(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 18th – 24th September 2023
Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash
Employees aged 55+ are 'climate quitting'
Resource Solutions has commissioned a national survey to find out how UK employees' attitudes towards Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) values in the workplace has changed.
The report which surveyed 2000 people has found that over a third (39%) of respondents aged 55 and above would turn down a job offer with a high compensation package if the organisation was deemed unethical or used non-sustainable practices.
Nearly a third (27%) of employees in this age group also expressed their willingness to engage in 'climate quitting' - where an employee quits due to their employers’ 'greenwashing' practices. This challenges the assumption that only younger generations are pushing for sustainability in the workforce.
Although the survey reveals that the largest environmentally conscious generation is Gen Z employees, with more than half (54%) willing to leave their current jobs if their employers were 'greenwashing' - the survey also highlights that 'climate quitting’ is a much broader trend.
More than a third (35%) of the total UK workforce said they are open to quitting their jobs if their employers' actions don’t align with their environmental and ethical values. Additionally, almost half (48%) of all respondents said they wouldn’t work in certain fields due to ethical and environmental concerns, regardless of the pay and benefits packets.
The study also found that there were regional differences towards ESG values in the workplace. In London, over half (59%) of individuals said they would decline a salary increase if it meant compromising their morals or for an organisation with a history of poor ESG practises. In the Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber regions, this figure was 20% lower.
Tom Lakin, Global Practice Director at Resource Solutions, says, since the pandemic employees have become increasingly conscious about finding purpose-driven, inclusive, and value-led employers. He adds that Employee Sustainability Proposition (ESP) also needs to be a priority for employers to improve their retention strategies.
Lakin suggests incorporating the company's broader ESG mission into job descriptions for all positions to allow all employees to participate and demonstrate their commitment to the environment.
Source: HR Review.
DEI&B has become increasingly important to employees globally
New research from Ernest and Young (EY) has found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of global employees are prioritising roles at organisations with strong diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices - this increases to 68% for Millennials and 73% for Gen Z.
However, of the 5,000 employees surveyed across the US, UK, Germany, Singapore, and India only 6% believe their current employers are focused on equity initiatives - nearly half (40%) of respondents said that equal pay was the largest contributor to a feeling of equity.
EY’s report also highlights the growing importance of belonging as part of diversity, equity and inclusion as nearly half (41%) of global employees said work was where they experienced the strongest sense of belonging. However, three-quarters (75%) of respondents also said they didn’t feel included in their workplace.
More than half (56%) of global employees are uncomfortable sharing some parts of their identities at work in case it negatively affects them - this increases to 64% for Gen Z and 77% for the LGBTQ+ community.
Karyn Twaronite, Global Vice-Chair of DE&I at EY, says, to address this belonging disconnect, HRs need to work with managers to improve feelings of inclusion and belonging so that employees can be their authentic selves at work.
She suggests regular check-ins with team members to discuss personal and professional aspects of their lives - more than a third (33%) say that this can contribute significantly to creating a sense of belonging - this increases to 39% for the US.
Twaronite adds that organisations and HRs also need to incorporate flexible working into their workplace as nearly half (45%) of managers said it motivates them to focus on DEI&B in their teams.
Source: UNLEASH.
Why is loneliness at work becoming a growing issue?
Research from Reward Gateway shows that a quarter (24%) of UK employees regularly feel lonely or disconnected at work.
Interestingly, Gen Z employees are the most likely to experience feelings of loneliness at work (32%), even though the majority (81%) have a social network at work - the highest of all age groups. In comparison, only 9% of employees aged 55 and above feel lonely at work.
The report reveals that full-time in-office employees are loneliest (26%) when compared to home (25.6%), hybrid (21%) and deskless employees (24.6%).
Reward Gateway’s survey found that employees who are dealing with loneliness are 14% less likely to do more than is required for their organisation - compared to 30% of employees who don’t feel lonely.
Loneliness also negatively affects individuals’ mental health as employees who feel lonely are twice as likely to take 10 or more unplanned days off.
The report found, too, that nearly half (48%) of employees struggling financially due to the cost of living felt lonely, in comparison to just under a quarter of financially stable employees.
Nebel Crowhurst, Chief People Officer at Reward Gateway, says, workplaces can play a large role in combating loneliness by fostering connections and supporting employees through recognition for their hard work and meaningful rewards.
Sources: HR Review and Workplace Wellbeing Professional.
And here are links to other really interesting news stories this week:
HR Magazine: Does your organisation need marriage leave?
People Management: Four in five HR professionals experience ‘impostor syndrome’ – particularly when they give advice or consult, data finds
People Management: One in five employers ‘see no benefits’ to having a diverse workforce, study finds
WorkLife: WTF are radius rules?