People Matter – September 2024
The HR Dept - Edinburgh, Mid and East Lothian
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Going further with your pension responsibilities
For years, auto-enrolment has ensured SME employers provide a pension scheme for almost all staff. It was introduced to drive up retirement saving rates, and it is working. It is thought 90% of workers have a pension today, compared to between 30-40% in 2012, when its roll-out began.
Given that it’s compulsory, and enforced with penalties including fines and prosecution, you are probably already complying with auto-enrolment as a minimum, and some employers will be going further.
But once you have the scheme set up, the employees registered and the contributions going in, is there anything else you could be doing?
There’s a huge financial literacy gap in our country. Nothing to speak of is currently taught in schools; and in a vicious cycle, many parents are not equipped to teach their children either. It is NOT something that you MUST do as an employer, but with this gap needing to be filled for the good of everyone, you may just find it brings some benefits to your workplace, such as:
A report from one retirement provider last year found that 58% of adults had a low confidence in their knowledge of pensions, and about two-thirds said they knew little or nothing about workplace pensions. But, in a testament to the impact of auto-enrolment, almost four in every five employees said they were used to regularly saving into a workplace pension.
It also found that older, wealthier, males were demographically the most likely to say they knew about pensions.
So, what could you do as an employer? Some business owners may have the knowledge and relationship with their team to softly impart knowledge and answer questions. But in many cases it may be best left to professionals.
The good news is that many pension advisers will be happy to drop in and give talks, workshops or one-to-one advice as part of their service if they have set up or administered your auto-enrolment pension.
They can explain why it is important to start early (compound interest), the tax benefits and the investment styles. You could pitch them as lunch and learns to your staff so they don’t eat into the day if needs be, or have annual reviews.
Why not talk to your current adviser, or if you would like a review of your auto-enrolment plan to check it is working best for you, get in touch.
Do your employees have time to "slow think"?
Being seen as decisive is generally regarded as a virtue in business. This often takes the form of making a quick decision, perhaps under pressure.
However, in a highly regarded study, one which won a Nobel Prize, the difference between fast thinking and slow thinking was explored.
Fast thinking is important, sometimes necessary and it could be a life-saver. However, it is characterised by an automatic response based on past experience of what has worked. This means it can be prone to bias, lack creativity and neglect novel approaches. It can also contribute to individual burn-out.
Slow thinking, by contrast, allows more evaluation. It permits the thinker to explore beyond the boundaries of their experience. By drawing on a full range of knowledge, better decisions may be made, more innovation can take place and there is less room for bias.
The problem with slow thinking, though, is that it takes time. Real quality time. The workplace has long championed people being busy, and seen to be busy – in meetings, sending emails, writing. This need to be busy kills the opportunity for slow thinking.
Why not mull over how you could introduce more time for slow thinking in your business? Schedule time for walks in which you and staff members can clear your heads. Identify when big decisions will need to be made well in advance, so that proper consideration can be given. Get rid of the expectation that people always need to be doing “something”.
This definitely needs to come from the top. So if it appeals, lead by example and see what difference it makes.
Is it ever okay to shout in the workplace?
A survey of about 1,000 UK employees exploring workplace bullying found that 57% believed shouting in the workplace was not bullying. While a majority, it still leaves a lot of people feeling that it is. It’s fair to say that it splits the room.
To a degree, whether or not it is okay probably comes down to the culture of individual workplaces. But even then, any given employee may take being shouted at badly – sparking confrontation, getting upset and going absent, or perhaps just quitting. Any of these scenarios will keep your HR busy at the very least, and possibly disrupt operations too.
Understanding your individual employees and tailoring your approach to get the best out of them is a form of good personnel management, some may respond to a shout, others to a hug (although that could cause its own problems!). If you would like to change your approach or upskill a new manager, ask us about our locally-run management training workshops.
How to prepare for the upcoming Employment Rights Act
Heavily signposted before the election and initiated almost immediately via the King’s Speech, it is time to get ready for the impact of the Employment Rights Act once it passes through parliament.
We know what the expected changes are, the list is long. They include: a ban on some zero-hour contracts; the strengthening of statutory sick pay; dismissal protections; extra enforcement; additional day one rights; more flexible working facilitation; trade union enhancements and a move to a “genuine” living wage.
It is important now to get familiar with it all before it becomes law so that you are not caught out. To help, we have prepared a post-election impact hub which explains what’s coming in more detail and what you need to do. You can also download our whitepaper . Our expert advisers are here to help if you want to talk.
Tinder leave!
We are strong advocates of a well-designed employee benefits package. There are so many options to choose from and they can prove a highly cost-effective remuneration solution when considered against salary alone; as well as attracting, motivating and retaining staff, and boosting well-being.
One company in Asia has really pushed the envelop though, introducing “Tinder leave”. This features a sponsored subscription to Tinder, plus a day’s paid leave per year to go on a date (or do something else fun)!
Could this be the missing link in your employee benefits package? We think probably not! But we can review your employee benefits and check you are meeting your objectives and getting value for money. If you want to find out more, swipe right just ask.
Is an anti "anti-depressants" policy legal?
A woman in Scotland lost her dream job before she had even started it, when Police Scotland withdrew their job offer after finding out she was taking anti-depressants.
She had breezed through other selection criteria, being described as impressive. But deep into the recruitment, after being made a provisional offer, the process was ended as she fell foul of a policy stating she must be clear of such medication for two years. Health checks can only be done after a job offer is made, except in very limited circumstances.
On a personal level it is a sad tale, but the decision will now be tested in court. Equality law is applicable from before employment commences to protect those applying for jobs from
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