Peter Vardy launches national leadership summit to address Scotland’s ‘leadership gap’
Entrepreneur Peter Vardy has announced the launch of a new national leadership summit, The Calling, aimed at inspiring and developing leaders across Scotland.
Latest
Employment Rights Bill could lead to job losses and rise in employment tribunal claims, warns CIPD
A survey of more than 2,000 employers found that 79% expect the bill to raise employment costs, with 30% planning to cut jobs through redundancies.
Marks & Spencer makes £95m investment in retail pay offer
This pay increase represents a 5% increase on last year and a 26% increase since 2022.
Government bolsters employment support to unlock work for sick and disabled people
This intensive support for people on health-related benefits will see Work Coaches providing tailored and personalised employment support.
Government’s North Sea consultation must create real jobs, says Unite
Sharon Graham said: “Unite has been calling for the government to produce a concrete plan with real jobs for the transition of North Sea workers since it was elected."
Eurotunnel maintenance workers to take strike action over pay
Around a dozen members will walk out after rejecting a pay offer from the employer.
Gender pay gap worsens as nearly three million women earn below real living wage
The Living Wage Foundation analysis revealed that the gender low pay gap has increased to 6.1 percentage points in 2024 from 4.7 in 2022.
Opinion
Compensation & Benefits
New Defence Housing Service to overhaul military housing as Armed Forces Bill is introduced
The legislation forms part of a broader package of reforms aimed at improving conditions, support and retention across the armed forces as the Government seeks to modernise defence infrastructure and policy.
More than half of self-assessment taxpayers still see filing as a nuisance, Royal London finds
New research from Royal London shows confusion and budgeting gaps persist 30 years after self-assessment was introduced, with many taxpayers facing higher-than-expected bills.
Recruitment & HR
Employers must embrace flexible careers to retain Gen Z talent, says expert
Lucy Kemp said lily padding is the future of work and warned that employers who do not adapt risk losing talent.
Blue Monday sparks 10% surge in job applications – CV-Library
Applications in January were up 72% compared to December, rising 61% from December 2023 to January 2024.
Government appoints 10 new aviation ambassadors to boost youth recruitment
The ambassadors’ role includes encouraging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who might not have considered aviation before.
Amazon UK and ABB among 100 organisations named as 2026 Top Employers in the UK
Lidl GB, ScottishPower, Bentley Motors, Mitie, Primark and McLaren Racing were among the 100 organisations named as 2025 Top Employers in the UK.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Government overhauls Disability Confident scheme to boost workplace standards
The Government said changes will provide more tailored support for SMEs and boost peer-to-peer support for employers.
Cardiff Council sets out charter to protect migrant care workers
The Charter, developed with UNISON Cymru, aims to prevent exploitation, promote fair work, and set clear expectations for ethical recruitment and pay.
Limited training holds women back from progressing at work, data finds
Data from AllBright everywoman found 35% pointed to limited development or training opportunities and 28% reported low support from managers.
Savills recognised for ongoing commitment to social mobility
Sarah Thorley said: “At Savills we champion social mobility by opening doors, creating opportunity, and helping people to thrive in their careers.”
Technology
Parents back teaching staff to lead AI decisions in schools, unions say
The polling from the TUC revealed that 80% of parents with a child in school or college trust educators to make decisions about AI in their children’s learning.
Government drops plans for mandatory digital IDs for right to work checks
The move comes after concerns were raised about privacy and data protection linked to a centralised digital ID system.
Cezanne HR launches AI-powered HR tool suite for customers
The new AI tools help teams create documents faster, draft clear employee communications and improve tone and accuracy across policies and emails.
Health & Wellbeing
High stress and lack of support drives workers into sick leave, report finds
The latest Burnout Report from Mental Health UK found one in five (20%) workers took sick leave due to poor mental health caused by stress.
Nearly half of home workers work from their beds in winter, research finds
The survey of 1,000 adults found that almost half (48%) of people who regularly work from home do so from their bed.
Young adults spend the most money to tackle burnout, finds Flagstone
Most said they wanted this time back to relax and sleep, with others using it to see family, friends, or pursue hobbies.
ABP supports women in maritime with purchase of The Scarlett Box
The kit is designed to meet the needs of staff working at sea, with water-resistant sealed products for safety and hygiene.
Employee Relations
Bentley recognised as Top Employer by the Top Employers organisation
Active in 131 countries, the institute is the global authority in HR certification, benchmarking and advisory.
HubGem Marketing named world’s happiest workplace – WorkL
Other UK companies in the top 10 included ServiceNow UK, PCI Pal, Auth0 and VIOOH, all in technology.
Office space demand rises as more workers return to physical workplaces, data finds
BPS London said the high supply of office space shows the market is still adjusting after the pandemic.
60% of adults have been involved in a workplace relationship, research finds
Research by Co-space found entry-level staff were most likely to cross professional boundaries, making up 39.5% of workplace romances.
Global HR
Pearson and Deloitte partner to deliver AI-powered workforce training
The partnership will use both companies’ experience to deliver AI learning, leadership development and training solutions.
Retention and productivity top benefits of health support for overseas workers – Everywhen
32% of employers said retention rates were the main reason for offering health and wellbeing support, with 31% choosing productivity as the biggest advantage.
Morgan Lewis appoints London Labour and employment team partner
Katherine Gibson brings extensive experience in employment litigation, transactional support, business protection matters, and workplace data privacy.
Majority of European workers plan to move jobs in 2026, research reveals
According to MyPerfectCV, 37% of workers wanted to reduce stress, while 34% said they are focused on achieving a better work–life balance.