In our latest employment law news roundup:-
Over Three-Quarters Of Professionals Plan To Change Job In 2022
A new survey by CV-Library of 2000 respondents has found that 76.4% of professionals plan to change job in 2022. The main reasons cited by those taking part in the survey were a desire to change career (42.1%) and an increase in salary (41.3%). Greater scope for flexible working was mentioned by 38.9% of the respondents, whilst 33.2% said they felt burnt out.
Other findings in the survey were:-
- 57.6% of respondents plan to engage in retraining/reskilling in 2022 with a view to enhancing their employability, job security, and career prospects
- In terms of staff retention, 57.3% said that employers needed to offer higher salaries, whilst 41.9% said that employers needed to provide better training
- 47% knew of somebody who had already resigned in 2021
Commenting upon the findings, the CEO of CV-Library, Lee Biggins, stated: "The combination of confidence slowly building in the UK economy in the six months since ‘Freedom Day’ and the pandemic triggering people to re-assess their lives and search for more happiness, money and flexibility has created a perfect storm in the job market. The good news is that employers can take action to prevent increased staff turnover. Offering top salaries is the obvious choice but investing in training and upskilling, offering remote working opportunities, and building strong internal teams, look to be the smartest moves businesses can take in 2022."
62% Of Employers Believe Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Is Too Low
A new survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) of 1000 employers has found that 62% of employers believe that the rate that Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is currently set at is too low, and fails to protect the most vulnerable workers. Even 57% of small and mid-size enterprises (SME's), who find it more difficult to cover the costs that come with Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), agreed that the rate is too low
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is currently paid at a rate of £96.35 per week for 28 weeks. It is due to rise to £99.35 per week from the 6th April 2022.
The survey also found that 17.2% of the workforce, which equates to 5.6 million workers, do not even qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) as they earn below the £120.00 per week qualifying threshold or are self-employed
The CIPD recommend that the following changes are made to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP):-
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) be increased to a rate that at least matches the national minimum wage / national living wage
- Remove the qualifying earnings threshold of £120,.00 to widen eligibility
- New measures to protect the self-employed
- New rules to facilitate phased returns to work
- Pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of sickness by removing the rule that it is only paid once the employee has been off work for 4 days in a row
The senior employment relations adviser at the CIPD, Rachel Suff, argues that: "The UK’s SSP system has been broken for a long time and the pandemic has only highlighted its failure to protect the lowest paid and most vulnerable members of our society. However, despite a number of government consultations proposing reforms to SSP, there are currently no real plans to improve the system."
Suff adds that: "Not only does SSP need to provide an effective financial safety net for those unable to work when sick, it needs to better reflect today’s labour market. As well as immediate reform to remove the lower earnings limit, government should consult on how the system could cover those in atypical work including the self-employed. We also need to more flexibility so that it’s easier for people to have a phased and sustainable return to work. This will bolster their chances of an effective full-time return in the long-term."
IMF Calls For Potential Reintroduction Of Furlough Scheme
Given the current surge in Covid-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that the UK Government should be prepared to redeploy the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (i.e. the furlough scheme) should further restrictions be imposed.
The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, stated: "Fiscal policy should retain an important role in responding to large shocks....In the event of new widespread mandated closures for health reasons, there is now a playbook to be reused."
