Government launches review to strengthen contract fairness for arable farmers
The review, announced by Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle, examines how contract structures currently affect growers of wheat, barley, oilseeds and pulses.
Latest
Cosmic secures Government contract to deliver digital skills bootcamps in Devon
The Government-backed training will support unemployed people, the self-employed, and employees in businesses of all sizes.
Samaritans calls for emergency worker support as suicide and self-harm call outs rise
Samaritans urged the Government to ensure all emergency services have the resources to provide staff with the training and support needed for suicide prevention.
Most employees hide emotions at work, finds Zety UK
Only 32% said their workplace was highly safe for talking about emotions, while 67% said they had felt the need to hide their feelings to look professional.
Over half of finance employees say LGBTQ+ support at work is adequate, finds PIFA
67% of LGBTQ+ respondents said they had not experienced discrimination at work, but 38% still reported facing microaggressions.
L&G completes £1.6bn buy-in with the BP Pension Fund
This is the first transaction for the Fund, which is valued at about £18bn.
Knight Frank Promise partners with Kitt Medical to boost workplace safety
Kitt Medical’s Anaphylaxis Kitt includes a supply of adrenaline pens, online training for staff, incident reporting software and a secure cabinet.
Compensation & Benefits
Employers confident in EBT use but expect greater need for external support – Ocorian
The study found that 90% of senior executives and employee reward leaders considered their EBT to be operating at its full potential.
Over two million workers miss shifts due to financial stress, Pepper Money finds
The study calculated this has led to 8.4 million lost working days, costing the UK economy around £860m in reduced output.
Recruitment & HR
CIPD welcomes apprenticeship funding boost but calls for clearer national skills strategy
The CIPD has welcomed additional government funding for apprenticeships but warned that wider structural issues must be addressed.
Business Moves Group appoints Sharon Sales to strengthen customer experience and compliance
Sales brings experience in customer service leadership, administration and operational governance across the facilities management and workplace change sectors.
Employers warned of rising recruitment demand ahead of Youth Guarantee scheme
Technology firm Oleeo warned that the scale of the programme will reshape early-careers recruitment, with employers likely to face a sharp rise in applications.
CII partners with Birmingham City University to launch insurance talent pilot
The programme will give BCU students a closer look at careers in insurance, working directly with insurers, brokers and industry leaders.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Nationwide commits £25m to IWT for female-led business funding
The lender said the investment aims to boost economic growth by helping close the gap in funding female-led businesses face, compared to male-led ones.
Westminster’s RCPP boosts wellbeing for staff supporting vulnerable groups
Gemma McGrath and Rita Joshi ran activities to help identify wellbeing challenges and share strategies for more resilient workplaces.
44% of Gen Z office workers faced criticism from older workers, Kahoot! finds
Of those who had been criticised, 47% said it was for being “too passionate” or outspoken and 46% for using informal language or humour.
Principality Building Society climbs to 27th in Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers list
Principality Building Society has risen to 27th place in the 2025/26 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers list, reflecting its continued focus on diversity and inclusion.
Technology
Business mentoring for SMEs focused on AI doubles in 2025 – ABM
Ben Jacobs said: “By enabling businesses to adopt AI with confidence, mentors help unlock productivity gains, strengthen competitiveness and stimulate innovation.”
The AA launches ‘Leading with AI’ programme in partnership with Cambridge Spark
Louise Benford, CPO at The AA, said: “We are delighted to partner with Cambridge Spark to help equip our leaders to thrive in an AI-enabled world."
KPMG partners with Aiimi to roll out workplace AI platform
The move is part of its ongoing push to improve its data management and artificial intelligence (AI) use.
Health & Wellbeing
32% of employers do not measure the impact of sickness absence – GRiD
Figures from previous years showed 61% measured absence in 2025, 59% in 2023, 63% in both 2022 and 2021, and 65% in 2020.
49% of sick days linked to mental or emotional exhaustion – Employment Hero
Data showed that younger workers were more likely to use sick days for stress, while older workers tended to use them for personal errands.
Night workers face inequalities in pay, health, safety and dignity, study finds
Research from UCL found that workers reported harassment, theft and discrimination at work and while travelling.
Digital health services could help solve employee absence crisis, says Unum UK
Research found that digital health services resolved concerns faster, reduced absence and empowered employees to manage their wellbeing.
Employee Relations
Quarter of job ads fail to disclose salary, research finds
Lidl disclosed pay in 77.5% of 4,118 job ads, Tesco in 73.2% of 6,008, Mitie in 54.5% of 6,436 and Whitbread in 54.3% of 4,032 ads.
Seetec calls for stronger focus on employee ownership to drive growth
John Baumback, CEO at Seetec, said: “Employee ownership is a proven path to stronger businesses and stronger communities."
60% of workers dislike Secret Santa, finds Jukebox Marketing
The report found most employees (78%) would rather have a cash bonus than a Christmas party or gift.
London Assembly calls for more affordable housing for front-line staff
Members said more affordable homes need to be built close to workplaces and the Mayor should support a London Ambulance Service Housing Strategy.
Global HR
Equiom and Ledgy partner to expand global equity plan services
The integration of Ledgy lets Equiom’s teams support clients with complex share plans and gives employees access to manage their equity through one platform.
Employers continue move away from traditional CVs, study finds
Willo found that four-in-10 employers said they are actively moving away from CV-first hiring, and 10% have replaced CVs with skills-based and scenario-driven assessments.
AI-driven defences could strengthen cloud HR systems against ransomware, research reveals
A new academic study by Jay Barach, IEEE senior member and expert technologist, has examined how cloud-based HR systems could better withstand rising ransomware threats.
Umberto Tossini steps down from Automobili Lamborghini after nearly two decades
Lamborghini’s chief people, culture and organisation officer Umberto Tossini is leaving the company after 19 years, with chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann assuming interim responsibility.