Archive
Category: Messages
Well-being watch – new fathers
Impact – 56% of parents report inadequate paternity leave as negatively impacting their mental and physical well-being. 20% of fathers also feel that taking parental leave risks a possible career setback, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Benefits – a more progressive approach to paternity is a factor for 60% of fathers when finding a new role. It helps employees feel an improved connection and appreciation for you as their employer. It boosts retention. It helps negate the financial instability that statutory minimum payments can cause. It goes some way to breaking traditional gender divisions in child care responsibilities. It improves personal relationships, bonding with their child, and building long-term connection – the list could go on!
Flexibility – if you’re not yet in a position to offer an enhanced paternity package, can you have more open and proactive conversations to embrace creative flexible working arrangements to allow fathers to be more present at home?
See how you compare – this ‘league table’ has taken Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2022 and listed them based purely on their paternity leave policies. How do you compare?
This update is accurate on the date it was sent (21 February 2023), but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
Well-being watch – government rejects menopause proposals
What has the government rejected?
Protected characteristic – the government have refused to make menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 (EA). There’s been growing case law to show that it’s possible for menopausal symptoms to amount to a disability for the purposes of the EA providing a level of protection from potential discrimination.
Menopause leave and model policies – said to be ‘unnecessary’. Instead the government wants to focus on sharing best practice to support individuals and encourage flexible working arrangements to help manage symptoms.
Do we need legislation?
One in 10 women are likely to leave their job because of menopause symptoms. Need a few ideas to avoid becoming another statistic?
Policy – proactively build an open culture of understanding to support those affected. A great policy is just the beginning – it’s all about how you put it into practice. You’ll find ours on Intelligent Employment.
Training – 77% of businesses don’t train their managers about menopause. Creating understanding around menopause isn’t just for those who may be affected. Training colleagues will help normalise discussion and enable everyone to approach conversations with confidence.
Proactive steps – create menopause champions within the workplace, ensure any uniform is lightweight and breathable, provide portable desktop fans, cover the cost of NHS HRT prescriptions, be open to flexible working patterns and home-working to help manage symptoms…we could go on!
This update is accurate on the date it was sent (15 February 2023), but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
Well-being watch – mental health first aid bill
Aim – the Bill aims to create parity between MHFA and physical first aid. Current legal obligations for employers don’t cover mental health support at work and refer only to the provision of physical first aid. The Bill aims to help better spot the early signs of mental health challenges at work.
Why – mental health issues accounted for 51% of work-related illnesses last year. Having one (or multiple) trained Mental Health First Aiders means that you have specific individuals with the knowledge to ensure employees are directed to the right support when they need it. Looking at the bigger picture, ensuring every employee (or at least every manager) receives even basic level training and information about mental health issues should form part of any comprehensive well-being strategy.
This update is accurate on the date it was sent (14 February 2023), but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
Legal lightbulb – people law, policy and practice
New statutory rates for 2023/24
Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and parental bereavement leave
| For 2023/24 (per week) | Previously (per week) |
|---|---|
| £172.48 | £156.66 |
Statutory sick pay
| For 2023/24 (per week) | Previously (per week) |
|---|---|
| £109.40 | £99.35 |
Minimum wage and national living wage
| Age bracket | For 2023/24 (per hour) | Previously (per hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 23+ | £10.42 | £9.50 |
| 21-22 | £10.18 | £9.18 |
| 18-20 | £7.49 | £6.83 |
| 16-17 | £5.28 | £4.81 |
| Apprentices | £5.28 | £4.81 |
Government consultation on holiday entitlement for part-year workers
The government have launched a consultation to address the issues arising from last year’s Supreme Court decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel. The decision meant that a part-year worker will be entitled to a larger holiday entitlement than their other part-time counterparts who work the same total number of hours across the year. The consultation proposes to address this by ensuring that holiday pay and entitlements are proportionate to the time spent working.
The consultation closes on 09 March 2023. Have your say here.
Key dates for your diary
06-12 March | No More Week 2023 – raising awareness of domestic abuse and sexual violence
18 March | Global Recycling 2023 – seeing opportunity, not waste
18 March | Red Nose Day 2023 – fundraising to support people in the UK and around the world
20 March | International Day of Happiness 2023 – when well-being matters more than ever
This update is accurate on the date it was sent (02 February 2023), but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
Spotlight still on financial well-being
Google searches for ‘cost of living’ have increased by 4,555%. Rising bills don’t seem to be disappearing fast so employees’ financial well-being remains a high priority as we move into 2023. Below is a few things you might want to think about…
Office migration – a return to the office could be a cost-saving necessity for some employees. There’s no one-size-fits-all so a flexible approach allows agility and avoids employees potentially being left out in the cold. Here’s some more to think about.
Employee loans – something we’re dealing with more and more, and a complex question. If it’s something you’re willing to facilitate, consistency is key and introducing a policy will support implementation. We’ve covered the topic in more detail here and we’ve added a ‘loans policy’ to Intelligent Employment – find out more.
External support – there’s lots of great tools and support out there to help employees through challenging times. Whether that’s ‘bill priortiser’ tools, independent free debt advice, or general financial well-being tips – knowing where to signpost employees is key! We’ve covered lots of great initiatives in our ’10 minutes with’ The Money and Pensions Service – you can watch here.
Financial well-being policy – ensuring you have a financial well-being policy in place will help you create an environment where employees are able to share their concerns and understand the support available to them. Your policy can outline where employees can access support as well as company benefits schemes that may help reduce their outgoings (and more). You’ll find ours on Intelligent Employment.