Lidl signs legal agreement with EHRC to prevent sexual harassment at work
Baroness Kishwer Falkner said: “By signing this legal agreement, Lidl GB has committed to carrying out this work based on our expert advice.”
Latest
Royal Navy tugboat crews strike to protect naval services
Serco Marine workers are demanding a consultation over future of Royal Navy’s afloat services.
74,000 women a year lose jobs for getting pregnant, taking maternity leave, research finds
Pregnant Then Screwed, in partnership with Women In Data, has revealed an increase in the number of women who are pushed out of their job when pregnant.
Aldi gives store staff pay boost, lifts hourly rates to at least £12.75
The new minimum rate exceeds the Real Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation in October last year.
Rising costs threaten employee health benefits, finds Simplyhealth
Paul Schreier said: “Workplace health benefits are crucial for supporting people who need to get quick access to everyday healthcare treatments."
Two-thirds of HR professionals unsupportive of return to five days in office, research finds
Research by Occupational Health Assessment Ltd found that 63% of HR experts see return-to-office mandates as problematic.
Government skills training scheme expanded to help 100,000 people into work
This will mean surpassing the previous target of 80,000 and offering new opportunities in some of the country’s most deprived communities.
Compensation & Benefits
State Pension provides half of income for over-80s, report finds
The research, comissioned by Quilter and produced with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), found average annual retiree spending stands at £22,140.
Sodexo offers free mortgage advice to boost employee financial wellbeing
The service is aimed at supporting employees’ financial wellbeing and making it easier for staff to get help when buying their first home.
Recruitment & HR
£30m funding boost set to support jobs in Northern Ireland’s science and tech sectors
The package, announced during a visit to Belfast by Industry Minister Sarah Jones, will be directed by local leaders to support high-growth industries such as cybersecurity.
Education Authority launches recruitment pilot to speed up classroom assistant hiring
The pilot lets schools pick from a pool of candidates who have already applied and set out their qualifications or experience.
Clear Group appoints chief people and performance officer
In her new job, Barbara Duffy will lead people and organisational development strategy at Clear Group, focusing on attracting, developing and retaining staff.
‘30 by 30’ campaign launched to expand cadet forces by 40,000 by 2030
The Government has announced a £70m investment to expand Armed Forces cadet forces by 30% by 2030, creating places for more than 40,000 additional young people.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Derby City Council relaunches SEND scheme to boost job opportunities for young adults
The scheme aims to help learners build skills and move towards paid roles either at the University of Derby or with partner organisations.
Trade unions and campaigners criticise Durham Council over Pride funding cut
In response to the funding cut, organisers have announced a major fundraising drive beginning at Redhills, Durham Miners’ Hall, on the 5th of September.
Employers urged to focus on closing UK’s disability employment gap
Employers have been urged to renew their efforts to tackle the disability employment gap, after new analysis from Dentons
Action needed to support youth employment as labour market continues to cool – CIPD
The warning comes as new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed a continued drop in job vacancies, now at levels last recorded in early 2015.
Technology
Providers cut LoA delays despite 500% rise in requests – Pension Lab
The LoA Performance Index found one provider reduced its average response times by 45% after moving away from paper-based responses.
Workday targeted in cyber attack but says customer data not affected
The company said the incident formed part of a wider social engineering campaign affecting “many large organisations,” in which attackers posed as HR or IT staff.
Deel launches AI Workforce to support HR and payroll teams
The move comes as industry surveys highlight growing strain on HR teams, with SHRM’s latest Workforce Report finding that more than half of HR professionals believe their teams are understaffed.
Health & Wellbeing
AAG donates £500 Automechanika prize to Ben charity
AAG secured third place in the Best Customer Engagement and Most Registrations in the 2025 Automechanika Birmingham awards.
UK to honour 100 more aid workers as 2024 marked as deadliest year on record
Marking World Humanitarian Day (19th August), Minister for Development Baroness Chapman confirmed the awards, recognising the work of frontline responders deployed in some of the most dangerous environments.
Three quarters of workers experience burnout in past year, survey finds
The findings come from a survey of 2,000 working adults conducted by music licensing company PPL PRS.
Southerners report less free time than Northerners, Europcar survey finds
Research from Europcar shows people in the South feel more pressed for time than those in the North, though both spend free time in similar ways.
Employee Relations
Time-wasting at work gains equivalent of three weeks’ holiday, research finds
Haypp revealed that 30% of workers admitted to scrolling through social media each week when they should be working.
UK firms warned of ‘blind spot’ in succession planning as leadership shortages loom
New research from Robert Half warns that UK businesses risk instability by failing to strengthen succession planning despite concerns over future leadership shortages.
David Spear Commercials transfers 60% of the business to an EOT
Transferring to a partial EOT model has enabled David Spear Commercials to remain independent, locally rooted and people led.
Barista-quality coffee now a workplace essential, research reveals
Thrive London's research of 1,000 British employees and 100 employers revealed the pivotal role coffee now plays in workplace satisfaction and performance.
Global HR
Teesside University Online expands global reach through FutureLearn partnership
The deal will see TU Online’s undergraduate, postgraduate and certificate programmes promoted and available through FutureLearn.
Talent shortages driving company location decisions, survey finds
Savills and CoreNet Global found that 73% of respondents in the technology sector reported a drop in skilled staff.
HSI acquires HandsHQ to expand risk management and workforce training
Jamie Carruthers said: “The combined expertise of HSI and HandsHQ means our customers will have access to the best-in-class technology and industry-leading practices."
Pearson and HCLTech partner to deliver AI-driven upskilling for global workforce
The deal will see Pearson use HCLTech’s engineering and digital tools to create new AI-powered training, assessment and workforce analytics products.