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In the news: March 2023

A short summary of some of the coverage featuring the Partners& team in the wellbeing, benefits, pensions, protection, and Human Resources media during March 2023…

The Partners& team are now firmly established as a regular – and insightful – provider of expert commentary across a range of specialist media titles.

Below is a summary of just some of the key themes we have commented on in the month of March 2023 (with links embedded for those wishing to read the full article).

March 2023 Budget Statement

The first official Budget statement by a Chancellor of the Exchequer since October 2021 contained much of interest to Human Resources (HR) and reward professionals.  Steve Herbert provides a useful summary of the key themes in the HR and employee benefits arena.

Publication:  Business in the news

 

NHS waiting lists & employee absence

This article from the Partners& website looks at the latest NHS waiting list numbers, the projections as to whether they will fall before the next UK general election, and considers what this means for employee absence and treatment.

Publication:  Partners& website

 

Reducing waiting lists & incentivising group healthcare

This in-depth article looks at how the government could both reduce the record NHS waiting lists and increase private healthcare coverage in a controlled manner and without a huge – and open-ended – cost to HM Treasury.  Written by our own Steve Herbert for the industry-leading Corporate Adviser Magazine.

Publication:  Corporate Adviser Magazine

 

Young workers fear poor mental health will impact their career

Recent research indicates that half of younger workers are concerned that speaking up about a mental health condition could harm their career progress.  This People Management magazine article includes commentary from Partners&.

Publication:  People Management Magazine

 

An ill-health class divide?

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has highlighted that there appears to be a stark class and income divide in those being forced out of work by ill health in their early 50s.  Our own Steve Herbert adds his thoughts to this item in HR Magazine.

Publication:  HR Magazine

 

Getting younger people into work

In advance of the March Budget, the CIPD called for the Chancellor to support adults – and particularly younger people – into work.  Partners& add some commentary explaining why gaining work experience for younger age adults has become increasingly difficult in recent years.

Publication:  HR Magazine

 

Squaring the wellbeing triangle

Employee wellbeing includes physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.  Yet the recent publication of the Office for National Statistics’ Winter Survey suggests that financial health remains under significant pressure as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.  Steve Herbert explores this theme in his monthly column for the Employer News website.

Publication:  Employer News

 

Creative thinking in a crisis

The start of April witnessed further increases in the cost of living for many working households, and this article suggests ways that employers can support their workers through the continuing crisis.  This item includes survey data gathered by Partners&, and commentary from the professional bodies for both HR (CIPD) and payroll (CIPP).

Publication:  Benefits Expert

 

Inflation goes in the wrong direction

The latest inflation figures proved something of a shock, with the figure increasing rather than decreasing as most pundits had expected.  The views of many experts were shared in this LinkedIn post, including those of our own Steve Herbert.

Publication:  LinkedIn

 

That’s it for this month, but we will (of course) continue to update our followers with our latest posts, comments, research, and thoughts regularly.