This month we bring you a brief summary of the employment, pensions and immigration highlights of the King’s Speech, a look at new guidance from the EHRC on job advertising and how not to fall foul of the legislation, with a particular reference to the protected characteristic of ‘sex’. We also have a looking at the reasons and recommendations for a Seasonal Worker Scheme and consider the results of the Co-Op’s first pay gap report considering the socioeconomic background of workers.
Discrimination: EHRC updates its guidance on discriminatory adverts
Immigration: MAC publishes review of the Seasonal Worker visa
Pay Disparity: Co-op publishes socioeconomic pay gap report
The King’s Speech 2024: Employment, Pensions and Immigration
His Majesty, King Charles III, has set out the government’s priorities and proposed policies for the next parliamentary session at the State Opening of Parliament, which took place on 17 July 2024.
This includes 40 legislative proposals to be addressed in the 2024–2025 parliamentary session. In his speech, King Charles explained that the government’s ‘legislative programme will be mission led and based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all’.
This King’s Speech 2024 focuses on improving the living standards of working people through economic growth and taking the ‘brakes off Britain’. A major employment announcement came in the form of the Employment Rights Bill, as the government commits to deliver its ‘Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ and to legislate to ban zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire practices, and introduce certain employment rights from day one. The government will also work on delivering a new Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which will enshrine the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people in law. The Skills England Bill will be introduced to seek to understand national and local skills needs via establishment of a new body, ‘Skills England‘. The Skills England Bill will also establish a new partnership with employers and reform the apprenticeship levy.
Pensions
The speech contained the announcement of a new Pensions Schemes Bill, stating, ‘Bills will be brought forward… to strengthen pensions investment‘. The Bill aims to increase the amount available for pension savers and states it could help an average earner, who saves over their lifetime in a defined contribution scheme, to have over £11,000 more in their pension pots with which to secure their retirement income.
Immigration
The speech also covered the introduction of the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill which seeks to ‘modernise‘ the asylum and immigration system and strengthen and secure the border.
Discrimination: EHRC updates its guidance on discriminatory adverts
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has updated its guidance on discriminatory adverts. The main updates are to the section ‘When is an advert which restricts a job or service to particular groups unlawful’. The guidance now includes examples in relation to an ‘occupational requirement’ under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010 and where an occupational requirement applies, the employer must make sure that it is objectively justifiable.
Guidance in relation to the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ now states that ‘sex’ means a person’s legal sex as recorded on their birth certificate or their Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). This means that a sex-based occupational requirement that an applicant is a woman, as is common within specialist support services for women, such as rape counselling, will include women who are recorded female at birth and also transgender women who have obtained a GRC. The guidance notes, however, that Schedule 9 of Equality Act 2010 also permits an occupational requirement to exclude transgender persons where it is objectively justified, and this can include people who have obtained a GRC. It states that a ‘sex-based’ occupational requirement to be a woman under Schedule 9 cannot include transgender women who have not obtained a GRC, as they do not have legal status as women under Equality Act 2010.
Immigration: MAC publishes review of the Seasonal Worker visa
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its review of the Seasonal Worker visa, which sets out the reasons for having a Seasonal Worker Scheme, how the scheme works, the economic and social impact of the scheme, the impact of the scheme on employers, the welfare issues that arise for the workers, and recommendations based on five key themes. The report considers the call for evidence that ran from June–October 2023, stakeholder engagement, and both internal and external research.
Pay Disparity: Co-op publishes socioeconomic pay gap report
The Co-op has become the first retailer to publish a pay gap report based specifically on socioeconomic background. The report collected data submitted voluntarily from 48% of its 57,000 employees, finding a mean pay gap of 5.2% between those of a higher and of a lower socioeconomic background. Employees from a lower socioeconomic background are also less likely to progress into more senior positions, according to the data.
As a result of the findings, Co-op has ‘doubled down’ on its Social Mobility Plan, including campaigning for the government to make socioeconomic background a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. Co-op has also set a target of collecting 80% of socioeconomic employee data for the next 12 months. In addition to the main report, Co-op also published a one-page summary.
The data contained within this document is for general information only. No responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies. Readers are also advised that the law and practice may change from time to time. This document is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute accounting, legal or tax advice. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this document.
This month our employment law case updates contain some key issues in employment law...
News & Views
Employment Law General Update – December 2023
Employment,
15th December 2023
Employment Law
This month we have a plethora of publications and information for you. There are changes to National Living Wage, benefit and pension rates all due in April 2024. Two reports have been published recently looking at pay gaps for those with disabilities and people with different ethnicities, unsurprisingly the news is not positive. Some helpful guidance from the Home Office for employers to ensure they avoid the new raised penalties for employing illegal workers, and the government’s response to the occupational health consultation has been published. Lastly, the CIPD has produced an interesting report on menstruation at work, which is well worth a read to understand how this affects a large proportion of the workforce and what can be done to support women at work.
Wage Updates: National Living Wage to apply to all workers aged 21+ from April 2024
Wage Updates: New benefit and pension rates published for 2024-25
Pay Disparity: TUC publishes latest data on disability pay gap
Pay Disparity: ONS publishes new report on ethnicity pay gaps in the UK
Immigration: Home Office publishes updated Code of Practice on illegal working penalties
Health at Work: Government publishes response to occupational health consultation
Health at Work: CIPD report on menstruation and support at work
Wage Updates: National Living Wage to apply to all workers aged 21+ from April 2024
The government has accepted the Low Pay Commission (LPC) recommendations on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates to apply from 1 April 2024. The LPC notes that this is the largest ever increase to the minimum wage in cash terms. The National Living Wage will apply to all workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2024 (previously applying only to those aged 23 and over). The new rates are as follows:
Wage Updates: New benefit and pension rates published for 2024-25
The government has published proposed new benefit and pension rates for 2024 to 2025 including in respect of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP), Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SSPP), Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP), Maternity Allowance (MA) and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The rates of these benefits are normally increased in April each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The Written Statement to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, states that these rates will rise by 6.7% in line with CPI for the year to September 2023 and the new rates for the tax year 2024–2025 will come into effect on 8 April 2024. The DWP policy paper reveals that:
the standard rate for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), ie the rate that applies after the first 6 weeks of pay at 90% of the employee’s normal weekly earnings, will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week (or be set at 90% of the employee’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower);
the standard rate for Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP), ie the rate that applies after the first 6 weeks of pay at 90% of the employee’s normal weekly earnings, will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week (or be set at 90% of the employee’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower);
the rate for Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SPP and SSPP) will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week (or be set at 90% of the employee’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower);
the rate for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week (or be set at 90% of the employee’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower);
the rate for Maternity Allowance (MA) will increase from £172.48 to £184.03 per week (or be set at 90% of the individual’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower);
the rate of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will increase from £109.40 to £116.75 per week;
the amount of the weekly lower earnings limit, that applies to National Insurance contributions, below which employees are not entitled to SMP, SPP, SAP, SSPP and SSP (but remain entitled to Maternity Allowance) will remain at £123.
Pay Disparity: TUC publishes latest data on disability pay gap
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has published new analysis of the pay gap between non-disabled and disabled workers. According to data from the TUC, the pay gap is currently higher than it was 10 years ago, with non-disabled workers earning approximately 14.6% more than disabled workers. That makes for a pay difference of £3,460 a year for someone working a 35-hour week – and means that disabled people effectively work for free for the last 47 days of the year. Disabled women face an even bigger pay penalty of 30% (£3.73 an hour, £130.55 a week, or £6,780 a year) less than disabled men – effectively double discrimination. The research also shows that the disability pay gap persists for workers for most of their careers. At age 25 the pay gap is £1.73 an hour hitting a high of £3.18 an hour, or £111.30 a week, for disabled workers aged 40 to 44.
The analysis looked at pay data from across the country and found disability pay gaps in every region and nation of the UK. The highest pay gaps are in Wales (21.6% or £2.53 an hour), followed by the South East (19.8% or £2.78 an hour) and the East of England (17.7% or £2.30 an hour).
The research found that disability pay gaps also vary by industry. The biggest pay gap is in financial and industrial services, where the pay gap stands at a huge 33.2% (£5.60 an hour).
Not only are disabled workers paid less than non-disabled workers, they are also more likely to be excluded from the job market. Disabled workers are twice as likely as non-disabled workers to be unemployed (6.7% compared to 3.3%). And the analysis shows disabled BME workers face a much tougher labour market – one in 10 (10.4%) BME disabled workers are unemployed compared to nearly one in 40 (2.6%) white non-disabled workers.
The analysis shows that disabled workers are more likely than non-disabled workers to be on zero-hours contracts (4.5% to 3.4%). And disabled BME women are nearly three times as likely as non-disabled white men (6.0% to 2.2%) to be on these insecure contracts.
The TUC says zero-hours contracts hand the employer total control over workers’ hours and earning power, meaning workers never know how much they will earn each week, and their income is subject to the whims of managers. The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, look after their children and get to medical appointments. And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in future.
The report goes on to discuss how Labour’s New Deal for Working People would affect workers’ rights.
Pay Disparity: ONS publishes new report on ethnicity pay gaps in the UK
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published a new report on ethnicity pay gaps in the UK for 2022 which reveals, in particular, that Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees continue to earn less median gross hourly pay than White employees, which has been consistent since 2012.
The main points from the report are that in the UK in 2022:
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees earned less (£13.53) median gross hourly pay than White employees (£14.35)
between 2012 and 2022, Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees were the only ethnicity group to be consistently earning less than White employees
country of birth had an impact on how much employees earned: UK-born Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees earned more (£15.18), while non-UK-born Black British employees earned less (£12.95) when compared with UK-born White employees (£14.26), a pay gap of negative 6.5% and 9.2% respectively
after holding personal and work characteristics constant, to provide an adjusted pay gap based on a like-for-like comparison, UK-born White employees earn more on average than most ethnic minority employees
when adjusting for pay-determining characteristics (e.g. occupation or where the job is), the pay gap narrowed and in some instances reversed, for example:
UK-born Asian or Asian British employees earned on average 11.9% more than UK-born White employees, but after adjustment it was estimated that they earned 1.9% less
UK-born Black, African, Caribbean or Black British employees, move from earning 6.5% more to earning 5.6% less compared with White employees
Other findings included that:
in relation to Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups, White and Black Caribbean employees (a Mixed ethnic group) had the lowest median gross hourly earnings (£11.75) in 2022, compared with White British employees (£14.42). This was a pay gap of 18.5%, the opposite of what was seen for the overall Mixed or Multiple ethnic employees
Asian or Asian British employees in 2022 earned more than White employees, with a pay gap of negative 3.3%. However, based on the more detailed ethnicity classification of Asian or Asian British employees in England and Wales, Chinese and Indian employees had higher earnings compared with White British employees, while Bangladeshi and Pakistani employees earned less compared with White British employees
a breakdown of White employees showed that the highest earnings were reported by White Irish employees (£20.20 median gross hourly pay), which represents a pay gap of negative 40.1% relative to White British employees. This suggests that White Irish employees are in higher-paid occupations
the main factors that explain most differences between the groups were: occupation, highest qualification level, geography, age and sex
Immigration: Home Office publishes updated Code of Practice on illegal working penalties
The Home Office has published a new draft Code of Practice on the civil penalty schemes for employers (preventing illegal working). The draft is an update to the version published in March 2022 and will be the sixth version of the code. This latest version of the code will be applied to all right to work checks from 22 January 2024 including where a follow-up check is required to maintain a statutory excuse, even if the initial check was undertaken using a previous version of the code which was current at the time. There will be a sixty thousand pound (£60,000) (up from twenty thousand pounds (£20,000)) maximum penalty applied to any employer found to have been employing a person who is disqualified from working by reason of their immigration status in the UK.
The advise is that employers have a key role to play in preventing illegal working in the UK. They do this by carrying out right to work checks on people before employing them, to make sure they are allowed to do the work in question. If you are in any doubt, please contact us so that we can help you avoid a penalty.
Health at Work: Government publishes response to occupational health consultation
The Department for Work and Pensions has published its response to the consultation it held on increasing employer use of Occupational Health Services entitled ‘Occupational Health: Working Better’. The government has evaluated the responses to the consultation and opted to introduce a voluntary minimum framework for quality occupational health provision and explore new voluntary workplace health and disability standards, examining options for a new small- and medium-sized enterprise group purchasing framework, and learning from the existing Workforce Expansion scheme to develop a long-term strategic occupational workforce approach.
Health at Work: CIPD report on menstruation and support at work
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has published the findings from its survey of over 2,000 women, aged 18–60. The report, CIPD: Menstruation and support at work looks at the prevalence and type of menstruation symptoms, their impact on work, menstrual health conditions and the impact these have on the ability of employees to stay in and progress at work. It highlights the difference workplace support can make and the types of adjustments that are seen to be most helpful when managing symptoms at work.
This detailed report provides an eye-opening (and at times quite shocking) insight into the extent to which women experience symptoms from menstruation (i.e. periods) and from menstrual health conditions, and the impact these have on them at work.
The report is helpful to both employers and employees in demonstrating the scale of the problem and the need for an open and supportive workplace—this may form part of the employer’s work on employee wellbeing or ESG issues.
Managers need to be educated and trained about menstruation and menstrual health and the employer should encourage a culture where women feel comfortable discussing their symptoms and the impact these have on them. This would benefit everyone because it would reduce misunderstandings about absences, reduce the risk of discrimination and, in time, hopefully help to reduce gender pay gaps.
In the report the CIPD explains that:
‘Employers offering appropriate support in the workplace can help people feel included, offer dignity and reduce embarrassment. It can increase employee attendance, but also legitimise absence where this is needed. It can increase employee performance, engagement, retention and employer branding.
Employers can improve employee experience by creating environments and work cultures that are menstruation friendly, and providing support for menstrual health conditions that are underpinned by the principles of compassion, empathy and inclusivity.’
The introduction to the report explains that:
the survey included over 2,000 women, aged 18-60, who currently menstruate, or have previously menstruated, while in employment;
‘menstruation’ refers to the monthly period in which bleeding occurs;
‘menstrual health’ has a broader meaning and recognises that while menstruation is a natural bodily function, some people experience physical and/or mental health symptoms and challenges linked to menstruation. These range from painful, heavy and/or irregular periods and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) through to formally diagnosed chronic health conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Some of these conditions can have significant impacts on daily life and can also affect fertility;
while the report predominantly references women in relation to menstruation and menstrual health, the CIPD recognises that there is also an impact on some transgender and non-binary individuals who will require support and flexibility relevant to their needs.
What were the key findings?
Prevalence of symptoms
The responses to the survey showed that:
57% of those responding currently menstruate each month and 92% say they have previously menstruated each month while in employment;
79% of respondents have experienced menstruation symptoms, with the most common being abdominal cramps (60%), feeling irritable (52%), fatigue (49%), bloating (49%) and low mood (47%), but there are a wide range of symptoms;
those aged 18–34 were more likely to experience a high proportion of the symptoms;
15% have a menstrual condition such as endometriosis, PCOS, PMDD or fibroids.
Impact at work
In relation to how these symptoms impacted on people at work, the report states that:
69% of those who have experienced symptoms from menstruation report that they have had a negative impact at work, rising to 81% for people with a diagnosed menstrual condition;
the kinds of effects people have experienced are many and varied, but the main ones are feeling more tired (79%), working when they haven’t felt well enough to do so (61%) and feeling less able to concentrate (63%);
53% had been unable to go to work at some point because of menstruation symptoms and for 4% this was the case every month;
49% never tell their manager that their absence is related to their menstrual cycle;
20% always tell their manager that their absence is related to their menstrual cycle;
employees are less likely to tell their manager if their manager is male;
reasons given for not telling their manager the real reason included that they felt the problem would be trivialised (45%), feeling embarrassed (43%), that they prefer to keep the matter private (42%), that there’s too much stigma/ taboo (35%), that the employer/ manager wouldn’t be understanding (24%), having a male manager (24%) and worried the manager would think that performance would be affected (19%);
people are more likely to feel supported by colleagues than by their employer or manager (41%, compared with 21% and 26%, respectively);
12% of employees report that their organisation provides support for menstruation and menstrual health and 67% said there is no support available;
the most common support available is free period products (18%), paid sick leave (15%) and paid time off for medical appointments (12%);
the types of support that respondents said would be most helpful included free period products (53%), planned flexible working (44%), more breaks when needed (41%), paid time off for medical appointments (39%), paid sick leave (32%), access to a rest room (e.g. lounge area) (31%), adjustments to work tasks (28%), a better equipped bathroom (e.g. with a shower) (27%), clothing change (25%), and free hot water bottles (23%).
The wider impact of menstruation at work
The findings of the report include that:
6% of respondents say that menstrual symptoms have impacted them in a way which has led to formal action at work;
7% feel they have been discriminated against at work because of menstrual symptoms (those with a male manager (8%) are more likely to say this than those who have a female manager (4%));
a lack of support has promoted 8% to leave or consider leaving their jobs;
12% say that their menstrual symptoms have had a negative impact on their career progression;
workplace support makes a difference with those who work in organisations without support more likely to say that their symptoms had a negative impact on their career progression (14% compared with 5% who work for organisations with support).
Recommendations and good practice
The CIPD makes the following recommendations for supporting menstrual health in the workplace:
build an open and inclusive culture where menstruation is normalised thorough supportive discussions and open dialogue;
create awareness and tackle stigma;
develop a support framework;
train and support people managers.
For full details of how these can be implemented, see pages 13–14 of the report.
In addition to the recommendations above, organisations can offer specific support for employees experiencing menstrual health conditions, e.g.:
embedding good people management practices;
creating the climate for successful sharing of information;
ensuring employees have easy access to information and support;
managing absence and performance management with compassion and flexibility;
providing access to, and training in, work adjustments.
For further information on ways to implement these in the context of menstrual wellbeing and health, see pages 14–15 of the report.
The data contained within this document is for general information only. No responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies. Readers are also advised that the law and practice may change from time to time. This document is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute accounting, legal or tax advice. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this document.
This month our employment law case updates contain some key issues in employment law...
News & Views
Employment News – May 2022
Employment,
19th May 2022
Employment Law
This month the news contains the employment highlights of the Queen’s speech, how Long COVID is affecting people, a new Health & Wellbeing report from the CIPD, a new campaign to help tackle pay disparity, government guidance for businesses employing Ukrainian refugees and new legislation covering foreign professional qualifications.
Pay Disparity: End Salary History campaign launched to tackle pay disparity
Ukraine: New guidance for businesses offering work to people from Ukraine
Qualifications: Professional Qualifications Act 2022 receives Royal Assent
Queen’s Speech 2022: Implications for employment
On 10 May 2022, the Queen’s Speech was delivered at the opening of Parliament. A key point of interest was the notable exclusion of the long-awaited Employment Bill. Although its omission was expected (after a government official suggested it was unlikely to be included in the Queen’s speech), the TUC pointed out that the government had promised the Employment Bill to enhance workers’ rights 20 times since first announcing it in the 2019 Queen’s Speech. The head of the TUC, Frances O’Grady, said that the failure to bring forward the legislation “sent a signal that [the government is] happy for rogue employers to ride roughshod over workers’ rights“. The Employment Bill had been expected to contain measures in relation to tips, additional rights for zero hours workers and pregnant women, neonatal and paid carers’ leave and default flexible working.
The Queen’s Speech announced a new Harbours (Seafarers’ Remuneration) Bill, following the recent mass redundancies at P&O. The Bill is intended to protect seafarers working on vessels regularly visiting UK ports by giving ports the power to refuse access to ferry services that do not pay the equivalent to the national minimum wage (NMW) to seafarers while in UK waters, although no changes will be made to the NMW legislation itself. A consultation has been launched, closing on 7 June 2022. However, the British Ports Association (BPA) has already said that it has concerns about ports being made to regulate ships and that ports do not “have a core competency” in enforcing the minimum wage. The government also hopes to secure bilateral agreements on “minimum wage corridors” with France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Denmark, where seafarers on routes between either country must be paid at least the equivalent of the NMW.
In briefing notes, the government has also stated its aim to encourage greater private sector investment in employee training, including apprentices. The government will consider whether the current tax system, including the apprenticeship levy, is sufficient to incentivise businesses to invest in high-quality employee training.
Despite the absence of the anticipated Employment Bill in the Queen’s Speech, BEIS has issued a press release highlighting the actions it says the government has taken “to support workers and build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy“. The key measures highlighted were:
The increase of the national minimum wage (NMW) and national living wage (NLW) in April 2022. The government also named and shamed 208 employers in December 2021 who failed to pay the NMW.
An extension of the ban on exclusivity clauses for all workers whose guaranteed weekly income is below the Lower Earnings Limit.
A commitment to produce a statutory code of practice on fire and rehire.
The abolition of the Swedish derogation which had allowed agency workers to be paid less than permanent staff in certain circumstances and the introduction of the right to receive a written statement of terms on day one for all workers.
Recognising the importance of flexible working, including a consultation on making flexible working the default that closed on 1 December 2021 and to which the government response is awaited.
The introduction of a legal right to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave for those who have lost a child.
Support for employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, including protecting wages through the furlough scheme.
COVID-19: Long COVID symptoms affect day-to-day activities of 1.2 million people and EHRC says it may be a disability
An estimated 1.8 million people in the UK are experiencing long COVID symptoms, according to the latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey, based on self-reported long COVID symptoms. Long COVID is the term used to describe COVID-19 symptoms that persist for more than four weeks, but 44% of people self-reporting long COVID had been affected for at least a year and 13% for at least two years. 67% of those with self-reported long COVID say that their day-to-day activities are adversely affected by their symptoms, amounting to 1.2 million people, and 19% report that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities has been “limited a lot“. Long COVID is most prevalent in people aged between 35 and 49, females, people living in more deprived areas and people working in social care, teaching, education or health care. There is also increased prevalence in people who already have another activity-limiting health condition or disability.
In a tweet posted on 7 May, the EHRC stated that “without case law or scientific consensus, EHRC does not recommend that ‘long covid’ be treated as a disability“. COVID support groups and unions expressed concern at this approach and, the following day, the EHRC published a clarificatory statement. It said that, although long COVID is not currently a condition which automatically constitutes a disability under the Equality Act 2010, if a person’s symptoms have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, long COVID might amount to a disability, which would be determined by an employment tribunal or court in the usual way. Employers should follow existing guidance when considering reasonable adjustments and flexible working in order to support affected workers.
Health & Wellbeing: CIPD publishes new Report for 2022
The CIPD has published a report on its Health and wellbeing at work survey 2022. Key findings include:
COVID-19 absence. COVID-19 is included among the top three causes of short-term absence for two-thirds (67%) of organisations and just over a quarter (26%) report long COVID among their top causes of long-term absence.
Long COVID. Nearly half (46%) of respondents reported having employees who have experienced long COVID. While most suggested only a small proportion of employees are affected, the report warns that this likely underestimates the real figure.
Absence management. While the majority of employers look to line managers to manage short-term and long-term absence and train them on this, only 38% agree that managers are confident to have sensitive discussions and signpost employees to expert support. Management style remains the most common cause of stress at work.
Health and wellbeing. Over half of employers (52%) undertook additional action around employee health and wellbeing in response to the pandemic. While figures suggest that there has been less focus on employee health and wellbeing than in the first year of the pandemic (70% of respondents agreed that employee wellbeing is on senior leaders’ agenda, a reduction of 5% since last year), the longer-term trend suggests it has been gradually rising up the corporate agenda. Half of organisations (51%) are taking a strategic approach to employee wellbeing and those organisations are much more likely to report positive outcomes. Mental health is the most common focus of wellbeing activities and the extent to which there is provision for specific groups or issues, such as for carers, bereavement, suicide risk or good sleep hygiene, is more variable. It may be of interest, amid the current cost-of-living crisis, that the most neglected area is financial wellbeing.
Homeworking. The survey found that almost three-quarters of employers (72%) are providing new or better support for people working from home. However, there is indication that presenteeism is more prevalent among homeworkers and the number of organisations taking steps to tackle the issue has grown over the past two years (53% in 2022, up from 45% in 2021 and 32% in 2020).
Pay Disparity: End Salary History campaign launched to tackle pay disparity
A new End Salary History campaign to tackle pay disparity on the grounds of gender, race and disability has been launched by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and the Fawcett Society. Fawcett Society polling has found that 58% of women and 53% of men feel that being asked about their earning history causes them to be offered a lower wage and affected their confidence when asking for better pay (61% of women and 53% of men). The campaign includes a guide for recruiters on ending the practice of asking job applicants about their salary history and an employer petition to bolster the Fawcett Society’s call on the government to ban the practice.
The government recently announced a pilot scheme which would see participants refrain from asking job applicants about salary history as well as including salary information in job advertisements. Further details of the government’s scheme are awaited.
Ukraine: New guidance for businesses offering work to people from Ukraine
On 6 May 2022, the government published new guidance for businesses offering work to people from Ukraine. The guidance applies to businesses in England, Scotland and Wales.
While the guidance is not detailed, it provides the following:
Businesses offering employment opportunities to people arriving in the UK from Ukraine should complete a vacancy information questionnaire and return the completed questionnaire to a specified Home Office email address. After completion of the questionnaire, a business will be contacted by the National Employer and Partnership Team at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) within five working days. Job opportunities will then be shared across the DWP Jobcentre Plus network and with the Refugee Employment Network (REN).
Ukrainians who hold professional qualifications may need those qualifications to be recognised in the UK, if they work in a regulated profession. The UK Centre for Professional Qualifications provides a free service which explains whether a profession is regulated and any entry requirements.
There is an FAQ section at the end of the guidance which provides information on immigration status and additional support available to businesses. One of the FAQs addresses employment rights, noting that “the UK is proud to extend the same employment rights that everyone in the UK is entitled to, to people arriving in the UK from Ukraine“. Businesses are encouraged to understand these rights by reference to the employment status of a worker. The FAQ response directs businesses to GOV.UK guidance and ACAS for further information.
Qualifications:Professional Qualifications Act 2022 receives Royal Assent
On 28 April 2022, the Professional Qualifications Act 2022 (PQA 2022) received Royal Assent. It will give UK regulators the power to make mutual recognition agreements with their counterparts in other countries where there is a UK shortage of qualified professionals.
The PQA 2022 revokes the European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/2059) which implemented a reciprocal framework for the recognition of professional qualifications, enabling nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland to have their professional qualifications recognised and gain access to the regulated profession in which they are qualified in another EEA member state or Switzerland. Any sector-specific legislation that established a similar interim system following the UK’s exit from the EU will also be revoked.
Under the PQA 2022, the government and, where applicable, devolved administrations, will identify and specify in regulations a priority list of professions where there is demand for skills from overseas. Considerations for those priority professions will include whether the profession is on the shortage occupation list, vacancy levels, workforce modelling and skills forecasting, and whether there are other ways that professions might address shortages, such as arrangements already in place to recognise qualifications from other countries. The government has stated that the key provisions of the PQA 2022 will come into force by autumn 2022 and that it will work closely with regulators and other stakeholders on how to prepare for the new regime.
In May 2021, the government published guidance to assist regulators in negotiating and entering into mutual recognition agreements with foreign counterparts.
Further Information:
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