Podcasts related to Work - Pay & Conditions

Is the length of your working day taking over your life? Recent research by Indeed has revealed that over half of employees in Britain work longer than their contracted hours on a regular basis, with over 40% saying flexible working hours would improve their mental health. In this episode of the Share Interview, Vicky Sayers is joined by TV psychologist, presenter and writer, Emma Kenny, to find out how we can improve our relationship with work.

The New Labour government introduced a national minimum wage (NMW) in 1999. At first this was opposed by the Conservative party, but they have since joined a growing political consensus. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) are tasked with recommending NMW rates that 'help as many low-paid workers as possible without any significant adverse impact on employment or the economy’. The LPC’s apparent success in achieving this, may be one reason for growing political census, so it is perhaps worrying that a National Living Wage (NLW) is being set without these considerations. Len Shackleton, Professor of Economics at the University of Buckingham and Editorial and Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, sets out these issues and more in a recent IEA paper on Restructuring Minimum Wages. Prof. Shackleton argues that the system has become overly complex and recommendations made by the Taylor Review will only add to this complexity. In this interview we consider his proposals and what the future may hold for UK minimum wages.

Welcome to 1984 – the hidden twist in the smart meter saga that could see suppliers take control of your account. Plus, victory for the fans as Ticketmaster takes a significant step to combat 'professional' touts. Also…Can you get on the property ladder with £10 thousand, and how to avoid being a CV cliché!

Recent decades have seen radical change in the way that conflict is dealt with in UK workplaces. Collective industrial action has been replaced by pursuit of individual employment rights through litigation, via Employment Tribunals (ETs). Richard Saundry is Professor of HRM & Employment Relations at Plymouth University Business School. He has written extensively on workplace conflict and brings a wealth of experience, including time spent at NUM HQ at the start of the 1990s. Peter and him consider why employees in certain types of firm report higher levels of conflict; whether ‘vexatious’ ET claims represent a significant cost to firms and discuss how conflict is resolved in the modern workplace. In this modern setting, what role is there for the union movement and what are the implications of Brexit?

In this episode of Modern Mindset, Adam Cox talks to Hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, Matt Cullen, to investigate whether hypnosis has any place in the workplace or the boardroom. From communication, beliefs, and values, to confidence and anxiety, could this be the key to helping businesses unlock their employees’ full potential?

The government has rejected calls to ban employers from forcing women to wear high heels, arguing that existing laws against sex discrimination already outlaw such dress codes. So what can employees do if they're faced with sexist dress codes?

A lack of skilled workers is increasingly forcing many employers to offer higher wages and lower requirements for candidates. That's according to research from The Recruitment & Employment Confederation which found nearly half of employers struggling to recruit for permanent roles. To find out more about what's causing this Share Radio's Tom Hill spoke to REC Director of Policy and Professional Services Tom Hadley.

Last week saw the introduction of new gender pay reporting regulations forcing companies employing more than 250 people to publish information about their pay. So, what will this information really tell you, what can you do if you think you're not being paid the same as men in your organisation and what happens if you don't comply with the rules?

It's been revealed that the tech industry is the best in the UK at using gender-neutral language when it comes to job adverts. But what effect is this having on the gender balance - or imbalance - in the industry? Share Radio reporter Sara Macham spoke to Becky Barr from Adzuna, the job search engine which commissioned the research, to find out more.

Recently we had another case testing the rights of gig economy workers. Self-employed cycle courier Andrew Boxer took the firm Excel to an employment tribunal arguing that he was a "worker" as defined by the Employment Rights Act - therefore, should get basic rights including holiday pay and the national minimum wage. His claim was backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain and the employment tribunal agreed with him. To find out what rulings such as this will mean for the gig economy Georgie Frost was joined by Kevin Charles, Director of Crosslands Employment Solicitors.