On the eve of the second anniversary of the UK going into a pandemic-induced lockdown, new research from Business Travel Show Europe has revealed that Covid is continuing to play havoc with business travel planning, but budgets are healthier than those predicted six months ago. The poll – answered by 139 travel buyers from around […]

Workers looking for the lowest virus transmission risk day of the week to go into the workplace should go in on a Wednesday according to findings from an Air Quality Index launched by smart building platform Infogrid. The findings show that only a quarter of working days in 2022 have had a ‘low’ virus transmission risk, […]

New research suggests that many British employers won’t require staff who test positive for Covid-19 to self-isolate at home once any remaining legal restrictions are lifted. A poll of 250 business owners, CEOs and senior managers, by HR software provider CIPHR, found that less than half (48%) are planning to keep staff with Covid at […]

Withholding contractual sick pay for unvaccinated staff has significant risks that employers should consider before enforcing the policy. That’s according to employee relations experts, AdviserPlus, after several employers including Ikea and Morrisons cut sick pay for unvaccinated employees after a rise in staff absences over the winter period. Analysis by the Trades Union Congress found that […]

With the Omicron variant appearing to have peaked in the UK according to the ONS, research from Infogrid has revealed that nearly a third of working Brits (32%) want to return to their offices in January because they feel it would improve their mental health, which has been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top […]

Companies including IKEA and Wessex Water are reportedly cutting sick pay for unvaccinated employees who are self-isolating; instead of receiving full pay, they will now only be eligible for SSP. Under current Government guidance, people in England who have received at least 2 doses of the Covid vaccine are not required to self-isolate, however, unvaccinated […]

By Latus Health… The younger, more contagious sister of coronavirus, Omicron has again left employers at its whim.  With the endless vacuum of booster vaccines, potential lockdowns, and Covid-19 regulations, employers are allowed to feel as though this is just a license to skive approved by No.10. The latest change sees employees staying at home sick […]

Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) has welcomed the recognition from government that there is and will continue to be a serious impact on companies beyond retail, leisure and hospitality stating that there will be a £100 million boost to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund for local authorities in England. However, continued speculation surrounding Government restrictions […]

New research from the mia (Meetings Industry Association) has revealed the extent of event cancellations and postponements as a result of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. In its latest survey of 222 organisations serving the events industry, including venues, hotels, suppliers and event agents, the association estimates that UK venues have already lost over £117m of […]

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has highlighted concern in response to the recent announcement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Kerrin MacPhie, Chief Executive of the mia, said: “While today’s announcement of a £1bn fund for hospitality is a welcome start to recognising the current state of affairs, we cannot afford to look at this at face value. With cash […]

Story Events, organiser of the annual London Summer Event Show, has announced that, in light of the latest restrictions and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, it will postpone the event for two months. Originally scheduled for mid-January, the London Summer Event Show will now take place on March 15th & 16th. […]

By Caine Bird, Technical HR Writer at IRIS HR Navigating the global pandemic has been, for what feels like every business, a challenge without an obvious resolution. With headlines discussing the Omicron variant, and its potential impact on the UK, many office managers and HR professionals are revisiting once again how they plan to operate in […]

As the emergence of another COVID-19 variant means employers head in to 2022 with yet more uncertainty, GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector, offers three employee benefit related New Year’s resolutions that make good business sense during the unpredictability of a pandemic: Think the unthinkable The pandemic has fundamentally changed the old ‘it […]

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has reacted to the Prime Minister’s Plan B announcement. Kerrin MacPhie, Chief Executive of the mia, said: “Based on the latest scientific data we understand that the Plan B restrictions will need to be put in place, to help reduce the transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. “However, this […]

As the new Covid-19 variant, omicron, threatens to spread across the globe, research from Infogrid indiates that people who have not had their Covid-19 vaccination have become a major barrier to employees wanting to return to the physical office. Over half (57%) of UK employees who attend or expect to return to the physical workplace said […]

A new study into the concerns business leaders in the UK currently hold in relation to a post-pandemic world, has highlighted that a staggering 73% of businesses don’t believe they have the skills needed to succeed. The research has shown that communication skills are where the gaps lie with 50% of business professionals picking up […]

New research from Direct Line Life Insurance reveals that 7.7 million workers (27%) would continue to travel into the office even if they have either a high temperature or a cough – two of the major symptoms of Coronavirus. Aside from Coronavirus symptoms, 2.9 million workers (10%) admit they would continue to travel into the office […]

New research shows that feelings of anxiety, mounting pressure, and hesitancy to transition back to the workplace is still very common amongst employees, with many feeling that the work environment is not welcoming, supportive or positive. The research, conducted by Lucid and Vitreous World, surveyed individuals across the UK to analyse employee sentiment and the impact of […]