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The countdown to better access to flex has begun!
The countdown to better access to flex has begun!
The shift towards all parents and carers getting the flex they need took a huge step forward in Parliament this week, meaning it will become law in April 2024. Once this happens, requesting flexible working will be an automatic right from the day and employee starts a job, and they will no longer be expected to explain how the arrangement will work. The other changes employees will notice are that they will be able to make two requests a year instead of one, and the processing time will now be two months instead of three. And by legally ensuring more communication from an employer should they want to reject an application, there will be more opportunity to find a solution that works for everyone.
This comes after Working Families, the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers put forward the proposals to Yasmin Qureshi MP last year, when they were hopeful that the time was ripe for change. And whilst there’s still work to be done before it can be said that everyone has equal access to flexible working, this legislation marks a sea change, and will pave the way for progressive reform in the future so that one day, flexible working will be the default in the UK.
Commenting on the legislation being passed, Yasmin Qureshi MP said: “I’m grateful to Working Families for helping me initiate and progress the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act through Parliament. This new legislation will make it easier for employees to access flexible working opportunities and will encourage employers to think more about what working arrangements they can offer when advertising vacancies. For many of the UK’s working parents and carers, the ability to access greater flexibility could be the difference between quitting work or reducing working hours to meet their caring responsibilities, and staying in their job and maintaining their income.”
Employers urged to do more to harness young women’s talents as discrimination levels rise
Employers urged to do more to harness young women’s talents as discrimination levels rise
The charity Young Women’s Trust are calling for employers to address the rising levels of discrimination that young women face in the workplace as new research reveals half (50%) of young women reported discrimination this year, compared to just over two fifths last year (42%). Over a third (34%) of HR decision makers confirmed that they were also aware of instances of young women being discriminated against in the past year. The same number agreed that sexist behaviour still exists within their organisation.
In the charity’s latest annual survey, which spoke to 4000 young women, 1000 young men and nearly 1000 HR decision makers, almost a quarter (23%) of young women said that they are being paid less than their male peers even for the same work, despite this being illegal. They also said that when instances of discrimination do occur, they feel less able to challenge or report it (25%) compared to young men (17%).
The survey found that almost 3 in 10 (28%) HR decision makers agreed that it is harder for women to progress in their organisation than men. Furthermore, 15% agreed that men are better suited to senior management jobs than women, and 19% said that they would be reluctant to hire a woman who they thought might go on to start a family. Only 13% said the same for a man.
The survey showed some signs of progress towards more equal workplaces, notably that flexible working – which 84% of young women say is important to them – is now embedded in many organisations, with 80% of employers now offering this.
However, pay policies are still detrimental to women in many workplaces. 46% of employers say that jobs are regularly advertised without the salary details, and 50% say applicants are asked what their current salary is. Leaving salaries open to negotiation disadvantages women and other groups, including black candidates, who can be less confident and discriminated against in negotiations; while basing pay on a candidate’s previous salary increases inequality, because women earn less to start with.
A lack of progression opportunities remains a major driver of income inequality for young women: almost half (49%) are worried about not having enough opportunities to progress – rising to 57% of racially minoritised young women. Meanwhile 28% of HR decision makers agree that it’s harder for women to progress in their organisation than men. However, there has been some improvement in the support organisations offer young women with their progression – 57% offer programmes to support the development of young women, up from 51% last year.
The survey also looked at differences across sectors and found that the sectors which employ the most low-paid young women – retail, hospitality, health and social care, education and arts, entertainment and recreation – are doing less to increase equality. Education is particularly lagging behind:
- 45% of HR decision makers in the sector are aware of young women being discriminated against, compared to 34% overall
- 41% agree that sexist behaviour still exists in their organisation compared to 34% overall
- 25% say it’s difficult to find information about how to report discrimination, compared to 16% overall
- Only 64% of organisations offer flexible working, compared to 80% overall
Meanwhile in the infrastructure and finance and professional services sectors, which has some of the biggest pay gaps between young women and young men, HR decision makers reported higher levels of discrimination and less action to tackle inequality. In the infrastructure sector:
- 29% of decision makers in the infrastructure sector believe men are more suited to management jobs than women, compared to 15% overall
- 47% agree that it is harder for women to progress in their organisation than men, compared to 28% overall
- 61% are likely to ask candidates for their current salary, whereas on average only 50% of organisations do this
And in finance and professional services:
- 27% of HR decision makers said their organisations do not have measures in place to bring about equality, compared to just 19% on average
- 51% don’t include salary details on job adverts, compared to 46% overall
Young Women’s Trust offers information about the changes needed to make workplaces more inclusive for young women and can offer support and guidance to employers. They have also worked with young women to create a manifesto for an equal world of work, and are calling for government and employers to step in and make changes that will level the playing field by:
- Ensuring fair and equal pay with salary transparency; action to tackle pay gaps; and a fairer labour market which values the work that typically women choose to do
- Removing unfair barriers to work with more flexible working; inclusive recruitment processes; improved benefits and employment support; and a childcare system that works
- Supporting young women to progress with clear pathways and internal schemes and training
- Creating better job security with a limit on zero hours contracts and a right to predictable hours
- Ending discrimination for good through better reporting processes, more accountability for employers and improved support for people experiencing discrimination
Claire Reindorp, Chief Executive at Young Women’s Trust said: “Just a couple of months ago we reported on the cost of living having a disproportionate impact on young women’s lives – and these latest figures show why that’s happening, with HR decision makers agreeing that discrimination is still rife in the workplace.
“We know it’s hard for young women to get the jobs that they want because of barriers such as a lack of flexible working and affordable childcare, but then when they do enter the workplace, discrimination and a lack of support to progress creates this broken rung on the career ladder.
“We know that many employers want to drive change, and there is so much they can do to create workplaces where all young women can thrive. We’re urging HR teams to use our resources, read our manifesto and start to implement some of the suggestions that have come from young women themselves”.
FREE workplace wellbeing learning programme for employers and HR professionals
FREE workplace wellbeing learning programme for employers and HR professionals
Employee wellbeing is a huge topic for workplaces as employers navigate working life post-pandemic and straight into a cost of living crisis. While mental health is definitely spoken about more frequently now, we know that there are still barriers to people being open about how they’re feeling at work – namely stigma, and a fear of discrimination.
According to the ‘Scottish Mental Illness Stigma’ Study, published by See Me and the Mental Health Foundation in 2022, 71 per cent of people with severe, enduring and complex mental illnesses reported facing stigma and discrimination in their place of work in the last 12 months. Of those who identified it as an area having the biggest impact on them, 71 per cent reported being treated unfairly by employers, supervisors or managers, while half (52 per cent) admitted to feeling pressured to not speak about their mental health needs at work.
It’s estimated that, in Scotland alone, mental illness costs employers £2bn a year in sickness and recruitment costs. That’s a huge sum of money that could be avoided. We’re calling on employers to do more to support employees and create a culture where it’s okay to talk about your mental health, and where they know they’ll get support when you need it.
Education is key for employers and managers. It’s okay to not fully understand someone’s situation or experience, but it is never okay to stigmatise and discriminate as a result.
In the months ahead, See Me’s workplace team will be hosting a series of free-to-attend webinars and masterclasses for Scottish employers to shed some light on the importance of taking action to address mental health stigma and discrimination at work – and how to do it.
The sessions will showcase how taking action to tackle mental health stigma at work can benefit your business – by saving money, reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, and creating a better working environment for your staff. The sessions will cover a range of topics, including supporting conversations on work-related stress and how to get management buy-in when it comes to prioritising employee wellbeing.
For more information and to book your place at one of the FREE seminars:
The Joy Factory Podcast: ‘Building a Community from Scratch’ with Lee Turner
The Joy Factory Podcast: ‘Building a Community from Scratch’ with Lee Turner, founder and publisher of Hr NETWORK Magazine
For The Joy Factory’s latest podcast, their founder Susi DeFazio was joined by our very own Lee Turner. As we know, Hr NETWORK is the go-to community for HR professionals, providing a unique combination of news, awards, conferences, and other events to inspire people development and Susi managed to speak to Lee about how it all began and what has driven him for almost 20 years with Scotland’s leading magazine and event group for the HR industry.
Through the Magazine, National Awards and regular Conferences and Exhibitions, Hr NETWORK has become an environment where people can explore their personal and professional achievements.
As its founder, Lee Turner’s vision and values are focused on building momentum for a community that strives to do meaningful work and create an atmosphere where people come together to make a difference.
Everything Lee does comes from the heart and his family-orientated values. In this episode, Lee talks about:
How bereavement and strong bond with his siblings and Mum shaped his character and approach to life…
Lee’s vision, the early days of building resilience throughout the journey and the values contributing to building momentum.
Lee’s down-to-earth, open and honest reflections shine through in this episode – and Susi described her chat with Lee as a privilege.
Celebrating the stars of the Scottish HR industry at the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
Celebrating the STARS of the Scottish HR industry at the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
The winners of this year’s hugely exciting and much anticipated Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute were announced at the ‘star-studded’ annual Gala Dinner, held at the impressive Hilton in Glasgow, last night.
Almost 700 guests came to recognise, acknowledge and reward the champions of the Scottish HR profession, at the glittering evening, which showcased the winners across 17 different categories including: Gleneagles Hotel (Leading with Kindness Award) Robertson Group (HR Team of the Year) and Scottish Water’s recently retired head of employee experience, Julia Stevenson, who was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR.
The 16th annual gathering, which is the flagship event for HR professionals across Scotland, was hosted for the first time by radio broadcaster and Scott Wilson.
The coveted Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR award was presented to Julia Stevenson for her commitment and dedication the public and private sectors during a 40 year career, which included employers such as Scottish Water and Bank of Scotland (HBOS).
A full review of the evening including all the pics and highlights from the event will be published in the next issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine.
Category winners of the Hr NETWORK National Awards for 2023 are:
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Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year, sponsored by Be-IT Resourcing – Multrees Investor Services
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HR Graduate of the Year – Rebecca MacKinnon, Strathclyde Business School
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Employee Engagement Award of the Year, sponsored by Multrees Investor Services – abrdn
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HR Assistant/Officer of the Year – Jennifer McIvor, Three UK
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ESG Award of the Year, sponsored by Robertson Group – ScottishPower
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HR Project of the Year – Turning Point Scotland
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HR Manager/Advisor of the Year, sponsored by AAB People – Stephanie Stewart, Three UK
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Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year – International Beverage
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Organisational Development Award of the Year, sponsored by Roffey Park Institute – Zero Waste Scotland
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HR Specialist of the Year – Kate Paterson, Morgan Stanley
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Learning & Development Award of the Year – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
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Best Employer/Workplace of the Year, sponsored by Jobtrain –Skyscanner
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HR Business Partner of the Year, sponsored by Right Management – Jenny Asher, Aegon UK
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HR Team of the Year – Robertson Group
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Leading with Kindness Award of the Year, sponsored by Leading Kind – Gleneagles
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HR Director of the Year sponsored by LHH – Samantha Kirk, International Beverage
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Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR – Julia Stevenson, Scottish Water (Retired)
Further information regarding the winners and the gala dinner, including all the photographs from the evening will be available in due course. For details regarding Nominations in 2024, Sponsorship and Table Hosting, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
OUT TODAY – November 2023 Issue – Menopause: There’s no need to suffer in silence
OUT TODAY – November 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Hr NETWORK Magazine November 2023
Menopause at Work: There’s no need to suffer in silence
Last month was World Menopause Awareness Month and with more women in work than ever before, are organisations being accommodating enough to put menopause higher on the agenda? Andy Moore discovers how HR can help ensure more supportive workplaces.
Also in the latest issue:
- The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, EXTRA and The Bookshop
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Hybrid Working; Networking
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
