First up is news from Personnel Today that pay awards for
2019 are moving in a 'very positive direction'
,
with the median pay award in January reaching 2.8% (compared to an 2018 average
of 2.5% in the private sector and 2% in the public sector). Set alongside the
government’s easing of austerity measures and record levels of employment, this
may raise expectations in other organisations about what is a reasonable or
competitive pay increase.
Sticking with pay, and news that disclosing the Gender Pay Gap has a positive impact on reducing it. This may not be particularly shocking news given the mantra ‘what gets measured gets done’ but it is the first empirical study of its kind on this topic. Findings included the news that disclosure of gender pay gaps led to an increase in the numbers of women being hired and promoted and lowered overall organisational wage bills. An interesting aside is that Denmark requires companies with more than 35 employees to disclose their pay gap. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the UK’s legislative requirement lowered at some point from the current 250 employees. Perhaps a good time for smaller businesses to start planning…
Moving on to the snowy and exclusive mountains of Davos , and Prince William has joined forces with Jacinda Arden to call an end to the stigma that surrounds mental health issues. Talking to global leaders at the World Economic Forum, the Prince and New Zealand’s Prime Minister said that it was time to end the ‘stiff upper lip’ approach. Organisations of all sizes need to be comfortable with supporting the mental health of their staff as the recognition of the seriousness and impact of mental health issues gains greater and greater traction.
Sticking with health and the excellent news that George Alagiah has returned to present the News at Six following treatment for Bowel Cancer, which returned in 2017. He stated that it was ‘so good to be back in a newsroom’ but that he was ‘still a cancer patient so will take a while to find a work schedule that fits with ongoing treatment’. As well as being great news, this shows the importance of employers being flexible and supportive with staff returning to work from long-term illness.
To finish on a different note, I’ve been seeing more and more about the importance of the circular economy. If, like me, you’re a bit unsure of what that actually is you can find more info from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation here. Essentially, it is an economic model that designs out waste and pollution, keeps materials and products in use and regenerates natural systems. This can be done by sharing, recycling, reusing, maintaining or refurbishing products. Companies operating in this way stand at just 9% of the global economy at the moment, but it’s on the rise. With the growth of more sustainable and purposeful business- and a growing social conscience, particularly in the younger generations- it is worth companies having a plan for how they can be more ‘circular’.
If you, or your company, need support with the gender pay gap, reward and recognition or support for mental and physical health please get in touch at info@sightscreenhr.co.uk