown up an assortment of issues are at the base of the failed hires and undermining trust in the recruiting procedure.  These were found to be complicated and drawn-out processes, as cited by 31 per cent of respondents; an inability to test culture or role fit by 31 per cent and over dependence on gut instinct by 29 per cent of respondents.  Nearly a third of managers researched quoted a lack of transparency, while 41 per cent state that finding the right candidate in a remote hiring environment has been their biggest recruitment challenge.  However, it has been suggested that recruitment was broken since before the pandemic.

Sabby Gill - CEO of Thomas International - stated:

“Recruitment is broken. Businesses that don’t take action to fix it will face significant challenges as they look to accelerate hiring over the next couple of years, establish workforces that are fit for the future, and rebuild and reshape teams to take advantage of new economic opportunities.”

The report on the research states that 30 per cent are in agreement and think that it is vital that recruitment procedures are improved - with 55 per cent stating it is important to evolve hiring systems and to launch a different approach to recruitment.  If executed well, this will close the trust gap that is undermining hiring.

It cannot be ignored that remote working due to the virus is having an impact on recruitment - 44 per cent of businesses said that it is their biggest driver of reshaping existing hiring practices. 

Sabby Gill added:

“Recruitment is on the rise in 2021 after a slow year, so getting things right is vital. Hiring managers need to look beyond the CV to an individual’s true potential. If you find the right person – through aptitude and behavioural testing – then you don’t need to worry about which university degree they have. With the right training, apprenticeship schemes and more, British businesses can not only solve the skills gaps they’re facing now, but also plan ahead for the jobs in the future that don’t even exist yet.”

The British Chambers of Commerce have published new survey data showing that only 5 per cent of businesses have implemented requirements for proof of vaccination.

More than 1,000 UK businesses were surveyed, showing that firms with more than 50 staff were more likely than smaller firms to be considering vaccine certification but 69 per cent presently having no plans to do so, 6 per cent stating that they were likely to do so in the future and 11 per cent saying they needed more information.

The data also showed that 76 per cent of firms expect social distancing and 54 per cent wearing face masks - plus hand sanitising - as the Covid-19 measures that firms are most likely to expect to continue to have in place over the next 12 months.

The figures come just a few days after the Prime Minister confirmed government plans to drop advice to work from home from 21 June - providing that the current easing of coronavirus restrictions continues to go to plan. The British Chambers of Commerce have called on the government to provide clear and decisive guidance to businesses regarding the use of vaccine certification.

Hannah Essex - Co-Executive Director of the BCC - said:

 “Businesses have worked hard to keep their customers and employees safe throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so. This research shows that Government must quickly clarify what measures will be required for businesses to maintain safety standards after we reach the final stage of the roadmap on June 21st.  In particular they must resolve the ongoing debate around the use of vaccine certification, providing clear and decisive guidance to business.

There has been a great deal of mixed signals on the issue of businesses being required to demand proof of vaccination from customers, suppliers or employees. Our figures show that as it stands, the vast majority of firms have no plans in place for such a scenario. So, if government is indeed planning to make this a requirement, then it must act rapidly to inform businesses so that they can adjust and prepare.

Right now, many businesses are working on the assumption that they will be continuing with a variety of Covid-secure measures over the next 12 months including social distancing, mask wearing and various other interventions. Many of these measures come at a cost to business and can restrict firms’ ability to trade at full capacity. Government must clearly set out when, and in what way, it will be safe to change these practises so that businesses can fully play their part in the economic recovery from the pandemic.”

Rachel Suff - Senior Employment Relations Adviser at the CIPD - said employers needed to be very careful if demanding proof of vaccination from employees, as this was sensitive personal health data.

She said:

“Employers need to comply with data protection rules.”

She added:

“The UK government hasn’t made the vaccine compulsory so far, so neither can employers. Nor should they be restricting people coming to work based on whether they have had the vaccine.”

Alan Price - CEO of BrightHR - agreed that employers should focus on other methods of controlling the spread of the virus - encouraging staff to take the vaccine by outlining the benefits of doing so. 

He said:

“Employers may find it challenging to implement the requirement for employees to have been vaccinated in order to work or continue working for them.”

Official data from the Office for National Statistics has shown that many over-50s have worked less hours since the pandemic.  And, in addition, they are more likely to be made redundant - negatively affecting their employment prospects.

Of the 1.3 million people who were furloughed, more than 25 per cent were over 50 years of age, with 30 per cent of the workers on furlough of the opinion that there is a 50 per cent - or higher - chance that they will lose their job when furlough ends.

Between the months of December 2020 and February 2021, the employment rate for those aged between 50 to 64 years dropped from 72 per cent to 71 per cent and for those aged 65 years and over, it fell from 11.5 per cent to 10 per cent.  Those over 50 years also saw the highest increase in redundancy over the same period - more than doubling from 4.3 to 9.7 per thousand.  

One in eight employees over 50 years of age were also found to have made alternative retirement plans - with 8 per cent now expecting to retire later than originally planned.

Nye Cominetti - Senior Economist at the think tank - said:

“The cost of unemployment for older workers is particularly high. They take the longest to return to work - with fewer than two in three returning within six months - and experience the biggest earnings fall when they finally return to work. In the face of the current crisis, unemployed older workers may have to either work for longer to make up for these negative employment effects or retire earlier than they planned to.”

The Resolution Foundation has also reported that - after consistent employment growth for older workers since the mid-1990s, employment among workers aged 50 to 69 years fell by 1.4 per cent since the start of the pandemic.

Angela Watson - Age Campaign Manager at Business in the Community - said:

“It is very concerning that the number of older workers is falling after a long-term rising trend, and redundancies among people over 50 are rising too.”

She added:

“On the eve of the pandemic, over-50s in the workplace were at an all-time high. But now the trend has reversed and, with large numbers of older workers on furlough, more over-50s face redundancy when that ends. But this talent doesn’t need to be wasted and creating an age-inclusive culture is the key to make sure that everyone can feel included at work. Many of the one in seven employees who are caring for an older, ill or disabled person are older workers, and businesses need to offer flexible working patterns. They also need to support the health needs of older employees, such as menopause, help people of all ages develop their careers, and make sure their recruitment policies are fair and not biased against older candidates. By taking these steps, businesses will create an inclusive culture and ensure that age doesn’t limit a person’s success.” 

Emily Andrews - Senior Evidence Manager at the Centre for Ageing Better - also warned that the pandemic could cause people to drop out of the labour market early, saying:

“Working life does not stop at 55.  As this recession unfolds, we need a strong message from the government and employers that older workers have just as much right to a job as younger ones.  It's also important to remember that when the furlough scheme ends, many employees may not have worked for 18 months or more - and whether they are facing job losses, a change of industry or a return to work, many will need flexible retraining opportunities.” 

A recent health care survey conducted for health care provider Koa Health has found that HR managers now spend an average of 31 per cent more of their time each month on mental health support for employees than before the pandemic. 

People’s declining mental health has increased by 400 per cent from the last week of February 2020 to the final week of May 2020, resulting in 72 per cent of UK companies increasing the level of mental health support to employees since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally - over the next year - 66 per cent plan to increase the level of mental health support they provide.

Despite investment being increased and the importance of mental health and wellbeing being recognised, it is still not being fully rooted in business culture, with 43 per cent of companies in the UK stating that it is not a priority.  This rises to just over half of companies with a £100m turnover or higher. Next year, one in nine companies with 3,000 employees or more are planning to decrease their level of support for mental health.

Dr Oliver Harrison - CEO of Koa Health - believes the scale of mental health challenges faced by UK employees has positioned it as the second, silent pandemic of the time.

He told HR magazine:

“For many HR managers, supporting the mental wellbeing of a dispersed workforce throughout and the pandemic will have been the greatest challenge of their career. Without any notice, they had to scramble support, spending an average of 30 per cent more of their time providing mental health support to team members.”

Looking to the future, Dr Harrison said that organisations’ response to the effects of the pandemic recovery will profoundly affect both team members’ mental health and company productivity.

He added:

“That’s why it’s critical that companies act now to move beyond the scramble of 2020 to create a clear recovery plan that embeds mental health as a cultural priority across the business.”

Nicola Tope - HR director at photography provider iStock - said that it is very important that HR teams normalise discussing mental health.

She stated:

“Our HR team have encouraged leaders to be open about their own care so that employees are more comfortable or at least less self-conscious when they need to ask for support for themselves.  This is also bolstered by the robust mental health benefits we provide and a multi-layered approach to educating employees and managers about the importance of taking care, whether that’s through webinars, our communications channels or 1:1 coaching.”

Adding that open discussions around mental health and care implementation should be at the top of HR’s agenda as the pandemic continues, she added:

“Initiatives such as meeting-free days and flexible working policies will give employees the support they need to continue to work and collaborate effectively”.

Dr Oliver Harrison further added:

“The rest of 2021 will be critical for staff wellbeing, as UK organisations shift back to a new kind of normal, with hybrid working widely expected to take hold for a lot of sectors. Organisations’ response to the aftermath of the pandemic and this shift to a new normal will make or break individuals’ mental health, not to mention company productivity. With economic recovery predicted to be slow amid ongoing uncertainty, ensuring all workforces are as productive as possible will be a high priority for HR managers over the coming year.”

Standard Life Aberdeen have released their Class of 2021 report - which includes a survey of people who intend to retire this year.

Of those surveyed - with 60 being the average age of the Class of 2021 retiree - 37% say they have sped up their retirement date in the past 12 months, while 12% have delayed it.

The report found that although many of the respondents were looking forward to giving up work, many had no intention of doing so fully, with 56% not planning to give up work altogether. The report stated “Whether it be a financial or emotional driver, the growing trend of working in retirement is clear from our research.”

Just over a quarter (27%) planned to work part-time rather than leave employment altogether, 22% plan to reduce their hours, nearly one in five (19%) will spend time volunteering while 6% wanted to start their own business.

These figures are higher in comparison to those who retired in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, as just over a third (34%) of last year’s retirees decided to continue working to some degree.

Ben Hampton, Head of Retirement Advice at Standard Life Aberdeen stated:

“Longer life expectancy, volatile investment markets and ever-changing regulation are just some of the reasons why the notion of ‘retiring’ is currently in flux, not to mention the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on people’s immediate and longer-term financial priorities and plans.”

Of those surveyed, the average value of their pension pot is £366,000, however a third have less than £100,000 and 21% need to sell their property or downsize to fund retirement.

The retirees plan to spend an average £21,000 a year (which is about £10,000 below the average UK household income of £29,000). However, to cover this spend over the course of a 30 year retirement, a retiree would need around £390,000 in savings on top of their State Pension income - which for the year 2021/2022 is £179.60 per week, or around £9,000 a year.

In actual fact, it is more likely than not that the retirees of 2021 will need much more than £21,000 per annum when inflation is taken into account. Even so, based on this average spend, two thirds of the Class of 2021 still risk running out of money in retirement.

Women feel far less financially ready to retire than men – with 34% feeling very confident versus 43% of men but despite all of these concerns, 96% of 2021 retirees say they feel emotionally prepared to retire, while 93% also think they are financially ready.

About 200,000 women could be due around £13,500 each, after an investigation found state pension administration errors that date back decades.

A joint investigation by This is Money pensions columnist (and former Pension Minister) Steve Webb and journalist Tanya Jefferies, found there was a failure to pay automatic increases to the state pensions of wives, widows and the over-80s who hit state pension age before April 2016 and should have qualified for boosted payments due to their husband’s National Insurance record. Some of the affected women received pensions of as little as 86p a week, when they were in fact entitled to 60% of the basic state pension – about £80 a week.

A team of 155 civil servants is working to trace every woman affected and pay them any money owed. But the task could take six years and recent Budget documents revealed that it is likely to cost the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) around £3billion to rectify.

Those affected include the following:

  • Married women whose husband turned 65 before 17 March 2008 and who have never claimed an uplift;
  • Widows whose pension was not increased when their husband died (they can potentially receive a full basic State Pension, plus a percentage of their late husband’s additional State Pension);
  • Widows whose pension is now correct, but who may have been underpaid while their husband was still alive, particularly if they reached 65 after 17 March 2008;
  • Women over the age of 80 who are receiving a basic pension of less than £80.45, provided they satisfied a basic residence test when they turned 80;
  • Widowers and heirs of married women, where the woman has died but was underpaid the State Pension during their life, especially when their husband turned 65 after 17 March 2008;
  • Divorced women, particularly those who divorced after they retired, who need to establish whether are benefitting from the contributions of their ex-husband.

Labour Pension Commission Chairman Stephen Timms MP has asked the DWP to explain how payments will be prioritized - whether payments will be made in the order of age or unpaid amount for example and how the heirs of those who died will be contacted.

The Work After Lockdown research project studied why some home workers are more productive than others and how firms respond.

The result of remote working is causing some businesses to re-evaluate their assumption that they get the highest output when staff work longer hours or under close supervision.

Many major firms - professional services group PwC for instance - have been sufficiently impressed by remote working to make it a permanent option for their staff. For some employees working from home is an opportunity to focus and to be super productive, whilst also giving them the opportunity to take the dog for a walk or to remain in their pyjamas all day.

However, some workers find concentration difficult and spend eight hours doing nothing more than answering a couple of emails and daydreaming. David Solomon, CEO Goldman Sachs, has rejected remote working as an “aberration that we’re going to correct as soon as possible”.

The results of the survey - in which 1,085 respondents working from home in the UK were asked about their productivity - have recently been published.

The respondents were asked whether they felt that their productivity was the same, better or worse compared to pre-lockdown and 54 per cent thought they got a little more, or much more done per hour worked, than before lockdown. When this was combined with the result of those who reported productivity as being the same as before lockdown, it showed that 90 per cent of employees had maintained or improved their productivity - leaving only 10 per cent reporting that their productivity had gone down.

When questioned about their mental health, the respondents were scored using the World Health Organisation index, which showed that better mental health was associated with higher productivity.  The mental health scores for the most productive workers were twice those of the least productive but it was not clear whether poor mental health score contributes to the decline in productivity, or the high productivity boosts the mental health.

Over 90 per cent of the respondents reported that they could concentrate on one activity for a long time; 94 per cent were able to use the autonomy given them by their employer to re-order work tasks; 85 per cent did not get distracted from the task in hand and 83 per cent could return to their task after an interruption.  Those who could self-regulate in these ways were positively correlated with high productivity per hour worked.

Seventy-three per cent of the survey respondents reported that their ideal working pattern would allow them to vary their place of work to reflect the tasks they were performing.

Matthew Davis - Associate Professor at Leeds University Business School - said that highly social, extroverted people may have a more difficult time working from home without the “water-cooler chat”.   He added that those who rely on their social environment to enjoy their jobs, stave off monotony and keep up motivation may find themselves disadvantaged.    

He went on to say that - even though they may thrive working alone - introverts do not necessarily find home working better, as they can find video calls difficult due to discomfort with being the sole focus of a camera and having to speak in group chats. He says that a balance of introversion and extroversion qualities may be a best for productivity.