HR
As the UK government continues to implement its AI Opportunities Action Plan, British business leaders are pinning their hopes on technological innovation alongside HR strategies, such as offering hybrid work, to boost employee morale and productivity, according to research by Celonis, the global company in Process Mining and Process Intelligence.
Most businesses now provide some form of mental health training for employees. But do you know what should be included in this training to ensure it is effective and impactful? With an estimated £42-£45 billion being lost each year due to presenteeism, sickness absence and staff turnover from poor mental health, mental health training can play a crucial role in the wider success, happiness and productivity of your employees.
Building a startup is a healthy mix of energy, optimism, and of course, risk. The focus is often on product development, funding rounds, and scaling up fast. But in the rush to get off the ground, people management – the heartbeat of any organisation – can often skip a beat. And while it’s understandable, ignoring tried and tested HR best practices early on can be a costly mistake.
As employers brace themselves for hikes in National Insurance contributions (NICs) on 6 April 2025 and the reduction in the threshold at which they are due, GRiD has found that over a quarter (28%) of senior HR decision-makers believe that increased costs imposed by government such as higher employer NI contributions will present a significant challenge to their business in the next 12 months. Broken down by size of company, 30% of SMEs see this as a challenge, compared to 25% of large corporates.
With increases in National Insurance contributions due to take effect from 6 April, businesses and employees are both likely to feel the pinch. Towergate Employee Benefits’ annual research shows that less than half (48%) of UK companies offer salary sacrifice on their pension provision and they and their employees are therefore missing out on offsetting the costs.














