Feature Articles

The Government has amended the statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England to include a new section on carrying out online checks as part of the recruitment process. We look at the key implications for employers.

Employers in the UK don’t typically have to worry too much about how to manage staff during periods of extremely high temperatures. Indeed, there is an abundance of information available on making alternative arrangements for rain and snow, but with temperatures set to reach almost 40 degrees next week, employers will need to put measures in place to keep teams cool and comfortable. There could be added issues if staff can’t get to work or, in some cases, if they pull a sickie to make the most of the warm weather. As such, it’s best to be as prepared as possible.

At the beginning of 2022, we wrote about the legal changes we expected to see in the coming year, based on various government announcements and proposals. Now that we are into the second half of the year, it is time to take stock and ask: what has happened so far, what are we still waiting for, and what does it seem likely we’re not going to get (for now, anyway)?

Mass resignations over the past two days have rocked the structure of parliament, ultimately leading to the resignation of the Prime Minister as leader of the Conservative Party. In situations such as this, there are key lessons to be gleamed for both private and public sector organisations to ensure their long-term success.

Homeworking has its pros and cons, for both employees and employers. Cost savings in particular are high on the reasons for wanting to work from home, as employees cut out (or reduce) their commuting expenses and consider moving to a cheaper area, further from the office.

The wellbeing of employees has never been more important than it is now. After the difficulties of the pandemic, which is still not entirely behind us, many employees have been left feeling drained — mentally, physically and financially. Employers are recognising the impact of this on the performance of their workforce, and targeting policies, benefits and working practices at helping employees to recover and thrive.

Everyone ages and as the UK’s population becomes proportionally older, so too will the workforce. Laura King looks at inclusive policies that support an older workforce.

Philosophical belief is protected by the Equality Act 2010 (EqA). However, what constitutes such a belief is not clear cut. Following recent case law that identified factors that can limit a belief “qualifying” for this protection, we ask what can limit a belief from being one worthy of protection? And what if that belief includes an obligation to break the law?

Is something seismic occurring in the world of L&D? There is some strong evidence that many organisations are taking a fresh look at their business strategies, workforce models, values and culture, often as a result of new demands from employees. As a result, L&D itself is being transformed in ways that many people have been crying out for over a number of years. In this article, Judith Christian-Carter dips into some recent research that shows that learning is currently leading the way through what is being called the “Great Reshuffle”, a period unlike anything in the history of work.

According to figures from Statista, the number of households owning a pet jumped from 41% in 2019–20 to 62% in 2021–22. The UK has always been a nation of pet lovers, and these statistics show that remains the case.