With inflation at a 40-year high and household bills continuing to rise, many employees are worried about their finances and are looking to their employers for support. A recent poll conducted by the CIPD found financial insecurity is having a knock-on effect on performance at work. More than a quarter of respondents said money problems were affecting their job performance and a fifth found money worries affected their sleep. When you combine the lasting impact of the pandemic, a turbulent economy and rising costs for…
Eastenders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, made history in 2021 as the first deaf contestant to take part in the celebrity dance competition Strictly Come Dancing. Alongside her professional dance partner, Giovanni Pernice, she was crowned the winner, despite only being able to hear parts of the music and keeping time by counting beats. So, what can employers learn from Rose Ayling-Ellis’s Strictly Come Dancing win? The Strictly win demonstrates there may be a huge pool of untapped talent which businesses shouldn’t ignore. Particularly in view of…
Supporting your trans and nonbinary employees, in conversation with Cayce Marshall, Head of Pricing at Zellis. Watch the video below for the highlights and read on for the full interview. If you're not sure what all of the terms mean in this interview, feel free to read our article on the definitions used in LGBTQIA+ community first, and come back. How can employers give a warm welcome to trans employees in their business? When you’re thinking about how to make trans and nonbinary people feel…
The first gay pride march took place in London on 1st July 1972 and has been an annual celebration of LGBTQIA+ rights ever since (except during the pandemic of course). During this time we ask, how far have the civil rights of gay people come in the last 50 years? It’s time to come together. Recent UK history is full of incremental advances in the rights for LGBTQIA+ people, which the community campaigns for during Pride celebrations. Here are a few key events that have…
The judge found that Sainsburys did not appear to consider the possible or, in the tribunal’s view, ‘obvious’ impact of Mr Kelly’s brain injury on his behaviour. Mr Kelly began his employment with Sainsburys in March 2002 and was involved in a serious road traffic accident in May 2004. Between his return and the incident which led to Mr Kelly’s dismissal, there were other examples of behaviour where he was said to have insulted female colleagues. One such incident led to a formal disciplinary process,…
We all know there's still a stigma around mental health in the workplace. For many, it’s a taboo subject that we don't talk about, with the expectation that it won't impact upon our job if we keep quiet. But it's very obvious this approach doesn’t help anyone - neither the employee who has the issue, nor the company they work for. With a staggering 70 million work days lost each year due to mental health problems in the UK, costing employers approximately £2.4 billion per…
During what is being dubbed as ‘The Great Resignation’, many employers are having to recruit new members staff. But how sure are you that what you’re doing is legally compliant? We've listed these twelve common questions that employers often ask us when looking to take on on new employees. 1. Can I ask candidates to complete a medical questionnaire when applying for a vacancy, or question them about their health at an interview? Only when you make an offer of employment is it safe to…
An employee from Kentucky was dismissed after suffering panic attacks at work due to a surprise birthday party against his wishes. As a result, he was awarded a £345,314 pay out. This case prompts us to question - is throwing birthday parties at work still a good idea? The case The employee, who suffers from anxiety disorders due to childhood trauma, had asked his manager not to throw any parties for him due to his disability. However, the manager went ahead against the employee's wishes,…
Managing gossip, bullying, and difficult employees in the workplace can be a time consuming and all too common action for employers. If the issue isn’t handled quickly, it can impact team morale, performance and potentially lead to a legal complaint. There have been many conversations recently about workplace harassment, discrimination, sexism and wider diversity and inclusion problems which have highlighted just how many people experience a toxic work culture. And with more employees now returning to the office after a period of working remotely, these…
If you’re not part of the LGBTQIA+ community and want to learn more, whether for yourself or to be a better employer, it can be difficult to know where to begin. In a recent survey with our colleagues, 41% said they are currently trying to educate themselves about LGBTQ+ issues and 19% said they haven’t started yet but intend to soon. So, where to begin? Well, a great place to start is to learn what the LGBTQIA+ community consists of and what are the correct…
