Manchester City Council recognised as a Menopause Friendly Employer
Manchester City Council is now the first Greater Manchester Combined Authority to get Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
Latest
UK experiences notable rise in retirement age, outpacing the USA
A new study reveals the UK has seen a greater increase in retirement age than the USA over the last two decades, ranking 22nd globally according to OECD data analyzed by AgeCalculator.com.
MPs call for work rights for asylum seekers after six months
A new cross-party report recommends allowing asylum seekers in the UK to work six months after arrival and criticises government policies for pushing migrants into poverty.
Pension shortfall looms for workers leaving the workforce early
Exiting the workforce early could reduce one’s pension by up to £150,000, warns Standard Life.
Survey reveals employers struggle with young workforce’s evolving priorities
A new survey by The Open University reveals significant challenges in hiring and retaining young employees, with changes in their work values and priorities attributed largely to the pandemic's impact on work experience.
Workers at Glasgow Airport secure major wage deal
The new deal includes a 10.9% wage increase to £12.20 per hour, which is 20 pence above the real living wage.
Premier Inn owner Whitbread to cut 1,500 jobs and 200 restaurants
Whitbread announces job cuts and restaurant closures as it shifts focus to expanding Premier Inn hotels across the UK.
Compensation & Benefits
Over two million workers to earn over £100,000 in 2026/27 – Rathbones
The data highlighted that around 6% of the UK’s 34 million workforce will be earning above £100,000 next year.
DB pension transfer compensation hits record low in 2025 – Broadstone
Compensation fell from around -£16,000 in early 2025 to -£41,000 by early 2026.
Recruitment & HR
QTS Group appoints first HR director to support growing workforce
Sara Crosby will support the HR team as it moves through a restructure, creating four new jobs that are being recruited for in early 2026.
Chopstix and Mencap partner to open jobs for people with a learning disability
Jon Sparkes OBE said: “This initiative will help to raise awareness of the work we do at Mencap, along with building meaningful career paths for a pool of new talent."
Small business job growth stalls in December, finds Employment Hero
Retail and hospitality saw the biggest hit in December, with a fall of -2%.
Precept Recruit launches in Derby to help firms tackle talent challenge
The consultancy will focus on the East Midlands but will also take on UK-wide roles, especially where specialist searches are needed.
Inclusivity, Equality & Diversity
Aviva welcomes back Supported Internships Programme for third year
The one-year programme is aimed at young adults aged 18 to 24 with an education, health and care plan or special educational needs.
GMB secures more than £1bn in equal pay victories for women workers
The union said women employed by councils have historically been underpaid in roles dominated by women, including care, cleaning and catering.
Women feel unsafe and embarrassed at work due to ill-fitting PPE, GMB warns
More than 70% of women surveyed by GMB say ill-fitting PPE designed for men’s bodies is leaving them unsafe, uncomfortable or unable to do their jobs, prompting renewed calls for legal reform and inclusive standards.
ITV launches Green Room pilot to support freelancers between roles
The pilot will bring 20 experienced freelancers together to form a peer network, with access to ITV colleagues as mentors.
Technology
spacebands secures £1.1m to reduce hearing loss and vibration injuries in workplaces
The funding will improve the wearables and analytics platform to help employers spot harmful exposure sooner and act before injuries become permanent.
Tech roles dominate pay rankings as salary gaps widen – Totaljobs
Analysis from Totaljobs of more than 21.6 million job adverts found that median advertised pay has risen 7.5% year-on-year to just over £33,500.
AI therapy and preventive healthcare set to redefine workplace wellbeing
Vicky Walker, CPO at Westfield Health, discusses the transformative wellbeing trends set to redefine the UK workplace by 2026.
Health & Wellbeing
Employers face £21.6bn sickness bill as workplace wellbeing priorities shift, study finds
HCML said employers have an increasingly important role to play in supporting employee health.
Sleepless nights reduce focus and performance for UK workers, research finds
The survey from Mental Health Foundation found that 33% of workers said poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate at work.
NatWest and Lombard partner with the FCN to support farmers’ wellbeing
The partnership will see agricultural specialist managers at NatWest and Lombard trained by FCN to spot early signs of stress in farming communities.
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.
Employee Relations
75% of businesses unprepared for new employee rights rules, warns lawyer
Roy Magara, solicitor advocate and founder of Magara Law, said: “Many organisations are still operating with outdated assumptions about flexibility and probation."
Job loss leads to sharp fall in spending and rise in financial distress, finds IFS
Spending fell by around 20% in the first few months after losing a job, with only a third of lost earnings made up by higher benefits.
UK Connect earns Great Place to Work certification for fifth year running
The award followed positive staff feedback, with nearly three quarters of employees saying it is a great place to work.
TUC warns of record work-related stress across UK workplaces
The TUC’s 15th biennial survey of more than 2,700 union safety representatives found that almost eight in 10 (79%) cited stress as a major concern in their workplace.
Global HR
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.
Arsenal selects Deel to manage global HR operations
Arsenal will use Deel’s HR platform to manage its workforce and operations.
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.