Davanti Tyres backs ‘Garage for Girls’ initiative to boost vehicle repair skills
The weekly workshop series, which launched in February, has reached 130 attendees to date and is now fully booked for the next three months.
Latest
Average annual pensioner incomes rise by £832 in FYE 2025 – DWP
Benefit income, including the State Pension, remained the largest part of gross income for both pensioner couples and single pensioners in FYE 2025.
Just Group completes £32m buy-in for the Reebok UK Retirement Benefits Scheme
The deal covers benefits for all 452 scheme members, including 114 pensioners and 338 deferred members.
Welsh Govt invests £655,000 to train next generation of housing workers
The funding will provide training programmes and paid work placements organised by social housing groups and professionals.
DWP and SPFL partner to open 80 youth hubs
The move aims to boost support for young people aged 16 to 24 who are out of work or training.
Digital whistleblowing dominates as anonymous reporting hits record levels – Safecall
The number of reports with names attached dropped from 37% in 2019 to 25%, while anonymous submissions made up 56% of all cases.
Nottingham City Council launches car salary sacrifice scheme with Tusker
The scheme aims to support staff with cost-effective motoring, while backing greener travel options.
Compensation & Benefits
Employer reputation key to automotive jobseekers, finds Glen Callum
Glen Callum said that jobseekers weigh up their future potential at the employer, along with the business' culture, stability and clarity.
PPF reports rise in senior diversity and narrowing gender pay gap
The report found that the gender pay gap narrowed over the year, and female representation in senior management went above the 50% target.
Recruitment & HR
NatWest sells Mentor consultancy to Empowering People Group
The acquisition of Mentor will add to its existing services and expand its offering to businesses needing HR and health and safety support.
AI confidence key to improving access to employment, training provider says
Strive Training said improving both AI literacy and confidence could play a key role in supporting people back into the workforce.
Nearly one in eight employers fail to provide sexual harassment training, survey finds
Research from VinciWorks found that while 81% planned to increase efforts around sexual harassment prevention, fewer than one in 20 (5%) rated their current training as excellent.
Construction and retail named UK’s riskiest industries to work in, index finds
Construction and retail were named the joint riskiest industries to work in the UK in 2026, according to a Risk Index published by online training provider iHasco.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
66% of neurodiverse jobseekers cite interviews as a barrier to employment – Pertemps
Job attraction and advertising were seen as moderately challenging by 14%, career progression by 12% and onboarding by 8%.
Half of African workers feel excluded from mortgage market, Afin Bank finds
A third (34%) of African nationals surveyed said the mortgage challenges would put off skilled people from coming to the UK.
WPP gender pay gap narrows as more women reach top roles in 2025
Its latest report revealed that the median pay gap fell from 17.8% to 17.4%, linked to more women in the top pay quartile.
Liverpool John Moores University and Hugh Baird College partner to boost skills and social mobility
The two organisations have signed an agreement to work together on activities to boost employability and skills among young people.
Technology
AI adoption in home building set to boost jobs, not cut them, report finds
A report from the HBF and Pluto Finance found only 6% of construction firms expect AI to reduce headcount, compared to 11% in other sectors.
Aegon reports over £135m in lost pensions consolidated through Mylo app
Nick Roy, commercial director of workplace at Aegon, said: “We’re pleased with the progress, and this is only the beginning.”
21% of SMEs would close within three months after data breach – Samsung
Data showed that 58% of employees connected to free public Wi-Fi, with 15% accessing sensitive work documents over these networks.
Health & Wellbeing
British Steel and North Lincolnshire Council to help organisations in suicide prevention
Farzana Khanum said: “This is a valuable opportunity to help colleagues feel supported and able to talk openly about mental health and suicide prevention.”
HDUK reports record employee happiness score
The latest Employee Survey showed that 88% of staff trust management, 87% reported positive wellbeing and 84% said they love the work they do.
Just one in 12 feel comfortable discussing cancer concerns with their employer, finds Aviva
People were most likely to talk to their partner (46%), a medical professional (43%) or a close friend (35%).
Recognition at work drives happiness for employees, finds Ciphr
Being recognised for their work and doing purposeful and meaningful work were both chosen by 34%.
Employee Relations
Employers should plan for stranded staff this holiday season, urge lawyers
Lawyers at Shakespeare Martineau stated that many employers still do not have a formal travel disruption policy, which can leave them open to claims when workers get stuck abroad.
Pineapple Recruitment donates more than 200 Easter eggs to Worcester Foodbank
The donation aimed to help ensure children across the city could enjoy a treat over the holiday, with the eggs distributed to families.
Whistleblowing doubles in UK councils following new worker protections, analysis finds
Doncaster Council saw the biggest rise in whistleblowing reports at 250%.
Currys reports boost in work-life balance and productivity as it expands HQ
The company has expanded to support its hybrid working model that lets teams decide how and when they work from the office.
Global HR
moneyappi partners with ASOS to boost employee financial wellbeing
Employees at ASOS now have access to moneyappi’s AI-powered platform, designed to help employees improve their financial situation.
The Access Group named ‘Human Company of The Year’
The Access Group was recognised for keeping a strong focus on employees during growth in artificial intelligence (AI).
UK now top global hub for startup hiring – Deel
Of nearly 100 startups that each raised over $100m (£79m) in funding, 12.2% of cross-border hires were in the UK – the highest share worldwide.
Everywhen named exclusive partner in global Asinta benefits network
This will give clients access to a broader range of services in more countries.