Wages for full-time workers at British SMEs experienced a significant 8.2% rise over the past year, according to the first real-time salary report focused on these businesses. Employment Hero’s SmartMatch Employment Report analysed payroll data from 90,000 employees at SMEs across the UK, covering firms with up to 500 workers.

This World Mental Health Day, on Thursday 10th October 2024, Towergate Health & Protection is urging employers to take decisive action. With this year’s theme, "It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace", the company is advocating for businesses to equip their employees with the tools and skills they need to take control of their mental wellbeing.

On World Mental Health Day, Christine Husbands, Commercial Director, RedArc is advising employers to ensure their mental health provision is up to scratch.

Despite growing awareness, there remains significant ignorance and stigma surrounding workplace mental health, as well as a lack of access to personalised support. This World Mental Health Day (10 October), Glenn Mason, Head of Adult Services at Onebright, focuses on the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to provide employees with the right support.

On World Mental Health Day, St John Ambulance, England’s first aid charity, has added its voice to global calls for workplaces to prioritise mental health first aid. This year’s theme is "Mental Health at Work," highlighting the urgent need for businesses to act.

Global learning and talent development provider Hemsley Fraser has emphasised the urgent need for business leaders to equip their workforce with stronger "human skills" to thrive in a rapidly evolving work environment shaped by AI and other technologies.

A study by GRiD, the group risk sector body, has revealed that work-related stress and anxiety has become the leading health concern for most generational employee groups, except Gen X. This marks a shift from 2023, when financial worries topped the list for Gens X, Y (Millennials), and Z, and similarly in 2022 for Millennials and Gen Z.

Recruitment firm Michael Page, part of the FTSE 250-listed PageGroup, has unveiled its 2025 Salary Guides, shedding light on the pressing issues in the UK hiring market.

As employees increasingly prioritise stability and wellbeing in their careers, UK employers must adapt their employee value proposition (EVP) to focus more on health, safety, and wellbeing to attract and retain top talent.

New research from embedded finance specialist Weavr found that 50% of UK benefit managers are researching new benefits software throughout 2024 and into 2025 and 60% would value a system that offered spendable benefits cards for employees to buy the benefits they prefer.

Onboarding still remains one of the greatest challenges for both employers and employees. Research by Gallup finds that only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organisation does a great job onboarding new employees and with a staggering 50% of newly hired employees planning to quit soon, that number skyrockets to 80% for those who feel undertrained from poor onboarding, according to research by Paychex.

Return-to-office mandates are nothing short of a hot topic in the business world. In the UK, companies such as Tesco, Boots, ASOS, Barclays and Deutsche Bank, have all enacted RTO policies with employees this year.

New research from Towergate Health & Protection reveals that 44% of employers are not tailoring their benefits to meet the diverse demographics of their workforce, despite receiving requests for more targeted support.

Hushed hybrid is a workplace phenomenon sweeping the nation, involving some of the UK’s biggest companies such as Barclays, Tesco, and Dell Technologies. However, HR managers warn hushed hybrid encourages insubordination and could lead to isolation if team members are not treated equally. Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of specialist IT services provider Crystaline, explains how investing in suitable telecommunications systems can help your business avoid the trend’s consequences.

Research by GRiD, the group risk industry body, reveals that 74% of employers believe there is insufficient state support for the health and wellbeing of UK workers.

According to new research from Towergate Health & Protection, 60% of employers with overseas staff rank physical health as their top concern.

Skillsoft, a platform known for its focus on transformative learning, has released a study examining the current landscape of workplace skills and talent development. The research, which surveyed 2,500 full-time employees across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and India, highlighted a significant skills gap in the workforce.

There has been a transformational shift in the way the workforce and businesses define work culture. Borne out of developing technology but massively accelerated by the onset of the pandemic, nearly half of the UK’s workforce has now embraced hybrid working.

AI has become an integral tool across various functions, from automating routine tasks to providing insights that drive strategic decisions. However, for Gen Z, the first truly digital-native generation, AI represents both a significant opportunity and a unique challenge.

Workday, a company offering tools to help businesses manage their workforce and finances, has released its semi-annual Global Workforce Report. The report highlighted a clear trend: it's an employers' market, with job applications growing at a rate four times faster than job openings.