Training investment has dropped by £10.9bn since apprenticeship levy introduced Economics Investment in training has dropped by £10.9bn since the apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, fresh analysis has shown, with calls growing for Labour to speed up its overhaul of skills programmes. In a new report by the Fabian Society, which is affiliated to the Labour Party, the government has been warned that the apprenticeship [...]
Business groups pour cold water on pay transparency plans Business Plans to make business tell workers what their colleagues earn have sparked a flurry of warnings from industry chiefs that they will hinder bosses’ flexibility to pay staff fairly, and may not work for smaller employers. Ministers are currently looking at ways to end pay discrimination, with options including making companies publish remuneration structures and [...]
UK jobs markets suffers a fainting fit…will the patient get worse? Opinion We now know that since the start of the year the number of payrolled employees in the UK has fallen by around 100,000 – adding to the emerging narrative that when it comes to employment, things are going in the wrong direction. Fewer people employed, fewer vacancies and fewer jobs likely to be created. The [...]
UK employer confidence falls to pandemic-era low May 12, 2025 Confidence among UK employers has fallen to lows seen only during the coronavirus pandemic as economic uncertainty over tariffs pile on top of rising costs for businesses. The number of UK employers expecting to increase headcounts over the next three months fell to the lowest outside of the pandemic, the latest survey of more than [...]
Businesses are bracing for trans policy rewrites April 30, 2025 Campaigners and watchdogs say the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on trans inclusion in the Equality Act brought clarity. But for bosses, the topic is likely to become even more of a minefield, says Ali Lyon. Ever since her appointment as chair of the UK’s human rights watchdog in 2020, Baroness Falkner has been convinced that [...]
‘Right to disconnect’ plans must offer firms flexibility, experts warn August 20, 2024 The government’s plan to give workers the ‘right to disconnect’ must offer companies some flexibility when it comes to implementing the changes, experts have warned. Staff who are frequently contacted by their bosses outside of their work day could be granted thousands more in compensation cash from employment tribunals under new worker reforms, The Times [...]
‘Simply not working’: Apprenticeships fall by 40 per cent since levy introduced May 21, 2024 The number of new apprenticeships has fallen by more than 40 per cent since the training levy was introduced in 2017, according to research by a professional body.