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Working parents bankroll average £1.5K in case their children are sick or injured
Working parents bankroll average £1.5K in case their children are sick or injured
With half (50%) of working parents needing to take time off work or out of their business due to their child(ren) having had an accident, rising to 77% to cover sudden illness – new research from protection and employee benefits provider, MetLife Uk highlights how vital it is for working parents to have a financial safety net in place for childcare emergencies.
One in six (16%) of those with injured children had to take unpaid leave, increasing to one in four (23%) for those with poorly children. Both of which directly impacts their take-home pay and ability to earn for potentially long periods of time. Almost half (48%) are making positive preventative steps to help during these stressful periods by having a savings pot set aside in case they need to take unpaid time off work or away from their business.
On average, working parents have £1,540 set aside, rising to £1,787 among the self-employed and £1,734 for those on zero-hour contracts. In the last twelve months, 40% of working parents have taken a week off work to care for themselves or their child(ren) due to an accident or illness. 13% have taken 2-3 weeks and 7% have had to take off a full month.
However, with the cost-of-living pressure increasingly making it tougher for households to squirrel away pots of money for everyday emergencies, there is now another way to enhance a family’s financial security for the future if their child(ren) was unwell or recovering from an accident.
MetLife’s ChildShield product, which is the first of its kind to cover children outside of an adult policy, aims to support working parents from experiencing income gaps or job concerns should their child(ren) have an accident or become seriously ill. From just £6 per month, policies pay out cash when working parents need to take time off work to care for their child(ren), covering families in a way that isn’t a burden on their monthly income.
Rich Horner, Head of Individual Protection at MetLife UK commented: “While some households may be able to bankroll an “emergency pot” to lean on in case of a family accident or emergency – that’s not universal. Working parents are already under immense financial strain, so for those with little option but to take unpaid or reduced pay time off work to care for their child when they’re poorly or have had an accident, there can be an immediate and acute financial burden if proper support isn’t in place. And even those who may have the average pot of around £1500, this is unlikely to last very long should the child need extended care. ChildShield offers simple and effective financial protection for parents across the UK, so they can concentrate on their family’s needs without added financial stress – and it also means that those who have worked hard to amass some savings get to keep them for the things they’d rather spend them on such as holidays or treats for the family.”
OUT TODAY – January 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine featuring the WINNERS from Awards 2024
OUT TODAY – January 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine featuring ALL the WINNERS in the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024
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 January 2025
LEARN. SKILLS. ENGAGE. TALENT.
The perfect blend for a thriving workforce in 2025
Empowering growth through learning, skills, engagement and talent will be the perfect blend for a thriving workforce in 2025. According to prolific American author, Robert Greene, “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways”. Andy Moore explores these key topics in more detail….
Also in the latest issue:
- Showcasing ALL the winners from the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024
- The regular sections of the magazine include: News, STATS and EXTRA
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: AI’s impact on HR, Emotional Intelligent Leadership, Leading Effective Teams, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Companies that reduce the flexibility for their employees are seeing an exodus of their people
Companies that reduce the flexibility for their employees are seeing an exodus of their people
Recruiters have reported a talent exodus from companies now offering their employees less flexibility in where they work. Research among more than 500 in-house and agency recruiters revealed a surge in applications from employees at companies requiring their teams to be in a city centre office five days a week. Two thirds (67%) had seen an increase in candidates looking for new positions following mandates from current employers that require them to spend more time at a central office.
The study, undertaken by International Workplace Group, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, follows announcements from a number of companies in recent weeks, while others are doubling down on offering more flexible hybrid policies to cement their positions as attractive employers.
The research demonstrates the growing importance of hybrid working to businesses that want to attract and retain the best talent. Three quarters (75%) of recruiters said they have had candidates reject job opportunities that don’t offer flexible working, while 72% said firms, which don’t offer hybrid working are becoming less competitive in the job market.
Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder of International Workplace Group, said: “Flexibility is no longer a nice to have for employees. Many will not consider new roles that require long daily commutes, they want access to workspaces closer to where they live in an environment that allows them to remain motivated and productive.”
One in two young people have missed work in the last year because of stress
One in two young people have missed work in the last year because of stress
Ipsos has released the fifth edition of the Ipsos World Mental Health Day report, a 31-country study looking at people’s perceptions to mental health and how they think their healthcare system treats mental wellbeing.
Key UK findings include:
- Six in ten (60%) Britons say they often think about their mental health.
- Over half (59%) of Britons say that they have felt stressed to the point where it had an impact on their daily life.
- 54% say that physical health is treated as more important than mental health by the healthcare system in the UK. This is 13pp higher than the global average.
- Nearly eight in ten (79%) Britons believe that mental and physical health are equally important.
- 36% of Britons say that they felt stressed once or several times to the point where they could not go to work for a period of time. Great Britain ranks 8th out of the 31 countries surveyed for this.
- Over half (56%) of Gen Z women have needed to take time off work due to stress, versus 29% of Gen Z men.
Key global findings include:
- Younger generations missing work due to stress. One in two of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (47%) say they have felt stressed to the point that they could not go to work during the past year.
- Gen Z women struggling more than their male peers. 40% say in the last year there have been several times where they have felt depressed to the point that they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for a couple of weeks or more. 29% of Gen Z men say the same.
- Moreover, most people say stress has affected their daily life. Almost two-thirds (62%) on average across 31 countries, say they have felt stressed to the point where it had an impact on their daily life at least once. Levels of reported stress range from a high of 76% in Türkiye to a low of 44% in Japan. Overall, a slightly higher proportion of women (66%) say they have felt stressed than men (58%). In our Health Service Report mental health is seen as the biggest health issue.
- Health of mind and body seen as equal. Just over three in four (76%, global country average) say mental and physical health are equally important, with a majority in all 31 countries saying this is the case. While mind and body are seen as equal people are more likely to say they often think about their physical (72%) than their mental wellbeing (60%).
- Healthcare systems prioritise physical issues. The public believe the emphasis by healthcare professionals is often still on the body. On average across the 31 countries, 41% say physical health is treated as more important than mental health by their country’s current healthcare system, 13% say mental health is treated as more important and 31% say both are treated equally.
Women call for more support as Menopause still a taboo topic at work
Women call for more support as Menopause still a taboo topic at work
Women globally are calling for more menopause support in the workplace and they are willing to take their talent elsewhere without it. A new survey from Catalyst, a global non-profit promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion, reveals that the menopause remains a taboo subject in many UK workplaces and over eight in ten employees (84%) are calling for more menopause support (85% globally).
The survey of 2,892 full-time employees who are either currently in menopause or recently finished experiencing it across eight countries — including 650 respondents in the UK — finds that more than one in three UK employees (39%) say there’s a stigma surrounding the topic at work (36% globally), forcing over three-quarters (77%) to hide their symptoms (72% globally).
The issue is so severe that nearly one in four UK employees (18%) have left a job due to lack of support (12% globally), with 16% planning to quit for the same reason (13% globally). Meanwhile, 13% have already turned down job offers at companies without menopause support (12% globally).
Nearly all UK respondents (98%) report experiencing moderate to severe menopause symptoms (97% globally), such as sleep disruption, physical exhaustion and hot flushes; with 40% saying their symptoms negatively affect their work performance (37% globally) – a situation worsened in companies where stigma is high.
“Women globally are calling for more menopause support in the workplace,” said Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst. “Menopause is one of the most common issues impacting women across the entire pipeline, from the front line to the C-suite. Employers should seize this opportunity to break the stigma and silence by providing menopause support in the workplace. To create truly inclusive work cultures, Organisations must meet employees where they are—with meaningful resources, conversations, and support.”
Lucy Kallin, Executive Director EMEA at Catalyst, said: “UK women are telling us that menopause is negatively impacting their work but too many are quietly struggling through it, not feeling able to speak up. Imagine being in a busy hospital or kitchen, feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable, yet finding it almost impossible to talk about what you’re going through. And for those working shifts, the irregular hours can make symptoms like sleep disruption and insomnia even harder to cope with. For office-based women, it’s no easier. Air-conditioned offices can feel freezing one minute, then a hot flush strikes, and suddenly you’re sitting there in discomfort, but don’t feel you can bring it up.”
RECOGNISING, ACKNOWLEDGING AND REWARDING the STARS of the Scottish HR industry
RECOGNISING, ACKNOWLEDGING AND REWARDING the STARS of the Scottish HR industry at the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024
The winners of this year’s hugely exciting and much anticipated Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024 were announced at the ‘star-studded’ annual Gala Dinner, held at the impressive Hilton in Glasgow, on Thursday 14th November.
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 18 different categories including: MINTRA (Leading with Kindness Award) Gleneagles (HR Team of the Year) and Robertson Group’s executive people director, Tony Elliot who won the Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR award.
The 17th annual gathering, which is the flagship event for HR professionals across Scotland, was hosted again by radio broadcaster and Scott Wilson.
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 2024 are:
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Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year – WINNER: Three UK
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HR Graduate of the Year, sponsored by Chrystal HR & Coaching – WINNER: Khushboo Parikh, Strathclyde Business School
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Employee Engagement Award of the Year, sponsored by Multrees Investor Services – WINNER: Aegon UK
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HR Assistant/Officer of the Year, sponsored by Skyscanner – WINNER: Erin McEwen, Turning Point Scotland
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ESG Award of the Year, sponsored by Suntory Global Spirits –WINNER: SSE
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HR Project of the Year, sponsored by CIPD – WINNER: Aegon UK
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HR Manager/Advisor of the Year, sponsored by AAB People –WINNER: Rebecca Lamb, Edinburgh Napier University
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Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year, sponsored by International Beverage – WINNER: Hanover Housing Association
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Organisational Development Award of the Year – WINNER: Skyscanner
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HR Specialist of the Year – WINNER: Jonathan Pender, NHS Lanarkshire
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Learning & Development Award of the Year – WINNER: Multrees Investor Services
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Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year – WINNER: Tata Consultancy Services
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Best Employer/Workplace of the Year, sponsored by Jobtrain – WINNER: MDDUS
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HR Business Partner of the Year, sponsored by Right Management –WINNER: Claire Jenkins, Highland Spring Group
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HR Team of the Year, sponsored by Robertson Group – WINNER: Gleneagles
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Leading with Kindness Award of the Year, sponsored by Leading Kind – WINNER: Mintra
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HR Director of the Year sponsored by LHH – WINNER: Emma Simpson, Gleneagles
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Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR – WINNER: Tony Elliott, Robertson Group