Reward | Max up Your Reward Packages
Employers in the UK are confronting stagnant wage growth and a cost‑of‑living squeeze, prompting a new hiring trend dubbed “benefits maxxing,” where candidates weigh total rewards as heavily as salary. This shift has amplified demand for sustainable, high‑value perks such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, which can deliver 28‑47% tax‑free savings on bicycles. Green Commute Initiative (GCI) positions itself as a leading, fee‑free provider, offering flexible payment terms and additional employer NIC reductions. Integrating green commuting benefits helps firms meet ESG goals while strengthening employee engagement and retention.
Talent Acquisition | Why Candidate Feedback Is Disappearing From Recruitment, and How It Can Return
Recruiters now face a flood of applications – a 286% year‑on‑year rise, with vacancies attracting 47‑280 candidates on average. This surge has led many firms to stop providing any feedback, creating a reputation risk as 70% of candidates say feedback...
‘Candidate Concierges’ | Is AI Really Changing the Role of Recruiters?
Artificial intelligence is reshaping recruitment, with 68% of professionals now using AI tools that save an average of three hours per week. However, a 43% surge in applicant volume over the past year has intensified screening pressures, prompting a shift...
'Shielded' | BBC Accused of 'Cover-Up' Over Alleged Assault on Female Colleague by Presenter
The BBC is under renewed scrutiny after a Mail on Sunday report alleges that a male presenter assaulted a female colleague in 2014, breaking her wrists. According to the article, senior BBC executives were aware of the incident but neither...
Global Benefits | Developing a Data-Driven Benefits Strategy
Generali Employee Benefits highlights the growing complexity of managing multinational employee health plans, where divergent public and private healthcare systems, shifting disease trends, geopolitical instability, and accelerating medical inflation create unique risk profiles in each market. The article argues that...
Strategy | Why British Businesses Are Stuck in Survival Mode
MHR’s 2026 survey of over 1,000 UK executives shows short‑term pressures are crowding out long‑term investment. More than half say they avoid projects without ROI within two years, and 55% believe cost‑cutting harms talent attraction. While 82% plan AI adoption,...
Case Study | DJS Research - Perks, Profit Share, and Peak District Walking Meetings
DJS Research transitioned from a family‑owned to an employee‑owned firm, granting partners equity stakes and introducing perks such as tax‑free profit‑share bonuses, extra festive leave, and “Wellness Wednesdays.” The shift is framed as a way to protect the company’s legacy...
'Clear Pathways to Grow' | Popeyes Invests in Internal Talent with New 'University' & Apprenticeship Push
Popeyes has launched Popeyes University, an internal learning platform that introduces the "Louisiana Ladder" career pathway from entry‑level roles to Operations Manager. The rollout includes the "Brass Roots" apprenticeship scheme, aiming to recruit 25 apprentices by 2026, and participation in...
Gig Economy | 7,000 Couriers Take Just Eat to Tribunal in Battle for Minimum Wage & Holiday Pay
More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers have filed an employment tribunal claim seeking classification as workers to secure the national minimum wage and holiday pay. The case, launched this week, is slated to run until early June with a judgment...
Boundaries | Working Remotely From a Cricket Ground? Employers Face a New Trust Test
Surrey County Cricket Club launched a "Work From Oval" scheme that lets fans turn the Kia Oval into a remote‑working venue while county matches unfold. Over 100 participants spent four days at the ground during the opening fixture, enjoying high‑speed Wi‑Fi,...
Shuttles | Demand for Workplace Transport Surges as Women Seek Harassment-Free Commutes
Employers are facing a surge in demand for workplace shuttle services as women seek harassment‑free commutes. The "safety‑work" burden forces many female workers to avoid unsafe routes and, in some cases, decline shifts that require travel during unsociable hours. This...
Big Interview | Head of HR, Weetabix: How 'Inclusion without Exception' Allows Our Business to Thrive
Weetabix celebrated eight years of its "Inclusion without Exception" initiative, an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy aimed at fostering belonging for every employee. Head of HR Claire Canty highlighted concrete actions such as Inclusion Champions, annual employee surveys, unconscious‑bias...
£234k Payout | Health & Safety Chief on Star Wars Show Unfairly Dismissed After Clash over Role & Authority
A health and safety manager on the Star Wars series *The Acolyte* was awarded more than £234,000 (about $298,000) after an employment tribunal ruled her dismissal unlawful. Miss Sadi Khan MBE, who started as a Production Safety Co‑Ordinator in June 2022...
Employment Rights | A Defining Moment for HR in the UK
The UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025, hailed as the most sweeping employment‑law reform in a generation, takes effect in 2026, reshaping statutory sick pay, harassment safeguards and employee rights from day one. HR departments now face heightened compliance obligations, requiring...
Podcast | People Director, Stiltz: How We Help Our Managers Drive Better Team Performance
Stiltz Homelifts’ Group People Director Tara Lochery says performance management must be a continuous process, not a once‑year event. She argues that managers need real‑time tools and training to address both strong and weak performance moments. Stiltz has built tailored...
Wilson Learning | Aligning Learning with What Actually Drives Results
Wilson Learning argues that high‑impact learning and development (L&D) must start with a performance problem, not a content request. By aligning learning initiatives with commercial priorities and key metrics, L&D earns credibility and shifts focus from course completion to business...
'We All Benefit' | Serco, Virgin, McDonald's: Why CPOs Are 'Opening Doors' With Social Mobility Schemes
Serco has launched "Believe in People," a social mobility program aimed at individuals facing structural employment barriers such as prison leavers, military veterans, and care leavers. The initiative pledges to deliver more than one million hours of skills development by...
Neurodiversity | DWP Rolls Out Autism Training to 4,000 Staff Amid Push for More Inclusive Assessments
More than 4,000 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) healthcare professionals have completed a new training programme designed to improve support for autistic people and those with learning disabilities navigating the benefits system. Launched during Autism Awareness Month and named...
'Put up & Shut Up' | Bullying Claims at Welsh University Spark Calls for Independent Review
The University of South Wales (USW) faces accusations of a toxic workplace culture and bullying that former staff say have driven high sickness absence rates. An investigation by Newyddion S4C collected testimony from more than a dozen ex‑employees, prompting calls...
Legal | Three Weeks on From the April Employment Law Changes: The Gap Most UK SMEs Still Haven't Closed
Three weeks after the sweeping April 2026 UK employment law reforms, most small‑and‑medium enterprises (SMEs) are still struggling with the new statutory duty to retain six years of holiday‑record data. While many changes required simple policy tweaks, fragmented holiday records—spread...
HR Habitat | How Worcester Wildlife Trust Moved From Spreadsheets to Smart HR Tech
Worcester Wildlife Trust, a UK charity, upgraded from Excel‑based HR processes to a dedicated HR platform after its staff grew from 15 to 45. The change was driven by operational complexity and the need for a single source of truth...
'Self-Preference' | The New Recruitment Bias: How AI Hiring Tools May Favour AI-Written CVs
The piece highlights a new recruitment bias: AI‑driven hiring platforms may favor resumes written with large language models. While employers have long feared candidates using tools like ChatGPT, firms are now embedding the same AI into screening and ranking processes....
'Hard Choices' | UK's Skills System Is Failing Businesses & Young People, CBI Chair Warns
UK’s skills system is under fire after CBI chair Cressida Hogg warned it is failing both businesses and young people. Nine out of ten firms report critical skill gaps while nearly one million youths remain NEET, with rising Universal Credit...
The 3% Club | Why HR Leaders Almost Never Make It to CEO
A new Future CEO report finds that just 3% of current CEOs rose from HR roles, matching technology as the lowest‑represented function. By contrast, operations (35%), commercial and sales (32%), and finance (19%) dominate the pipeline. The study also shows...
'Criminal Behaviour' | Pride Event Organisers Face Civil Claims Risk over CEO Scandal, Lawyer Warns
Pride in London’s former chief executive, Christopher Joell‑Deshields, was dismissed and is awaiting sentencing after admitting two counts of contempt of court for failing to return company property. A BBC investigation revealed that senior leaders ignored bullying and misconduct complaints...
HR Technology | Buying HR Software 'Better': Your Guide to Getting What You Actually Want
HR leaders at 365 Finance realized their outsourced payroll was error‑prone and turned to an in‑house HR platform. Gartner’s 2024 research shows 83% of HR tech buyers later regret their purchase, while Capterra data reveal widespread frustration with recent implementations....
'Make a Difference' | Employers Urged to Step up Support for Staff Facing Domestic Abuse
Five years after the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, UK employers are being urged to play a larger role in identifying and supporting staff experiencing domestic abuse. Currently, there is no statutory obligation for businesses to provide such assistance. The Employers'...
HR on the Board | CEO-CPO Relations - Why HR Leaders Have to Work Harder to Be Heard in the...
New Russell Reynolds data shows a surge in chief people officer turnover in 2025, with 155 global CHRO appointments—a 25% rise year‑over‑year. First‑time CHROs dominate hiring, making up 60% of all appointments and 63% of S&P 500 moves, largely sourced from internal...
Wilson Learning | When Training Isn't Enough: The Case for Learning Transfer in Global Leadership
Global firms are pouring resources into leadership and communication training to manage cultural complexity, yet many programmes fail to deliver measurable business impact. Wilson Learning’s research shows that when structured learning transfer is added, participants use new skills over 100%...
Work-Life | The Great Employer Divide: Why Some Employers Are Pulling Ahead - While Others Fall Behind
The Great Employer Divide highlights how identical work‑life pressures produce starkly different outcomes across companies. Employers that embed resilience into work design keep employees focused, engaged, and loyal, while those that rely only on flexible policies push stress onto staff,...
Expectations vs Reality | HR Leaders Warned Against AI Overreliance Amid Mass Job Loss Fears
The Guardian cites EY Item Club and Deloitte forecasts that up to 250,000 UK jobs could be lost as the economy teeters toward recession, driven by rising energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty. Business confidence is sliding, prompting HR leaders to...
'Leading the Way’ | HSBC to Run British Sign Language Training for Entire UK Workforce
HSBC UK will roll out an accredited British Sign Language (BSL) e‑learning course to its entire UK workforce, covering more than 23,000 employees. The program builds on a pilot that saw 4,000 staff complete the training. HSBC claims to be...
Jobs Warning | Ex-PM Rishi Sunak Warns AI Is 'Flattening' Entry-Level Jobs Market for Young Workers
Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak warned that artificial intelligence is flattening the entry‑level jobs market for young workers. He told the BBC that graduates’ fears of AI replacing early‑career roles are justified, as business leaders report scaling back recruitment....
'Fell Between the Cracks' | Police Force Breached Equality Act over ADHD Support and Noise-Cancelling Headphones Request, Tribunal Finds
An employment tribunal found that Avon and Somerset Constabulary failed to make reasonable adjustments for a Victim and Witness Care Officer diagnosed with ADHD, violating the Equality Act. The employee, Donna Vale, requested noise‑cancelling headphones, a request that was ignored,...
Case Study | Meet the HR Apprentices Getting Work Ready with On-the-Job Training
The UK government has pledged £725 million (about $928 million) for a sweeping apprenticeship overhaul aimed at closing skills gaps and boosting youth employment. The package targets up to 50,000 additional high‑quality training spots, reinforcing the "getting Britain working" agenda. Early adopters...
'They Have a Duty' | More than 6 Million UK Managers Don't Have Mental Health Training
New research by RRC International shows that 6.1 million UK employees with line‑management duties lack mental‑health training. While one in four workers hold managerial accountability, a striking 71% have received no formal preparation for mental‑health conversations. The study, which draws on...
'Unacceptable' | HR Failings Criticised After Council Worker Exposed Himself to Colleagues
A Bridgend County Borough Council employee exposed himself to two female colleagues outside one of their homes, prompting a sexual harassment claim. The women filed an employment tribunal case alleging sexual harassment, sex‑related harassment, and direct sex discrimination. The tribunal...
‘Serious Risk’ | Wipers On! Why Employers Must Improve Visibility over Future Skills Needs
The article uses a driving‑visibility metaphor to warn employers that opaque talent pipelines threaten future performance. It argues that organizations must gain real‑time insight into emerging skill demands, rather than reacting after gaps appear. By adopting data‑driven workforce analytics and...
'Not Part of the Job' | 8 in 10 Workers Have Experienced Abuse at Work in Past Year, some by...
A recent HR Grapevine survey of 5,004 employees found that eight in ten workers have experienced some form of abuse at work over the past year. Physical assault was reported by 19.4% of respondents, while 9.9% said they faced sexual...
'More than Policy' | The Very Group Gains Menopause Friendly Accreditation
The Very Group, operator of digital retailers Very and Littlewoods, has earned the Henpicked Menopause in the Workplace accreditation, recognizing it as a menopause‑friendly employer. An independent panel praised the company’s policies, culture, training and awareness initiatives. The Group introduced...
Column | How HR Can Handle Redundancies 'Humanely'
HR departments are confronting the fastest wave of redundancies in five years, forcing managers to balance strict legal compliance with human empathy. Experts argue that a purely checklist‑driven process can feel dehumanising, while overly compassionate approaches risk procedural complications. Thought...
ONS Latest | Unemployment Falls Unexpectedly but Wage Growth Slows in Fragile Labour Market
The UK Office for National Statistics reported unemployment fell to 4.9% in February, marking the first decline after months of rise. At the same time, regular pay growth slowed to 3.6% year‑on‑year and total pay to 3.8%, the weakest pace...
Keep Britain Working | TfL Joins Government Review to Tackle Sickness Absence
Transport for London (TfL) has joined the government‑backed Keep Britain Working Review to address its high sickness absence rates. A 2025 report shows a 6.3% overall sickness rate, equating to roughly 418,885 lost workdays, with long‑term illness responsible for the...
360% | Payroll 'Pressure' Prompts Surge in HMRC Tip-Offs About Underpaying Bosses
Employees are increasingly reporting employers for failing to meet the UK minimum wage, with 7,622 tip‑offs recorded last year. That figure represents a 360% jump from the 1,656 reports filed in 2020‑21. HMRC responded by opening 1,137 investigations, up from...
Big Interview | People Director, UK and Ireland Gi Group - 'I Didn't Know What HR Was'
Cindy Gunn, People Director for Gi Group UK and Ireland, recounts a serendipitous start in a café that led her into HR, eventually earning a CIPD qualification while working full‑time. She progressed from admin roles in the late‑1990s to senior...
Podcast | CPO, Emagine: Diversity Beyond Targets & Building C-Suite Calibration
Elizabeth Wallace, Chief People and Transformation Officer at emagine, argues that diversity targets alone are insufficient without embedding them into an organization’s infrastructure. She emphasizes that solid hiring processes and governed internal workflows are essential for lasting change. Wallace also...
To the Polls | What Are Your Employees' Rights to Time Off During the Local Elections?
The United Kingdom’s local elections are scheduled for Thursday, May 7, falling on a regular workday. While turnout historically lags behind general elections, the vote still determines crucial community services and budgets. Employees who need to cast a ballot or arrange...
'Future Skills' | Why E.ON Was First in Line for the Government's New AI Apprenticeship Scheme
E.ON UK has become one of the first companies to enroll in the UK government’s AI and Automation practitioner apprenticeship, launched by Skills England in March 2026. The scheme aims to certify 10 million workers in AI by 2030, helping firms...
Big Interview | 'I've Put HR on the Map': Peter Cheese Reflects on 14 Years Leading the CIPD
Peter Cheese is stepping down as chief executive of the CIPD after a 14‑year tenure that far exceeded his original five‑to‑seven‑year plan. During his time he modernized the CIPD’s Profession Map, expanded content output and championed a more strategic, outward‑looking...
'You'll Lose Your Job' | 'Watch Yourself' - NHS Staff Warned over Criticism of Palantir Data Platform
NHS staff have been warned that publicly criticizing Palantir’s Federated Data Platform could cost them their jobs. A senior NHS England official reportedly told an analytics employee, “If you criticise the FDP one more time, you are going to lose...