(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: 24th – 30th July 2023
Photo by Mr Cup / Fabien Barral on Unsplash
Employers lack awareness about new employee benefits available
New research from Group Risk Development (GRiD) reveals only a quarter (26%) of employers say they know the extent of employee benefits available to support their workforces.
Katharine Moxham, Spokesperson for GRiD says this lack of awareness of new and emerging employee benefits services could prevent employers from successfully supporting their employees, partly due to the way employers obtain and review employee benefits.
Nearly half (44%) of employers find, contact and acquire employee benefits services themselves while a third (34%) follow up on sales opportunities. For the remaining employers, a quarter (26%) obtain benefits through an adviser or intermediary and nearly a quarter (23%) go through an organisation with a vetted benefits provider (23%).
Moxham suggests sourcing benefits through an intermediary as the best way to stay on top of the ever-changing and complex employee benefits market.
GRiD’s report show that of the employers who used an adviser, more than a third (35%) discovered better-suited benefits, a third (33%) were able to better communicate workplace benefits with employees and more than a quarter (28%) were advised on how to best spend their employee benefits fund.
Source: The HR Director.
Pay awards predictions rise to 5% for 2024
Paydata’s July report, which surveyed 229 employers, says 2024 pay awards may range from 3.8% to 5% - increasing from June’s 4% prediction, on average.
More than a third (38%) of employers say pay awards may be distributed to all employees, while a third (33%) expect it will be a combination of a pay rise for all employees and an additional increase for individuals.
Tim Kellett, Director of Paydata, says that although some employers agree that higher pay awards are needed to stay on top of inflation rates and the cost of living crisis, not all employers will be able to afford it. Kellett adds, instead of increasing pay awards, employers will focus on employee benefits such as healthcare and improving workplace culture through inclusivity and support.
Source: Employee Benefits.
Is workplace jargon alienating recruits?
LinkedIn and Duolingo’s The State of Workplace Jargon report reveals that almost two-thirds (60%) of global employees have had to independently research what workplace acronyms and jargon mean. This has negatively impacted their productivity and mental health, leaving them stressed and excluded during conversations.
Jim Frawley, Founder and CEO of Bellwether, equates workplace acronyms and jargon to switching to a completely different language - and unintentionally alienating and disengaging recruits. He believes this isn’t helping the currently high turnover rates.
Frawley adds that although such vocabulary intends to quicken work processes, it actually slows things down. Employers, instead, need to identify and address the acronyms and language that do and don’t work.
Natasha Bowman, Founder of The Natasha Bowman Consulting Group, suggests employers should use plain language to improve communication between colleagues and create a more inclusive workplace.
Source: WorkLife.
And here are links to other news stories this week:
UNLEASH: Why hiring refugees is good for business
HR Magazine: Does your workplace need divorce policies?
WorkLife: How employers measure productivity is changing
The Telegraph: GPs urged to refer patients to 'life coaches' to reduce chronic sickness