Helen Tomlinson’s appointment as the government’s first Menopause Employment Champion signals that this once-hidden but hugely important medical issue is at last being taken seriously at national level. The role has been created to help employers foster more supportive workplace environments for women experiencing the menopause, and the news of Tomlinson’s hiring provides much-needed impetus for a societal change in attitude to the topic. Recent increased media attention has also helped raise public awareness of the serious impacts which the menopause can have on women, while several Emp ..read more

Food prices, energy bills, mortgage rates, rent… With costs rising across the board, it is no secret that many people are struggling to stay on top of their finances in the current climate. As an employer, financial wellbeing is one of three core areas where businesses should look to offer support through employee benefits – alongside physical health and mental wellbeing. While salary increases to keep up with inflation should be a key consideration where possible, offering a comprehensive mix of valuable, relevant employee benefits can go a long way in helping employees to improve their fina ..read more

When asked what the major factors are contributing to business costs in the UK workplace, you might be forgiven for highlighting absenteeism and staff turnover. However, another factor is rapidly coming to the fore – ‘presenteeism.’ Indeed, a recent study reveals the extent of this added cost: 46% of UK working employees felt more pressure to be ‘present’ during lockdown (Source: Canada Life UK). More than a third continued to work during lockdown when they were ill because they feared redundancy (Source: Canada Life UK). Despite a significant increase in homeworking, and the perceived f ..read more

Despite adapting successfully to remote working, most businesses would say they’re worried about the impact of being away from their colleagues. They’re concerned their people are missing out on a sense of community, missing out by being unable to go to a colleague’s desk to ask a quick question, missing out by not being able to pop their heads around somebody’s office door for a chat on the QT. Companies are unsettled about the adverse impact a lack of in-person collaboration might have if they allow flexible working arrangements to continue. But they know they’ll lose their staff if they do ..read more

How many hands are likely to shoot up in your office if you ask who wants to do a batch of cold calling? The answer at most workplaces is very few. Even none at all. For most people, cold calling is a dirty word, a thing of fear and dread. They’d prefer to scrub the bathrooms than have to jump on the phones. So, who does your prospecting? Someone? Anyone? No one? No worries. Paula Bates, Managing Director of Toucan Telemarketing has the telemarketing solutions to your lead generation issues. Can Outsourced Telemarketing Providers Really Replace ‘the Real Thing’? “If you haven’t got much – or ..read more

The pandemic has brought many problems to business owners and employees alike since it struck in March 2020. Many business owners were forced to allow employees to work from home as offices closed down and we all self-isolated. This meant many workers had no access to their HR departments, bosses couldn’t pull their staff in for motivational pats on the back, and many of us had little to no interaction with other humans let alone friends and family. Unfortunately, this brought many mental & physical health issues into the foreground for employees and how to deal with wellbeing within the ..read more

As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we must acknowledge how exciting these training systems are for both apprentice and employer and the mutual benefits they bring when done properly. The theme of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is “build the future” which is most apt. As we emerge from the pandemic, our national apprentice programme and its providers are in the most positive of positions. New data shows that 70% of employers consider apprenticeships to be crucial to the UK’s economic recovery, whilst another report states that 72% of businesses plan to recruit more than ev ..read more

It’s that time of year again where we talk about New Year’s resolutions for our businesses – capitalising on potential missed opportunities from the past year, and considering new ways of operating to make the coming year more successful. Small changes in your organisation’s approach to doing business and internal processes to help train staff and keep them engaged, can have a profound impact on how your organisation navigates the coming year. Whatever New Year’s resolutions you might be considering, it’s essential that you change the way you work if you want to achieve the results and product ..read more

When businesses think about outsourcing telemarketing, they usually think about the blanket benefits of outsourcing in any field. They think about not having to worry about things like – Cost and time to hire Holiday cover Sick leave Pension contributions Maternity leave Tax and national insurance liabilities But different times call for different measures. The motivation for outsourcing telemarketing is solely financial for some businesses. But there are other underlying reasons that can really sway business owners during turbulent times of rife skills shortages. Great Sales Hires Can Cost ..read more

There’s no doubt as to the impact of mental health absenteeism on the UK economy. Indeed, a recent report by wellbeing and performance experts GoodShape reveals how poor mental health was the leading cause of British workers taking off work for illness in 2021 – costing employers an estimated £43 billion. This accounts for 19% of all working time lost in the UK – more than confirmed cases of COVID-19. The alarming report also highlights that the cost of sick leave to employers rose by 31% from before the COVID-19 pandemic – not accounting for the cost of hiring and training replacement staff ..read more