This Employment Law Update will cover a recent trial of the 4-day week, social media screening, and our upcoming workshop.
If you would like to discuss any of the points raised in this email, please get in touch.
4 Day Working Week Trial - What You Need To Know
A pilot scheme for a 4-day working week began across 70 UK companies this month, impacting 3,300 workers in a variety of different sectors. Staff will reduce their hours by 20% without receiving a cut to their pay.
Researchers from global universities and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign are aiming to assess the impact this will have on worker productivity, wellbeing, and the environment. The biggest emphasis is placed on how this could improve workers job satisfaction, as the new week would seek to reduce stress levels and burnout, giving employees more time to find satisfaction outside of work as well.
So, is a 4-day week something you should consider for your business? Some experts are confident that it would have a positive impact on business output, however others feel that time will tell as to whether it really works in the long term. Before implementation, it is important to look at the service your business provides and decide whether a reduction in hours would work for your customers and clients. It could even have the opposite impact on staff, as they feel pressure to cram the same amount of work into less time, perhaps leading to them working longer hours and feeling more burned out.
It has been suggested that rather than simply cutting a day from the working week, staff would much prefer having flexible working options that suit them and their lifestyle. The key to implementing a successful 4-day working week would be consulting with staff and having clear parameters on measuring whether the scheme is working, and not having an adverse effect.
Should You Use Social Media Screening During Recruitment?
In the digital age, almost everybody puts their life online, but should this impact on your recruitment decisions?
When you’re looking for somebody who is going to be a face of your Company, speaking to clients, and representing your brand, social media can be a good tool. You wouldn’t want somebody who was so public facing sharing contentious views online, whether they were in relation to your Company or not.
It can also be useful for roles where people may have access to key information, as social media postings can show patterns in behaviour and make it easy to spot changes in what they might be sharing online.
It is a huge ethical concern, but over half of employers have admitted that they have used social media screening in the past. However, we would often warn against completing online screenings for prospective employees. It could create bias, whether positive or negative, impacting on your ability to objectively assess candidates and find the right fit for your business.
We Are Running Our Next Workshop - 6th July 2022
Our Director, Angela Roberts, will be running the next in our series of workshops, this time covering making changes to contracts of employment.
This will take place on Wednesday 6th July, from 10am-11am.
Tickets are free, and you can sign up here. We would love to see you there!
If you have any HR queries please give a member of the team a call today, on 01926 853388, or email angela.roberts@arhrconsult.com. Visit www.arhrconsult.com for more information.