Employment rights are changing, and with so many announcements, proposals and dates flying around, keeping track of what actually matters can feel like a job in itself. In this article, we cut through some of the noise, look at what’s changing and when, and explore the practical steps businesses can take now to feel prepared rather than caught off guard.

Understanding absence is about so much more than the number of days an employee takes off sick.

For decades, the Bradford Factor has helped HR teams identify patterns in short-term absence. But a number can only tell you so much. There’s an opportunity to make the Bradford Factor work harder by combining it with more accurate, consistent and meaningful absence data.

The gender pension gap deserves more attention.

When we talk about pensions and retirement outcomes, it’s worth asking whether the experiences we most often discuss are representative of everyone.

Women’s working lives can look very different — with career breaks, caring responsibilities, part-time work and differences in earnings all potentially affecting how much is built up for retirement.

For employers with contract-based workplace pensions, the provider’s annual governance report can provide useful information and reassurance.
But provider-level governance isn’t the same as independent governance of your workplace pension. We explore why we think this matters so much.

Have you nominated your pension beneficiaries? Do you even know what that means? Or has something significant happened in your life since you last checked who you’ve nominated?

It’s not something any of us particularly like to think about, but it’s really important that you have a say in who your pension passes to if you die before you’ve accessed it.

There’s a big difference between having a pension and knowing whether your pension is going to be enough.

But even that raises a difficult question: enough for what?

Has your medical insurance evolved with your business – or have you outgrown the scheme you started with?

Account Director Rebecca Adams explores the key differences between Private Medical Insurance schemes and considers whether the cover that worked for your business when it was first introduced still meets the needs of your organisation and its people today.

In this article. we explore whether communication is the most overlooked employee benefit of all. Organisations invest significantly in employee benefits, yet engagement isn't always as high as it could be. Helping employees understand what support is available, when to use it and how to access it, could deliver a far greater return on investment while supporting your workforce more effectively.

We believe that the conversation around workplace absence needs to evolve. In this thought-provoking article, Abbie Buckley explores why one of the most outdated aspects of absence management isn't the policy itself, but the way employees are expected to report that they're unwell.

We think it’s time for employers to ‘pay some attention to their workplace pensions’. Most look fine, few deliver the outcome employees need.

As pressure on the NHS continues and the cost of sickness absence rises, it's imperative that employers prioritise early intervention and collect accurate workforce health data to support prevention and build healthier, more productive workforces.

Well done to Yana on her 1 year Inkiversary!