James Reed has said that the government should tax companies that use robots, including AI and chatbots, in a wide-ranging interview discussing the future of the labour market. The chairman and CEO of Reed Recruitment said that many people in business felt the Labour Party’s language and focus on growth in the 2024 general election
Retail workers are facing increasing risks from members of the public using smart glasses to secretly record them at work, according to shop workers’ union Usdaw. The warning comes after a sales assistant discovered he had been filmed and featured in a video posted to TikTok and YouTube by former television presenter Michael Barrymore, without
Consultants and specialist doctors in Northern Ireland are taking part in industrial action over pay, with medics seeking parity with their colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales. It is the first time the two groups of doctors have gone on strike in Northern Ireland, and while most routine and elective services will be cancelled, full
One third of Britain’s workplaces do not have staff with the necessary mediation skills to resolve a workplace conflict. According to new research by workplace relations body Acas, conducted by YouGov, 33% of employees think their employer lacks staff with enough mediation expertise to handle disputes. The figure rises to 40% among small and medium-sized
A growing number of employees in the US and UK have said they want closer relationships with their colleagues, with scheduled meetings growing in frequency as a result. New research commissioned by game-based learning platform Kahoot! found that 56% of US workers and 43% of UK workers wish they had stronger connections with their colleagues.
A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that ‘movement snacks’ could reduce risks associated with sedentary work. According to researchers from Columbia University, who interviewed more than 11,000 US employees, taking a walking break every hour for five minutes improves mood and reduces fatigue. It has been estimated that
Employers must design AI systems that recognize nontraditional job candidates’ experience and credentials, a SHRM26 speaker said. Source: www.hrdive.com
An independent review of maternity care failings at Nottingham hospitals has identified multiple issues with staffing, governance and workplace culture. Senior midwife Donna Ockenden undertook an inquiry into around 2,500 cases of stillbirth, neonatal deaths and maternal deaths between April 2012 and May 2025. She found that senior staff at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
An NHS Trust has paid out £187,000 in compensation to a group of nurses who won a tribunal case over its policy to allow trans women in female changing rooms. The nurses, who worked at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, won their harassment claim against their employer in January this year. The panel
Perhaps the most contentious and complex reform in the Employment Rights Act is the government’s efforts to end ‘exploitative zero-hours contracts’. Rob Moss examines ministers’ plans for ‘guaranteed hours’ and what still remains unknown Despite calls to ban zero-hour contracts altogether, policymakers were persuaded that the flexibility they provided certain workers was of value, so
