Government seeks business views in response to US tariffs
Following the 10% reciprocal tariffs on a range of products announced by the Trump administration yesterday, UK companies are being invited to give their views.
Latest
Trip.com Group introduces additional three days of paid childcare leave
This initiative, which takes effect immediately, is expected to benefit over 10,000 employees globally, reinforcing the company's commitment to supporting working parents and promoting work-life balance.
School merger proposal risks funding and job cuts, says GMB
Under the proposal, Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School will merge to create a single primary school.
London Borough of Harrow selects Zellis for payroll processing
Just six months into the partnership, the Council has already reduced payroll processing time by 50%.
Nine in 10 workers unhappy with pay as it does not meet their needs, Payfit finds
The discontent came as employees reportedly work longer hours than their European counterparts, while almost a third of workers wished their pay better reflected the work.
loveelectric surpasses 1,000 used EV deliveries through salary sacrifice scheme
The achievement followed the launch of reloved®, a salary sacrifice marketplace for used EVs.
One in five small business owners do not take annual leave, finds Direct Line
According to Joe Phelan, business savings account expert, while being your own boss offers flexibility, it also brings long hours and financial uncertainty.
Compensation & Benefits
Ryanair and Storm Global challenge pilot’s worker status at Court of Appeal
Earlier rulings by the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal found that Lutz was a worker and an agency worker of Storm Global, which had hired him to fly for Ryanair.
28% of HR practitioners believe NI hikes will pose a significant challenge, GRiD finds
This is as employers brace themselves for hikes in National Insurance contributions (NICs) on 6th April 2025 and the reduction in the threshold at which they are due.
Recruitment & HR
Whistleblower reports increase by 16% in 2024, finds Safecall
Safecall’s flagship annual Benchmark Report revealed the non-profit sector was the most active in making reports.
SMEs urge action on skills and tax incentives as Government reforms receive mixed response
Shawbrook research reveals SME support for tax freezes and apprenticeship reforms, but urges more action on skills, red tape and R&D investment.
ABP signs Armed Forces Covenant to support veteran employment
This move will earn ABP the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze award.
Job availability down 22% as economic pressures impact hiring – Tribepad
There were 108,739 roles posted on Tribepad’s platform in 2024, down from 139,308 the previous year.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Women’s income typically drops 50% in the year after divorce, finds L&G
The findings pointed to the disproportionate economic hit women take following separation, with longer-term consequences for their financial wellbeing and retirement.
Moore Barlow recognised as top law firm for women in latest gender diversity report
According to The Lawyer’s latest market report on gender diversity, the firm leads the way with women making up 77% of its lawyers.
Vertu Toyota Doncaster technician wins Inspiring Automotive Women Award
Jessica Montgomery has been honoured by the Automotive 30% Club for her achievements and role as a relatable role model in the sector.
The Pensions Regulator publishes Diversity Pay Gap report
The report showed TPR's mean and median gender pay gaps are below 10% and continue to compare favourably with the wider civil service.
Technology
Government introduces AI bootcamp to upskill Whitehall coders
The AI Accelerator Programme will train up 25 Machine Learning Engineers through hackathons, where the coders will help tackle live Government challenges.
Government backs next wave of semiconductor start-ups to scale up growth
Announced by the Chancellor during a visit to South Wales this investment will strengthen the UK’s domestic semiconductor supply chain.
87% of data analysts have better job satisfaction due to AI, research reveals
According to Alteryx's 2025 State of the Data Analyst report, over 95% of data analysts in banks have seen an uplift in their role’s strategic impact due to investments in AI.
Health & Wellbeing
One in seven workers experience workplace abuse, survey reveals
The findings from the Skills and Employment Survey revealed that 14% of employees were subjected to some form of abuse, including bullying, physical violence or sexual harassment.
NIHR invests £7m to reduce health-related economic inactivity
This funding adds to the £1.5m already invested in 2023 for 13 research projects in the work and health area.
CEOs with more education and power are likelier to drive corporate decarbonisation, research finds
A study from Durham University Business School finds that higher-educated and more powerful CEOs are significantly more likely to push for industrial decarbonisation.
moneyappi launches financial wellbeing app for employees
The platform integrates artificial intelligence (AI), gamification, and behavioural science to empower employees to improve their financial literacy.
Employee Relations
Strike action begins at Tower Hamlets primary school over staff cuts
A restructure at the school will cut the number of teaching assistants from 28 to 21 – a reduction of 25% – while the overall workload is unchanged.
98% of frontline workers face customer incivility, survey finds
The Axonify report revealed that 73% of workers in restaurants, retail, and hotels experience incivility daily or weekly.
Delays to health workers’ pay rise causing huge problems for NHS, says UNISON
According to UNISON, NHS staff are expected to receive their annual pay increase on 1st April each year, but this deadline has not been met for several years.
Stockport Council staff unite for community cleaning campaign
This week, council staff will tidy district and local centres, parks, and greenspaces, while removing illegal graffiti and collecting waste.
Global HR
HR director pay surges by almost 21% over the past year, finds latest study
HR director pay has surged by 20.9% over the past year - far outpacing both the rest of the HR function and the wider economy - according to Incomes Data Research.
Half of HR professionals enjoy supporting employees, research finds
According to new research by Ciphr, a further 47% cited hiring new employees and growing the business as their favourite aspect of the jpb.
Thousands of companies yet to report their Gender Pay Gaps as deadline looms, Isio finds
However, there has been a positive trend in timely reporting, with the number of companies submitting late falling from 14% in 2020/21 to 9% in 2023/24.
More than half men and women struggle with imposter syndrome at work, survey finds
The survey also found that men (21%) believe they’re more likely to be affected by imposter syndrome than women, whereas women (38%) believed it is they who are more typically affected.