Blogs

With just over a week to go before the General Election, Nita Clarke OBE, the Director of the Involvement and Participation Association and Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect trade union, consider the current state of industrial relations in the UK and look ahead to the much-needed reforms of the labour market that any new government will need to address.

IES Director Tony Wilson sets out five priorities for a new approach to employment support, for whoever wins the next election: based on ambitious objectives, clear entitlements, empowering people, a reformed employment (and careers) service, and new ‘labour market partnerships’ to take this forward.

IES Director Tony Wilson considers the government's announcement of a new task force to address skills and labour shortages and calls for a reformed approach to employment services based on open access to support, a different approach to those out of work, coherent engagement and support for employers, and meaningful partnership and alignment across services.

The construction industry is facing skills shortages that are holding back growth. This research for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) explores attitudes towards awareness of construction careers among potential entrants and those within the industry, and the differences between the two.

In support of Mental Health Awareness Week, Zofia Bajorek looks at the issue of fairness at work and calls for employers to review workplace policies and practices to ensure that positive employee wellbeing is supported and maintained.

Duncan Brown considers the government's recently released gender pay gap data, now in it's sixth year of reporting and based on employers with 250 or more employees, comparing men and women’s average pay across each organisation.

In a blog originally published in March on the Adzuna website, Daniel Muir looks at how the policies announced – and not announced – in the Spring Budget, will have an impact on various occupations across the UK.

With pay reform legislation continuing to spread across the US, Duncan Brown reflects on the latest US developments on pay equity and transparency and considers if the UK will benefit from the ripple effect of pay reform from 'across the pond'.

Stephen Bevan looks at how several methods of job crafting can provide ways to improve access to meaningful work for employees with a terminal illness.

After Tata Steel closed in Port Talbot, Daniel Muir and Nick Litsardopoulos consider other local labour markets dominated by singular employers or industries that may also be vulnerable.