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Women over 50 in Scotland facing significant barriers to their pay and progression in the workplace
Women over 50 in Scotland facing significant barriers to their pay and progression in the workplace
Women over 50 in Scotland require greater support in the workplace to address persistent inequalities in pay and progression, according to the latest research by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, conducted on behalf of Scotland’s Fair Work Convention.
Older workers now comprise around a third of the Scottish workforce, and this number is set to increase in the coming years. However, existing data shows that women in this age group often experience greater inequalities in pay than younger women in relation to men. The report calls for employers to take action to improve the experiences and opportunities for older women at work.
The report is based on research with women over 50 and employers in two specific sectors in Scotland: the finance / insurance sector; and the information / communications sector.
The research finds that women over 50 face a number of barriers to better pay and progression in the workplace. In particular, the report calls for employers to increase opportunities for flexible work for this age group, given that these women often have substantial caring responsibilities for their children, spouses, grandchildren and elderly parents. The report also explores women’s concerns in several areas, including:
- recruitment and promotion processes
- skill-gaps compared to younger workers
- the menopause
The research also finds that while many women are concerned about age discrimination, employers often fail to consider age as an important aspect of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The report recommends that employers should increase their monitoring of pay, progression and training by age. Additionally, the report recommends that employers would benefit from increased support and guidance in addressing age discrimination in the workplace.
Katharine Stockland, Senior Social Researcher at NIESR, said: “This report shows that women over 50 experience barriers in the workplace that are specific both to their age and gender. In order to address these challenges around pay and progression experienced by this group of women, employers must reflect on their workplace practices and consider to what extent their training, support and promotion opportunities reflect the needs of this group of women. Especially in the context of labour shortages that have been driven partly by older workers dropping out of the labour market, employers should act now”.
Fair Work Convention Co-Chair’s Mary Alexander and Patricia Findlay added: “We know the challenges faced by women at work do not simply start when a woman turns 50. The impacts of workplace policies and practices that systematically disadvantage women build cumulatively over an individual’s career. What this research demonstrates is that the intersection of age and gender is uniquely shaping women’s experiences of work in ways that are leaving older women significantly worse off both in career progression and in pay.
The Fair Work Convention calls on employers to take urgent action to support older women at work. Employers, the Scottish Government and trade unions all have a role to play in addressing this longstanding and deep-seated inequality, and it cannot just be left to individual older women to address these difficult issues on their own. Our research and response piece gives clear actions that employers and other can take today to improve fair work for older women.”
Survey reveals 1 in 5 employees can’t take time off work due to staff shortages
Survey reveals 1 in 5 employees can’t take time off work due to staff shortages
1 in 5 of the nation’s office workers are being prevented from taking time off work due to staff shortages and reduced resources meaning their requests are denied, a new survey reveals. The Annual Leave Allowances survey, from Just Eat for Business, reveals how office workers utilise annual leave allowance, how their employer promotes holiday entitlement, and how time off impacts work-life balance amidst a move towards flexible working.
Despite annual leave being key to employees taking time off work to rest and re-energise, many of the nation’s workforce are unable to do so due to staff shortages and demands. This follows a recent report that found labour shortages were the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right now, with over 1.3 million job vacancies and 900,000 fewer workers today than the Bank of England expected prior to the pandemic.
Staff shortages came out as the biggest disrupter of annual leave requests, while a further 26% of office workers can’t enjoy time off once they are granted it, as they’re contacted by employers to help cover unplanned staff absences and excessive workloads. Furthermore, the majority (60%) of employees feel their employer explicitly discourages them from taking time off work, while 1 in 10 don’t feel able to ask for mental health leave.
This lack of time off is concerning, given that the survey also found 44% of employees report feeling burnt out at work, while a third find trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance to be the most stressful aspect of work. This is despite many organisations advertising flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements on job adverts – only then to instil unhealthy working habits in staff.
For Will Foster, Professor of Leadership at Keele University, this isn’t acceptable, as he says: “It’s essential that if the ‘espoused’ values of the organisation include employee wellbeing and restorative breaks, then leaders need to allow that to happen and do more than pay lip service. Management must do the hard work of ensuring the structures, roles, responsibilities and staffing levels align so employees can take a ‘true rest’ when needed.”
For Anni Townend, Leadership Partner, organisations should at least look to encourage regular breaks during the working week even if extended annual leave isn’t manageable. She says: “Annual leave is an important part of a much bigger picture of looking after our life-work balance and of creating a positive work culture.
“Increasingly people are realising that there’s huge value in taking micro-breaks during the day as part of managing employee wellbeing, as well as longer macro-breaks like annual leave. The danger of not doing so is that we lose our ability to switch-off and to disconnect from work. This can impact our sleep patterns and our ability to concentrate, as well as cause extreme mood swings and a weakened immune system.”
Rosie Hyam, People Partner at Just Eat, also weighed in on the survey findings: “Given the emphasis on employee well being and work-life balance over the last few years, it’s essential that employers are receptive to flexible working arrangements, and that they allow employees to take time away from work when needed. And it doesn’t have to be a big break – organisations may want to carve out some time to ensure that employees can take a break and socialise with colleagues during the working week. This can be done through in-office lunches, socials or team bonding activities.”
Report shows half of women are afraid to mention menopause at work and female leaders must speak up
Report shows half of women are afraid to mention menopause at work and female leaders must speak up
Almost half (48%) of menopausal or post-menopausal women don’t feel comfortable discussing the menopause at work according to a new report from GenM, the menopause partner for brands such as Co-op, Royal Mail and M&S. GenM’s new ‘Opportunity Report’ reveals that women’s reluctance to speak on the topic at work stems from a fear of being marginalised, discriminated against, or negatively perceived, the report details. A further 1 in 3 women surveyed said they would feel embarrassed to talk about the menopause.
With recent research showing that almost a quarter of women with strong menopause symptoms women have been forced to quit jobs, unsupportive workplaces can have a real impact on those in this life stage. This tallies with findings from GenM’s existing ‘Invisibility Report’ which revealed that 88% of women wish their workplaces were better set up for menopausal colleagues while over half (52%) of menopausal women say their employer knows nothing or very little about the menopause.
“Women of menopausal age are the fastest growing workforce demographic, so it’s a worrying thought that half of them don’t feel able to speak about it in the workplace,” says Heather Jackson, co-founder of GenM. “Whilst it’s important for business leaders to educate themselves on the menopause, we also need to change the way we see menopause as a society. To normalise the conversation, we need female leaders, in and out of the workplace, to speak up.
“Men also have a part to play in breaking the stigma. In fact, our report shows a third of men (32%) have never had a single conversation about the menopause, which highlights the scale of the issue.”
GenM was co-founded by Heather Jackson and Sam Simister, two businesswomen who found the menopause a nightmare to navigate and suddenly felt invisible to brands with whom they had built loyalty over the years. Together, they created GenM with a clear aim: to unite responsible brands and organisations to improve the menopause experience, normalise the conversation, and support under-served menopausal consumers and employees.
GenM’s Partner brands are already making progress to support menopausal staff at work. The Co-op has enhanced its menopause policy with a series of new initiatives, including a menopause support guide for its 4,500 managers. Going further, the leading retailer has made the free guide publicly available to other employers in a bid to break menopause taboo in the workplace.
Additionally, WW (formally known as Weight Watchers) has implemented its ‘Menopause Matters’ drive, which includes 26 weeks of paid leave; flexible working options; provision of safe spaces and equipment such as a desk fans. The employer has also launched menopause training for mental health first aiders and managers to ensure they have the knowledge required to support menopausal colleagues.
Another example of household brands bolstering their menopause support is Royal Mail. The delivery giant recently launched its ‘Let’s Talk Menopause’ internal campaign to raise awareness, normalise the conversation, and provider greater education.
Heather adds, “It’s important to remember that the menopause can’t be dealt with purely as a workplace issue. The menopause can affect every area of life for those going through it, and it touches every area of business. For true progress, we need to see it as the sum of all parts”.
FREE EVENT – Conscious Leadership: Navigator Forum
FREE EVENT: Using Conscious Leadership to create authentic leaders within your organisations
Friday 22 July from 09:00 to 10:30 UK time
Isolation is destroying a culture of connection and productivity. The old models of leadership don’t work in our new reality. Effective authentic leadership skills are needed more now, than ever before. While conscious leadership has impacted the US, it still remains a relatively unknown form of leadership practice in the UK and Asia. Is it time for us to recognise the value of this approach to leadership?
Facilitated by Roffey Park Institute’s, George Kunnath and Ian Hatton, from Totally Morpheus, this Navigator Forum will explore conscious leadership with you in a fun and practical way. This forum explores a holistic approach to conscious leadership that encourages growing accountability through leadership that connects, inspires and engages.
Join us at our Conscious Leadership Navigator Forum where we will explore:
- The value of conscious leadership to your organisation
- Awareness of our unconscious drivers and influences
- Understanding that conscious leadership is being true to self to influence others
- Learn to celebrate the discomfort of becoming conscious
You will hear and learn from each other in a facilitated discussion forum and you will take away some insights that you can put into practice immediately.
In the fast-changing world of complexity and disruption, our people look to their leaders to create cultures that demonstrate responsibility, self-awareness, and authenticity. Is conscious leadership the approach that helps you make this transition?
This is a free of charge event for leaders, HR, L&D and OD Professionals.
Click Roffey Park to complete the registration form.
VACANCY: Training Facilitator at People’s Postcode Lottery
VACANCY: Training Facilitator at People’s Postcode Lottery
ROLE TITLE: Training Facilitator
DEPARTMENT: HR
REPORTS TO: Training Coordinator
LOCATION: Edinburgh
GRADE: F
Who are we and what do we do?
Our mission is to help raise funds for charities and good causes and increase awareness of their work. Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £900 million for 9,000 good causes since 2005. This funding is transforming lives and communities in Britain and beyond. Together Novamedia, the creator and owner of the Postcode Lottery format, and the Postcode Lotteries – in the Netherlands, Sweden, Britain, Germany, and Norway – was ranked the second largest private charity donor in the world and the biggest in Europe in 2018/19.
Be part of the People’s Postcode Lottery team
Our goal is to create a working environment and culture where everyone is able to achieve their best. We exist to create a better world. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to that mission and key to our success. We were ranked ninth in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2019. Since the beginning our core values of Fun, Courageous, Sharing and Sustainable have shaped our culture and everything we do.
Each year, we invest up to 4% of salaries into training and development opportunities that will stretch and challenge people at every stage of their career.
In addition to an exciting career, we offer a generous pension, private health insurance that rewards you for being active, life assurance, free gym membership, leisure and entertainment discounts, 36 days holiday plus your birthday off and much more.
Role Summary:
This role will be working as part of the Human Resource team. Ensuring our team has the best induction, training and development is crucial to us, and this role will play a large part of this. You will work closely with the HR team and training coordinator, to ensure projects are carried out in a creative way and completed to schedule. You will be responsible for ensuring that our culture and core values are evident in everything we do.
Key Activities:
- Work closely with stakeholders to identify learning objectives, gather accurate design requirements, and facilitate an effective development plan
- Create and manage the delivery of training and development programmes including
- eLearning
- webinar
- face to face
- Support in the delivery of mandatory training, ensuring we meet our legal requirements
- Work with our design and communication teams to actively promote courses in a creative way
- Work with the wider PPL team to deliver an engaging induction programme for all new team members
- Actively seek feedback from course participants and fellow colleagues ensuring this is incorporated in future training where appropriate
- Regularly evaluate ongoing training courses ensuring that the content is current and that the needs of the business are being met
- Gather and analyse data on training courses, including completion rates
- Stay up to date with new trends and tools in employee development
- Ensure the learning management system is kept up to date, adding new courses, participant data and noting course completions
Required Skills:
- Proven experience in similar training role including design and delivery of all forms of training
- CIPD Level 3 qualified
- Impeccable organisational and time management skills: ability to multitask and prioritise workload
- Experience of working with a learning management system
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Comfortable using own initiative, making the right decisions at the right time
- Ability to react and adapt positively to change
- Proficient with Microsoft packages
Desirable:
- Additional relevant qualifications in eLearning design, training delivery
- Experience of working with articulate 360
- Experience of using authoring tools such as Storyline, Rise, and Adapt
Personal Attributes:
- It goes without saying that we want an enthusiastic and experienced candidate
- A creative flair with the ability to create new and engaging training courses
- A passion for own growth and that of others
- A self sufficent, positive, highly motivated individual with a willingness to get stuck in
- Ability to build relationships across different departments, finding solutions that best fit the business
- An openness and willingness to seek feedback from others
Additional Information:
Whilst the core hours of the role will be 37.5 hours per week, worked Monday – Friday 9am – 5:30pm, working out with these hours will be required around event times, where necessary time will be given in lieu.
To apply for this role, please visit: People’s Postcode Lottery
OUT TODAY! – July Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
OUT TODAY! – July 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 Issue: July 2022
In the latest issue: ESG: It’s the new kid on the block!
ESG is being heralded as the future for environmental, social and governance across all work practices. But is it the way forward for more ethical people policies? Andy Moore spoke with one Scottish based resourcing business, which is actively pursuing rigorous ESG principles, and he discovers how it embodies ESG in its organisation.
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: Environment, Critical Care, Flexible Working, Employee Safety
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
