Epassi Group expands presence in the UK with the acquisition of Zest
Founded in 2004, Zest offers a SaaS platform that helps employers manage, communicate, and expand their employee benefits offering.
Latest
Research highlights gender pension gap, with single parents earning least
A new report from Now: Pensions and the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) reveals significant disparities in pension savings, particularly affecting single parents.
Virgin Media O2 reveals ethnicity and gender pay gaps for 2023
Virgin Media O2's 2023 pay gap report reveals a 9.7% mean ethnicity hourly pay gap and a 1.9% mean gender hourly pay gap.
Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds benefit from £1.7m boost to tackle workplace discrimination in West Yorkshire
Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds in West Yorkshire are set to benefit from a £1.7m grant to tackle workplace discrimination and support employment opportunities, Youth Futures Foundation announced today.
Half of young people from an ethnic minority background face prejudice and discrimination as they enter the world of work
Research from Youth Futures Foundation has found that almost half of young people from an ethnic minority background have experienced prejudice or discrimination when seeking to enter the workplace.
More than half of UK office workers struggling with rise in demand for face to face meetings
New research§ reveals that over half (52 percent) of office workers in the UK, who have experienced an increase in in-person meetings, are struggling to cope with the increased demand, as business travel and face to face time is on the rise.
Forecast indicates almost half of 2024 pay awards will be below last year’s, finds XpertHR
The latest pay forecast data from XpertHR predicts the median basic pay award in 2024 will be 4%, down two percentage points on the median in 2023, which was the highest recorded level for 32 years.
Compensation & Benefits
Unum UK dental claims rise by 35% as more employers turn to private care
The company now covers over 378,000 people with its dental cover, an increase of 27% compared to last year.
Cancer main cause for group risk claims in 2024, survival rates higher than ever – GRiD
Cancer made up 68% of group critical illness claims, 39% of group life assurance claims and 27% of group income protection claims.
Recruitment & HR
Vertu branch manager named finalist in British Forces in Business Awards
The British Forces in Business Awards celebrates veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
c2c appoints four young staff members through King’s Trust railways programme
New recruits Jack Wood, Fatihur Rahman, Arif Torofdar and Lindsey Keeling have joined in permanent roles.
PwC: AI driving productivity, wages and job growth across exposed industries
PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer shows AI is increasing productivity, job numbers and wages across roles – even those considered highly automatable.
Spirit Aerosystems break-up could threaten NI aerospace sector, Unite warns
Unite has written to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Minister of State requesting an urgent meeting.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Škoda celebrates European Diversity Month, reaffirms commitment to inclusion
Škoda beat its target for women in management in 2024, with women now making up 20.4% of management staff.
Womble Bond Dickinson celebrates charitable impact in new report
Sally Dallow said: “Our firm's vision is to lead the way on responsible business."
Currys leaders recognised for ongoing work in workplace inclusion
Paula Coughlan and Michelle Gorringe-Smith were named as advocates for change for their work on inclusion and diversity in the retail sector.
39% of disabled workers faced bullying or discrimination at work – TUC
12% said they had experienced bullying, such as sustained patterns of intimidating or abusive behaviour connected to their disability.
Technology
Government AI trial cuts nearly two weeks of admin time per year for civil servants
Research found using AI saved people an average of 26 minutes per day, adding up to nearly two weeks a year for each civil servant.
INTERVIEW: Freelancers surge as AI grows in popularity
Matthieu Rouif said: "As AI becomes more intuitive and accessible, entrepreneurs will be able to move faster, experiment more, and scale smarter."
Small businesses face rising cyber threats amid record-breaking attack attempts, research finds
According to the UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, 43% of UK businesses and 30% of charities reported experiencing a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.
Health & Wellbeing
WorkingWell launches ‘POWER-UP’ tool to track workplace pressure
The profiling tool lets employees see their own energy and pressure levels, as well as other factors known to affect wellbeing.
Alliance Automotive Group marks Mental Health Awareness Week with company-wide campaign
AAG ran a month-long step challenge and NAPA roadshow to support staff wellbeing and raise funds for mental health charities.
BSIF takes over SGUK secretariat to boost workplace safety
Alan Murray said: “I am confident that with the support of BSIF, we will continue to play our part in keeping the workforce of the UK safer and healthier."
Workers face rising risks from extreme heat as legislation lags
Millions of UK workers could soon be exposed to dangerously high temperatures, according to a report published by the Autonomy Institute.
Employee Relations
White Ribbon launches ‘Right to Respect’ campaign to prevent workplace harassment
The campaign has been launched in line with the Worker Protection Act 2023, which came into force in October 2024.
Government agency spend crackdown returns nearly £1bn to NHS frontline
Wes Streeting said: “We’re already backing our health workers with above-inflation pay rises and now, nearly £1bn is being reinvested back to the frontline."
Majority of working mums unhappy with return-to-work support, research reveals
Only 17% of mums felt confident about going back after maternity leave.
Majority of employees admit to ‘ghostworking’ and job hunting during work hours
A recent survey by Resume Now revealed that a significant portion of the workforce engages in "ghostworking"—the act of appearing busy without being productive.
Global HR
Pandora among ‘Europe’s Best Workplaces’, expands workforce by 40% in four years
The Financial Times ranking highlighted 1,000 top companies across Europe, based on anonymous feedback from current and former employees.
Irish employers lag behind on AI strategy and training, warns CIPD
The 2025 HR Practices in Ireland study revealed that 58% of workplaces have not provided a clear plan on how AI will be used.
Coats publishes global wellbeing whitepaper in partnership with Great Place To Work
Coats has launched a wellbeing whitepaper with Great Place To Work, highlighting over 500 global initiatives and tangible improvements in staff engagement.
Mindtools acquires Kineo to expand global learning and development services
The move brings the two companies together under the ownership of CIG, and aims to expand their learning solutions to more customers globally.