Many newly qualified teachers in the UK are choosing to teach abroad due to poor pay and conditions in schools at home, according to new evidence. Universities across the country report that more teaching graduates are opting for international posts for their first job, attracted by higher pay and more respect. The trend will worsen the teacher shortage crisis in UK schools, with vacancies nearly doubling since before Covid. The government is also missing its teacher-training targets, leading to reliance on non-specialist teachers and supply cover. Evidence from the Institute of Education at Manchester University shows that 15% of its primary cohort plans to work abroad. Pay for early-career teachers is often below training bursaries, leaving them unable to afford living costs.
Our HR comment: Newly qualified teachers leaving UK for higher pay abroad | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “I always remember the phrase “everyone remembers a good teacher” and I do, to this day. Mrs Morgan is the teacher I always remember. Why? Because she knew how to get the best out of you when teaching any subject whilst motivating, developing and encouraging you at all times. At Consensus HR we provide development in a wide range of management subjects such as Performance Management, Employment Law, Communication, Feedback and many more to give the skills required for the team and the businesses success. Was also note when recruiting and asking specific behavioural and technical questions the vast difference in responses from candidates which can make a vast difference to the outcome. Teaching whether at school or in the workplace, is vital for the continual success of both the student / employee and business whilst also being able to adapt to ensure you meet the needs of the individual and their learning style.”
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I you have a team and would like to look at how you can manage their performance and provide the development required, give us a call now.
Consensus HR | “Helping companies take the pain out of managing people, whilst preventing people problems.”
Offenders who have served jail sentences of more than four years will no longer have to tell employers about their past crimes under a new law. Previously, individuals jailed for more than four years were required by law to disclose their criminal past to prospective employers, who were also entitled to conduct criminal records checks. However, under the new provisions of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, these crimes will become “spent” seven years after completing the sentence. This change affects nearly 125,000 people sentenced in 2022 alone. Violent, sexual, and terrorist offences will remain exempt from this rule. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk stated that the reforms will help ex-offenders reintegrate into society and reduce reoffending rates.
Our HR comment: Government plans to wipe criminal records of offenders to aid employment | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting, planned change to the records of offenders apart from Violent, sexual, and terrorist offences and should help those offenders who have “spent” their conviction from biased and discrimination back into the workplace. At Consensus HR we say that everybody should be treated equally, reasonably and to best practice and the law. This can be achieved by ensuring your company has a thorough, user friendly recruitment & HR strategy and your business should be getting the best people for the job whilst ensuring their development and all other areas of the HR Employment lifecycle are covered.
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If your company is currently experiencing problems with recruitment and HR in general and would like to have a non-obligatory discussion to look at how it can be approved, give us a call now.
‘Consensus HR – Helping companies take the pain out of employing people whilst preventing people problems”. 01438 576750
In our current Monthly recap HR blog Newsletter – October 2023 we have:
Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case.
More workers quit over climate.
Sexism in the City inquiry begins.
Lidl worker awarded £50,000 in sexual harassment case.
Acas says companies should provide menopause awareness training for managers.
UK migration advisers call for tighter foreign worker rules.
NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes.
Former male ‘period dignity officer’ settles discrimination case | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds
A male “period dignity officer” who lost his job after a global backlash has settled his sex discrimination case out of court. Jason Grant, a former personal trainer, sued the partnership that hired him last year. The £35,000-a-year role was abolished weeks later after claims of threats and abuse.
More workers quit over climate | Consensus HR – Herts
A growing number of workers are making the decision to walk out of companies whose environmental values don’t align with their own. According to research by carbon removal marketplace Supercritical, 35% of UK office workers surveyed said they were willing to quit their jobs over weak climate action from their employers.
Sexism in the City inquiry begins | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
An inquiry into Sexism in the City begins today and will examine whether the position of women in financial services has changed in the past five years. The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are also looking at the issue and are considering proposals for organisations to be more transparent about their diversity and inclusion practices
World Mental Health Day was marked on 10 October and has been celebrated for over 30 years. However, while awareness and acceptance of stress and mental health may be increasing, action – particularly prevention – is not.
Lidl worker awarded £50,000 in sexual harassment case | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds.
A tribunal has ruled in favour of Maddie Hunter, a former teenage assistant at a Lidl supermarket in Oxfordshire who was sexually harassed by the store’s deputy manager. Hunter was subjected to inappropriate comments and advances, and when she complained, she was told to treat it as a compliment.
Acas says companies should provide menopause awareness training for managers. | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) says companies should provide awareness training for managers about the menopause. Advice for companies includes making practical changes at work to help staff manage their symptoms, such as the availability of cold drinking water and temperature control, and how to handle the issue “with sensitivity.” Susan Clews, chief executive of Acas, said: “British businesses overwhelmingly feel that it is important to support women experiencing menopause at work
UK migration advisers call for tighter foreign worker rules | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on Tuesday recommended abolishing one of the main routes for businesses to hire migrant workers in sectors where there are severe staff shortages, arguing that the current system was liable to drive down wages and leave workers open to exploitation.
NHS staff granted ‘safe space’ powers to speak out about mistakes | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
NHS staff will be able to speak out about mistakes without fear of reprisal for the first time, thanks to the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). The HSSIB has been granted “safe space” powers, meaning that any testimony or evidence given to it will not be handed over to another agency unless the High Court rules that it must.
Ministers have formally warned councils in England against adopting four-day working weeks for staff. Government guidance says local authorities that have adopted the work pattern should end the practice immediately. While supporters of the four-day week argue that it improves staff wellbeing and productivity, the government believes that it does not represent value for money and is concerned service quality will decline. Lee Rowley, the Minister for Local Government, warned that councils which opt to disregard the guidance “are now on notice” that ministers “will take necessary steps” to ensure that the practice is ended within local government. Noting that more than nine in 10 councils are experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties, Pete Marland, chair of the Local Government Association’s resources board, said: “It is councils who know what works best for their community, workforce and in their wider labour market conditions.”
Our HR comment: – Councils told not to adopt four-day working weeks | Consensus HR | Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “We have written a number of blogs of hybrid / flexible working and their pro’s / cons and this one in the ‘Guardian’ highlights the action that Government / Ministers are taking against local councils and them adopting a four-day week. It is a subject that has been spoken about many times in a lot of media since the Pandemic and is totally specific to each company and the service is offers. Unfortunately, / fortunately, there is no one policy that will suit all businesses and each business needs to thoroughly investigate the overall pros / cons of adapting this working practice and the working week and take the necessary action. All parties should be included in the decision so as to not create an environment where quality members of the team feel not listened to and only have the option of seeking alternative employment.
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If your company is experiencing continual discussions / problems about changing the working week to less days but maybe with more hours per day and wish to fully consider how this would be managed and the action that needs to be taken, give us a call now,
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain are struggling to compete for talent, with the cost of recruitment soaring, a new study suggests. According to research from talent platform Employment Hero, 89% of SMEs are struggling to match salaries offered by bigger organisations in the UK. The study of 514 small businesses found that multinationals present a threat to 69% of firms. The average cost of hiring has risen by 68% to £3,089 over the last year. SMEs, particularly those employing less than 10 workers, are also facing the highest advertising costs and turnover rates. Ben Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Employment Hero, said, “Recruitment isn’t working for SMEs. They are the backbone of our economy but can’t keep up with a hiring environment of increasing complexity and cost, where huge multinational companies can easily outspend them in the race for top talent.”
Our HR comment: – Small businesses struggle to compete for talent | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPC, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a very interesting and worrying article for SME’s which is the core of Consensus HR’s business and is why we like to work with businesses to find the best recruitment & HR strategy for them. We have recruited for a range of roles in the past and have agreed, when necessary, some great rates with local recruitment providers. Businesses, however, need to realise that it is not just the recruitment that costs but ensuring that when you have recruited that they develop the new employee into the business and help them to grow into the organisation and its culture. This is why we offer all our client a three-month probationary workbook for new employees that I wrote many years ago which puts the emphasis on the new employee and business / manager to spend time with the new employee with emphasis on the recruit to play an active part.”
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If you have any questions about Health & Safety and what you should be providing within your business, give us a call now.
Job openings have fallen for the first time in almost three years and wage growth is slowing, according to analysis by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG. The vacancy index slipped to a reading of 49.2 in September, the first time in more than two years that it had fallen below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction. The decline was driven by a dip in public sector hiring. The report also shows that starting salary wage growth slumped to a two-and-a-half-year low, while temporary staff wage growth stalled to its slowest pace in 31 months. Claire Warnes, a partner at KPMG UK, said: “Employers are clearly nervous due to the long-term economic uncertainty and budget constraints that are affecting businesses everywhere. This is leading to a continued reliance on temporary staff.” REC chief executive Neil Carberry said: “This feels like a market that is finding the bottom of a year-long slowdown. The relative buoyancy of the private sector is likely to be driving this more positive outlook.”
Our HR comment: Vacancies fall for first time in three years. | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: – “This is an interesting article with some interesting statistics and shows that the recruitment sector is seeing major changes with growth slowing for the first time in the last three years. There is currently a lot of uncertainty in the market, and we wait to see what the rest of the year brings with an anticipated election next year. At Consensus HR, when we are asked to run a recruitment campaign for a client, we always ensure that we have a detailed strategy meeting to ensure we are only attracting the right people using the right media considering the salary for the role, role requirements, culture of the business and the overall recruitment strategy for the company. We help companies when they decide to recruit their first employee and beyond to put in place the HR / Legal foundations required for the success of the employee and the business. This helps to ensure that the business owner can get on with what they know best, their business with us giving them support when it comes to their team.”
Here are a view of our previous blogs written on the subject:
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If your company is considering recruiting for a new member to the team or your first employee, give us a call now for a non-obligatory chat on the best way forward.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has promised that workers will get employment rights on “day one” of their jobs under any Labour government. Rayner claimed she would not be “watering down” pledges to strengthen workers’ rights and promised new legislation within 100 days of winning an election. She said: “We’ll ban zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire and give workers basic rights from day one.” Rayner also pledged to go “further and faster in closing the gender pay gap, make work more family friendly, and tackle sexual harassment” She also issued a promise to “raise the floor on wages” as she boasted of how the previous Labour government had introduced the minimum wage in defiance of warnings that it would increase unemployment.
Our HR comment: – Rayner says workers will get rights from day one under Labour | Consensus HR, Herts, Beds.
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is an interesting article in The Times, this week whilst the Labour conference takes place and outlines a few employment rights that they would introduce if successful at an election. One of Angela’s comments is in relation to zero-hour Contracts and the fact she would ban these is a subject that has been ongoing since their introduction but many businesses in certain sectors find these beneficial as well as the employee involved. Initially I was very sceptical about zero-hour contracts but have found with some of our clients that they do have a purpose if used and managed correctly for the benefit of the employee and business. Business owners / managers also need to ensure that they remember that although a person may be on a zero-hour contract, they are still entitled to the same as someone on a standard contract with set hours / days and need to ensure they provide this such as accrued holidays.”
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If you employ a team and are not sure what type of Contract you should have within your business for the team and business, give us a non-obligatory call now to discuss.
The UK’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on Tuesday recommended abolishing one of the main routes for businesses to hire migrant workers in sectors where there are severe staff shortages, arguing that the current system was liable to drive down wages and leave workers open to exploitation. The so-called shortage occupation list (SOL) allows employers to pay foreigners 20% less than the going rate in jobs where there is deemed to be a shortage of workers. The MAC said scrapping the rules would help to prevent companies undercutting UK domestic worker pay rates and combat the exploitation of migrants. Despite its recommendation to abolish the rules, the MAC proposed adding eight occupations to the 2023 UK-wide list, including care workers, lab technicians, bricklayers, roofers and animal care services.
Our HR comments: – UK migration advisers call for tighter foreign worker rules | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “It still seems to be the case that although we have low unemployment within the UK, certain sectors are still finding it very hard to recruit and as previously stated, my past industry sector, Hospitalities is still having major problems. This article demonstrates though that a current MAC scheme is having a very bad adverse effect on UK domestic workers which surely is not the right answer whilst no exploiting migrants?”
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If your company is experiencing recruitment and employee problems and would like to discuss some available options to help you, give us a call now for a non-obligatory chat.
The Chancellor confirmed plans to clamp down on workshy benefit claimants at the Tory Party conference on Monday, and announced plans to cut the size of the civil service as MPs on the right of the party demand an end to the bloated state. A freeze on civil service recruitment would save £1bn a year, Jeremy Hunt said, as he pledged to hunt down wasteful DEI roles. Mr Hunt also ruled out tax cuts in his Autumn Budget, arguing that they would be inflationary. Asked how the Conservatives can win the next election without slashing taxes, the Chancellor told GB News: “The way you win elections is by making promises that people believe. And we are being very honest with people, there is no shortcut to tax cuts.” Meanwhile, a group of Tory rebels have formed a block to oppose any future increase in the overall tax burden. Former party chairman Sir Jake Berry told an event hosted by the New Conservative Group that the current tax to GDP ratio now stands at 37% and that was too high.
Our HR advice comment: Hunt sets out plan to shrink civil service as pressure mounts to cut taxes | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “With the Conservatives Party Conference going on at present and the Chancellors comments yesterday regarding the clampdown on workshy benefit claimants, we wait to see the way forward and how we can help businesses and their teams to continue to work to best practice and the law for the success of the business and the team’s future careers / health.
A few of our previous blogs on this subject can be found below:
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If you have a team and wish to find out, how best it is to create a HR strategy for the future success of the company and team, contact us now.
Businesses plan to continue hiring workers and investing, with a poll from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) showing confidence in both areas remained positive in the three months to August. While a reading of hiring and investment confidence came in at a net positive five points, this was down two points compared with the previous three months. The survey also shows that business confidence in the economy climbed to a net -38, up from -41. REC chief executive Neil Carberry said that while employers remain cautious about the wider economy, “they will have been cheered by dropping inflation and a pause in interest rate rises.” He added: “Throughout this year, firms have leant on temporary work to navigate the slowdown – we will be watching for a switch back to permanent hiring as growth picks up.”
Our HR comment: – REC survey: UK businesses remain positive about hiring and investment | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is some very interesting news in ‘The Times’ today in relation to recruitment and positivity with some positive points in a poll. At Consensus HR we have helped many businesses recruit temporary members of the team as well as permanent members and continue to do so, ensuring all areas of HR are covered from day one such as Terms & Conditions of Employment, Induction, Performance Reviews and much more. Many companies still do not realise that a new employee is entitled to a Contract of Employment from day one of employment and businesses need to ensure they prepare adequately when interviewing and as part of their overall recruitment strategy!”
Here are a few of our previous blogs written on Recruitment:
If you want to just be able to do what you know best, such as run your business and have somebody, who knows best when it comes to HR, the law and best practice, give us a call now.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority have set out proposals to boost diversity and inclusion across the financial services industry. The rules would require large banks and insurers to report diversity and inclusion data to regulators and set new targets to address under-representation. In a consultation paper, the bodies say firms would have to develop a diversity and inclusion strategy setting out how they will meet their objectives and goals. They would also be expected to collect, report and disclose data on characteristics such as disability and ethnicity of staff, while factors such as socio-economic background and gender identity may also be logged. Bank of England deputy governor Sam Woods said: “The proposals set flexible, proportionate minimum standards to raise the bar, placing more requirements on larger firms.” Nikhil Rathi, chief executive at the FCA, said: “UK financial services has long been a magnet for best-in-class talent globally. Increasing levels of diversity within firms can help attract and unlock talent, supporting the sector’s international competitiveness.”
Our HR Comment – FCA proposes new diversity and misconduct rules | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a great proposal to hear to hear from some great financial institutions but is something we believe at Consensus HR that all companies should have to do as everybody should be treated equally. The Equality Act – October 2010 is the law when it comes to equality and diversity in the workplace and all companies regardless of sector or size MUST adhere to this. At Consensus HR we ensure all our clients have best practice, legal and user-friendly tools to ensure all the team are treated equally and the opportunity to call / email us at any time should advice be needed.”
Here are a few of our previous blogs written on the subject:
If you employ a team, in any business sector and wish to ensure that you are working to best practice and the law when it comes to diversity and inclusion or any area of HR and need support, give us a call now.
A survey on working habits in the UK has revealed that just 40% of employees are currently working five days a week in the office. Commuting time, the cost of eating out for lunch and other expenses are the biggest barriers to working full time at the office, said researchers in the report from Ipsos Karian and Box. Younger staff members, in particular, have expressed concerns about missing out on skills development when working remotely. Nearly half of workers aged 18 to 24 said they “always” or “frequently” felt lonely if they spent half their working week at home. Additionally, they feared they were learning fewer “critical skills” necessary for career progression and promotions. The survey suggested that employees who spend three days a week in the office strike the right balance between office and remote work, enabling effective career development discussions and idea generation.
Our HR comment: – UK office attendance at 40% as workers embrace flexibility | Consensus HR – Herts Beds
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This is a subject we have written about many times since the end of the Pandemic and a few of our blogs can be seen below. Many companies are now getting their teams back into the workplace with many working Hybrid and in the office at least three days a week. We have found that many employers are stating that employees must be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and working from home Monday & Friday and some requiring all the team to return to the work place full-time. Many articles are also showing that many people are finding the new working regime hard to handle and this article in ‘The Sunday Telegraph’ shows the effect it is having on the younger 18 – 24 year olds. What is the answer? This is still unknown and the consequences going forward for the business, their teams and the younger generation.
Here are a few of our other blogs written on the subject:
If you wish to talk to somebody about getting your team back into the office or looking at suitable solutions such as hybrid working, give us a call now.
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