Following the [first wave of reforms introduced in April 2026](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-law-changes-in-april-2026-what-you-need-to-know), employers now face a further set of changes expected to take effect from October 2026. This second wave places greater emphasis on employer responsibilities - particularly around harassment prevention, trade union rights and workplace protections. 

With October fast approaching and several of the changes still subject to finalised regulations and codes of practice, businesses should begin reviewing their policies, procedures and management practices now rather than waiting for every detail to be confirmed. 

## Summary

- From October 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a second wave of reforms focused on harassment prevention, trade union rights and workplace protections. 
- The duty to prevent sexual harassment rises from "reasonable steps" to "all reasonable steps," and a new duty covers harassment by third parties. 
- Employers must give workers a standalone written statement on the right to join a trade union, and unions gain new workplace access rights (firms with fewer than 21 employees are exempt). 
- Tribunal time limits for most claims are set to rise from three to six months, "no earlier than" October 2026. 

## October 2026 changes

### Sexual harassment

The current duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the course of employment is being strengthened. From October, this becomes a duty to take all reasonable steps - a higher and more proactive standard that will require employers to go further than simply having a policy in place. 

The government has the power to make regulations clarifying what "all reasonable steps" means in practice, but these are not expected until 2027 or 2028. In the meantime, the [EHRC's technical guidance on sexual harassment and harassment at work](https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/sexual-harassment-and-harassment-work-technical-guidance) provides the most useful practical benchmark for employers assessing whether their current measures are sufficient. 

### Third-party harassment

A new duty will require employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment of their employees by third parties - meaning anyone other than the employer or a fellow employee, such as contractors, suppliers, clients, customers, service users, passengers, patients, members of the public and residents. This covers harassment related to all relevant protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.  

Third-party harassment protections were removed from statute in 2013, so this represents a significant restoration of workplace rights. The "all reasonable steps" standard mirrors the strengthened duty introduced for sexual harassment (see above), and employers should consider both duties together when reviewing their harassment prevention measures. 

### Duty to inform workers of right to join a trade union

Employers will be required to inform their workers of their right to join a trade union. This must be provided as a standalone written statement - it cannot be incorporated into the written statement of particulars of employment (the Section 1 statement) or other standard onboarding documents. 

The statement must include: the functions of trade unions, a summary of workers' rights in relation to union membership, a list of any trade unions recognised by the employer, and a signpost to the relevant government website for further information. 

Regulations will set out the precise content of the statement, how it must be issued to both new and existing workers, and how frequently it must be reissued. The obligation to inform existing workers - not just new starters - means employers should not treat this as a one-off onboarding task. 

### Trade union right of access

Trade unions will have new rights to access workplaces - both physically and digitally (including, for example, the ability to communicate with workers via email or virtual meetings). 

To start this process, a union must make a written request to an employer seeking access. The employer then has 15 working days to issue a written response, followed by a negotiation period of 25 working days to allow for the parties to agree the terms of access. If no agreement is reached, the union has 55 working days from the date of the initial request to refer the matter to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), which has the power to impose access terms. 

**Please note** - employers with fewer than 21 employees are exempt from this regime. 

### Facilities and time off for trade union officials

Currently, employers who recognise a trade union must allow officials of that union to take paid time off during working hours to carry out trade union duties and undertake relevant training.  

The ERA strengthens this by introducing a new duty on employers to provide reasonable accommodation and facilities - such as meeting rooms or access to communication tools - where the representative requests this to carry out their duties. 

This new facilities duty applies to trade union officials, trade union learning representatives, and the newly created category of trade union equality representatives. 

### Enhanced protection from detriment

Workers who take part in protected industrial action will gain a new right not to be subjected to a detriment by their employer, where the sole or main purpose of that treatment is to prevent, deter or penalise them for doing so. This could include, for example, disciplinary action, financial penalties, or denial of career development opportunities - though the protection is not limited to these examples. 

### Employment tribunal time limits

No earlier than October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims will increase from three months to six months. Note that breach of contract claims arising on termination of employment are excluded and will remain subject to a three-month limit. 

The "no earlier than" caveat means this change could slip beyond October 2026 - potentially into 2027 - so employers should monitor the confirmed implementation date. 

In practical terms, employers should review their record-keeping practices in light of this change. Documents and records relating to disciplinary processes, grievances and dismissals that were previously safe to dispose of will need to be retained for longer. 

### Tips and gratuities

Key changes to tipping legislation will come into effect. These will require employers to consult with worker or trade union representatives before producing their first written tipping policy. Employers will also have to review the policy every three years and consult with the representatives when doing so. Finally, the employer will also need to provide workers with an anonymised summary of the views expressed during consultation.  

### Public sector outsourcing

Where a company takes on a public sector outsourcing contract, new measures under the ERA are intended to prevent the creation of a two-tier workforce. Workers employed directly by the contractor to deliver the outsourced service should not be treated less favourably in their terms and conditions than employees who transferred from the public authority under TUPE. The aim is to promote consistency in pay and employment terms across the workforce. 

## What should employers do now?

Although some of the changes will require further regulations and government guidance before they are fully implemented, employers should begin preparing now. Reviewing workplace policies, updating harassment procedures, assessing trade union processes and ensuring managers understand the new obligations will help organisations reduce legal risk and maintain compliance. 

### Further reading

For more information on the upcoming employment law changes, you may find the following articles helpful: 

- [Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) changes from April 2026](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes) 
- [Unfair dismissal changes 2027: The six-month qualifying period explained](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unfair-dismissal-changes-2027)  
- [The Fair Work Agency: What this new enforcement body means for employers](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/the-fair-work-agency) 
- [Employment law changes in April 2026: What you need to know ](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-law-changes-in-april-2026-what-you-need-to-know)

For the latest HR news and updates, visit our [News blog](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/page/1/). 

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

Colleagues at a work meeting reading and discussing written legal changes 

shutterstock_658068019.jpg

Employment Rights Act: October 2026 changes

Closing the disability employment gap alone could add an estimated [£17 billion a year](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-commits-to-introducing-mandatory-ethnicity-and-disability-pay-gap-reporting-for-large-employers) to the UK economy \[1\]. That figure points to a wider truth: many organisations are not reaching, retaining, or making the most of the talent already available to them, often because of how their policies are designed rather than any lack of good intent.

Most employers want to treat their people fairly. Fair intentions do not always produce fair outcomes, though, because policy design can create barriers that have little to do with someone's ability to do the job. A recruitment process can assess confidence rather than capability. A working pattern can suit some employees better than others. A promotion route can be clear to some staff and unclear to others.

Inclusive workplace policies address these issues by designing systems that work for the widest possible range of people. The aim is not to lower standards, but to remove obstacles, so that recruitment, progression, and day-to-day working reflect what people can contribute. Done well, this is not only fairer but commercially stronger.

## Summary

*   Inclusion and diversity are related but different: diversity describes the make up of the workforce, while inclusion relates to whether everyone can be themselves, contribute, are valued and able to progress. Effective policies consider both \[9\].
*   Closing the disability employment gap could add an estimated £17 billion a year to the UK economy \[1\].
*   Employment gaps remain wide: in Q2 2025, 52.8% of working-age disabled people were in employment, compared with 82.5% of non-disabled people \[2\].
*   The legal foundation is the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination and requires reasonable adjustments for disabled employees \[3\].
*   New harassment duties arrive from 2026. Employers will need to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent harassment, including by third parties, from October 2026 \[4\]\[11\].
*   Pay gap reporting is expanding: voluntary gender pay and menopause action plans from April 2026, mandatory action plans for large employers expected from 2027, with ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting confirmed to follow \[5\]\[6\].
*   Inclusive recruitment focuses on essential skills, structured interviews, and accessible processes that assess genuine capability.
*   Many of the most effective adjustments cost little or nothing, such as clearer communication, flexible hours, and a quieter workspace / remote working.
*   Inclusion works best when it is shared across the organisation and the tone set by leadership, rather than treated as a task for the HR team alone \[8\].

## Inclusion vs diversity: What is the difference?

The two ideas are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Diversity describes the mix of people in an organisation, including differences in:

*   age
*   sex
*   race (including colour, ethnicity, nationality)
*   disability
*   pregnancy and maternity
*   religion
*   marriage and civil partnership
*   sexual orientation
*   gender reassignment.

Inclusion describes whether those people can take part fully, feel they belong, and have a genuine equality of opportunity. As the [CIPD notes](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/inclusion-work/), hiring a diverse workforce does not guarantee that every employee has the same experience or opportunities \[9\].

An [inclusive policy](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/building-a-diverse-equal-and-inclusive-workplace) is one designed so that a wide range of people can succeed within it. This applies across the employee lifecycle, including how organisations advertise roles, communicate, manage performance, collaborate, decide pay and promotion, and handle complaints. A policy may be well-intentioned and still produce uneven outcomes if it is not designed with different needs or experiences in mind.

Inclusion does not mean lowering expectations or creating exceptions. It means reducing barriers that are unrelated to someone's ability to do the job and recognising and valuing people’s different contributions and perspectives, so that selection and progression can reflect merit and enrich workplaces.

## Why inclusive policies make commercial sense

The commercial argument now extends well beyond reputation. UK employers increasingly treat equality, diversity and inclusion as part of their wider strategy, with [57% of UK organisations](https://stribehq.com/resources/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion-statistics/) regarding it as a priority when recruiting \[7\]. This can affect talent attraction, as many candidates take it into account when considering an employer. Around [66% of British workers](https://stribehq.com/resources/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion-statistics/) say the acceptance and inclusion of employees from all backgrounds is important when they weigh up job opportunities \[7\].

The advantage of varied perspectives shows up in two places. Internally, it improves the quality of decisions and ideas: BCG's study of more than 1,700 companies found that those with above-average management diversity generated 19% more revenue from innovation than less diverse businesses \[12\], because people with different backgrounds approach a problem from angles a homogeneous team would miss. Externally, those same perspectives help an organisation understand the people it serves. Customers are not a single, uniform group, and a workforce that reflects that range is better placed to anticipate how products and services will land and to spot opportunities a narrower team would overlook - insight difficult to replicate through research alone.

Inclusion also shapes how an organisation is seen by the people it depends on. Investors, clients, partners, and prospective recruits increasingly weigh an employer's approach to equality and inclusion when they decide who to work with, which makes a credible commitment an asset across the full range of stakeholder relationships rather than a matter for recruitment alone.

There are links to retention and performance as well. The CIPD's research connects inclusive cultures with stronger engagement and retention, and notes that a diverse workforce may not stay with an organisation [where people do not feel valued](https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/building-inclusive-workplaces-report-sept-2019_tcm18-64154.pdf), included and respected \[8\]. Retention also has a clear cost dimension. When [employee replacement costs](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone) range from 50% to 200% of annual salary, improvements in retention can produce meaningful savings.

There is also a wider talent pool to consider. In Q2 2025, [52.8% of working-age disabled people](https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmworpen/1227/report.html) were in employment, compared with 82.5% of non-disabled people \[2\]. The disability pay gap stands at [15.5%](https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-disability-pay-gap-means-disabled-workers-effectively-stop-earning-today), which equates to around £4,000 a year for the average disabled employee working full time, and is wider still for disabled women \[10\]. These figures suggest that skills and experience may be going unused where recruitment and working practices are not accessible.

## The legal context

Inclusive policies rest on a clear legal base. The [Equality Act 2010](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents) is the foundation, prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and victimisation across nine protected characteristics, and requiring employers to make [reasonable adjustments](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/reasonable-adjustments-in-the-workplace) for disabled employees \[3\]. That duty is anticipatory, so employers are expected to consider barriers in advance rather than waiting for a problem to arise. Many adjustments cost little or nothing, such as flexible hours, written instructions, or a quieter workspace.

These obligations are tightening. From October 2026, the [Employment Rights Act 2025](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-rights-bill-roadmap-for-2025-2027) raises the duty to take "all reasonable steps" to prevent harassment [](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/sexual-harassment-legislation-a-roadmap-for-employers)and introduces employer liability for harassment by third parties such as customers, clients, and contractors. The third-party liability applies to all types of harassment, not only sexual harassment, where an employer cannot show it took all reasonable steps to prevent it \[4\]. Pay gap transparency is also expanding: voluntary action plans on gender pay and menopause support arrive in April 2026, with mandatory action plans expected for employers of 250 or more from 2027, and ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting confirmed to follow \[5\]\[6\]\[11\]. Smaller employers fall outside the mandatory thresholds for now, but the requirements are widening, and good data habits make any future obligations easier to meet.

The practical point for policy is that inclusion is moving from good practice towards legal expectation. Designing fair systems now is more straightforward than retrofitting them under a tighter regime later.

## Inclusive recruitment: Reaching and assessing talent fairly

Recruitment is often where inclusion is most easily supported or undermined, because barriers at this stage can filter out candidates before they have a chance to show what they can do.

When writing job descriptions, include only what is genuinely essential, as each additional requirement narrows the applicant pool. Phrases such as "excellent communicator" or "energetic self-starter" describe a personality type rather than a role requirement, and may indirectly disadvantage some candidates. Describe the actual task instead, for example "able to explain technical information clearly to non-specialist clients." Avoid language that signals a narrow group, as "recent graduate" can amount to age discrimination.

Inclusive selection focuses on capability rather than performance under unfamiliar pressure. Practical steps include:

*   providing interview questions in advance, so candidates are assessed on their reasoning rather than how quickly they think on the spot
*   offering work samples or task-based assessments alongside conversation
*   allowing candidates to request adjustments without disadvantage, and asking proactively whether any are needed
*   using structured interviews, where each candidate is asked the same core questions against agreed criteria
*   involving more than one person in shortlisting to reduce individual bias.

Structured approaches reduce the influence of unconscious bias and predict job performance more reliably than unstructured conversation.

It is also worth considering where roles are advertised and who they reach. Anonymising applications at the shortlisting stage and partnering with organisations that support under-represented groups both help widen the pool. Schemes such as [Disability Confident](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign) offer a structured framework for employers who want to improve how they recruit and retain disabled people.

## Building inclusion into everyday working

Recruitment brings people in. Day-to-day practices influence whether they stay and progress.

Flexibility is one of the most practical ways to support inclusion, and benefits disabled and [neurodivergent employees](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace), carers, parents, older workers, and those managing health conditions. The Employment Rights Act 2025 will strengthen [flexible working rights](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-how-the-law-is-changing) in 2027 by requiring employers to show that any refusal of a request is reasonable, in addition to relying on statutory grounds \[11\]. Review return-to-office arrangements with care, as fixed attendance requirements can disadvantage some disabled workers who benefit from remote or hybrid working.

Clear communication matters just as much. Specific instructions reduce ambiguity for everyone, and they are essential for employees who interpret language literally. Compare these two approaches:

**Unclear**: "Can you look at the report when you get a chance and let me know your thoughts?"

**Clear**: "Please review the draft report and send any changes by Tuesday at 2 PM, ahead of the client meeting on Wednesday."

Written confirmation after verbal discussions, agendas circulated in advance, and the option to contribute in writing as well as aloud all widen participation.

Pay, performance, and progression decisions should rest on clear, consistent criteria - but consistency alone does not guarantee fairness. A measure applied evenly to everyone can still disadvantage people whose circumstances it fails to account for. Disabled employees are the clearest example: a metric affected by the effects of a disability rather than performance needs to be examined and adjusted where it creates that disadvantage.

The CIPD suggests comparing [promotion rates](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/evidence-reviews/building-inclusive-workplaces/) between demographic groups to identify patterns that may need attention \[9\].

Employee networks, regular surveys, and feedback channels give people a route to raise issues and help shape policy. Encouraging feedback is widely seen as an effective way to support inclusion, with [63% of British workers](https://stribehq.com/resources/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion-statistics/) identifying it as the best approach \[7\]. The value comes from acting on what these channels reveal, rather than gathering the feedback alone.

## Where to start

A phased approach works well for employers wondering where to begin.

Start by reviewing existing systems. Examine recruitment, communication, performance, and pay processes for hidden barriers, using engagement surveys, focus groups, and workforce data to show where outcomes differ between groups.

Next, introduce low-cost changes and trial them. Clearer job adverts, structured interviews, advance agendas, accessible meeting practices, and consistent flexible working policies are inexpensive and make a noticeable difference. Run them with willing teams first, gather feedback, and refine.

Once changes prove effective, formalise them in policy, support them with manager training, and build them into leadership and performance frameworks so they no longer depend on individual champions. Prepare for the reporting duties ahead by capturing relevant data before it becomes mandatory.

Throughout, leadership behaviour matters alongside written policy. When senior people support inclusion visibly, treat adjustments as routine, and ask what works best for each person, the culture tends to follow. Inclusion is less a single project than a consistent way of working, and the organisations that treat it that way tend to recruit from a wider pool, keep people for longer, and meet their legal duties with less last-minute scramble.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] GOV.UK, Government commits to introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers, March 2026.

\[2\] House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, Employment support for disabled people: Disability at Work (ONS figures, Q2 2025), 2026.

\[3\] DavidsonMorris, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: 2026 Employer Guide, February 2026.

\[4\] Penningtons Manches Cooper, Harassment and the Employment Rights Act 2025: what employers need to know, February 2026.

\[5\] Lewis Silkin, What's in the Employment Rights Act?, February 2026.

\[6\] Pinsent Masons, UK government to progress mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, March 2026.

\[7\] Stribe, Diversity and inclusion statistics every workplace leader should know in 2026 (citing YouGov and Nigel Wright Group), November 2025.

\[8\] CIPD, Building inclusive workplaces: Assessing the evidence, 2019.

\[9\] CIPD, Inclusion at Work: executive summary, 2022.

\[10\] TUC, Disability pay gap means disabled workers effectively stop earning from today (15.5% gap, analysis of ONS figures), November 2025.

\[11\] ACAS, Employment Rights Act 2025.

Inclusive policies help organisations attract talent, retain staff, and meet their legal duties. With new harassment rules and pay gap reporting arriving across 2026 and 2027, this guide explains what inclusion involves and how to build it into everyday practice.

neurodiversity.jpg

Inclusive workplace policies: A practical guide for UK employers

The 2026 World Cup could cost employers around [$17 billion in lost productivity](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602114727/en/World-Cup-Could-Cost-Employers-$17-Billion-in-Lost-Productivity-UKG-Says) worldwide, according to research published by workforce software firm UKG. The same study found that 37% of employees plan to adjust their work schedule around the tournament, and more than a quarter expect to miss work by arriving late, leaving early, or skipping a day entirely. \[1\]

For UK employers, the timing makes this particularly relevant. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which means most matches fall in the UK evening or later. England open against Croatia on Wednesday 17 June at 9pm BST, play Ghana on Tuesday 23 June at 9pm, and finish the group stage against Panama on Saturday 27 June at 10pm \[2\]. If either England or Scotland progress, the knockout fixtures run later still, with some kick-offs scheduled for 1am, 2am, or beyond in UK time.

Late nights, and the temptation of a drink while watching, create a predictable pattern: lateness, tiredness, reduced productivity, and short-notice absence the morning after a big game \[3\]. This article sets out the main risks and the practical steps employers can take to manage them while keeping morale high.

## Summary

*   Most matches kick off late in UK time, so the main risk is next-day disruption: lateness, tiredness, and short-notice absence, rather than time off during the working day.
*   The disruption grows if the teams your staff follow progress, as knockout fixtures run into the early hours of UK mornings.
*   Plan staffing now. Review cover for popular fixtures, knockout games, and the days immediately after, particularly for client-facing and business-critical work.
*   Decide your annual leave approach early and communicate it, applying any limits on numbers off at once consistently and fairly.
*   Remind staff of your sickness absence and reporting policies before the tournament. Note that Statutory Sick Pay is now payable from day one of absence, which raises the cost of unplanned sickness.
*   Flexibility, used consistently, often works better than rigid enforcement. Adjusted start times or remote working after late games can reduce both absence and resentment.
*   Screening the highlights of matches or running sweepstakes can boost morale, provided participation is genuinely optional and non-followers are not excluded.
*   Apply conduct, dignity at work, and equal opportunities policies as normal. Football is not an excuse for harassment, discrimination, or exclusion.

## Why this tournament is different

Major sporting events usually raise the same questions for employers: how to handle holiday requests, manage productivity, and deal with absence. The 2026 World Cup carries an unusual twist because of where it is being held.

Because the tournament is hosted in North America, most fixtures take place outside normal UK working hours. On one hand, this reduces the pressure for time off during the working day, since fewer matches clash with it. On the other hand, late-evening and overnight kick-offs create a different problem: employees staying up to watch, then struggling the next morning. With both England and Scotland qualified, interest across UK workforces is likely to be high. The home nations won't be the only draw, either. This is the first 48-team World Cup, and many workplaces will include staff following Sweden, Czechia, Brazil, or other qualified sides, whose key fixtures may fall at different times again \[5\].

Hybrid and remote working adds another dimension. It can make it easier for someone to stay up through the night and attempt to work the following day, with predictable effects on focus and output. It also gives employers less direct visibility of how working hours are actually spent. None of this is a reason to clamp down, but it is a reason to set clear expectations in advance.

## Planning staffing and cover

The single most useful step is to look ahead at the fixture calendar and map it against your own busy periods and business-critical work. Identify the dates most likely to affect attendance: the group games your staff are most likely to follow, any knockout fixtures, and the working days immediately afterwards.

Review whether you have enough cover for client-facing work, phone lines, deadlines, shifts, site work, and any service that cannot simply pause. Where gaps appear, address them early through planned leave, temporary cover, or adjusted deadlines, rather than discovering the problem on the morning itself. Shift workers and rota-based teams need particular attention, as their hours may overlap directly with popular fixtures even when office-based staff are unaffected.

## Annual leave requests

Expect a rise in annual leave requests around key matches and the days after them. Decide your approach before the requests arrive, and make it clear to staff.

A first-come, first-served system is common and easy to explain, but apply it consistently. If you need to limit the number of people off at any one time to maintain cover, set that limit in advance and apply it to everyone on the same basis. Inconsistent decisions, where one team is granted leave freely and another refused, are a frequent source of resentment and, at worst, grievances.

It is also worth reminding employees that leave needs to be requested and approved in the normal way, and that approval depends on business needs. Communicating this early, ideally before the tournament begins, manages expectations and reduces friction when popular dates fill up.

## Sickness absence and "sickies"

The most commonly raised concern is the "sickie": an employee calling in sick the morning after a late game, whether through genuine tiredness, a hangover, or simply to watch the highlights. This is where a clear, well-communicated sickness absence policy earns its place.

Remind staff before the tournament of your sickness reporting procedures, the standards expected, and the consequences of unauthorised absence. Monitoring absence levels during the tournament, and noting any patterns that suggest a fixture-related spike, allows you to address issues fairly and on evidence rather than assumption.

A word of caution on judging which absences are "genuine". A hangover may be self-inflicted, but employers should avoid making assumptions about which illnesses count and which do not, as this can create inconsistency and unfairness. The better approach is to apply your policy evenly, distinguish carefully between someone who is genuinely unfit for work and someone whose absence appears not to be, and take proportionate action where there is a real concern. With [unfair dismissal](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unfair-dismissal-changes-2027) protections changing, fair and documented process is worth getting right.

One change makes this more pressing in 2026. Recent [Statutory Sick Pay](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes) reforms mean that even a short absence can now trigger SSP from day one, so short-notice sickness after a late game costs employers more than it used to \[4\]. That raises the value of clear policies, accurate records, and consistent handling.

## Flexibility as an alternative to enforcement

Rigid enforcement is not the only option, and it is often not the most effective one. Where the nature of the work allows, a degree of planned flexibility can reduce both absence and ill-feeling.

Options worth considering include adjusted start times the morning after a late fixture, allowing affected staff to begin later and finish later, or to work from home where the role permits. Scheduling fewer early-morning meetings on the days after major games is a small change that takes pressure off. Some employers allow staff to use flexible or [flexible working](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-how-the-law-is-changing) arrangements during the tournament, provided output and cover are maintained.

The key, as with leave, is consistency. Flexibility offered to one group and withheld from another, without a clear operational reason, undermines trust. It also helps to be clear that flexibility is a two-way arrangement: it depends on staff maintaining their standards and not abusing the goodwill, which protects colleagues who have no interest in the football from carrying an unfair share of the load.

## Turning the tournament into a positive

Handled well, the World Cup can lift morale rather than drain productivity. Many employers choose to embrace it.

Screening selected matches or highlights in the workplace, or allowing staff to watch during breaks, can build a sense of occasion, particularly for fixtures that fall within or close to working hours. Sweepstakes, predictions leagues, themed lunches, or charity initiatives tied to the tournament can engage people across the organisation. Where employees watch a match during working time, you can reasonably ask them to make up the time, provided this is agreed in advance.

The important caveat is inclusion. Not everyone follows football, and any activity should be genuinely optional. Plan so that those who opt out are not left to cover a disproportionate share of the work, and that the workplace does not tip into pressure to take part. Done thoughtfully, these initiatives bring people together; done carelessly, they can alienate part of the workforce.

## Conduct, inclusion, and discrimination risks

Heightened emotion around international football can spill into behaviour that crosses a line. Before the tournament begins, remind staff that your usual standards still apply, including policies on dignity at work, bullying and harassment, equal opportunities, social media, and conduct.

The risks are real. Banter about national teams can shade into comments about nationality or ethnicity, which may amount to harassment or discrimination. Rivalry between supporters of different teams should not become a route to exclusion or intimidation. These are not reasons to suppress everyone's enthusiasm, but they are reasons to be clear that football provides no licence for offensive remarks or behaviour that makes colleagues uncomfortable.

This matters more than usual in 2026, as employer duties around harassment are tightening. Handling World Cup conduct well now also puts a workplace in a stronger position for those changes. For a fuller picture, see our guidance on [building an inclusive workplace](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/building-a-diverse-equal-and-inclusive-workplace).

## Preparing now

A short checklist for the coming weeks:

*   map the key fixtures against your busy periods, based on your knowledge of what national football teams your employees support, and identify where cover is at risk
*   decide and communicate your annual leave approach, including any limits on numbers off at once
*   remind staff of sickness reporting procedures and conduct standards before the first game
*   review your sickness absence policy in light of the day-one SSP change, and make sure records and handling are consistent
*   decide whether you will offer flexibility, screen matches, or run activities, and set the ground rules clearly
*   brief managers so that leave, flexibility, and absence are handled the same way across teams.

A clear, fair, and well-communicated approach lets employees enjoy the tournament while the business keeps running. Setting expectations now, rather than improvising on the morning after England's opening game, is the difference between a month of goodwill and a month of friction.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] UKG, World Cup Could Cost Employers $17 Billion in Lost Productivity, June 2026.

\[2\] FIFA / England Football, England FIFA World Cup 2026 match schedule, May 2026.

\[3\] Personnel Today, Employers urged to prepare for 'sickies' during World Cup, 2026.

\[4\] VWV, New statutory sick pay rules effective from 6 April 2026, April 2026.

\[5\] Brightmine, World Cup 2026: Employers' guide to workplace implications, April 2026.

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World Cup 2026: How employers can manage absence and disruption

Men's Health Week, organised by the [Men's Health Forum](https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mhw), runs from 15 to 21 June 2026 \[1\]. For employers, it offers a useful focal point to review how well existing wellbeing provision reaches the men on their teams, and to identify changes that could improve engagement and outcomes year-round.

The data suggests this matters. Men experience mental and physical health conditions at broadly similar rates to women but tend to seek help less often. Around [75% of suicides registered in England and Wales in 2023 were male](https://www.matesinmind.org/training-and-resources/men-s-health-week-uk-15-21-june-2026), and suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK \[2\]. Yet only around [36% of referrals to NHS Talking Therapies are men](https://vitahealthgroup.co.uk/health-hub/articles/mens-mental-health-month-2025/) \[3\], and just over half of men say they would consider seeing a GP about a mental health concern.

The workplace pattern follows a similar shape. In November 2025, the UK government announced the [first Men's Health Strategy for England](https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-11-19/debates/25111932000017/Men%E2%80%99SHealthStrategyForEngland), citing the impact of men's health on "families, workplaces and communities" \[4\]. Employers sit at a useful point of influence: a place where men spend a significant share of their adult life, where preventative information can reach them at scale, and where small adjustments to communication, manager training, and flexibility can support better engagement with health services.

This article sets out what recent UK research shows about men's health at work, where common gaps appear, and the practical steps employers can take.

## Summary

*   Men's Health Week 2026 runs from 15 to 21 June, providing employers with a focused window to review wellbeing provision and engagement among male staff \[1\].
*   Around 75% of suicide deaths in England and Wales are male, and suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 \[2\].
*   Men are less likely to access psychological therapies - only 36% of NHS Talking Therapies referrals are men \[3\].
*   UK Employee Assistance Programme data shows 56% of calls are made by women and just 29.5% by men, pointing to gendered patterns in engagement with workplace mental health support \[5\].
*   [Only 37% of eligible men have ever been invited for an NHS Health Check](https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/report/2025-11-05/mens-health-how-improve-health-outcomes-knowledge-and-behaviours); workplace information was a notable factor in encouraging younger and ethnic minority men to attend \[6\].
*   Presenteeism reached a post-pandemic high in 2025, reported by 38% of UK businesses, with poor mental wellbeing estimated to cost UK employers £42-£45 billion annually \[7\].
*   Sector matters: construction, agriculture, and the armed forces have elevated suicide rates among men, suggesting targeted support is more effective than generic provision \[8\].
*   Low-cost actions for employers include reviewing how visibly wellbeing support is communicated, signposting NHS Health Checks, offering paid time off for medical appointments, and training line managers to recognise early signs of distress.

## Why men's health at work tends to need separate consideration

Workplace wellbeing initiatives often perform unevenly across gender. Research from the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association reports that [56% of calls to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) are made by women and only 29.5% by men](https://www.eapa.org.uk/why-dont-more-men-use-the-eap/), with the remainder unspecified \[5\]. The same pattern appears across NHS Talking Therapies and routine GP attendance. Mental Health UK reports that men are [significantly less likely to access psychological therapies](https://mentalhealth-uk.org/mens-mental-health/), and [50% of men have struggled with mental health difficulties at some point - yet fewer than half have sought medical advice](https://www.matesinmind.org/training-and-resources/men-s-health-week-uk-15-21-june-2026), with 37% saying they have actively hidden symptoms from those around them \[2\].

The reasons are well documented in research, including stigma, concern about career impact, and cultural expectations around self-reliance. For employers, the practical implication is that simply providing a wellbeing service does not guarantee it will be used equally across the workforce. Reviewing how services are communicated, who they reach, and whether engagement is monitored by gender can help identify where adjustments may be useful.

### The physical health picture

Mental health often dominates the conversation around men's wellbeing, but physical health follows a similar pattern. Men in the UK have a life expectancy around four years shorter than women, with much of the gap attributed to preventable conditions. Men tend to attend GP appointments less frequently than women and engage less consistently with preventative screening.

Healthwatch England's [June 2025 nationally representative poll of 3,575 men](https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/report/2025-11-05/mens-health-how-improve-health-outcomes-knowledge-and-behaviours) found that only 37% of eligible men had ever been invited for an NHS Health Check, although 92% of those who attended would go again, and 79% said they would attend screening if it were introduced routinely by the NHS \[6\]. The same research found that younger and ethnic minority men were particularly likely to be encouraged to attend through information shared at their workplace, suggesting employers can play a useful role in raising awareness of NHS preventative services.

## What current UK workplace data shows

The 2025 wellbeing picture for UK workers is mixed. The [Mental Health UK Burnout Report 2025](https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/how-do-we-tackle-presenteeism-in-the-workplace/) found that around 9 in 10 UK workers reported high or extreme levels of stress in the past year \[7\]. Presenteeism - working when unwell or beyond contracted hours - was reported by 38% of UK businesses in 2025, the highest level recorded since that survey began.

Poor mental wellbeing is estimated to cost UK employers between [£42 billion and £45 billion annually](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace), primarily through presenteeism, sickness absence, and turnover \[9\]. The CIPD's [2025 Health and Wellbeing at Work report](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/health-well-being-work/) found that just over half of employees feel their organisation is supportive of mental health, with many feeling underserved, and over two-thirds saying their line manager is open and approachable on mental health issues - a useful indicator of where workplace support tends to begin in practice \[10\].

### Sector-specific considerations

Certain sectors carry elevated risk for the men who work in them. Research summarised by [Mental Health First Aid Course](https://www.mentalhealthfirstaidcourse.co.uk/blog/mens-mental-health-statistics) suggests construction workers face suicide rates approximately 3.7 times higher than the general population, with agriculture, farming, and the armed forces also showing raised rates \[8\]. Contributing factors commonly cited include long hours, physical isolation, occupational cultures emphasising self-reliance, and reduced access to support in rural or operational settings.

For employers in these sectors, generic wellbeing communications may be less effective than targeted approaches. Industry-specific charities and partnerships can provide sector-relevant support.

*   **Construction**: [Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity](https://www.lighthouseclub.org/) operates a 24/7 helpline and on-site wellbeing services.
*   **Construction and trades**: [Mates in Mind](https://www.matesinmind.org/) provides workplace mental health programmes designed around construction sector culture and shift patterns.
*   **Agriculture**: The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) offer support specifically for farming communities.
*   **Armed forces and veterans**: Combat Stress and SSAFA provide specialist mental health support.

## Practical actions for employers

The actions below are intended as options to consider rather than a prescriptive list. The most appropriate combination will depend on workforce size, sector, existing provision, and the gaps identified through internal review.

### Review how visibly support is communicated

Wellbeing services tend to perform better when they are easy to find. A useful starting point is to audit how a new starter or existing employee would access mental health support today: how many clicks from the intranet homepage, whether information appears in routine communications such as payslips or team channels, and whether the language used in promotional material is likely to resonate with employees who don't currently engage.

Crisis lines, [Employee Assistance Programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme) details, and signposting to NHS Talking Therapies can usefully appear in multiple locations rather than only within wellbeing-specific resources. Communications that reference health in routine business contexts - induction, monthly team meetings, manager one-to-ones - can help reduce the sense that raising a concern requires waiting for an awareness week.

### Signpost the NHS Health Check

NHS Health Checks are free for adults aged 40-74 in England and screen for early signs of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and stroke. Healthwatch's research suggests workplace information is one of the more effective ways to encourage younger and ethnic minority men to attend \[6\].

Practical options include:

*   including NHS Health Check information in induction packs, internal newsletters, and Men's Health Week communications
*    offering paid time off for the appointment, which Healthwatch identified as a common barrier
*   working with occupational health providers to run on-site health screening days, where workforce size makes this viable
*   promoting other preventative information, including testicular cancer self-checks for younger men and prostate cancer awareness for men over 50.

### Train line managers to recognise early signs

Mental health concerns are often disclosed first to line managers. CIPD research indicates that over two-thirds of employees see their line manager as open and approachable on mental health issues, but training varies considerably across organisations \[10\]. Manager training that includes how distress may present differently - for example, irritability, withdrawal, working excessive hours, or increased alcohol use - can support earlier intervention.

Accredited training options in the UK include:

*   **[MHFA England's Mental Health First Aid (MHFAider) course](https://mhfaengland.org/individuals/adult/mhfa/)**: two-day course covering recognition, conversation, and signposting skills
*   **[MHFA England's Mental Health Skills for Managers course](https://mhfaengland.org/individuals/adult/mental-health-skills-for-managers/)**: shorter format focused specifically on line manager responsibilities
*   **[Mates in Mind training programmes](https://www.matesinmind.org/training-and-resources/mental-health-and-wellbeing-training)**: workplace-focused programmes, particularly suited to construction and trades
*   **free awareness resources**: many providers, including the [Men's Health Forum](https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/), [Mind](https://www.mind.org.uk/), and [Samaritans](https://www.samaritans.org/), offer free posters, conversation guides, and toolkits employers can use to supplement formal training.

### Review flexibility around appointments

Healthwatch's 2025 research suggests inflexibility around appointment times is a common reason men give for not attending GP visits or Health Checks \[6\]. Routine appointments tend to fall during working hours, which can be a barrier for staff in shift-based, customer-facing, or site-based roles.

Reviewing whether existing policies clearly allow paid time off for medical appointments - including mental health appointments - can help reduce this barrier. The same principle applies to bereavement leave, paternity leave, and care-related leave, where take-up among eligible male employees can be lower than entitlement suggests.

## Support beyond Men's Health Week

Men's Health Week 2026 provides a focused window for awareness activity, but the underlying work tends to be year-round. Single-week campaigns can usefully launch sustained activity - manager training, policy reviews, communication audits - rather than acting as a standalone intervention.

The most effective combination will depend on the organisation, but the principle is consistent: provision that is visible, accessible, and supported by trained managers tends to perform better than provision that exists on paper but is rarely used. For employers reviewing their wellbeing offer in advance of June 2026, Men's Health Week offers a helpful prompt to consider what's working, what could be improved, and which small changes might make the biggest practical difference.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] Men's Health Forum, _Men's Health Week 2026_, 2026.

\[2\] Mates in Mind, _Men's Health Week UK: 15-21 June 2026 resources_, 2026.

\[3\] Vita Health Group, _Men's Mental Health Month 2025_, November 2025.

\[4\] UK Parliament Hansard, _Men's Health Strategy for England debate_, 19 November 2025.

\[5\] UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA UK), _Why don't more men use the EAP?_.

\[6\] Healthwatch England, _Men's Health: How to improve health outcomes, knowledge and behaviours_, November 2025.

\[7\] Mental Health First Aid England, _How do we tackle presenteeism in the workplace?_, June 2025.

\[8\] Mental Health First Aid Course, _Men's Mental Health Statistics UK_, April 2026.

\[9\] NatWest Mentor, _Developing employee wellbeing initiatives in the workplace_, 2025.

\[10\] CIPD, _Health and Wellbeing at Work Report 2025_.

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Men's Health Week 2026: How employers can support the men on their teams

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Exit interviews: Getting useful insights from departing employees

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Time to hire in the UK: How long recruitment really takes by industry and role type

A senior team member quietly takes a fortnight off citing a "chest infection" and returns looking thinner and more tired than before. A high performer's output dips for the third quarter running, but no one feels able to ask why. A long-serving colleague resigns without notice, citing only "personal reasons" in their exit interview.

These patterns rarely indicate the problems they appear to be. More often, they signal employees navigating poor mental health in environments that haven't given them the tools, language, or permission to ask for help.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 takes place from Monday 11 to Sunday 17 May, with the Mental Health Foundation setting the theme as **Action** \[1\]. The framing is deliberate: awareness of mental health is now widespread, but the gap between knowing something matters and doing something about it remains the central workplace challenge.

The numbers behind the campaign make the case sharper. The Health and Safety Executive's most recent figures, published in November 2025, show that [964,000 workers in Great Britain are suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety](https://press.hse.gov.uk/2025/11/20/hse-publishes-annual-workplace-health-and-safety-statistics/) - a 24% increase on the previous year and the highest level since records began in 2001 \[2\]. Mental health conditions now account for 52% of all work-related ill health and 62% of working days lost.

## Summary

*   Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 runs from 11 to 17 May, with the Mental Health Foundation's theme set as **Action** - moving beyond conversation into practical workplace change \[1\].
*   Work-related stress, depression and anxiety reached a record 964,000 cases in 2024/25, accounting for 22.1 million lost working days \[2\].
*   Poor mental health costs UK employers an estimated £51 billion annually, with presenteeism (£24bn) the largest component \[3\].
*   The CIPD's 2025 Health and Wellbeing at Work survey reported sickness absence at 9.4 days per employee - the highest level in over 15 years \[4\].
*   Manager capability is decisive: only 45% of UK managers have been trained to hold mental health conversations, yet training reduces employee desire to quit from 35% to 18% \[5\].
*   The most effective employers treat the week as a launch point for year-round practice, not a standalone campaign.

## What the 2026 theme means for employers

The Mental Health Foundation has run Mental Health Awareness Week for twenty-five years, and the 2026 theme reflects a noticeable shift in tone. Previous years have focused on community (2025), movement, loneliness, and kindness - all framing devices that invite reflection. **Action** is more directive, asking individuals, communities, and organisations to identify one specific change and follow through.

For workplaces, the Mental Health Foundation is encouraging employers to focus on conditions that prevent poor mental health rather than only responding once problems arise \[1\]. This matters because the prevailing model in many UK workplaces remains reactive: signposting Employee Assistance Programmes when someone is already struggling, rather than examining whether workload, management practice, or job design are creating the strain in the first place.

## The scale of the workplace challenge

The HSE's November 2025 figures provide the clearest current picture of how work-related mental health conditions are distributed across the UK economy.

*   Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 52% of all work-related ill health in 2024/25 \[2\].
*   An estimated 22.1 million working days were lost to these conditions - almost a third higher than the previous year \[2\].
*   Rates for women were approximately 25% higher than for men, with pressure peaking for those aged 25-34.
*   Public administration, human health and social work, and education recorded the highest sectoral rates.

The cost picture is similarly stark. Deloitte's most recent UK research estimates poor mental health costs employers around [£51 billion per year](https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/about/press-room/poor-mental-health-costs-uk-employers-51-billion-a-year-for-employees.html), with presenteeism (£24bn) the largest single component, followed by staff turnover and absenteeism \[3\]. The CIPD's 2025 Health and Wellbeing at Work survey reported [average sickness absence of 9.4 days per employee per year](https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/press-releases/workplace-absence-soars-nearly-two-working-weeks-each-year) - the highest level in more than fifteen years and a sharp rise from 7.8 days in 2023 \[4\].

Where mental health challenges drive extended absence, the management response often determines whether employees return successfully or disengage further - a separate set of considerations covered in our guidance on [supporting employees during long-term sickness](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/supporting-employees-during-long-term-sickness) and [reasonable adjustments](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/reasonable-adjustments-in-the-workplace).

## Why managers sit at the centre of the response

Research consistently identifies the line manager relationship as the most influential single factor in workplace mental health. Recent figures suggest [nearly 70% of employees say their manager affects their mental health as much as their partner does](https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/workplace-mental-health-statistics-2026/) - more than doctors (51%) or therapists (41%) \[5\].

Yet the same data shows the gap between this influence and the support managers themselves receive. Only 38% of UK organisation leaders talk openly about mental health, only 45% of managers have been trained to have mental health conversations, and just 51% of employees believe their manager is equipped to offer support \[5\]. Where training is provided, the impact is measurable: manager confidence in supporting team members rises by 53%, and employee desire to quit falls from 35% to 18%.

For Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, the most useful action many organisations could take is also one of the most overlooked: equipping the people who manage others with practical conversation skills, then giving them permission to use them. A manager who can recognise signs of struggle, listen without rushing to solve, and signpost confidently to internal or external support is doing the work the awareness week is asking for.

## Four practical actions for the week

Mental Health Awareness Week works best when it functions as a launch point rather than a standalone event. The following actions are deliberately scaled to be deliverable by small and medium employers without specialist budgets.

### 1\. Run a workload audit before you run a wellbeing event

Before adding wellbeing initiatives, examine whether workload itself is the issue. The HSE's [Management Standards](https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/) identify six areas of work design that affect stress: demands, control, support, relationships, role clarity, and change \[6\]. A short anonymous pulse survey or structured one-to-one round can reveal whether deadlines, role ambiguity, or organisational change are the underlying drivers.

### 2\. Audit your Employee Assistance Programme communications

Many employers fund an EAP that staff have either forgotten about or never knew existed. The week is a useful prompt to refresh communications: clarify what the EAP covers, confirm confidentiality, and reduce the friction of access. Some providers offer 24/7 telephone counselling, structured therapy sessions, financial advice, and bereavement support - all underused when the route to access is unclear. For employers without current provision, an [Employee Assistance Programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme) is worth exploring as part of a broader wellbeing approach.

### 3\. Train the right group of managers properly

A single group of well-trained managers achieves more than a generic all-staff webinar. [Mental Health First Aid England](https://mhfaengland.org/) offers accredited two-day MHFAider courses, while Mental Health UK and Mind run shorter manager-focused conversation training. Pick a tier that fits your budget and commit to refresher sessions. Training without follow-through fades within months.

### 4\. Embed one routine that outlasts the awareness week

The week's value lies in what continues afterwards. A monthly wellbeing check-in question added to existing one-to-ones. A standing fortnightly "no meetings" afternoon. A reminder in the leaver process to ask about wellbeing factors in resignation. One embedded routine creates more cumulative impact than ten one-off events. For employers building a more structured year-round approach, our guidance on [developing employee wellbeing initiatives in the workplace](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace) sets out the foundations.

## Recognising the limits of awareness

The Mental Health Foundation's choice of theme reflects a hard-won recognition: awareness without structural change risks frustration. Employees who hear leadership talk about wellbeing whilst experiencing unmanageable workloads, unsupportive line management, or unclear role expectations often feel less safe disclosing concerns, not more.

Recent data illustrates this tension clearly. The Mental Health UK Burnout Report 2025 found that 21% of UK workers had needed time off due to stress-related poor mental health, with the steepest increases among those aged 18-44 \[7\]. Yet [only 13-14% of employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health at work](https://newleafhealth.co.uk/blog/key-workplace-mental-health-statistics/), and 35% report having experienced stigma or discrimination after disclosing \[8\].

Closing this gap is not a campaign-week task. It involves leadership behaviour over time, manager capability, fair workload distribution, and systems that make it easier to ask for help than to mask. Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 is a useful prompt to begin - but the organisations that benefit most are those that treat the week as a checkpoint in a longer programme, not the programme itself.

## A starting point, not a finish line

The shift from awareness to action marks a maturing of the conversation about workplace mental health. The data is unambiguous: pressure on UK workers is rising, the cost to employers is substantial, and the interventions that work are well-evidenced. What the 2026 theme asks for is not more research, more posters, or more talk - it is for employers to identify one thing they can change and to take action to change it.

For some, that will be training a group of managers. For others, it will be auditing workload. For others still, it will be reviewing whether their EAP is genuinely accessible or merely listed in the staff handbook. The action doesn't need to be ambitious to be meaningful - it just needs to be specific, have a clear owner, and be followed through.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] Mental Health Foundation, _Mental Health Awareness Week_, 2026.

\[2\] Health and Safety Executive, _HSE publishes annual workplace health and safety statistics_, November 2025.

\[3\] Deloitte, _Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year_, 2024.

\[4\] CIPD, _Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey_, 2025.

\[5\] MHFA England, _Key workplace mental health statistics for 2026_, December 2025.

\[6\] Health and Safety Executive, _Tackling work-related stress using the Management Standards approach_, 2025.

\[7\] Mental Health UK, _Burnout Report 2025_, 2025.

\[8\] New Leaf Health, _Key workplace mental health statistics_, 2026.

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Mental Health Awareness Week 2026: Turning awareness into action

Every year on 28 April, the International Labour Organization (ILO) marks World Day for Health and Safety at Work, an international awareness campaign encouraging employers to prevent workplace accidents and occupational ill health \[1\]. For businesses, the day provides a practical prompt to review existing health and safety practices and identify areas for improvement.

In Great Britain, the most recent data highlights the scale of the challenge. An estimated 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill health in 2024/25, while 680,000 sustained a non-fatal injury \[2\]. Together, these accounted for 40.1 million lost working days, at an estimated cost of £22.9 billion annually \[2\]. Stress, depression and anxiety remain the single largest category of work-related ill health, affecting 964,000 workers \[3\].

World Day offers an opportunity for employers of all sizes to assess risks, act on them, and create conditions where people can work safely and sustainably.

## Summary

*   World Day for Health and Safety at Work takes place on 28 April each year, coordinated by the ILO to promote the prevention of workplace accidents and ill health \[1\].
*   The 2026 theme focuses on healthy psychosocial working environments, highlighting how workload, communication, support, and job design affect both wellbeing and safety outcomes \[4\].
*   In Great Britain, 1.9 million workers reported work-related ill health in 2024/25, with stress, depression and anxiety accounting for 964,000 of those cases \[2\]\[3\].
*   Work-related ill health and injuries cost an estimated £22.9 billion annually \[2\].
*   Employers can use the day to review risk assessments, hold safety conversations with teams, and identify practical improvements that don't require large budgets.
*   The HSE's Working Minds campaign and free stress risk assessment tools provide a structured starting point for businesses of all sizes \[5\].

## What is World Day for Health and Safety at Work?

The ILO began observing World Day for Health and Safety at Work in 2003 as part of its global strategy on occupational safety and health \[1\]. Each year carries a different theme designed to draw attention to emerging or persistent workplace risks. Previous themes have covered topics including digitalisation, climate change, and the role of social dialogue in building safety cultures.

The day serves a dual purpose. Internationally, it raises the political profile of occupational safety and health. At an organisational level, it provides a reason for employers to review their practices, engage staff in safety conversations, and address risks that may have gone unexamined.

It's worth noting that 28 April also coincides with Workers' Memorial Day, which commemorates those who have been injured or suffered illness through their work. For employers, the date carries both a reflective and a forward-looking purpose: acknowledging the human cost of unsafe or unhealthy work, and committing to preventing it.

## The 2026 theme: Healthy psychosocial working environments

This year, the ILO's theme centres on the [psychosocial working environment](https://www.ilo.org/topics-and-sectors/safety-and-health-work/world-day-safety-and-health-work-2026) \[4\]. This refers to the way work is designed, organised, and managed, and how those factors shape day-to-day working conditions.

Psychosocial risks include excessive workload, unrealistic deadlines, lack of autonomy, poor management support, unclear roles, and badly communicated change. When these factors are left unmanaged, they become workplace hazards in much the same way that a trailing cable or a missing guardrail would be. They increase the likelihood of errors, accidents, and long-term ill health.

The [HSE identifies six areas](https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/risk-assessment.htm) of work design that can affect stress levels:

*   demands
*   control
*   support
*   relationships
*   role
*   change.

**Demands** become a risk when workloads exceed what someone can reasonably deliver within their contracted hours, when deadlines are routinely unrealistic, or when the emotional demands of a role go unacknowledged. **Control** matters because employees who have little say over how they do their work, when they take breaks, or how their day is structured experience measurably higher stress levels. **Support** from managers and colleagues acts as a buffer; without it, even manageable workloads become overwhelming.

**Relationships** at work affect safety directly. Bullying, harassment, and interpersonal conflict don't just cause distress. They create distraction, reduce communication, and erode the trust that safe working depends on. **Role** clarity is equally important: employees who aren't sure what's expected of them, or whose responsibilities conflict, make more errors. And poorly communicated **change**, whether organisational restructures, new systems, or shifts in leadership, creates uncertainty that compounds existing pressures.

The 2026 theme is a recognition that workplace safety has evolved beyond hard hats and hazard signs. The conditions that cause psychological harm need to be assessed and managed with the same rigour as physical risks.

## Where things stand in the UK

The Health and Safety Executive's [annual statistics for 2024/25](https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm) provide a useful benchmark for employers reviewing their own performance \[2\].

An estimated 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill health during the year. Of those, [964,000 reported stress, depression or anxiety](https://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/assets/docs/stress.pdf) caused or made worse by work, making it the most common form of occupational ill health by a significant margin \[3\]. The rate of self-reported work-related mental ill health has been climbing since before the pandemic and has accelerated in the years since \[3\]. Female workers report rates around 25% higher than male colleagues \[3\].

Non-fatal injuries affected an estimated 680,000 workers, with slips, trips and falls remaining the most common cause across all sectors \[2\]. The accommodation and food services industry recorded the highest injury rate \[2\].

The combined cost of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill health stands at an estimated £22.9 billion annually \[2\]. Poor mental wellbeing alone [costs UK employers between £42 billion and £45 billion](https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/mental-health-work-statistics) a year through presenteeism, sickness absence, and staff turnover \[6\]. Evidence from Deloitte suggests [employers see a return of approximately £5.30 for every £1 invested](https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/consulting/research/mental-health-and-employers-refreshing-the-case-for-investment.html) in mental health support \[7\].

These figures illustrate why World Day matters as more than a calendar event. The scale of work-related ill health represents a significant operational cost for businesses, and much of it is preventable through better job design, clearer communication, and more consistent management practices.

## How to mark the day in your workplace

World Day for Health and Safety at Work doesn't require a large-scale event. For most businesses, particularly smaller ones, the most valuable thing you can do is use the date as a trigger for practical action.

*   **Review your risk assessments.** Check whether your existing assessments cover psychosocial risks alongside physical ones. If your risk assessment addresses fire exits and manual handling but says nothing about workload, communication, or management support, it's incomplete. The HSE provides [free templates and example assessments](https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/risk-assessment.htm) for work-related stress \[5\].
*   **Hold a team conversation.** Toolbox talks, team meetings, or structured one-to-ones give employees an opportunity to raise concerns about working conditions. Keep it practical: What's working well? What's causing unnecessary pressure? What one thing could we change?
*   **Check your environment.** Walk through your workplace with fresh eyes. Are workstations set up properly? Is lighting adequate? Are quiet spaces available for focused work? Are emergency procedures clearly displayed and understood? Small environmental improvements often cost very little.
*   **Signpost existing resources.** Many employees don't know what support is already available to them. Use the day to highlight accessibility features in existing software, your [Employee Assistance Programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/employee-assistance-programme/) if you have one, flexible working options, and any relevant training opportunities.
*   **Recognise good practice.** If teams or individuals have contributed to a safer or healthier working environment, acknowledge it. Recognition reinforces the behaviours you want to see and signals that health and safety is valued, not just required.

## Making it count

World Day for Health and Safety at Work is one day. The conditions that lead to 22.1 million lost working days exist across all the others. The value of 28 April lies not in marking a date but in using it as a catalyst - to have a conversation you've been putting off, to review a process that hasn't been updated since before the pandemic, or to ask your team a question you haven't asked before.

For smaller businesses especially, the gap between awareness and action can feel wide. But the evidence suggests that the most effective interventions are rarely the most expensive. Clearer communication, visible leadership, manageable workloads, and a culture where raising concerns is normal rather than exceptional - these cost very little to implement and can materially improve both [employee wellbeing](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace) and business performance.

The question isn't whether your business can afford to invest in psychosocial safety. Given the costs of inaction, the more pressing question is whether it can afford not to.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] United Nations, _World Day for Safety and Health at Work_.

\[2\] HSE, _Key figures for Great Britain 2024 to 2025_, November 2025.

\[3\] HSE, _Work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics in Great Britain, 2025_, November 2025.

\[4\] ILO, _World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026: Healthy psychosocial working environments_.

\[5\] HSE, _Working Minds campaign and stress risk assessment guidance_.

\[6\] Mental Health Foundation, _Mental health at work: statistics_.

\[7\] Deloitte, _Mental health and employers: refreshing the case for investment_, 2020.

GettyImages-585283345 (1).jpg

World Day for Health and Safety at Work 2026

From 1st January 2027, employees will be entitled to bring an unfair dismissal claim after just six months of continuous service - down from the current two-year threshold. For HR professionals and business owners, this is an important development to plan for now rather than later. Although the change takes effect at the start of 2027, it will apply to existing employees, meaning workforce planning, performance management, and documentation practices will need to adapt well in advance. 
 
## Summary

- From 1 January 2027, the qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection reduces from two years to six months. 
- The change is retrospective - any employee with at least six months' service by 31 December 2026 gains protection automatically on 1 January 2027. 
- Employers can no longer rely on the two-year buffer when managing performance, conduct, or cultural fit in the early stages of employment. 
- A fair reason and fair procedure will be required for any dismissal once an employee hits the six-month mark. 
- Compensatory awards for unfair dismissal will be uncapped. 
- Probationary periods and statutory unfair dismissal rights are legally separate - extending a probationary period does not delay an employee's rights. 
- Employers may wish to adopt a short probationary period with structured check-ins throughout, and a formal review before the probationary period ends. 
- HR policies, contracts, and offer letters that reference the two-year threshold must be updated before 31 December 2026. 
- Line managers need targeted training on the new timelines and fair performance management practices. 
- Organisations that invest in clear expectations, regular feedback, and consistent documentation from day one will be best placed to manage risk under the new rules. 

## The current position

Under the existing rules, employees must complete two years' continuous service before they can bring a standard unfair dismissal claim. This two-year threshold remains in force until 31 December 2026. 

## When does the new unfair dismissal rule come into force?  

On 1 January 2027, the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal protection reduces from two years to six months. This means employees will be entitled to the full protections of unfair dismissal law - including the right to a fair reason for dismissal and a fair procedure - much earlier in their employment. 

## Who gains unfair dismissal rights on 1 January 2027?

The change will apply retrospectively to existing employees. This means that any employee who has already accumulated at least six months’ service by 31 December 2026 will gain unfair dismissal rights automatically on 1 January 2027, without needing to reach the two-year threshold. 

The practical impact is wider than many employers may initially assume. 

- An employee hired on 1 July 2026 will have exactly six months' service by 31 December 2026 and will qualify on 1 January 2027. 
- An employee hired on 1 October 2026 will reach six months' service on 1 April 2027 and will qualify from that date. 
- An employee hired on 1 March 2025 will have over 22 months' service by 1 January 2027 - well beyond the new threshold - and will qualify immediately. 
- An employee hired on 1 March 2026 will have ten months' service by 31 December 2026 and will qualify on 1 January 2027.  

In short: any employee that started employment before 1st July 2026 will have at least six months' service by the 31st December 2026 and will automatically qualify for unfair dismissal protection on 1st January 2027. 

**Quick reference: When do employees qualify?**

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Start date</th>
      <th>Service by 31 Dec 2026</th>
      <th>Gains rights</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>1 July 2026</td>
      <td>6 months</td>
      <td>1 January 2027</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1 March 2026</td>
      <td>10 months</td>
      <td>1 January 2027</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1 March 2025</td>
      <td>22 months</td>
      <td>1 January 2027</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>1 October 2026</td>
      <td>3 months</td>
      <td>1 April 2027</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## What the new rules mean in practice

The changes place a greater premium on good people management from day one of employment. The current two-year qualifying period effectively meant that dismissal decisions in the first two years carried lower legal risk. That buffer will soon be significantly reduced.  

HR teams and line managers will need to ensure that robust and documented processes are in place before the rule changes take effect. Here are some key actions to consider before the end of 2026. 

- Audit your current workforce. Identify employees who will cross the six-month threshold before or on 1 January 2027. This will help you plan any ongoing performance conversations with appropriate care and documentation. 

- Review and update your probationary period framework. With unfair dismissal rights arising at six months, probationary reviews and documentation take on added significance. Ensure that performance concerns are identified, communicated, and recorded within the probationary period. 

- Update HR policies and employment contracts. Any documents that reference the two-year qualifying period - including offer letters, handbooks, and contracts - will need to be revised. This should be completed before 31 December 2026. 

- Brief your line managers. Many managers are unaware of the current two-year rule, let alone the incoming change. Targeted training on the new timelines and on fair performance management practices is essential. 

## Do the new unfair dismissal qualifying rules apply to employees in their probationary period

A question many employers will face is what happens when an employee is still in their probationary period when the January 2027 rules take effect. The answer is that probationary periods and statutory unfair dismissal rights are legally separate - one does not govern the other. There is no legal requirement to put in place probationary periods, these are useful for employers but not essential. 

From 1 January 2027, an employee will gain unfair dismissal protection at six months’ continuous service regardless of whether they are still within their probationary period. If an employer's standard probationary period runs for 12 months, for example, an employee will have full statutory protection six months before their probationary period ends. Extending a probationary period does not delay the accrual of these rights; the statutory position will always overrule contractual probationary periods. 

If dismissal is being considered during the probationary period and the employee has accrued more than six months’ qualifying service from 1 January 2027, employers should seek legal advice before proceeding. They should also ensure that a documented record of discussions and formal meetings is maintained, as this will be essential in defending any subsequent unfair dismissal claim. 

## Removal of the cap on compensatory awards

The compensatory award for ordinary unfair dismissal will become uncapped from 1 January 2027, removing the current limit of either 52 weeks' gross pay or the statutory maximum - whichever is lower. This is one of the most significant commercial changes for employers, substantially increasing potential financial exposure and likely driving up settlement values and tribunal litigation.  

## Final thoughts 

The reduction in the qualifying period is part of a [broader programme of employment law reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-law-changes-in-april-2026-what-you-need-to-know). The stated aim is to provide workers with greater security and protection from the early stages of employment, but for employers it represents a fundamental shift in how employment risk is managed. 

In practical terms, the change brings forward the point at which dismissal decisions become legally scrutinised. What was previously a relatively low-risk period for addressing performance or capability will now require a more structured, evidence-based approach within the first six months of employment. The margin for informal decision-making is significantly reduced. 

Employers should therefore view this not simply as a legal update, but as an operational one. Organisations that rely on informal probationary periods, delayed feedback, or lightly documented decision-making will be more exposed under the new regime. Conversely, businesses that implement clear expectations during onboarding, regular performance discussions, and consistent documentation from day one will be better positioned to manage risk and achieve fair dismissal outcomes. 

Although January 2027 may seem distant, the retrospective nature of the change means its impact will be felt immediately. Employers who wait until late 2026 to prepare may find themselves managing a workforce where a significant proportion of employees have already acquired protection. 

The most effective response is early preparation. Reviewing probationary frameworks, upskilling managers, and embedding consistent performance management practices now will ensure that, when the new rules take effect, they do so within a system that is already aligned to the higher standard expected. 

## Further reading

For more information on the upcoming employment law changes, you may find the following articles helpful: 

[Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) changes from April 2026 ](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes)

[The Fair Work Agency: What this new enforcement body means for employers. ](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/the-fair-work-agency)

[Employment law changes in April 2026: What you need to know ](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-law-changes-in-april-2026-what-you-need-to-know)

For the latest HR news and updates, visit our [News blog](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/). 

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._



news image (1).jpg

Unfair dismissal changes 2027: The six-month qualifying period explained  

Replacing an employee earning £30,000 can cost a business as much as £60,000, factoring in lost productivity, recruitment expenses, and the time it takes a new hire to reach full effectiveness. For senior or specialist roles, total replacement costs can reach [150% to 200% of annual salary](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone). Yet what constitutes a concerning turnover rate varies enormously between sectors. A hospitality business and a manufacturer may both lose staff each year, but the rate at which this happens, the reasons behind it, and the financial impact differ significantly.

This guide sets out the latest available UK turnover benchmarks by industry, explains how different sources measure turnover, and covers practical steps employers can take to improve retention.

## Summary

*   The UK average annual employee turnover rate is approximately 15%, based on [CIPD employer survey data from spring 2025](https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/labour-market-outlook/) \[1\].
*   Hospitality remains the highest-turnover sector. RotaCloud's 2024 employer data placed it at 38.7%, rising to 47% in bars and clubs \[3\].
*   Manufacturing turnover fell to 10.85% in 2024, its lowest level in at least a decade, with voluntary turnover at just 6.24% \[4\].
*   NHS hospital and community health services recorded a 10.1% leaver rate in the year to September 2024, the lowest since the pandemic \[5\].
*   Approximately 34% of UK workers say they are considering leaving their current role in 2026 \[6\].
*   Rising employer National Insurance contributions have affected hiring and retention across the economy, with hospitality and care sectors reporting the greatest cost impact \[7\].
*   Leadership quality is one of the strongest predictors of whether employees choose to stay, outweighing the influence of direct line managers \[8\].

## How turnover is measured

Turnover rate is calculated as the number of employees who leave over a given period, divided by the average headcount, expressed as a percentage.

**Turnover rate = (Total leavers ÷ Average number employed) × 100**

Different sources measure this in different ways, which explains why published figures for the same sector can vary considerably. When reviewing the industry figures below, it is worth noting which source each benchmark draws from, as the employer-reported and population-level figures can differ substantially.

## Turnover benchmarks by industry

Detailed industry-by-industry turnover benchmarks are not published annually in the UK. The most comprehensive cross-sector source is the CIPD's analysis of the [ONS Annual Population Survey](https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/cipd-voice/benchmarking-employee-turnover/), where 2022-23 is the latest full period available \[9\]. More recent sector-specific data exists from RotaCloud (2024), Make UK (2024), and NHS England (year to September 2024). The contextual analysis on labour market conditions draws from CIPD Labour Market Outlook reports published throughout 2025 and into early 2026.

This means the industry breakdown in the table below represents the most recent data available rather than a snapshot from 2026. The figures remain the most widely used benchmarks for UK employers, but they should be read alongside the more current contextual data in later sections of this article.

| Industry | Turnover rate | Source and period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hospitality (accommodation and food services) | 52% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Hospitality and catering (employer-reported) | 38.7% | RotaCloud, 2024 |
| — Bars and clubs | 47% | RotaCloud, 2024 |
| — Quick-service restaurants | 43.2% | RotaCloud, 2024 |
| — Restaurants and cafés | 39.1% | RotaCloud, 2024 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 45.3% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Wholesale, retail and repair of vehicles | 41.6% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Health and social work | 35.7% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Information and communication | 35.2% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Construction | 35.1% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Education | 33.7% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Manufacturing (population-level) | 31.7% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Manufacturing (employer-reported) | 10.85% | Make UK, 2024 |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 29.5% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 26.9% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| Public administration and defence | 24.5% | CIPD/ONS APS, 2022-23 |
| NHS hospital and community health services | 10.1% | NHS England, year to Sept 2024 |

<br>

The CIPD/ONS APS figures capture total churn, including moves to new employers and exits from work entirely. Employer-reported figures from RotaCloud, Make UK, and NHS England tend to be lower as they measure departures from a specific organisation only.

## Sector analysis

### Hospitality

Hospitality records the highest turnover of any UK sector across all data sources. The CIPD's population-level measure places it at approximately 52% \[9\], whilst RotaCloud's 2024 employer data shows [38.7% across hospitality and catering](https://retailtimes.co.uk/hospitality-and-catering-employees-were-most-likely-to-quit-their-job-in-2024/) \[3\], rising to 47% in bars and clubs \[3\].

The sector's workforce profile contributes to these figures: a high proportion of lower-paid, shift-based roles, younger age demographics, and transferable skills that make moving between employers straightforward. The CIPD notes that where skills are more transferable and training costs are lower, higher churn is less financially damaging per departure than in sectors requiring longer training periods \[9\].

In 2025 and into 2026, rising employment costs have added further pressure. [Half of hospitality employers](https://www.cipd.org/en/about/press-releases/private-sector-hiring-record-low-summer-2025-labour-market-outlook/) reported that the April 2025 NICs and National Living Wage increases raised their costs to a large extent \[7\]. Many have responded by reducing staff hours or raising prices \[7\]. However, recruitment pressures in the sector have eased. By winter 2025/26, [55% of hospitality employers](https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2026-pdfs/9094-lmo-winter-2025-26-report-web.pdf) reported not anticipating problems filling vacancies in the following six months \[10\], partly because pay increases have made the sector more competitive.

### Retail

Retail sits just below hospitality in most turnover rankings. The CIPD's population-level data places wholesale, retail, and repair of vehicles at [around 42%](https://www.hrdatahub.com/blog/employee-turnover-by-industry) \[9\], though employer-reported figures tend to be lower. Seasonal hiring patterns contribute to the headline number, as temporary staff taken on for peak trading periods inflate annual calculations.

Recruitment pressures have also eased here. The CIPD's winter 2025/26 data showed that 64% of retail employers did not anticipate problems filling vacancies in the near term \[10\].

For retail employers, it is worth separating turnover among seasonal and entry-level staff from turnover among experienced team members. The former may be largely structural; the latter is more likely to indicate issues worth investigating.

### Health and social care

Healthcare turnover differs significantly between the NHS and private social care. NHS hospital and community health services recorded a [10.1% leaver rate](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/03/staff-leaving-the-nhs-among-lowest-in-over-a-decade/) in the 12 months to September 2024. This was the lowest since the pandemic and the second-lowest since 2010 \[5\]. NHS England's People Promise retention programme contributed to this improvement through initiatives including flexible working, team-based rostering, and staff listening sessions. Organisations in the pilot saw leaver rates fall by an average of 11.8% \[5\].

Social care faces more persistent challenges. 62% of care and social work employers anticipated problems filling vacancies in the months ahead \[10\]. Changes to immigration rules, including the closure of the Social Care Worker visa route for new overseas applicants and a raised skills threshold for Skilled Worker visas, have reduced a significant source of recruits \[7\].

### Manufacturing

Manufacturing currently records some of the lowest employer-reported turnover figures in the UK. Make UK's Labour Turnover Report 2025 found that overall turnover in the sector was 10.85% in 2024, down from 16.12% in 2023 and 20.75% in 2022 \[4\]. Voluntary turnover, excluding redundancies, fell to just 6.24%, with retirement now the primary reason for departures \[4\].

| Year | Manufacturing turnover rate |
| --- | --- |
| 2022 | 20.75% |
| 2023 | 16.12% |
| 2024 | 10.85% |

<br>

This decline partly reflects a cooling labour market in which fewer external opportunities encourage employees to stay. It also reflects an ageing workforce. Whilst the low headline rate is positive from a retention perspective, it presents a knowledge-transfer challenge as experienced employees retire and take specialist skills with them.

### Education

The CIPD's population-level data places education at approximately 34% churn \[9\], though this encompasses a wide range of roles and institution types.

The sector faces notable structural pressures heading into 2026. Higher education institutions are contending with falling international student numbers and financial difficulties \[10\]. The CIPD's winter 2025/26 data recorded a net employment balance of −15 in non-compulsory education and −24 specifically in higher education, indicating that more employers expect to reduce headcount than increase it \[10\]. Some turnover in the sector is therefore currently involuntary, driven by redundancies and recruitment freezes rather than employees choosing to leave.

### Financial and professional services

Financial and insurance activities sit at approximately 27% on the CIPD's population-level measure, with professional, scientific, and technical activities at around 30% \[9\]. Higher salaries, older workforce profiles, and structured career pathways generally support retention in these sectors. However, the commercial impact of losing experienced staff can be significant where client relationships and institutional knowledge are concentrated in individuals.

### Public administration and defence

Public administration and defence records the lowest turnover in the CIPD's industry breakdown at approximately 25% \[9\]. Job security, defined-benefit pensions, and structured progression contribute to this.

However, the public sector workforce is actively contracting. The CIPD's winter 2025/26 outlook showed a net employment balance of −11 \[10\], with civil service entrants decreasing by more than 30% between March 2024 and March 2025 \[10\]. Voluntary exit schemes and recruitment freezes across government departments mean that whilst turnover appears low, the sector is not actively replacing many of those who leave.

## What's influencing turnover in 2025-2026

### Rising employment costs

The April 2025 increase to employer National Insurance contributions, from 13.8% to 15% with a lower earnings threshold, has affected hiring and retention practices across sectors. 84% of UK organisations reported increased employment costs as a result, and 36% cited NICs as the single largest cost pressure of the past year \[7\].

Employer responses have varied by sector:

| Response | Most prevalent in |
| --- | --- |
| Rising prices | Retail (68% of employers), hospitality (59%) [7] |
| Reducing hours worked by staff | Hospitality [7] |
| Reducing recruitment or making redundancies | One in three employers across sectors [7] |
| Absorbing costs through lower profits | 22% of employers overall [7] |

<br>

These responses can create secondary retention effects. Reduced hours affect employee earnings, fewer colleagues increase workload on those who remain, and hiring freezes limit career progression opportunities. These all feature among commonly cited reasons employees give for leaving.

### A cooling but restless labour market

The CIPD's net employment balance, the difference between employers expecting to increase and those expecting to decrease headcount, fell to +9 in summer 2025, near its lowest level outside of the pandemic \[7\]. By winter 2025/26 it sat at a similar level \[10\]. Vacancies across the UK fell to [721,000](https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/latest) in the December 2025 to February 2026 period, below pre-pandemic levels \[11\].

In this context, fewer employees may act on dissatisfaction by leaving. However, that dissatisfaction does not disappear. Approximately 34% of UK workers say they are considering leaving their current role in 2026 \[6\]. Culture Amp's analysis of 10 million UK employee responses found that 23% planned to leave in the short term, a 3% increase on 2023 \[8\]. Ravio's 2026 Compensation Trends Report supports this picture, finding that [UK attrition rose](https://ravio.com/blog/employee-retention-trends) to 19% in 2025, up 11% on the previous year and above the European average of 17.4% \[2\].

Where employees stay despite wanting to leave, the result tends to be lower engagement, reduced productivity, and increased sickness absence.

### The role of leadership

Culture Amp's data identified leadership quality as one of the strongest predictors of employee commitment to stay, outweighing direct line management \[8\].

| Leadership and management quality | Employee commitment to stay |
| --- | --- |
| Strong leader + strong manager | 94% |
| Good manager + poor leader | 35% |
| Poor leader + poor manager | 19% |

<br>

This suggests that [retention strategies](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-retention-strategies) focused on senior leadership capability, such as the ability to set direction, build trust, and communicate purpose, may be more effective than those targeted solely at line manager development.

### Career progression as a retention driver

Ravio's survey of People and Reward leaders found that 82% cited lack of clarity around career progression and promotion paths as their top retention challenge, ranking higher than compensation issues (61%) \[2\]. Employees who cannot see where they are going within an organisation are more likely to look elsewhere. Clear levelling frameworks, defined competencies at each level, and regular development conversations all help address this.

## Practical steps to improve retention

*   **Segment your turnover data**. A headline turnover figure provides limited insight on its own. Breaking the data down by department, role level, tenure length, and whether departures are voluntary or involuntary helps identify where specific issues exist. High turnover among employees in their first six months may indicate onboarding problems, whilst departures concentrated among three-to-five-year employees may point to limited progression opportunities.
*   **Conduct structured exit interviews**. Asking departing employees what would have made them stay, and looking for patterns across responses, can reveal systemic issues. If multiple employees in the same period cite similar concerns, that pattern is likely to be more useful than any single data point.
*   **Benchmark against relevant comparators**. Comparing your business to the appropriate sector benchmark provides a more accurate picture than using the national average alone. A hospitality business with 30% turnover is performing well against the sector norm; a manufacturer with the same figure would be significantly above average. The tables above can serve as a starting point.
*   **Invest in onboarding**. Early departures represent the worst return on recruitment investment. [Effective onboarding](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employers-guide-to-effective-employee-onboarding) can improve retention by up to 82% and productivity by over 70%. Practical steps include assigning onboarding buddies, scheduling regular check-ins during the first 90 days, and setting clear objectives with defined milestones.
*   **Review pay and flexibility**. With median basic pay awards at 3% across all sectors \[10\] and inflation running above that level for much of 2025, real-terms pay has been under pressure. Reviewing pay against current market rates for your sector and region is an important part of any retention strategy. Where roles allow, offering flexibility over hours, location, or shift patterns also supports retention. The NHS's improvements were partly driven by giving staff greater control over their rotas \[5\], a relatively low-cost adjustment with measurable impact.
*   **Create clear progression pathways**. Given that 82% of People and Reward leaders identified unclear career progression as their top retention challenge \[2\], defining what progression looks like within your organisation is worth prioritising. This includes clear role levels with defined competencies, regular development conversations, and visible pathways that employees can work towards.
*   **Develop leadership capability**. Given the evidence on leadership's influence on retention, investing in senior leaders' ability to communicate direction, recognise contributions, and [create a sense of purpose is likely to improve retention](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-engagement-strategies) outcomes across the organisation. Regular coaching conversations, protected time for people management, and feedback skills development all contribute.

## Using these benchmarks effectively

Turnover benchmarks are most useful when treated as reference points rather than targets. Consistently tracking your own turnover over time, segmenting it by meaningful categories, and comparing it to the most relevant sector data allows you to identify trends early and respond accordingly.

It is also worth noting that very low turnover is not always a positive indicator. It can suggest limited progression opportunities, difficulty addressing underperformance, or a lack of new perspectives entering the business. The aim is a rate that reflects healthy workforce movement for your sector and circumstances.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] CIPD, _Labour Market Outlook - Spring 2025_, May 2025.

\[2\] Ravio, _2026 Compensation Trends Report_, October 2025.

\[3\] RotaCloud, 2024 staff turnover data, reported via _Retail Times_, April 2025.

\[4\] Make UK, _Labour Turnover Report 2025_, May 2025.

\[5\] NHS England, _Staff Leaving the NHS Among Lowest in Over a Decade_, March 2025.

\[6\] Stribe, _20 Employee Retention Statistics and Figures 2026 (UK)_, December 2025.

\[7\] CIPD, _Labour Market Outlook - Summer 2025_, August 2025.

\[8\] Culture Amp, _Predicted attrition data from 10 million UK employees_, December 2024.

\[9\] CIPD, _Benchmarking Employee Turnover: What Are the Latest Trends and Insights?_, 2024; based on ONS Annual Population Survey, 2022-23.

\[10\] CIPD, _Labour Market Outlook - Winter 2025/26_, February 2026.

\[11\] ONS, _Labour Market Overview, UK_, March 2026.

GettyImages-1887449050 (1).jpg

Staff turnover rates by industry UK: 2026 benchmarks

The scale of workplace absence is hard to ignore. Absence levels have risen significantly in recent years, and with new statutory sick pay reforms now in force from April 2026, pressure on employers has increased. Businesses without a structured approach to managing long-term sickness face a growing set of risks, such as productivity loss and difficulty maintaining quality standards.

What the evidence shows, however, is that early, genuine support doesn’t just improve the chances of a successful return to work, it builds trust with employees. 

## Summary 

*   [Over 2.8 million working-age people in the UK are economically inactive due to long-term sickness](https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity) \[1\], with mental health now the [leading driver of absences lasting four weeks or more](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/health-well-being-work/) \[2\]. 
*   Average sickness absence has risen to 9.4 days per employee per year - up from 5.8 days before the pandemic \[2\]. 
*   Since 6 April 2026, [](https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-sick-pay/statutory-sick-pay-ssp)[statutory sick pay has been payable from day one of sickness](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes), the three-day waiting period has been removed, and the lower earnings limit no longer applies for SSP qualifying purposes, extending eligibility to an estimated 1.3 million additional workers \[4\]. 
*   Employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments where a long-term health condition qualifies as a disability. No formal diagnosis is required \[5\]. 
*   The government's [Keep Britain Working Review](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-britain-working-review-final-report) (November 2025) calls for a shared-responsibility model between employers, employees, and health services, with early intervention at the centre of its philosophy \[6\]. 
*   Practical steps - regular contact, occupational health referrals, phased returns, flexible working, and clear documentation - cost relatively little but significantly improve outcomes. 

## The scale of the problem 

Office for National Statistics data shows that 2.81 million people of working age were economically inactive due to long-term sickness in the August to October 2025 period \[1\] - nearly three quarters of a million more than the equivalent period before the pandemic. Long-term sickness has been the single largest reason for economic inactivity since late 2021, overtaking caring responsibilities and early retirement. 

Within the workplace itself, the picture is equally stark. The CIPD's Health and Wellbeing at Work report (2025) found that employees took an average of 9.4 sick days per year in 2024, up from 7.8 in 2023 and 5.8 pre-pandemic \[2\]. Mental health was cited as the leading cause of long-term absence by 41% of employers surveyed, followed by musculoskeletal conditions (31%) and other long-term health conditions (30%). Across the NHS workforce in England, anxiety, stress, and depression alone accounted for around 31% of all sickness absence and over 708,000 full-time equivalent days lost in a single month \[3\]. Heavy workloads were identified as the top driver of stress-related absence, with 64% of organisations reporting some stress-related sickness in the previous year. Mentor's own advisers see this reflected in call volumes: around one in five enquiries from clients relate to managing employee absence due to illness, with mental health conditions featuring prominently. 

For small businesses, even a single long-term absence can create significant operational strain. Covering the absent employee's workload - whether through temporary staff, overtime, or redistribution - adds cost whilst the business continues to pay statutory or occupational sick pay. [Employee replacement costs range from 50% to 200% of annual salary](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone), making staff retention through effective absence management far more cost-effective than allowing skilled employees to leave the workforce. 

## Statutory sick pay changes from April 2026 

The [Employment Rights Act 2025](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-rights-bill-roadmap-for-2025-2027) introduces the most substantial reforms to statutory sick pay (SSP) since 1983, with changes taking effect from 6 April 2026 \[4\]. Three changes are particularly significant for employers managing long-term sickness. 

First, the **three-day waiting period is abolished**. SSP is payable from the first qualifying day of sickness absence, increasing cost exposure on short absences and removing the previous buffer that filtered out brief illnesses \[4\]. 

Second, the **lower earnings limit has been removed entirely for purposes of SSP**. Employees no longer need to earn a minimum weekly amount to qualify, extending SSP eligibility to an estimated 1.3 million additional workers - predominantly part-time, lower-paid, and variable-hours staff \[4\]. 

Third, the **SSP calculation method changes**. Rather than a flat weekly rate alone, SSP is paid at the lower of £123.25 per week (2026 SSP rate) or 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings, calculated over the [eight-week reference period before the absence began](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2026-to-2027) \[7\]. For employees already receiving SSP before 6 April 2026, transitional protections apply: they continue receiving the uprated flat rate for the duration of their continuous absence \[4\]. 

## SSP at a glance: before and after April 2026 

|  | Before 6 April 2026 | From 6 April 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Waiting period | 3 qualifying days (unpaid) | None - payable from day one |
| Earnings threshold | Must earn at least £125/week (lower earnings limit) | No minimum - all employees eligible |
| Weekly rate | Flat rate of £118.75 | Lower of £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings |
| Rate calculation | N/A - single flat rate | Based on 8-week reference period before absence |
| Maximum entitlement | 28 weeks | 28 weeks (unchanged) |
| Linked absences | Absences within 8 weeks treated as one period | Absences within 8 weeks treated as one period (unchanged) |

<br>

These reforms have immediate practical implications. Payroll systems need updating, sickness absence policies require revision to remove references to waiting days and earnings thresholds, and any occupational sick pay schemes that mirror SSP rules should be reviewed for alignment. 

Important to note: an employee's statutory sick pay running out does not end the employment relationship, nor does it give the employer an automatic right to dismiss. The contract of employment continues, and the employer's duty of care - including the obligation to consider reasonable adjustments - remains in force regardless of whether SSP is still being paid. 

## The Keep Britain Working Review 

In November 2025, the government published the Keep Britain Working Review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield \[6\]. The review estimates the cost of health-related economic inactivity to the state at £212 billion per year and identifies three persistent problems: a culture of fear around discussing health at work, a lack of effective support systems at the interface between work and health, and structural barriers faced by disabled people. 

At its centre is the concept of a "Healthy Working Lifecycle" - a framework covering prevention, early intervention, stay-in-work support, return-to-work planning, and long-term retention. The review recommends that employers adopt a Workplace Health Provision service: an external, non-clinical case management model designed to guide managers and employees through structured absence and return-to-work plans \[6\]. 

The review also highlights that fit notes, as currently designed, often serve to take the employer out of the loop rather than encouraging collaboration. Reform of the fit note system forms part of the longer-term recommendations, though systemic changes are expected to take several years to implement. 

For employers, the immediate takeaway is clear: early, consistent engagement with absent employees - rather than waiting for a fit note or SSP expiry - produces better outcomes for both parties. 

## Practical steps for managing long-term sickness 

### Maintain regular contact 

One of the most common mistakes employers make during long-term absence is losing contact with the employee. Uncertainty about what to say, concern about intruding, or assumptions that the employee will "come back when they're ready" often lead to prolonged silence that damages the employment relationship and delays return. 

Agree a communication plan early. Regular welfare contact with the absent employee is part of the employer's duty of care as well as effective absence management. This ensures the business has up-to-date information about the absence and allows both parties to discuss next steps. The employer should set a reasonable frequency and format for contact with the employee, typically through scheduled welfare calls or meetings. Employee preferences should be considered, though they should not override the employer's need for regular, meaningful communication. Only where an employee is too unwell to engage directly should written alternatives be considered, and even then the arrangement should be kept under review.

### Seek occupational health input early 

Where an absence extends beyond a few weeks or involves a condition likely to be long-term, referring the employee for an occupational health assessment can provide expert, objective guidance. An occupational health professional can advise on likely recovery timescales, recommend [reasonable adjustments](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/reasonable-adjustments-in-the-workplace), and assess whether the employee is fit for modified duties. 

Access to Work grants, funded by the UK government, may cover the cost of workplace assessments, specialist equipment, support workers, and coaching for employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Grants of [up to £69,260 per year](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-factsheet/access-to-work-factsheet-for-customers) may be available and do not require repayment \[8\]. 

### Plan phased returns and reasonable adjustments 

A phased return - where the employee gradually increases their hours or responsibilities over a defined period - is one of the most effective tools for supporting return to work after a long period of absence. It reduces the psychological burden of returning to full capacity immediately and allows both employer and employee to assess how the phased return is progressing. 

Reasonable adjustments might include [flexible working hours](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-rules-are-employers-up-to-speed), modified duties, changes to the physical workspace, additional breaks, or temporary reallocation of certain tasks. Many effective adjustments cost nothing: written instructions rather than verbal briefings, predictable scheduling, regular one-to-one check-ins, or a quieter workstation. 

Where the employee's condition constitutes a disability under the Equality Act 2010, the duty to make reasonable adjustments is a legal requirement, not an optional gesture of goodwill \[5\]. 

### Document everything 

Thorough documentation protects both parties. Record all welfare meetings, agreed actions, medical advice received, adjustments made, and communications. If the situation eventually progresses to a capability dismissal, an employment tribunal will assess whether the employer followed a fair process - and gaps in documentation are difficult to defend. 

Keep notes factual. Where formal meetings take place, provide the employee with a written summary and an opportunity to comment or correct the record. 

## Long-term absence management: a step-by-step checklist 

*   **Week 1**: Make initial welfare contact. Confirm the employee understands their sick pay entitlement and absence reporting requirements. Record the expected return date if known. 
*   **Weeks 2-4**: Maintain regular contact at the agreed frequency. If the absence is likely to extend beyond four weeks, consider an occupational health referral. Review whether any immediate adjustments could facilitate an earlier return. 
*   **Month 2**: Obtain occupational health advice on the employee’s condition, recommended adjustments, and fitness for modified duties. Hold a formal welfare meeting to discuss findings and agree next steps. Begin exploring phased return options. 
*   **Month 3+**: Review progress against the return-to-work plan. If no return is foreseeable, consider whether alternative roles exist within the organisation. Seek legal or specialist HR advice before starting any formal capability process. 
*   **Throughout**: Document every meeting, decision, and communication. Ensure the employee has access to any [employee assistance programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme) or mental health support available. 

## The legal framework 

### Equality Act 2010 

A person has a disability under the [Equality Act 2010](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/6) if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities \[5\]. "Long-term" means lasting, or likely to last, at least 12 months. Crucially, no formal diagnosis is required - tribunals assess impact on daily activities if no treatment was given and recurring conditions may qualify if the effects are substantial when active. 

Once an employer knows, or ought reasonably to know, that an employee may have a disability, the duty to make reasonable adjustments applies \[9\]. Failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties. The [average disability discrimination award in 2023/24 was £44,483](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024) \[10\], with a maximum recorded penalty of [£4.6 million in a 2024 case involving ADHD and PTSD](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68612551) \[11\]. 

### Dismissal as a last resort 

If, after exhausting reasonable adjustments, alternative work and return-to-work options, the employee remains unable to perform their role, dismissal on grounds of capability may be lawful - provided the employer can demonstrate a fair and thorough process and can demonstrate the reason why dismissal is reasonable in the circumstances. This includes obtaining up-to-date medical evidence, considering alternative roles within the organisation, consulting with the employee at every stage, and following the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Tribunals can [increase compensation awards by up to 25%](https://www.mfmac.com/insights/employment/25-acas-code-uplifts-correct-as-eat-endorses-four-step-guidance/) where employers unreasonably fail to follow the Code \[12\]. 

Every situation is different. An employee with cancer, for example, is automatically considered disabled from the point of diagnosis under the Equality Act 2010, regardless of the severity of symptoms. Seeking specialist HR or legal advice before initiating any dismissal process is essential. 

### Building a proactive absence culture 

The most effective approach to long-term sickness is one that begins well before the absence does. Organisations that invest in [employee wellbeing initiatives](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace), train managers to have early and supportive conversations about health, and build flexibility into working patterns tend to experience shorter absences and higher return rates. The CIPD's 2025 data supports this: 39% of organisations that invest in wellbeing initiatives report reduced sickness absence, alongside improvements in engagement and performance. Where employers trained managers to support staff with mental ill health, 73% reported that managers felt confident having sensitive conversations and signposting to support, compared with 57% where no training was provided. \[2\]

Small, consistent actions - a welfare call in the first week of absence, a written return-to-work plan with clear milestones - signal to employees that they are valued and that the organisation is invested in their recovery. These measures also build the kind of documented, supportive process that withstands legal scrutiny if the situation deteriorates. 

Long-term sickness will remain a feature of working life. The employers who manage it well are not those who avoid it, but those who respond to it with structure, empathy, and a genuine commitment to keeping people in work. 

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._ 

\[1\] ONS, Economic inactivity by reason (seasonally adjusted), August-October 2025.   

\[2\] CIPD/Simplyhealth, _Health and Wellbeing at Work Report_, September 2025. 

\[3\] NHS England Digital, _NHS Sickness Absence Rates_, 2025.   

\[4\] ACAS, _Statutory Sick Pay_, updated for Employment Rights Act 2025 changes (effective 6 April 2026).   

\[5\] ACAS, _What disability means by law_.   

\[6\] GOV.UK, _Keep Britain Working Review: Final Report_, November 2025.   

\[7\] GOV.UK, _Rates and Thresholds for Employers 2026 to 2027_.   

\[8\] GOV.UK, _Access to Work Factsheet for Customers_.   

\[9\] ACAS, _Reasonable Adjustments: Disability at Work_.   

\[10\] GOV.UK, _Tribunals Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2024_.

\[11\] BBC, _Hammersmith and Fulham Council boss speaks out over £4.6m pay-out_, March 2024.

\[12\] MFMAC, _25% ACAS Code Uplifts Endorsed - Employment Tribunal Guidance_, 2024.

Photo of a return to work meeting between manager and employee

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Supporting employees during long-term sickness

The assumption that employees simply want more pay and more flexibility turns out to be only half the story - and for younger workers, not even that.

Our research, surveying 2,000 UK employees in July 2025, reveals a workforce whose priorities are shifting rapidly and diverging sharply across generations. Work-life balance still dominates overall, but Gen Z is rewriting the terms of what ambition looks like. Meanwhile, social media is reshaping how employees feel about their careers in ways that most employers have yet to fully reckon with.

## Summary

*   Work-life balance is the top career priority for 73% of UK employees overall, but only 59% of Gen Z rank it highly - the lowest of any generation.
*   Gen Z is significantly more focused on career progression (36%) and purpose (41%) than older colleagues, with financial considerations a close second driver (40%).
*   Feeling heard and valued drives motivation for 94% of Gen Z - higher than any other generation in the study.
*   65% of employees say their work motivations have shifted in the past five years, driven by getting older, financial concerns, and a desire for purpose.
*   More than a third of employees (35%) are open to new job opportunities, with one in ten actively looking.
*   Nearly half of UK workers (44%) feel pressured to build a personal brand online, and 46% say social media has influenced how they feel about their career or workplace.
*   Employers who design people strategies around these shifts - rather than reacting to them - are better placed to retain talent across all age groups.

## Work-life balance over wealth

When UK employees are asked what matters most in their careers, work-life balance comes out on top by a significant margin. Nearly three quarters (73%) cite it as a key career factor, compared to just 29% who prioritise wealth. Job satisfaction (56%) and positive relationships with colleagues (31%) also rank well ahead of salary, pointing to a workforce that places growing weight on non-monetary factors.

But that overall picture conceals a workforce in motion. Nearly two thirds of employees (65%) say their work motivations have shifted in the past five years. The most common drivers of that shift are getting older (35%), financial concerns (33%), and a growing desire for purpose (27%). This isn't a story about a stable workforce with settled expectations. It's a story about employees who are actively re-evaluating what they want - and who are increasingly open to finding it elsewhere. More than a third (35%) are currently open to new job opportunities, with one in ten actively seeking them.

For employers, that level of latent movement is a retention risk that goes well beyond pay. Paul Buck, Business Partner, Employment Law and HR Consultant at Mentor, puts it directly:

>_"Most organisations are adapting, but often reactively rather than strategically. Policies around flexible working, wellbeing, and later-life career planning tend to lag behind employee expectations. The pace of demographic and cultural change means that many employers risk falling behind unless they embed support for purpose, financial resilience, and ageing workforces into their core people strategy."_

## Gen Z: Career first, personal life second

The headline finding about Gen Z cuts against a widespread assumption. The generation frequently described as prioritising balance and boundaries turns out to be considerably more career-focused than their predecessors.

Only 59% of Gen Z rank work-life balance as a career priority - compared to the 73% average across all generations. What they prioritise instead is progression and purpose. More than a third (36%) consider career growth important, against just 10% of Gen X and 4% of Boomers. Purpose and impact tops the list of what has driven their career choices over the past five years (41%), closely followed by financial and economic considerations (40%).

Social awareness also plays a stronger role in how Gen Z approaches work. One in five say an increased awareness of social issues has influenced their work motivations, compared to 8% of Gen X and 9% of Boomers. This generation is not disengaged - they are highly engaged, on their own terms.

What those terms require is recognition. Feeling heard and valued drives motivation for 94% of Gen Z, the highest proportion of any generation surveyed. Lucy Coombs, Senior Employment Law and HR Business Partner at Mentor, draws out the practical implication:

>_"The key to engaging different generations at work is to be mindful of the mix of team and motivators - involving younger people who are developing and bringing them into teams with older, more experienced workers, and recognising, valuing and encouraging skill and behaviour development equally from all perspectives."_

The risk for employers is treating Gen Z's ambition as a management challenge rather than an asset. An employee who wants rapid progression and clear development pathways is not difficult to retain - provided the organisation can offer what they're looking for. The difficulty is that most traditional performance and development frameworks were not designed with this cohort in mind.

## The social media effect

Beyond generational differences in priorities, the research identifies a newer and less well-understood pressure: the growing influence of social media on how employees feel about their work.

Nearly half of UK workers (44%) say they feel pressured to build a personal brand online. This pressure is creating real friction: one in five (20%) feel forced to engage with others online even when they don't have time, while 19% feel they must constantly create content, share career updates, and network. For many employees, the boundary between professional life and online performance has effectively disappeared.

The influence is especially pronounced among younger workers. Nearly three quarters of Gen Z (73%) and 61% of Millennials report that social media trends and topics have influenced how they feel about their career or workplace, compared to lower rates among older generations. Several specific trends are having the most measurable impact on how people feel about their jobs:

*   **Quiet quitting** (doing the bare minimum and setting work-life boundaries) - 13%
*   **Sunday scaries** (anxiety about the upcoming work week) - 13%
*   **Digital nomads** (working remotely while travelling) - 12%
*   **Workfluencer** (sharing work-related content on social media) - 11%

The significance for employers extends beyond individual wellbeing. Social media shapes how organisations are perceived as places to work - not through official employer branding, but through what current and former employees share publicly. Paul Buck explains:

>_"Social media amplifies both positive and negative employee experiences, meaning organisations are judged not only by official branding but by what current and former staff share online. Employers should recognise this by investing in authentic employer branding, clear communication of values, and workplace practices that genuinely reflect the culture they promote - otherwise, the gap between perception and reality will quickly undermine trust and retention."_

The practical implication is that employer brand is no longer a communications function. It is the lived experience of employees, rendered visible and searchable. Organisations that treat culture as a marketing exercise rather than an operational reality are increasingly exposed.

## What employers can do

The research points to three practical areas where employer action is most likely to have impact across all age groups.

1.  **Redesign development frameworks around progression, not tenure.** Gen Z's focus on career growth requires clear, frequent, and meaningful pathways - not annual reviews tied to time served. Employers who can articulate what development looks like in the first one, two, and five years of a role are significantly better placed to retain this cohort.
2.  **Treat purpose as an operational priority, not a communications one.** The finding that purpose and impact tops Gen Z's list of career drivers - above pay - is a signal that employees want to understand how their work connects to something larger. This is not primarily a branding challenge. It is a question of how roles are designed, how teams are briefed, and how managers communicate context and impact day to day.
3.  **Acknowledge the social media dimension of your employer brand.** If nearly half of your workforce feels pressured by personal branding expectations and almost half say social media has influenced how they feel about their job, this is a material people issue - not a marketing one. Authentic communication, genuine flexibility, and workplace practices that can withstand public scrutiny are the only sustainable response.

_This article draws on Mentor's survey of 2,000 UK employed adults, conducted between 23rd and 29th July 2025 by panel provider OnePoll. Generational definitions used: Gen Z (born after 1996), Millennials (born 1981-1996), Gen X (born 1965-1980), Boomers (born 1946-1964)._

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

employee_retention_strategies.jpg

What do UK employees actually want from work?

Employment law in 2026 is set to undergo one of the most significant rounds of legislative reform seen in many years. The scale and scope of the upcoming changes - driven by the Employment Rights Act 2025 - mean that organisations of all sizes will need to take a more proactive approach to reviewing policies, updating procedures, and ensuring compliance. 

Our employment law experts recently hosted a free webinar exploring the upcoming legislative changes, including a live Q&A. [The recording is now available here](https://lnkd.in/eF_xGpDw).

Read on to learn what these changes mean for employers and how your business can begin preparing.  

## April 2026 changes

### Day-one rights to paternity and parental leave

Entitlement to both [paternity and parental leave](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/supporting-employees-taking-family-leave) will no longer depend on an employee having accrued a specific period of qualifying service - employees will be entitled to these rights from their first day of employment. Please note - as of 18th February 2026, employees who don't yet have qualifying service for paternity leave can notify employers of their baby's due date with only 28 days' notice instead of the usual 15 weeks.

### Ability to take paternity leave following shared parental leave

The restriction preventing employees from taking paternity leave following shared parental leave will be removed.   

### Bereaved partner’s paternity leave

Eligible employees will have a day one right to take leave if the child’s primary carer dies within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption placement, and they have a qualifying relationship with the child or the primary carer.

Employees can take one period of leave, which must be taken within the first 52 weeks following the birth or placement.

### Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) - removing previous barriers to entitlement

[SSP will become payable from day one of sickness absence](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes) (employees will no longer be required to serve three waiting days before SSP becomes payable). In addition to this, the lower earnings limit that determined whether an employee was eligible to receive SSP will no longer apply. All employees, regardless of how much they earn, will be entitled to SSP from the first day of absence.  

SSP will be paid at the lower of:

- 80% of the employee’s average weekly earnings, or
- the statutory weekly rate, which will rise to £123.25 per week for the 2026/27 tax year.

This is a shift from the flat-rate system and is intended to ensure sick pay better reflects an employee’s actual income while still capping employer liability.

### Sexual harassment becomes a protected disclosure in its own right

Currently, an employee may be protected as a whistleblower if they report sexual harassment, but this is not absolute. Under the new rules, the act of reporting sexual harassment will be specifically considered as a protected disclosure on its own, subject to the existing conditions for all types of whistleblowing complaints. 

### Increase to protective award in collective redundancy

Employees that are subject to a collective redundancy process are entitled to be compensated if their employer did not comply with legal requirements known as “collective consultation”. The compensation awarded is referred to as a “protective award” and is currently set at 90 days’ pay per employee. This will be increased to 180 days. This is intended to strengthen the deterrent against employers failing to follow consultation rules. 

### New duty to keep "adequate" holiday records
 
Employers will be required to keep "adequate" records demonstrating compliance with workers' paid annual leave entitlements under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Records must cover leave taken, carried-forward leave, holiday pay calculations, and any payments in lieu, and must be retained for six years. This applies to all eligible workers, including irregular hours and part-year workers. Failure to comply is a criminal offence punishable by fine, with enforcement ultimately expected to sit with the incoming [Fair Work Agency](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/the-fair-work-agency).

### Creation of the Fair Work Agency

A new enforcement body will be created called the [Fair Work Agency] ('the Agency'). It will have a wide array of responsibility and powers including enforcing wages owed to employees (for example, enforcing minimum wage and holiday pay), raising employment tribunal claims on behalf of employees in certain circumstances, obtaining documents and entering business premises for inspections. Detailed regulations setting out their powers are awaited and it will take some time for the Agency to become fully operational.    

### Statutory trade union recognition (amendment to threshold)

 The current position for a trade union that wants to be recognised by an employer for the purposes of collective bargaining on behalf of the workers in a bargaining unit, is that, where the employer refuses to recognise it, it must make an application to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) and must be able to show the CAC that at least 10% of the workers in the bargaining area are members of the union. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces the possibility that the 10% threshold could be amended through secondary legislation to anywhere between 2% and 10% in the future. 

The Employment Rights Act 2025 further removes the requirement at the application stage for a trade union to demonstrate that there is likely to be majority support for recognition and also removes the 40% support threshold from recognition ballots. 

### Electronic balloting

The Government is committed to introducing secure electronic balloting for statutory trade union ballots, replacing the postal ballot system that has been in use for decades. This reform aims to make the balloting process faster, more secure, and more accessible to employees. 

### Umbrella companies

New rules will affect businesses that use umbrella companies or other third-party labour providers.

Responsibility for making sure PAYE is correctly applied will sit with the agency or end client, even where the worker is employed by an umbrella company.

## Further changes ahead

There will be a raft of [further changes in October 2026 and in 2027](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employment-rights-bill-roadmap-for-2025-2027). These include: 

### Harassment prevention

Employers face a duty to take "all reasonable steps" to [prevent sexual harassment](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/sexual-harassment-legislation-a-roadmap-for-employers), and to protect workers from harassment of any kind, including harassment by third parties such as customers and clients.

### Fire and rehire restricted

Making it significantly harder for employers to change contracts by dismissal and re-engagement.

### Union rights

Employers must inform staff of their right to join a union, with easier union recognition processes.

### Employment tribunal claims

Time limit for raising employment tribunal claims extends from three to six months.

### Unfair dismissal claims

The qualifying period of employment required to bring a claim for unfair dismissal will be reduced from two years to six months, with the change taking effect from 1 January 2027. This means employees joining from July 2026 onwards are likely to fall within scope. In addition, the cap on compensatory awards (currently the lower of 52 weeks' pay or £118,223) will also be removed.

## What employers should be doing now

The changes taking effect from April 2026 represent a fundamental shift in UK employment law, significantly expanding employee rights and strengthening enforcement. For employers, this is not simply a matter of updating contracts at the last minute. The scale of reform under the Employment Rights Act 2025 means organisations will need to plan early, review existing policies and procedures, and embed compliance into day-to-day operations. 

Key priorities should include understanding the detailed changes, reviewing family-leave policies to reflect new day-one entitlements, updating sickness absence rules and SSP entitlement, and strengthening whistleblowing and anti-harassment frameworks to manage increased legal risk. Employers involved in restructuring or redundancy exercises should also reassess consultation processes and timings given the doubling of protective awards. 

The creation of the Fair Work Agency, alongside expanded union rights and enforcement powers, signals a more proactive regulatory environment. Employers should expect greater scrutiny, faster enforcement action, and fewer procedural barriers for employees bringing claims.  

Employers who act now by auditing policies, training managers, and seeking specialist advice will be far better placed to adapt smoothly, avoid costly disputes, and maintain compliant and resilient workplaces as the new legal framework takes effect.

## Further reading

For more information on the upcoming employment law changes, you may find the following articles helpful:

- [Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) changes from April 2026](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes)
- [The Fair Work Agency](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/the-fair-work-agency): What this new enforcement body means for employers.

For the latest HR news and updates, visit our [News blog](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/).

_Dates reflected in this article detail the Government’s intentions at the time of publication and may be subject to change. This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._



Colleagues reading and discussing legal updates

news image.jpg

Employment law changes in April 2026: What you need to know 

Your best employee hands in their notice on a Friday afternoon. By Monday, you're scrambling to cover their workload, briefing a recruitment agency, and realising you have no idea how long the role will take to fill - or whether you even need a like-for-like replacement. Three months and several thousand pounds later, the new hire isn't working out.

This cycle is more common than most business owners realise. The [Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)](https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/hiring-mistakes-are-costing-uk-businesses-billions-each-year-rec) reports that 85% of HR decision-makers admit their organisation has made a bad hire - and a third believe those mistakes cost nothing \[1\]. Yet the REC's own analysis shows that a poor hire on a £42,000 salary generates losses exceeding £132,000 when you factor in wasted training, lost productivity, and increased turnover across the wider team.

Workforce planning doesn't eliminate hiring risk entirely, but it replaces reactive scrambling with informed decisions. And in a labour market where [UK job postings remain 19% below pre-pandemic levels](https://www.hiringlab.org/uk/blog/2025/12/09/indeed-2026-uk-jobs-hiring-trends-report/) and one in three employers have slowed hiring due to rising employment costs \[2\]\[3\], getting the timing and shape of your team right has never mattered more.

## Summary

*   Workforce planning means anticipating your staffing needs before gaps become crises - assessing what skills you have, what you'll need, and how to bridge the difference.
*   The UK skills shortage costs businesses billions annually, with 62% of organisations currently facing skills gaps \[4\]\[5\].
*   Small businesses are disproportionately affected: vacancies fell most sharply among firms with 1-49 employees in the past year \[6\].
*   A structured approach starts with understanding your current team, mapping future needs against business goals, and identifying where gaps will emerge.
*   Upskilling existing staff is often more cost-effective than external recruitment, yet employer investment in training has declined by 19% per employee in real terms since 2011 \[7\].
*   Workforce planning isn't a one-off exercise. Regular reviews - ideally quarterly - keep your plan aligned with changing conditions.
*   Even a basic workforce plan is better than none: only 19% of organisations have a written skills plan \[5\].

## What workforce planning actually means

Workforce planning is the process of making sure your business has the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles, at the right time. For a small business, that might sound like corporate jargon - but in practice, it's the difference between hiring because you've thought it through and hiring because someone just left and you're panicking.

At its core, workforce planning requires you to consider two key questions.

*   What does your team look like now - their skills, capacity, and how they spend their time?
*   What will your business need over the next six to twelve months, and beyond?

The gap between those two is where the real decisions happen. Sometimes the answer is recruitment. Often it's redeploying existing people, investing in training, restructuring responsibilities, or recognising that a full-time hire isn't what you need at all - a contractor, freelancer, or part-time role might serve better.

## Why it matters now

The UK labour market in early 2026 presents a particular set of pressures for small businesses. [Vacancies have fallen to 726,000](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9366/) - below pre-pandemic levels - and the sharpest declines have hit businesses with fewer than 50 employees \[6\]. At the same time, [the number of payrolled employees dropped by 121,000](https://www.dua.co.uk/how-labour-market-trends-are-affecting-hiring-pay-and-strategy/) between December 2024 and December 2025 \[8\]. Employers are cautious, and for good reason: rising National Insurance contributions, minimum wage increases, [increasing employment related costs](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/statutory-sick-pay-ssp-changes), and broader economic uncertainty have made [every hire a higher-stakes decision](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone).

Against this backdrop, the [Open University's Business Barometer (2024)](https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/news/business-law/business/new-ou-report-reveals-financial-cost-of-the-skills-shortage/) found that 62% of UK organisations are currently experiencing skills shortages \[5\]. Among those affected, 68% report increased workload on existing staff, 49% face reduced output, and 38% see decreased profitability. Yet only 19% have implemented a written skills plan to address the problem.

For small businesses, the mismatch is especially acute. You can't absorb the impact of a vacant role across a large team. When one person leaves or underperforms, the effects are immediate and visible - in delayed projects, missed opportunities, and pressure on the people who remain.

## How to build a basic workforce plan

You don't need specialist software or an HR department to start workforce planning. What you need is a clear picture of where you are, where you're going, and what stands between the two.

### Map your current workforce

**Start by documenting what you already have.** For each team member, note their role, core skills, any secondary skills they bring, and roughly how their time is allocated. This doesn't need to be a formal skills audit - a spreadsheet or even a written list works perfectly well for a small team.

**Look for patterns.** Are certain skills concentrated in one person, creating a single point of failure? Are there responsibilities that have drifted away from their original role holder? Is anyone consistently overloaded while others have capacity?

This exercise often reveals that **your team's actual skill set differs significantly from what's written in their job descriptions**. Someone hired for administration might be running your social media. A technician might be doing informal project management. Understanding the real picture - not the theoretical one - is the starting point for everything that follows.

A basic workforce audit for each team member might capture:

*   current role title and reporting line
*   primary responsibilities (what they were hired to do)
*   actual day-to-day tasks (what they spend most of their time on)
*   core skills and any secondary or informal skills
*   skills gaps or development needs they've identified
*   approximate time allocation across key activities
*   whether anyone else in the team could cover their core tasks.

Even a simple record like this, reviewed across the whole team, will highlight dependencies, imbalances, and opportunities that aren't visible from day-to-day management alone.

### Connect staffing to business goals

Workforce planning only works when it's anchored to where your business is heading. If you're planning to launch a new product line, enter a new market, or scale up operations, the staffing implications need to be part of that conversation from the start - not an afterthought once the strategy is already in motion.

Ask yourself what capabilities you'll need to deliver on your goals over the next twelve months. Consider which of those capabilities already exist in your team, which could be developed through training, and which will require bringing in new people.

Be specific. "We need more support" isn't a workforce plan. Instead, you can say: "We need someone who can manage our accounting software and process invoices independently by September, because our current finance person is moving to a three-day week".

### Identify and close the gaps

Once you've mapped your current team against future needs, the gaps become visible. For each gap, consider the full range of options before defaulting to recruitment.

*   **Upskilling existing staff** is frequently the most cost-effective approach, yet [employer investment in training has declined significantly](https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/skills-boost-growth/) - down 19% per employee in real terms between 2011 and 2022 \[7\]. Investing in the people you already have builds loyalty, reduces recruitment costs, and develops institutional knowledge that no external hire can replicate. Cross-training team members in each other's core tasks also reduces your vulnerability when someone is absent or leaves.
*   **Restructuring roles** can unlock capacity without adding headcount. If your analysis shows that a skilled employee is spending significant time on tasks below their capability, redistributing that work - through delegation, automation, or reassigning responsibilities - may free up the expertise you need without a new hire.
*   **Flexible resourcing** suits many small businesses better than permanent recruitment. Contractors, freelancers, and part-time staff can provide specialist skills for defined periods without long-term salary commitments. This approach works particularly well for project-based needs, seasonal demand, or skills you'll need intensively for a few months but not permanently.
*   **Recruitment** remains the right answer when you need a permanent increase in capacity or a skill set that doesn't exist in your current team and can't be feasibly developed. But [when you do recruit](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-to-employ-someone), a workforce plan means you're hiring with clear purpose, defined requirements, and realistic timelines - not scrambling to fill a gap you didn't see coming. The [average cost of hiring an employee in the UK is £6,125](https://standout-cv.com/stats/recruitment-statistics-uk) \[9\], making each recruitment decision one worth getting right.

### Comparing your options

| Approach | Typical cost | Best suited to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upskilling existing staff | Low-medium (training fees, protected learning time) | Filling emerging skill gaps; building resilience; retaining institutional knowledge |
| Restructuring roles | Low (management time to redesign and communicate) | Freeing up skilled capacity; correcting role drift; improving efficiency |
| Flexible resourcing (contractors, freelancers, part-time) | Medium (day rates or hourly fees; no long-term commitment) | Project-based needs; seasonal demand; specialist skills needed temporarily |
| Permanent recruitment | High (avg. £6,125 per hire [9], plus onboarding and ramp-up time) | Sustained capacity increase; roles central to long-term strategy |

The right option depends on the nature of the gap, your budget, and how quickly the need will materialise. In many cases, a combination of approaches works best - for example, upskilling a current team member whilst engaging a contractor to bridge the gap during their training period.

## Common mistakes to avoid

*   **Hiring for today's crisis, not tomorrow's needs.** Reactive hiring solves the immediate problem but often creates a new one - a role that doesn't evolve with the business, or a hire who's perfect for last month's challenge but wrong for next quarter's. Workforce planning shifts your focus from "who do we need right now?" to "who do we need right now _and_ six months from now?"
*   **Ignoring** [**retention**](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-retention-strategies) **as part of the plan.** The CIPD reports that 35% of employees leave their employer every year on average \[9\]. If you're only planning for growth without accounting for attrition, your workforce plan will always be playing catch-up. Factor in realistic turnover rates, identify flight risks, and invest in keeping the people whose departure would hurt most - through [development opportunities](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/best-practices-for-effective-employee-development), [flexible working](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-rules-are-employers-up-to-speed), competitive pay, and [genuine engagement](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-engagement-strategies).
*   **Treating workforce planning as a one-off.** A plan written in January and never revisited is barely better than no plan at all. Business conditions shift, people's circumstances change, and new opportunities emerge. Review your workforce plan quarterly at minimum, and update it whenever a significant change occurs - a resignation, a new client, a shift in strategy.
*   **Overlooking succession risk.** In a small business, key-person dependency is one of the biggest operational risks you face. If your top salesperson, lead developer, or only qualified technician left tomorrow, how long would it take to recover? Workforce planning should identify these vulnerabilities and put mitigation in place - whether that's cross-training, documentation, or developing internal candidates.

## Getting started

The gap between having no workforce plan and having a basic one is small in effort but significant in impact. You don't need a complex framework. Start with three steps: document what you have, define what you'll need, and decide how you'll bridge the gap. Write it down, even if it's a single page. Review it regularly.

In a market where skills shortages affect the majority of UK employers and hiring mistakes cost far more than most businesses realise, the businesses that plan their workforce deliberately will be the ones best positioned to grow sustainably, retain their best people, and weather the disruptions ahead.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), _Perfect Match: Making the right hire and the cost of getting it wrong_.

\[2\] Indeed Hiring Lab, _2026 UK Jobs & Hiring Trends Report_, December 2025.

\[3\] Robert Walters, _UK Salary Survey_, 2025.

\[4\] The Open University, _Business Barometer_, 2022.

\[5\] The Open University, _Business Barometer_, 2024.

\[6\] ONS, _Vacancies and Jobs in the UK_, February 2026.

\[7\] New Economics Foundation, _Employer Investment in Skills_, 2023.

\[8\] DUA, _How Labour Market Trends Are Affecting Hiring, Pay and Strategy_, February 2026.

\[9\] StandOut CV, _UK Recruitment Statistics_, 2026.

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Workforce planning basics: How to build the right team at the right time

Coming into force on 6 April 2026, changes to SSP will likely affect every employer in the UK, but the impact will be felt most acutely by small and medium-sized businesses, particularly those employing part-time, low-paid, or casual workers.

## What are the changes to SSP?

| Rule | Before 6 April 2026 | From 6 April 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Waiting days | First 3 days unpaid | No waiting days – SSP from day 1 |
| Lower Earnings Limit | Must earn at least £125/week | No earnings threshold – all workers eligible |
| Payment rate | Flat rate: £118.75/week | Lower of 80% average weekly earnings or £123.25 flat rate |
| Phased returns | SSP not payable on partial-work days | SSP payable on absent days during phased return |

<br>

### 1. SSP will become a ‘day one’ entitlement

From 6 April 2026, the waiting period will be removed and SSP will be payable from the first qualifying day of sickness absence.

For employers, this means:

- any qualifying sickness absence will trigger an SSP payment immediately
- short absences that previously did not attract SSP will now result in a payment
- absence reporting procedures may need tightening to ensure sickness is recorded promptly.

### 2. The Lower Earnings Limit will be removed

The earnings threshold that was previously used to assess if an employee qualified for SSP will be removed, meaning all eligible employees will be entitled to SSP regardless of income.

This change will extend coverage to many workers who were previously excluded, including part-time staff, lower-paid employees and some casual or variable-hours workers.

Estimates suggest around 1.3 million additional workers may become eligible for SSP because of this change [1].

### 3. A revised SSP calculation

SSP will be paid at the lower of:

- 80% of the employee’s average weekly earnings, or
- the statutory weekly rate, which will rise to £123.25 per week for the 2026/27 tax year.

This is a shift from the flat-rate system and is intended to ensure sick pay better reflects an employee’s actual income while still capping employer liability.

### 4. Phased returns to work

This is a change that many employers may not have considered. Under current rules, SSP only becomes payable from the fourth consecutive day of sickness absence - the first three days are unpaid waiting days. In practice, this means that employees on a phased return will often not qualify for SSP on their days off, because the pattern of part-time attendance typically breaks the run of consecutive sick days needed to maintain entitlement.

From April 2026, this changes. Because waiting days are removed and incapacity is assessed on a day-by-day basis, SSP will be payable for each day an employee is absent due to sickness during a phased return - even if they are attending work on other days. For example, an employee who normally works five days a week but returns on three days a week following a period of illness would be entitled to SSP for the two days they are not yet able to attend.

### 5. Transitional protections for ongoing absences

Employees who were already receiving SSP before 6 April 2026 and who would receive a lower amount under the new rules (because 80% of their average weekly earnings is less than the previous flat rate) will be protected by transitional arrangements. 

These employees will continue to receive the updated flat rate of £123.25 until:

- they either return to work; or
- they exhaust their 28-week SSP entitlement; or
- their contract ends; or
- they begin receiving statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance.

Employees who are currently serving their waiting days on 6 April will become entitled to SSP from that date. Employees earning below the current LEL who are off sick on or after 6 April will become eligible for SSP under the new rules.

### 6. Fair Work Agency enforcement

April 2026 also sees the establishment of the [Fair Work Agency](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/the-fair-work-agency) (FWA), a new enforcement body created under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Once operational, the FWA will have powers to enforce SSP payments - meaning non-compliance will carry greater risk than it does today.

Employers should ensure that their payroll processes are accurate and that SSP is being paid correctly and promptly.

## What does this mean for employers?

While the policy intention is to improve financial security for workers, employers should be aware of several practical implications.

### Increased SSP costs

Two aspects of the reform may increase employer costs.

- Paying SSP from day one rather than day four.
- More employees becoming eligible for SSP due to the removal of the earnings threshold.

Employers should assess the financial impact of these changes. The government estimates the reforms will cost employers approximately £450 million annually - around £15 per employee [1].

### Policy and payroll updates

Employers should review their existing documentation and systems to ensure they reflect the new rules. In particular:

- [employee handbook](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/drafting-an-employee-handbook-what-employers-need-to-know) and sickness absence policies referencing waiting days may need updating.
- employment contracts should be reviewed for outdated SSP wording
- payroll systems will need to calculate SSP under the new rules.

### Absence reporting procedures

Employers should consider their approach to short-term absence management. Without the deterrent of unpaid waiting days, they may wish to strengthen their absence management procedures or consider an [Employee Assistance Programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/employee-assistance-programme/?campaign=cm8911b5k000108joeh800swe) (EAP).

Training line managers on the updated rules, especially around phased returns and what triggers SSP entitlement, is also recommended.

## Final thoughts

The April 2026 SSP reforms represent one of the most significant changes to the UK sick pay framework in decades. By introducing day-one entitlement and expanding eligibility, the government aims to provide greater financial security for workers when they are unwell.

For employers, however, the reforms also mean higher compliance requirements, potential cost increases, and the need to update policies and payroll processes.

Preparing now will help ensure businesses remain compliant while continuing to manage absence effectively.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do the new SSP rules apply to all employers, regardless of size?

Yes. The changes apply to all UK employers. However, the impact will be felt most by small and medium-sized businesses, particularly those with part-time, low-paid, or variable-hours staff.

### How do I calculate 80% of an employee’s average weekly earnings?

Average weekly earnings (AWE) are typically calculated using the employee’s earnings in the eight weeks prior to the first day of sickness. Your payroll software should be updated to handle this automatically - if you’re unsure, speak to your payroll provider or take specialist advice.

### What if an employee earns more than £123.25 per week - does the flat rate still apply?

Yes. SSP from 6 April is always paid at the lower of 80% of AWE or £123.25 per week. So higher earners will receive the flat rate, while lower earners receive the earnings-based amount.

### Will I need to update employment contracts?

Any contracts referencing waiting days or the Lower Earnings Limit should be reviewed and updated to reflect the new rules.

### What happens if an employee is already off sick when the changes come into force?

Transitional protections apply - covered in detail in section 5 above. 

### Will employees have to prove their sickness if SSP is now due from day one?

The rules around self-certification for the first week of sickness absence remain the same. The only change is that SSP is now payable from day one.

### In respect of the SSP change, does the employee still have to be off for the 4 days to be eligible for SSP payment from day one?**

No, the waiting days will not apply anymore. Eligibility will be from day one of sickness absence even if the absence lasts for less than 4 days.

### What is the Fair Work Agency and should I be concerned?

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a new enforcement body with powers to pursue SSP non-compliance. Its creation signals that the government intends to take enforcement more seriously - so accurate payroll records and prompt SSP payments will be essential going forward.

### Can an employer insist an employee provide a fit note from a doctor when they are claiming SSP?

No, an employee can self-certify for the first 7 calendar days of sickness. Thereafter a fit note is required if the employee remains unwell. 
<br>

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

[1] UK Government, Employment Rights Act 2025 Economic Analysis, January 2026. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/695d3ebfbd1c076f787e7399/employment-rights-act-2025-economic-analysis.pdf


news image 2.jpg

Statutory Sick Pay changes from April 2026: What employers need to know

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering the most significant military escalation in the Middle East in decades. Iran has responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, Gulf states, and US military bases across the region. The conflict has already claimed thousands of civilian lives, disrupted global energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and drawn British forces into active defensive operations across Cyprus, Iraq, and the Gulf. Airspace across much of the region remains severely restricted, and the UK government has urged all British nationals in the Middle East to register with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the [foreign office](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) has warned British travellers against all but essential travel to the UAE. \[1\]\[2\]\[3\]

For many employers, this is not a distant news story. It is something your staff are living through right now - some of them between meetings, and some of them stuck in a foreign territory with no confirmed flight home.

This article covers two distinct employer challenges: how to support employees who are directly or indirectly affected by the crisis, and how to assist staff who are physically stranded in the region and unable to return to work.

## Summary

*   [Affected groups include](https://ing.org/act-now-supporting-affected-communities-during-the-iran-crisis/) Iranian diaspora, British Muslim and Jewish staff, those with family in Gulf states, and those with relatives in the Armed Forces - reactions vary widely and employers must not presume how any individual feels \[4\]\[5\].
*   [The Equality Act 2010](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents) protects race, national origin, and religion or belief; employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to to prevent harassment, not merely respond to it \[6\].
*   Acknowledge the situation from leadership, reissue anti-harassment guidance before an incident occurs, brief line managers, and make mental health support visible.
*   [More than 21,300 flights have been cancelled](https://hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/strategy-news/middle-east-air-disruption-leaves-uk-staff-stranded-as-employers-weigh-pay-and-absence-decisions/386718) since 28 February; employees stranded on business travel should normally remain on full pay \[13\].
*   Stopping pay for employees unable to return to work without a clear contractual basis risks a claim for unlawful deduction of wages; options for standed employees include additional annual leave, discretionary paid leave, or unpaid leave where appropriate \[13\].

## Who is affected, and how

The affected population in UK workplaces is broader than many employers initially assume.

Around 114,000 Iranian-born people live in the UK, according to the [2021 census](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranians_in_the_United_Kingdom) \[4\]. Many arrived after the 1979 revolution and have built lives here, but maintain close ties to family and homeland. Since the strikes began, members of this community have reported being unable to reach relatives in Iran, with internet access cut across much of the country \[5\].

[Reactions within the Iranian diaspora](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/03/05/joy-of-uks-iranian-diaspora-turning-to-fear-as-conflict-rocks-homeland) are also deeply complex. In areas of London like Finchley - known informally as "Little Tehran" - scenes of initial celebration at the death of Khamenei have given way to growing fear as the bombardment continues, civilians are killed, and contact with family in Iran proves impossible \[7\]. Some employees may feel relief at the weakening of a regime they fled, others feel anguish at watching their homeland destroyed; however, employers should not assume to know how their employees feel.

Beyond the Iranian diaspora, the crisis touches a far wider group of employees:

*   **British Muslim employees**, including those of Arab, Pakistani, Lebanese, and other backgrounds. [Vigils have been held](https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/morning-news-bulletin/religion-news-5-march-2026/) at mosques across London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Nottingham since the conflict began, and at least 15 university Islamic societies have held gatherings \[8\].
*   **Jewish and Israeli staff**, for whom Iran's sustained missile [attacks on Israeli civilian areas](https://acleddata.com/update/middle-east-special-issue-march-2026) - more than 90 strikes against Israel recorded in the first five days alone, with at least 10 confirmed direct hits on residential areas - represent an existential threat to family and community \[1\].
*   **Staff with connections to Gulf states** including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, all of which have faced [Iranian drone and missile strikes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war) since 28 February \[9\].
*   **Employees with family members in the British Armed Forces**, with [UK service personnel deployed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_involvement_in_the_2026_Iran_war) in active defensive operations across the region. In Bahrain alone, 300 British personnel were within 200 metres of an Iranian missile and drone strike on a US naval base \[2\].

No single emotional response defines any of these groups. What they share is the potential to arrive at work carrying significant trauma, fear, and grief - while being expected to perform as normal.

## The legal position

Employers have obligations here, and these include:

**A duty of care**. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must protect the health, safety and welfare of their staff - including safeguarding them from psychological harm, not just physical.

**Equality Act 2010**. Race - which includes nationality and ethnic or national origins - and religion or belief are both protected characteristics under the Act \[6\]. Harassment experienced by employees due to their race/ religion or belief may be unlawful discrimination.

## What to do now

### 1\. Acknowledge the situation directly

Senior leaders and line managers should communicate with their teams to make clear the organisation is aware of what is happening and is committed to supporting affected staff. This does not require taking a political position. It requires being human: we see that some of you may be personally affected, and we are here to support you.

A brief all-staff communication - or a direct message from line managers to their teams - is more effective than a policy update buried in an intranet. The tone should be warm and specific, not corporate. Acknowledge the scale of the crisis. Acknowledge that reactions to it may vary widely.

### 2\. Reissue anti-harassment guidance - before an incident occurs

Issue a clear reminder to all employees that discrimination, harassment, or hostile commentary directed at colleagues on the grounds of ethnicity, national origin, or religion is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010 and may result in disciplinary action up to dismissal \[6\]. Frame this as a statement of values rather than a reaction to a specific incident. The distinction matters: proactive guidance signals that the organisation takes the issue seriously, whereas responding to an incident signals that it took harm to prompt action.

### 3\. Equip your line managers

Many managers are unsure how to raise the subject of a global crisis with affected employees without seeming intrusive, or how to respond if an employee discloses distress. The most important guidance is simple: ask open questions, listen without trying to fix, and signpost support. "How are you doing with everything that's happening?" is enough to open a door. What managers must avoid is offering their own analysis of the geopolitical situation or commenting on the rights and wrongs of the strikes - that is not their role, and getting it wrong carries real cultural and legal consequences. Brief line managers specifically on not making assumptions about how colleagues from affected backgrounds feel.

### 4\. Review leave and flexibility arrangements

Consider whether your existing policies can accommodate employees who need time to manage the practical difficulties of trying to reach family in areas where communications are disrupted. Emergency dependants' leave under the Employment Rights Act 1996 covers situations involving a dependant who is ill or injured, which may be relevant where employees have relatives caught up in the conflict. Some of the arrangements that may help in this situation include remote working,  [flexible hours](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-rules-are-employers-up-to-speed) and time off for dependants.

### 5\. Make mental health support visible

If your organisation has an [Employee Assistance Programme](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme), now is the time to actively signpost it - not just list it in an [employee handbook](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/drafting-an-employee-handbook-what-employers-need-to-know). A brief manager communication naming the EAP, explaining that it includes counselling and 24-hour support lines, and noting that it is confidential removes the barrier of employees having to go looking for help during an already overwhelming period. If your organisation does not have an EAP, the [NHS Every Mind Matters](https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/) hub and Samaritans (116 123) offer free, immediate support that you can signpost directly \[11\].

## What to avoid

### 1\. Do not assume how individuals feel

The Iranian diaspora in the UK spans secular professionals, recent asylum seekers, and everything between \[4\]. A British Muslim employee of Lebanese background may have a very different relationship to this conflict than an Iranian colleague.

### 2\. Do not allow political debate to target colleagues

Robust discussion of current affairs is a normal part of working life. Commentary that targets individuals based on their background or perceived sympathies is not. The line between them can feel unclear in a heated moment - which is exactly why clear guidance from the outset matters.

### 3\. Do not treat this as a one-day action item

The conflict is ongoing and is expected to continue for weeks, at minimum \[1\]. Staff who appear to be coping now may struggle as the situation develops, as casualties mount, or as communication with family in the region remains cut off. Regular, informal check-ins from line managers over the coming weeks are more valuable than a single all-staff email.

## When employees cannot get home

A separate and more immediate challenge faces employers whose staff were travelling - whether for business or on holiday - when the conflict escalated on 28 February.

[More than 21,300 flights](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/3/travellers-stranded-airlines-under-pressure-as-iran-war-escalates) have been cancelled across seven major airports including Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi since the strikes began \[12\]. Commercial services are resuming gradually, but the knock-on effects of repositioning planes and crew are expected to cause disruption well into mid-March. Many UK employees remain unable to return.

The first priority is welfare. Confirm that stranded employees are safe and have access to accommodation, funds, and communication. Then encourage them to register with the FCDO's crisis portal at [gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice), which provides direct SMS and email alerts including shelter-in-place guidance and instructions for government-organised repatriation flights. [Over 102,000 British nationals](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/tui-issues-urgent-uae-travel-alert-what-stranded-brits-and-future-passengers-need-to-know/) have already registered \[14\]. Document that affected staff have done so - this forms part of a demonstrable duty-of-care record.

Lauren Hutton, an Implementation Manager at Mentor, was on holiday in the UAE when the conflict escalated and found herself unable to return home. Her account of that experience reflects what effective line manager support looks like in practice:


>“When the situation in the region escalated during my holiday in the UAE, I found myself unable to return home and stressed about being separated from my children.
>In an incredibly challenging personal situation, the support I received from my line manager reflected the strength of our organisation’s leadership and culture.
>Throughout the disruption, they checked in with me at key moments; not about work, but about me. Their genuine concern for my wellbeing, and their reassurance that my only focus should be on getting home safely, removed any additional stressors relating to work.
>My manager also worked closely with others to confirm additional safety measures I should take and ensure I was given the necessary time away from work. The empathy, guidance, and proactive support I was given demonstrated the compassionate, people first, culture we strive to create.”

### Pay and leave

Employees stranded on business travel should normally remain on full pay, as the travel was at the employer's request.  Where multiple employees are affected, apply the same approach consistently across comparable cases.

### Frustration of contract and dismissal

Where an absence becomes genuinely open-ended, some employers consider whether the employment contract has come to an end in law - a doctrine known as **frustration of contract**. Under English law, frustration applies where an unforeseen event makes performance impossible or radically different from what was originally agreed, terminating the contract automatically without notice or dismissal. In employment, tribunals apply it very narrowly: the established cases involve long-term incapacity - catastrophic illness with no prospect of recovery, or lengthy imprisonment - not temporary disruption of foreseeable duration. For an employee stranded abroad due to an active conflict and airspace closures, frustration is unlikely to apply, and invoking it incorrectly exposes the employer to wrongful dismissal claims. **Specialist employment law advice should be sought before any termination decision is made.**

## The longer view

Geopolitical crises often reveal gaps in how employers support their [diverse workforces](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/building-a-diverse-equal-and-inclusive-workplace). The businesses that handle these moments well aren't doing anything extraordinary; they've simply built cultures where people feel safe sharing their difficulties, managers are equipped to respond with care, and policies are flexible enough to accommodate human needs.

Employers who navigated the Ukraine crisis from February 2022 will recognise many of these questions: how to acknowledge distress without making political statements, what leave flexibility looks like, and how to support employees who can't reach family in a conflict zone. Those who created lasting policies and communication norms from that experience have been better prepared for every crisis since.

The conflict that began on February 28, 2026, is another test of whether your organisation has built that kind of culture. For the employees affected - those watching the news between calls or unable to reach their parents for days - it is a test they will remember long after the crisis has passed.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] ACLED, _Middle East Special Issue: March 2026_, March 2026.

\[2\] Wikipedia, _United Kingdom involvement in the 2026 Iran war_, March 2026.

\[3\] GOV.UK, _Prime Minister's Oral Statement on Iran_, 2 March 2026.

\[4\] Wikipedia, _Iranians in the United Kingdom_, 2026.

\[5\] Institute for Nonprofit Governance, _Act Now: Supporting Affected Communities During the Iran Crisis_, March 2026.

\[6\] GOV.UK, _Equality Act 2010_.

\[7\] Cyprus Mail, _Joy of UK's Iranian Diaspora Turning to Fear as Conflict Rocks Homeland_, 5 March 2026.

\[8\] Religion Media Centre, _Religion News 5 March 2026_, 5 March 2026.

\[9\] Wikipedia, _2026 Iran War_, March 2026.

\[10\] Rivermate, _Employee Rights in United Kingdom_, 2025.

\[11\] NHS, _Every Mind Matters_.

\[12\] Al Jazeera, _Travellers Stranded, Airlines Under Pressure as Iran War Escalates_, 3 March 2026.

\[13\] HRreview, _Middle East Air Disruption Leaves UK Staff Stranded as Employers Weigh Pay and Absence Decisions_, 4 March 2026.

\[14\] Travel and Tour World, _TUI Issues Urgent UAE Travel Alert_, March 2026.


how to support staff through the middle east crisis

GettyImages-481832772 (2).jpg

How to support staff through the Middle East crisis: A guide for employers

The labour market has shifted in ways that make talent attraction genuinely difficult for many UK businesses. Candidate expectations have risen, and competition for skilled workers now extends well beyond any single industry. Yet some employers consistently attract strong candidates whilst others struggle to fill the same roles repeatedly.

The difference is rarely salary alone. Increasingly, it comes down to employer brand: the reputation your business has as a place to work, and how clearly you communicate it.

## Summary

*   Employer brand is how your business is perceived as a place to work - and it directly influences who applies, who accepts, and who stays.
*   Organisations with a strong employer brand see [up to 50% more qualified applicants](https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/global/en_us/c/pdfs/ultimate-list-of-employer-brand-stats.pdf) and reduce cost-per-hire by as much as 50%. \[1\]
*   Your current employees are your most credible advocates. Internal culture shapes external reputation more than any marketing campaign.
*   Practical steps - from refining your careers page to responding to reviews - costs very little but produce measurable results.
*   Authenticity matters: overstating what you offer damages trust and accelerates employee turnover.
*   Small businesses can compete with larger employers by offering flexibility, visibility, and genuine impact.

## What employer brand actually means

**Employer brand** describes the reputation your organisation holds as an employer - the associations people form when they think about working for you. It encompasses everything from how you treat candidates during recruitment to how employees talk about you to friends over dinner.

It is distinct from your consumer brand, though the two influence each other. A business with strong customer recognition but a poor internal culture will find that reputation eventually surfaces in recruitment. Glassdoor, Indeed reviews, and LinkedIn have made it easier than ever for candidates to research what working for an organisation is actually like.

The numbers make a compelling case for investing in this area. Companies with a strong employer brand see 50% more qualified applicants and reduce their cost-per-hire by up to 50% \[1\]. Separately, [69% of candidates](https://www.itagroup.com/insights/employee-experience/why-employer-brand-matters) would reject a job offer from a company with a bad reputation - even if unemployed \[2\].

For small and medium-sized businesses operating without dedicated HR teams, these figures carry particular weight. Struggling to fill roles costs money in agency fees, extended vacancies, and the productivity lost while positions sit empty.

## Start with an internal review

Before focusing on how to communicate your employer brand, it is worth understanding what that brand actually is.

Ask your current employees - through anonymous surveys, one-to-ones, or informal conversation - what they value about working there, what they find frustrating, and how they would describe the business to a friend considering applying. The answers provide both an honest baseline and a clearer picture of what genuinely differentiates you.

This exercise matters more than many employers realise. [Research for Mentor](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/workplace-motivation) found that two-thirds of UK employees are open to new job opportunities, with one in ten actively seeking them \[5\]. The market for your existing talent is live whether you are engaging with it or not.

Where feedback reveals genuine problems - inconsistent management, [poor communication](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/top-tips-for-effective-workplace-communication), [limited development opportunities](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/best-practices-for-effective-employee-development) - address those first. Employer branding built on a weak foundation creates a specific problem: it attracts people in, then loses them quickly once the gap between expectation and reality becomes clear. [](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone)Replacement costs range [from 50% to 200% of annual salary](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-much-does-it-cost-to-employ-someone), making premature attrition one of the most avoidable costs in a business.

## Define your employee value proposition

Your employee value proposition (EVP) is the specific combination of benefits, culture, and opportunities that you offer in exchange for someone's time and skills. It answers the question every candidate is implicitly asking: why should I work here rather than somewhere else?

Knowing what to include is half the challenge. 65% of UK employees say their work motivations have changed over the last five years, with work-life balance now the single most important career factor for 73% of the workforce \[5\]. An EVP that leads with [flexibility and autonomy](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-rules-are-employers-up-to-speed) will land differently - and more credibly - than one centred on perks or prestige.

A practical EVP covers five areas:

| Area | What to address |
| --- | --- |
| Compensation and benefits | Salary, pension, holiday entitlement, any additional perks |
| Work environment | Location, flexibility, hybrid or remote options, team culture |
| Development | Training, progression pathways, exposure to varied work |
| Purpose | What the business does, who it serves, and why that matters |
| Leadership | How decisions get made, how accessible senior people are, how performance is recognised |

<br>The goal is not to claim you excel at everything. Candidates respond better to honest, specific descriptions than to generic statements about "dynamic environments" and "passionate teams." If your strength is genuine flexibility and real autonomy, lead with that. If you offer structured progression and strong training, say so clearly. Feeling heard and valued has a positive influence on motivation for 83% of employees - so an EVP that signals genuine investment in people, rather than surface-level benefits, is more likely to attract and retain the right candidates \[5\].

## Make your careers presence work harder

Many businesses invest in recruitment advertising but neglect the destination candidates arrive at when they investigate further. A careers page - or the absence of one - communicates a great deal about how seriously an organisation takes its people.

A functional careers presence does not require significant investment. At minimum, it should include:

*   **description of your culture and values** in plain language, not corporate boilerplate
*   **what you offer employees beyond salary** - flexibility, development, team environment
*   [**how your recruitment process works**](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/how-to-employ-someone) and what candidates can expect at each stage
*   **profiles or brief quotes from existing team members** describing their experience honestly.

Authenticity carries more weight than production quality. A short, genuine video or a paragraph written by a real employee will outperform polished corporate copy. Research from LinkedIn shows that candidates trust employees three times more than the company itself as a source of information about what it is really like to work there \[1\].

Review platforms deserve attention too. [86% of job seekers](https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/resources/employer-branding-101-why-how-and-proven-roi/) read company reviews before deciding whether to apply \[3\]. Responding to reviews - including critical ones - signals that leadership listens and takes feedback seriously. A thoughtful, measured response to a negative review often creates a more positive impression than a page of unanswered five-star ratings.

## Use your existing employees as advocates

Your current workforce is your most credible and cost-effective recruitment channel. Referral programmes, where employees recommend suitable candidates from their networks, consistently produce higher quality hires with [better retention rates](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-retention-strategies) than external advertising alone. [Employee referrals are four times more likely to be hired](https://www.zippia.com/advice/employee-referral-statistics/) than candidates from job boards, and referred employees stay 45% longer on average \[4\].

Encouraging employees to share content on LinkedIn - team achievements, projects, company news - extends your reach into passive candidate networks without any advertising spend. 46% of UK employees say social media trends influence how they feel about their career or workplace, which means the content your people share - or don't share - actively shapes your reputation in the talent market \[5\]. This dynamic works most naturally when people feel genuinely positive about where they work; manufactured enthusiasm tends to read as exactly that.

## Tailor your message to the candidate you are trying to reach

Different roles and different career stages call for different approaches. A graduate seeking their first position responds to different signals than an experienced professional assessing whether to leave a stable role. The former may prioritise learning opportunities and team culture; the latter is more likely weighing leadership quality, stability, and scope for impact.

Understanding these differences is not guesswork. The research for Mentor identifies clear generational patterns in what drives people to stay or move on.

*   **Gen Z** prioritise growth opportunities and are highly attuned to employer values and culture, with 73% saying social media trends have influenced how they feel about their career.
*   **Millennials** place significant weight on flexibility and work-life balance (34%), alongside professional development.
*   **Gen X** are more likely to factor in location and long-term stability.
*   **Boomers** place greater emphasis on working hours than younger counterparts. \[5\]

None of these are absolute - motivation is individual, and making assumptions based on age alone creates its own problems. But knowing the broad landscape helps you frame your message in ways that connect with the candidates you most want to reach.

## Measure what is working

Employer brand is not abstract. Several metrics give a practical picture of whether your efforts are producing results. Application volume and quality show whether your messaging is reaching the right people. Offer acceptance rates reveal whether candidate expectations align with what you are offering - and where they do not, candidate feedback often explains why. Time to fill a post is a reliable early signal of a pipeline or perception problem. [Early attrition, particularly in the first 90 days](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employers-guide-to-effective-employee-onboarding), frequently indicates a gap between what candidates were led to expect and what they found. And employee net promoter score - a simple measure of whether current staff would recommend the business as a place to work - provides a useful internal barometer that external metrics alone cannot capture.

Tracking these consistently over time, even informally in a small business, allows you to identify patterns and adjust. An unexplained drop in application volume after a cluster of negative reviews is actionable. Vague dissatisfaction with "the quality of candidates" generally is not.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] LinkedIn, _Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics_.

\[2\] ITA Group, _Why Employer Brand Matters_.

\[3\] Glassdoor, _Employer Branding 101: Why, How and Proven ROI_.

\[4\] Zippia, _25 Incredible Employee Referral Statistics_, 2026.

\[5\] Mentor, _The new shift in workplace motivations: What employers need to know_, 2025.

GettyImages-2004891062 (1).jpg

Building a strong employer brand to attract talent

An employee develops chronic back pain after months of working from a dining table. A data breach occurs because a staff member connects to an unsecured public Wi-Fi network. A remote worker, increasingly isolated, takes extended sick leave for anxiety. These are not hypothetical scenarios. They reflect the kinds of risks that arise when work moves beyond the employer's direct line of sight.

The Health and Safety Executive is clear: employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for those in a workplace \[1\]. Yet many businesses, particularly smaller ones, treat remote working as inherently low-risk and overlook the practical steps needed to protect both their people and themselves.

According to the [Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/whoarethehybridworkers/2024-11-11), around 40% of UK workers now work remotely at least some of the time, with 14% doing so full-time and 26% following a hybrid pattern \[2\]. Since April 2024, employees have had a [](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working)[statutory right to request flexible working](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-how-the-law-is-changing) from their first day of employment \[3\]. Remote and hybrid arrangements are now a structural feature of the UK labour market, not a temporary accommodation.

## Summary

*   Employers owe the same duty of care to remote workers as to on-site staff, including health and safety risk assessments \[1\].
*   The HSE confirms that home workers should be included in workplace risk assessments, with a [balanced and proportionate approach](https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/employer/risk-assessment.htm) \[4\].
*   Key risk areas include workstation ergonomics, mental health and isolation, data security, and blurred working-time boundaries.
*   Self-assessment checklists, regular check-ins, and clear policies form the foundation of effective off-site risk management.
*   Data protection obligations apply equally to remote settings; employers must ensure secure devices, encrypted connections, and staff training \[5\].
*   The financial and legal consequences of inaction can be significant: employers' liability insurance must cover remote workers, and tribunal claims can arise from injuries or stress caused by inadequate working conditions.

## Your legal obligations

The [Health and Safety at Work Act 1974](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents) places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of all employees. This applies regardless of where the work takes place. The [Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/contents/made) reinforce this by requiring employers to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments covering all workers, including those based at home. The HSE's [risk assessment guidance for home workers](https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/employer/risk-assessment.htm) confirms that these assessments should be balanced and proportionate to the level of risk involved \[4\].

For employees who regularly use display screen equipment (DSE), such as laptops and monitors, the [Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992](https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/home-working.htm) also apply. The HSE states that where these regulations apply, employers should carry out a DSE assessment for individual workers, and that in most cases a visit to the employee's home is not required \[7\]. Workers may complete a self-assessment provided they have been given suitable training on how to set up their workstations safely and apply good ergonomic principles.

[Employers' liability insurance](https://www.gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance), which is a legal requirement under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, must cover employees working from home. Standard policies typically do, but it is worth confirming with your insurer that remote and hybrid arrangements are included in the scope of cover.

## Physical risks: Workstation setup and ergonomics

A significant proportion of remote workers do not have ideal working environments. Research indicates that [as many as seven in ten home workers](https://standout-cv.com/stats/remote-working-statistics-uk) feel they lack the right equipment to do their job properly \[8\]. Some work from sofas, kitchen tables, or bedrooms - none of which are designed for prolonged desk-based work. Over time, poor posture and inadequate equipment contribute to musculoskeletal problems including back, neck, and shoulder pain.

Practical steps to address this include:

*   providing a self-assessment checklist that employees complete for their home workstation, covering chair height, screen position, lighting, and cable management
*   following up on completed assessments to [identify where adjustments or equipment](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/reasonable-adjustments-in-the-workplace) are needed
*   supplying or funding appropriate equipment where the assessment identifies a risk, such as an external monitor, keyboard, or ergonomic chair
*   reminding employees to take regular breaks from screen work and to vary their posture throughout the day.

The HSE emphasises that where a DSE workstation assessment identifies the need for action, [workers must not be charged for any equipment provided](https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/home-working.htm) \[7\]. Many of these adjustments are low-cost, particularly when compared with the expense of [sickness absence](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/supporting-employees-during-long-term-sickness) or an injury claim.

## Mental health and isolation

Remote work can amplify what health and safety professionals refer to as psychosocial risks - the social and organisational factors that affect mental health at work, including workload pressure, lack of control over how work is done, limited peer support, and unclear expectations around roles and availability. The scale of the problem is significant: [according to the HSE](https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm), 1.9 million workers in the UK are currently suffering from a work-related illness, with 964,000 of those cases involving stress, depression, or anxiety \[13\].

Remote workers face particular exposure to these risks. A [UK survey of over 2,000 employees](https://workplacewellbeing.pro/news/survey-reveals-remote-work-hidden-mental-health-challenges/) found that 49% of remote workers feel isolated, and 57% regularly work outside their designated hours. Hybrid workers reported lower isolation rates, with only 27% experiencing similar feelings, suggesting that some in-person contact makes a meaningful difference. \[9\]

The [HSE's Management Standards](https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/overview.htm) for work-related stress provide a structured framework for identifying these risks, and employers should ensure remote workers are fully included in that process \[10\]. For remote employees, this means [actively monitoring](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/monitoring-employee-productivity-in-remote-work-environments) for signs of overwork, disconnection, or declining wellbeing - rather than assuming that a lack of visible distress means everything is fine.

Effective approaches include:

*   scheduling regular one-to-one check-ins that cover wellbeing as well as work progress
*   establishing team routines that create informal connection, such as weekly video catch-ups or virtual coffee breaks
*   setting clear expectations around working hours and availability, including encouraging employees to log off at a reasonable time
*   ensuring remote workers have access to the same support resources as office-based staff, including [employee assistance programmes](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme) where available.

Managers play a central role. Regular, genuine contact helps identify problems early, before they escalate into prolonged absence or [formal grievances](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/professional-approaches-to-workplace-conflict-resolution).

## Data security and GDPR compliance

Employers' data protection obligations under UK GDPR and the [Data Protection Act 2018](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/contents/enacted) do not change when employees work remotely. The [ICO provides specific guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/security/working-from-home/) for organisations with home-working staff, emphasising the need for appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data \[5\].

Remote working introduces particular vulnerabilities. Employees may connect to unsecured home or public Wi-Fi networks, use personal devices without adequate security controls, or handle sensitive documents in shared household spaces. Practical measures to address these risks include:

*   providing company devices with up-to-date security software, encryption, and automatic updates
*   requiring the use of a VPN for accessing company systems remotely
*   training employees on recognising phishing attempts, securing their home network, and handling confidential information
*   establishing clear policies on the use of personal devices, including whether a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach is permitted and what security requirements apply
*   setting procedures for reporting data breaches or lost devices promptly.

These measures protect both the organisation and the individuals whose data is being processed. A data breach caused by inadequate remote working security can result in regulatory action from the ICO, financial penalties, and reputational damage.

## Working time and boundaries

The [Working Time Regulations 1998](https://www.acas.org.uk/working-time-rules) continue to apply to remote workers. Employers must ensure that staff are not exceeding the 48-hour weekly maximum (unless they have opted out), that they receive adequate daily and weekly rest periods, and that statutory breaks are being taken \[11\].

Remote work can make it harder to monitor these boundaries. When work is always accessible from a device in the next room, the temptation to check emails or finish tasks outside of agreed hours increases. Over time, this pattern contributes to fatigue and burnout.

Employers can help by requiring accurate time recording for remote workers, training managers not to contact staff outside working hours except in genuine emergencies, and building a culture where switching off is not only permitted but expected. Clear policies, [communicated during onboarding](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employers-guide-to-effective-employee-onboarding) and reinforced through regular practice, are more effective than relying on individual discipline.A practical framework for managing off-site risk

Managing remote working risks does not require complex systems. A structured, proportionate approach covers most situations.

1.  **Assess.** Include remote and hybrid workers in your workplace risk assessment. Use self-assessment tools for home workstations and follow up where issues are flagged. Review assessments regularly, particularly when an employee's circumstances change.
2.  **Equip.** Provide or fund the equipment needed to work safely, whether that is an ergonomic chair, a second monitor, or a secure laptop. Where your DSE assessment identifies a need, the cost falls to the employer \[7\].
3.  **Communicate.** Set clear expectations around working hours, availability, data handling, and incident reporting. Document these in a remote working policy and ensure all relevant staff have read and understood it.
4.  **Connect.** Maintain regular contact with remote employees through structured check-ins and informal interaction. Isolation builds gradually, and early intervention is significantly more effective than responding to a crisis.
5.  **Review.** Revisit your arrangements periodically. Working patterns, personal circumstances, and regulatory requirements all change over time. Annual reviews of remote working risk assessments, policies, and support mechanisms help ensure your approach remains current.

## Helpful resources

*   [HSE: Home working - employer guidance](https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/employer/index.htm) - overview of your health and safety duties for home workers.
*   [HSE: Home working - risk assessment](https://www.hse.gov.uk/home-working/employer/risk-assessment.htm) - guidance on including home workers in your risk assessments.
*   [HSE: Display screen equipment at home](https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/home-working.htm) - DSE assessment requirements for home-based workers.
*   [HSE: DSE workstation checklist](https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/assessment.htm) - practical checklist for workstation self-assessments.
*   [HSE: Lone working](https://www.hse.gov.uk/lone-working/employer/index.htm) - guidance on managing risks for those who work alone, including home workers.
*   [HSE: Work-related stress](https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/) - guidance on assessing and managing stress risks in the workplace.
*   [ICO: Working from home](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/security/working-from-home/) - data protection guidance for organisations with remote-working staff.
*   [GOV.UK: Flexible working](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working) - guidance on handling statutory flexible working requests.
*   [GOV.UK: Employers' liability insurance](https://www.gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance) - legal requirements for employer insurance cover.
*   [GOV.UK: Access to Work](https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work) - government-funded support for employees with disabilities or health conditions, including equipment and workplace assessments.

While the above resources are a solid starting point, every business is different. Where the situation involves specific circumstances - an employee raising a concern about their home setup, or uncertainty about how health and safety law applies to a particular role - it is worth getting professional advice.

Employment law and health and safety interact in ways that are not always obvious, and the cost of getting it wrong, whether through a tribunal claim, an HSE investigation, or simply losing a good employee, tends to exceed the cost of asking someone who deals with these issues every day. Services like [Mentor](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/health-and-safety/) and independent health and safety consultants can all help businesses navigate this area.

## Conclusions

Remote and hybrid working are now a permanent part of the UK employment landscape. The legal obligations that apply are not new; they are the same duties of care that have always existed, extended to wherever the work happens. Most of the practical steps involved are low-cost, straightforward, and beneficial not only for compliance but for [employee wellbeing](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace) and productivity.

Clear policies, appropriate equipment, regular contact, and a culture that values outcomes over visibility create environments where people can do their best work - wherever they happen to be located.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] HSE, _Home working: employer guidance_, 2024.

\[2\] Office for National Statistics, _Who are the hybrid workers?_, November 2024.  

\[3\] GOV.UK, _Flexible working; Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023_, in force from 6 April 2024.  

\[4\] HSE, _Home working: risk assessment_, 2024.  

\[5\] ICO, _Working from home guidance_, 2025.  

\[6\] Acas, _Employment Rights Act 2025_, December 2025.  

\[7\] HSE, _Working with display screen equipment at home_, 2024.  

\[8\] StandOut CV, _Remote working statistics UK_, 2025.  

\[9\] BizSpace / Workplace Wellbeing Professional, _Survey reveals remote work hidden mental health challenges_, November 2024.  

\[10\] HSE, _Work-related stress_, 2024.  

\[11\] Acas, _Working time rules: employer guidance_, 2024.  

\[12\] GOV.UK, _Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update_, February 2026.

\[13\] HSE, _Key figures for Great Britain 2024 to 2025_, 2025.


Managing off-site risks for remote employees

managing-off-site-risks-for-remote-employees.jpg

Employee engagement in the UK lags behind most of Europe. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, just [10% of UK employees are engaged](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx) at work, one of the lowest rates on the continent and well below the global average of 21%. The estimated cost to the UK economy exceeds £257 billion annually. \[1\]

The business case for improving engagement is strong. Gallup's analysis of over 100,000 teams found that highly engaged workplaces see [23% higher profitability](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx), 18% higher productivity, and significantly lower absenteeism and turnover \[2\]. For smaller businesses, where every team member's contribution is visible, these differences can have a material effect on performance.

Yet engagement remains difficult to influence. Unlike pay or working conditions, it reflects how employees feel about their work, their managers, and the organisation's direction. Understanding what drives engagement - and what undermines it - is the first step toward creating conditions where people are more likely to be invested at work and go above and beyond.

## Summary

*   Just 10% of UK employees are engaged at work, compared to 21% globally, costing the economy an estimated £257 billion per year \[1\].
*   Engaged employees contribute to 23% higher profitability and 18% higher productivity \[2\].
*   The most significant driver of engagement is not pay or perks, but confidence in leadership and effective change management \[3\].
*   Managers account for up to 70% of the variance in team engagement levels \[1\].
*   Practical engagement strategies include providing clarity on roles and expectations, recognising contribution, offering development opportunities, and giving employees a voice in decisions that affect their work.
*   Engagement is not a one-off initiative; it requires consistent effort and genuine follow-through on commitments.

## What actually drives engagement

Pay and benefits matter, but they rarely explain why some teams are highly engaged while others in the same organisation are not. Research points instead to less tangible factors: **how people feel about their work**, **their managers**, and **the organisation's direction**.

Culture Amp's 2024 analysis identified [confidence in leadership as the top driver](https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/employee-engagement-2024) of engagement \[3\]. Employees who trust that senior leaders are competent, honest, and steering the organisation in the right direction are far more likely to be engaged. Where that confidence is absent, engagement suffers regardless of other factors.

Closely related is how well organisations handle change. Perceptyx research found that by 2025, ["change is handled effectively"](https://blog.perceptyx.com/what-is-employee-engagement-and-why-have-its-drivers-changed) had become the number one engagement driver- a shift that reflects the turbulence many employees have experienced in recent years \[4\]. Employees who feel informed, supported, and treated with respect during periods of uncertainty tend to remain engaged. Those who feel confused or overlooked may struggle to maintain the same level of commitment.

Beyond leadership, the research identifies several consistent drivers: a sense of purpose and meaning in the work itself, clarity about expectations and how success is measured, [opportunities for growth and development](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/best-practices-for-effective-employee-development), recognition for contribution, and a degree of autonomy over how work gets done \[5\]. These factors appear across industries and organisation sizes, though their relative importance may vary.

## The role of managers

Research suggests that managers account for [up to 70% of the variance](https://mo.work/insights/gallups-state-of-the-global-workplace-2025-our-key-insights/) in team engagement \[1\]. This finding places significant responsibility on those in supervisory roles, but it also represents an opportunity. Improving [how managers communicate](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/top-tips-for-effective-workplace-communication), support, and develop their teams can shift engagement levels without large-scale organisational change.

In practice, this often involves:

*   providing clarity about what's expected and how individual work connects to broader goals
*   acknowledging good work regularly, not just during formal reviews
*   making time for genuine conversation about how employees are finding their roles
*   advocating for team members when resources or support are needed.

Where managers default to oversight without support, or feedback without recognition, engagement tends to decline. Employees who feel [monitored but not valued](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/monitoring-employee-productivity-in-remote-work-environments) may be less inclined to invest discretionary effort. The relationship between manager and employee is often one of the most significant factors in shaping engagement levels.

## Employee engagement strategies

The factors that influence engagement are well documented, but translating them into practice requires attention to specifics. The following strategies address the most consistent drivers identified in the research: clarity, recognition, development, voice, and autonomy. None requires significant investment, but each depends on consistent application over time.

### 1\. Make expectations clear

Uncertainty about what's expected can lead to employee disengagement. Employees who are unsure whether they're succeeding, or unclear about their priorities, may pull back rather than risk getting it wrong.

Clarity doesn't require elaborate performance frameworks. It can be as simple as a conversation at the start of a project about what success looks like, or a regular check-in to confirm priorities haven't shifted. The goal is to ensure employees understand not just what they're doing, but why it matters and how it connects to the organisation's broader objectives.

Culture Amp's data shows that employees who know what it takes to be successful in their roles are more likely to be engaged at work. Their data shows that over recent years, having a clear sense of direction at work has become a key driver of engagement \[3\]. As work becomes more complex and fast-moving, employees increasingly value straightforward guidance about where to focus their energy.

### 2\. Recognise contribution

Recognition is one of the most effective and least expensive engagement tools available. [Research suggests](https://moodle.com/news/drivers-of-employee-engagement/) that employees who feel their contributions are noticed and valued tend to be more engaged, while a lack of recognition may have the opposite effect over time \[6\].

Recognition doesn't need to be elaborate. A specific, timely acknowledgement of good work, whether delivered in a team meeting, a brief message, or a one-to-one conversation, often carries more weight than formal awards. What matters is that it's genuine, that it names what the person did well, and that it comes regularly rather than only at annual review time.

Peer-to-peer recognition can be equally valuable. When colleagues acknowledge each other's contributions, it reinforces a culture where effort is noticed and appreciated. This is particularly relevant in smaller teams where formal recognition programmes may not exist.

### 3\. Offer development and progression

Employees who see a future for themselves within the organisation are more likely to engage with it. Those who feel their skills are no longer developing may find it harder to maintain the same level of investment.

Development doesn't always mean promotion. It can include learning new skills, taking on stretch assignments, contributing to cross-functional projects, or gaining exposure to different parts of the business. What matters is that employees feel they're growing and that the organisation is investing in their future, not just their current output.

Research also found that employees who participate in [ongoing learning programmes](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/training/) are three times more likely to be engaged \[2\]. For smaller businesses without dedicated training budgets, this might involve mentoring arrangements, access to online learning platforms, or simply making time for employees to develop skills relevant to their roles.

### 4\. Give employees a voice

Engagement improves when employees feel their opinions are sought and considered. This doesn't mean every decision needs to be made by committee, but it does mean creating opportunities for input on matters that affect how people work.

Anonymous surveys, suggestion schemes, and regular team discussions all provide channels for feedback. The key is acting on what you hear. Feedback mechanisms that produce no visible response can undermine trust rather than build it. Even when the answer is "we can't do that," explaining why demonstrates that input was taken seriously.

[Stay conversations](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employee-retention-strategies), where managers ask valued employees what keeps them engaged and what might be improved, can surface concerns before they become problems. These conversations signal that the organisation cares about the individual's experience, not just their output.

### 5\. Create conditions for autonomy

Employees who have some control over how they do their work tend to be more engaged than those who are closely directed. Autonomy doesn't mean absence of structure; it means trusting people to make decisions within clear boundaries.

This might involve [flexibility over working hours or location](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/flexible-working-rules-are-employers-up-to-speed) where roles permit, discretion over how tasks are approached, or involvement in decisions about team processes. The underlying principle is that employees who feel trusted to manage their own work are more likely to take ownership of outcomes.

## Sustain engagement over time

Engagement is not a problem to be solved once; it requires ongoing attention. Organisations that launch engagement initiatives but struggle to follow through may find it harder to rebuild momentum later.

Consistency matters more than grand gestures. Regular check-ins, honest communication, visible recognition, and genuine responsiveness to feedback build engagement gradually. A survey that isn't followed by visible action may leave employees feeling less inclined to participate next time.

Leadership visibility plays a role here too. When senior leaders communicate openly about the organisation's direction, acknowledge challenges honestly, and demonstrate that they value employees' contributions, engagement tends to improve. When communication is limited, employees may be left to draw their own conclusions.

## What engaged workplaces look like

Organisations with high engagement share certain characteristics.

| Best practice | What it looks like |
| --- | --- |
| Communication | Flows in multiple directions, not just top-down. |
| Development | Managers invest time in developing their people. |
| Recognition | Contribution is acknowledged regularly. |
| Purpose | Employees understand how their work connects to the organisation's goals. |
| Change | Explained rather than imposed. |

<br>
None of this requires significant expenditure. It does require intention, consistency, and a willingness to treat engagement as a core management responsibility rather than an HR initiative. The businesses that succeed in building engaged workforces tend to be those where leaders genuinely believe that how employees experience their work affects business outcomes, and act accordingly.

<br>_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] Gallup, _State of the Global Workplace Report_, 2025.  
\[2\] Gallup, _Employee Engagement and Performance Meta-Analysis_, 2024.  
\[3\] Culture Amp, _The Great Regression: Employee Engagement in 2024_.  
\[4\] Perceptyx, _What Is Employee Engagement and Why Have Its Drivers Changed?_, December 2025.  
\[5\] People Insight, _Drivers of Employee Engagement_, 2025.  
\[6\] Moodle, _6 Key Drivers of Employee Engagement_, October 2024.

employee-engagement-strategies.jpg

Employee engagement strategies: How to build a workforce that's genuinely invested

Workplace motivation is crucial for employee engagement, performance, and wellbeing - and in the last five years, those motivations have shifted. So, what now drives different generations of UK employees, and how can you retain them? **We've surveyed 2,000 UK employees** to discover these answers and understand the factors that motivate people at work.

## What now matters most to employees and how it's changed

Top five most important career factors:

1.  Work-life balance (73%)
2.  Job satisfaction (56%)
3.  The people I work with (31%)
4.  Wealth (29%)
5.  Meaning/purpose (27%)

**Nearly two-thirds (65%)** of UK employees reveal that their work motivations have changed over the last five years. This shift in priorities may not come as a surprise, considering the rise of flexible working arrangements. In fact, the CIPD Good Work Index 2025 [1] found **50%** **of the workforce** **can work from home**, while **38% have access to flexi-time**.

 >"Covid caused people to re-evaluate their priorities. They were more careful about what they were rushing back to, particularly with regards what they were prepared to give of themselves to work, what sacrifices they were prepared to make, what they were prepared to 'trade'."
 >
 >**Lucy Coombs, Senior Employment Law & HR Business Partner** at NatWest Mentor.

_Having a good work-life balance_ comes top of the pile for motivating workers, with **73%** of the people we spoke to saying it was the most important factor for their career.

**Job satisfaction** closely follows work-life balance in driving employees, while **31%** **of the workforce values their team**.

Interestingly, **wealth or salary** isn't a primary focus. While **29%** cite it as their most important work motivation, only **2% fewer prioritise having meaning or purpose in their work**. So, material motivators, such as money, may not be as significant as some may think.

[Understand flexible working laws](flexible-working-how-the-law-is-changing)

### What has driven these shifts?

UK employees suggest several factors have influenced adjustments in their workplace motivation. Our research shows that personal life and life events are increasingly shaping workplace attitudes.

>"Clients are definitely seeing a shift of people wanting to go and enjoy themselves - get off the fence and actually realise their dreams, big or small; whether that's throwing themselves into a hobby, travel... etc. - whatever it is it's about maximising time and opportunities and enjoying their life," said Lucy.
>
>"Employees are increasingly conscious of health, wellbeing and family responsibilities. Most organisations are adapting, but often reactively rather than strategically, policies around flexible working, wellbeing, and later-life career planning tend to lag behind employee expectations," added **Paul Buck, Business Partner, Employment Law & HR Consultant** at NatWest Mentor.

While **35%** describe **ageing** as the main impact on their work motivations, the contributing factors are grouped quite closely. **A third (33%)** of employees suggest **economic factors** and **finances** are their main influences, while **27%** cite a desire to be **working towards a greater purpose**.

These top three influences are closely followed by **employee mental health (24%)** and **having children (23%)**.

It may be crucial for employers to take a holistic approach to employee job satisfaction and consider the personal changes and challenges that impact workplace motivation.

[Learn how to support employees taking family leave](supporting-employees-taking-family-leave)

## How social media and personal branding shape work motivations

Social media has undoubtedly impacted the way we live our lives. It's woven into the fabric of the day-to-day, which also includes motivation at work.

In fact, **73% of Gen Z (born 1997--2012)** and **61% of Millennials** (born 1981--1996) say social media trends and topics have influenced their feelings about their career or workplace.

>"Digital culture sets the tone for how younger generations view careers, shaping expectations around transparency, diversity, workplace ethics, and even day-to-day flexibility. Social media amplifies both positive and negative employee experiences, meaning organisations are judged not only by official branding but by what current and former staff share online," said Paul.

So, social media can have a huge impact on a brand's online reputation. Negative reviews can put off new and existing talent, affecting acquisition and retention rates. While positive feedback can attract valuable new employees and make current workers feel a sense of pride in their workplace.

But what can employers do encourage a positive perception of their brand?

>"Employers should recognise [the impact of social media] by investing in authentic employer branding, clear communication of values, and workplace practices that genuinely reflect the culture they promote," stated Paul Buck.

Investing in branding and creating an authentic culture can help companies maintain a consistent culture of content, dedicated workers - despite any social trends that may arise.

Top social trends that can shape career feelings include:

-   **Quiet quitting** (doing the bare minimum and setting work-life boundaries) - **13%**
-   **Digital nomads** (people working remotely while traveling) - **12%**
-   **Sunday scaries** (anxiety about the upcoming work week) - **12%**
-   **Workfluencer** (sharing work-related content on social media) - **11%**

### Is screentime contributing to work motivation?

[Research from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising](https://ipa.co.uk/news/touchpoints-2025) [2] has revealed that British adults aged 15+ have been found to spend an average of **three hours and 21 minutes** each day **on their mobile**.

Additionally, **use of a mobile device** was found to **remain high consistently from morning until consumers go to bed**. This data suggests mobiles are being used at all times of the day, including during work hours.

### Other social media pressures

When asked about **personal branding, one in five (20%)** of employees feel pressure to engage with others online even when they don't have time. Similarly, 19% feel pressure to create content, share career updates, and 18% feel they should have a consistent social presence tied to their career.

Workfluencer trends are emerging online via platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, encouraging users to promote themselves. The pressure to be across multiple platforms to build a personal brand, while simultaneously carrying out a role, will undoubtedly impact work-life balance and motivation.

Younger generations are mostly affected, with **80% of Gen Z** feeling they need to take action to build their personal brand, followed by **59% of Millennials**.

[Combat workplace pressures with a well-being strategy](lessons-learned-implementing-a-workplace-well-being-strategy)

So, how do work motivations differ between generations?
-------------------------------------------------------

Different generations in the UK workforce prioritise various values when it comes to work motivation.

According to Lucy Coombs, "Fundamentally, motivation is individual. To be effective it, needs to be specific. Trying to blanket it around age (or any category) dilutes the power and impact - and motivations do and will change for individuals.

>"For example, a 40-year-old parent really values coming in half an hour later, while a younger worker wants to take the lead on a project. The power of the motivator here comes from feeling supported, feeling valued, being known and understood - providing the opportunity and the right conditions to be successful (for them and the organisation)."

### Working hours and location

-   For **Boomers (born 1946 and 1964), working hours** are important **(35%)**, influencing their decision to stay in their current job.
-   Location is a higher priority to **Gen X (27%)** and **Boomers (36%)** than to **Gen Z (14%)** and **Millennials (19%)**.

### Flexibility and work-life balance

Flexibility and work-life balance are highly valued by **both Millennials and Generation X**, with both citing it as the primary reason **(34%)** for staying in their current job. It's therefore essential that employers prioritise helping workers strike a healthy balance between work and their personal lives. Not only can this boost their mental health and wellbeing, but it can also contribute to increasing productivity rates.

[Research shows that](https://work.life/blog/workplace-stress-uk-2025-statistics-solutions/) [79%](https://work.life/blog/workplace-stress-uk-2025-statistics-solutions/) [3] of British workers experience work-related stress on a regular basis - with trouble balancing work and personal life being a key contributing factor. Stressed employees are also 50% less productive than unstressed members of staff - reiterating the impact that mental health can have on performance.

>"The most effective approach is to build flexibility into roles and policies, allowing employees to tailor work arrangements and development opportunities to their stage of life and priorities. Alongside this, fostering open dialogue between generations helps avoid assumptions and creates a culture where different motivations are respected and balanced," said Paul Buck.

### Career growth opportunities

-   **Younger employees** prioritise **growth opportunities** and are more likely to stay in a job that offers professional growth.
-   It's the reason **Gen Z (21%)** and **Millennials (18%)** stay at their current job, compared to **Gen X (4%)** and **Boomers (1%)**.

>"We're seeing employers investing a lot into young worker schemes, across many years. The challenge is that you can't create enough jobs to create opportunities for all those people as they develop, or to keep pace with their development or aspirations. You can also have challenges as they grow where it might be perceived to undermine or devalue the knowledge and experience of older generations of workers," said Lucy Coombs.

But what can employers do to engage workers of all ages and ensure that no one is excluded from growth and development opportunities? Lucy Coombs suggests it's all about understanding the needs of the different age groups, bringing them together and leveraging their strengths:

>"I think the key here is to be mindful of the mix of team and motivators - involving younger people who are developing and bringing them into teams with older more experienced workers and recognising, valuing and encouraging skill and behaviour development equally from all perspectives."

### Competitive salary

-   The higher up on the career ladder, the more important a competitive salary is.
-   **A competitive salary** is important for **35% of £60,001+ earners**, compared to **13% of those earning £25,000-30,000**.
-   Employers need to recognise that competitive pay becomes more of a priority for workers as they progress in their careers. That's not to say that those earning less are not influenced by pay, it's just that other motivators such as development and work-life balance may be more important at the time.

## How to attract and retain top talent

Our insights suggest that many employees may be open to new beginnings. In fact, **two-thirds of employees** (35%) are **open to new job opportunities**, and **1 in 10** are **actively seeking them out**. This suggests that businesses should put all efforts in to motivating their staff in ways that work for them. This can give them more reasons to stay, boosting retention levels and helping companies attract new top quality talent.

There are a number of learnings to take from these changes in work motivation to help retain valued, satisfied employees:

**1. Prioritise flexibility and fair pay**

There’s a strong desire for workplace flexibility alongside financial rewards, as **41%** say they would prioritise **work-life balance** and a **competitive salary** if they were looking for a new role.

**2. Invest in professional development**

Develop your talent. **70%** of employees feel their workplace supports **professional development** and helps them improve their skills to some extent; however, **30%** report **minimal to no support**.

**3. Make employees feel heard and valued**

Feeling heard and valued significantly influences employees’ motivation at work, with **83%** reporting at least some positive impact, especially among **Gen Z (94%)**.

**4. Fast-track progression for young talent**

**Gen Z** employees stay for **growth opportunities (21%)**, the highest of any generation. Make progression pathways clear, help employees set tangible goals, and reward progress.

**5. Track online culture to understand its impact on the workforce**

Stay on the pulse and remain agile to the impact social media has on the workforce. **46%** of UK employees are **influenced by social media trends** regarding their career or workplace.

[Discover how to attract and retain talent](attracting-talent-amid-the-great-resignation)

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

[1] CIPD, _CIPD Good Work Index 2025_, June 2025

[2] IPA, _Brits spend more time on their mobiles than watching TV set for the first time_, June 2025

[3] Work.Life, _Workplace stress in the UK: 2025 statistics, causes, and evidence-based solutions_, May 2025


workplace motivation.jpg

The new shift in workplace motivations: What employers need to know

Experienced employees move on despite no obvious dissatisfaction. Newer hires leave before completing their probationary period. Capable team members who seemed settled start exploring other options after a reorganisation or a missed promotion conversation. In many cases, the reasons behind these departures may have been identifiable - and addressable - well before a resignation letter appeared.

Employee turnover is a persistent challenge for UK businesses. The average turnover rate for UK workers sits at around 34%, with more than one in four employees moving to a different employer each year \[1\]. Analysis from Culture Amp suggests that one in four UK workers planned to leave their job in 2025 \[2\]. And each departure carries a cost that many businesses underestimate.

Research by Oxford Economics and Unum found that replacing an employee earning £25,000 or more costs an average of £30,614 - with the majority of that figure (£25,181) attributed not to recruitment fees, but to lost productivity while a new hire gets up to speed \[3\]. That ramp-up period averages 28 weeks. For a small business replacing three people in a year, that's close to £92,000 in turnover costs alone.

The financial case for improving retention is straightforward. Yet many employers only address retention after an employee resigns, rather than proactively investing in their team to prevent them from leaving in the first place.

## Summary

*   [UK employee turnover averages 34%](https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/cipd-voice/benchmarking-employee-turnover/), costing businesses an estimated £30,614 per departing employee \[1\]\[3\].
*   [41% of new hires leave within the first 12 weeks](https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2024-pdfs/8662-resource-and-talent-planning-2024-report-web.pdf), making onboarding quality a frontline retention issue \[4\].
*   [Leadership has a significant impact on retention](https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/attrition-rates-2025-uk-culture-amp/): with strong leaders and managers, employee commitment to stay reaches 94%; with poor leadership, it drops to 19% \[2\].
*   Competitive pay matters, but flexibility, development, recognition, and management quality often determine whether employees are more likely to stay in their current roles.
*   Effective onboarding alone can [improve retention by up to 82%](https://peopleinsight.co.uk/employee-onboarding-checklist/) \[5\].
*   Retention strategies don't require large budgets - they require deliberate systems, honest conversations, and consistent follow-through.

## Why employees leave

Pay is the most commonly cited factor: in a 2024 survey, [59% of workers named low pay](https://www.hrdatahub.com/blog/employee-retention-strategies) as their primary reason for seeking a new employer \[6\]. But compensation alone rarely tells the full story. Employees who feel fairly paid still leave when they see no progression, receive inconsistent feedback, or work under managers who don't communicate well.

Culture Amp's analysis of over 10 million UK employees found that leadership quality, not just direct line management, is one of the strongest predictors of whether someone stays \[2\]. When both leadership and management are strong, commitment to stay reaches 94%. A good manager paired with poor leadership sees that figure fall to 35%. Poor leadership combined with poor management reduces it to just 19%.

This challenges the common assumption that "people leave managers, not companies." The data suggests they may leave both - and that leadership sets the broader context within which even capable line managers operate.

Other consistently reported drivers of turnover include limited career development, poor work-life balance, lack of recognition, and feeling undervalued. [The weighting varies by generation](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378669814_Strategies_for_employee_retention_in_high_turnover_sectors_An_empirical_investigation): research suggests millennials tend to prioritise work-life balance, while Gen Z employees place greater emphasis on career growth and job security \[7\].

## Start with onboarding

The first 12 weeks of employment represent a disproportionately high-risk period. According to the CIPD's 2024 Resourcing and Talent Planning Report, 41% of organisations that hired in the past year experienced new recruits quitting within the first 12 weeks \[4\]. A further 27% reported candidates failing to show up on their first day.

In many cases, these early departures point less to recruitment problems and more to what happens once someone starts. The gap between what a candidate expected and what they experience in those early weeks determines whether they commit or reconsider.

[Effective onboarding](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/employers-guide-to-effective-employee-onboarding) doesn't require elaborate programmes. It requires structure: a clear first week, a named point of contact, early objectives that build confidence, and regular check-ins that taper as the employee settles. Research suggests that well-executed onboarding can improve retention by 82% and productivity by over 70% \[5\] - making it one of the highest-return investments an employer can make.

## Pay fairly - and be transparent about it

Competitive pay remains a baseline requirement. An employee who believes they're underpaid is more likely to test the market over time, regardless of how much they enjoy the work or the team. With the average UK salary at £37,400 in 2024, even modest misalignment can push someone to explore alternatives, particularly when job sites make comparison effortless.

Fair pay means benchmarking roles regularly against market data, adjusting when responsibilities increase, and being open about where salaries sit relative to the sector. A lack of transparency around pay can erode trust, even when the numbers themselves are reasonable.

Beyond base salary, consider total reward. Pension contributions, health benefits, flexible working arrangements, and learning budgets all carry value. HR DataHub's 2024 Pay Planning Survey found that more than 70% of UK companies have provided health benefits for over two years, with gym memberships increasingly common \[6\]. These benefits don't replace fair pay, but they contribute to a broader sense of being valued.

## Invest in development

A 2023 report by Deloitte found that 93% of companies are concerned about retention and identified learning opportunities as the primary mechanism for keeping people \[8\]. After two years, 75% of employees who had made an internal move remained with the company, compared with just 56% of those who hadn't.

The connection is intuitive. Employees whose skills are developing tend to feel more engaged and invested in their roles. Those who see limited opportunity for growth are more likely to explore what's available elsewhere. The UK Learning and Work Institute reports that [70% of employees believe](https://www.learningandwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/637DKA-00-Adult-participation-in-learning_031125.pdf) their employers should offer better learning and development opportunities \[9\]. That expectation isn't limited to junior staff; it applies at every career stage.

[Employee development](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/best-practices-for-effective-employee-development) doesn't require a dedicated training department or a large budget. It includes mentoring, stretch assignments, cross-functional project work, conference attendance, and access to online learning platforms. What matters is that the organisation signals investment in the individual's future - not just their current output. When companies adopt skills-based approaches to development, [research from Deloitte suggests](https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1856529/why-l-d-critical-driving-employee-retention-2024) they're 98% more likely to retain high performers \[8\].

## Build flexibility into working patterns

The demand for flexible and hybrid working is no longer a post-pandemic novelty - it's a structural expectation. According to the CIPD's 2024 report, most organisations that offer hybrid or remote options report improvements in productivity, engagement, and retention \[4\]. [Seven in ten employers](https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/141239/pdf/) say flexible working has helped them retain talent they would otherwise have lost \[10\].

For roles where location flexibility is possible, offering it signals trust. Removing it without a clear operational rationale may prompt experienced staff to consider employers who take a different approach.

Where remote or hybrid work isn't feasible - in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, or hospitality - flexibility still matters. Shift-swapping systems, compressed hours, predictable scheduling, and genuine autonomy over break times all contribute to the same outcome: employees who feel their circumstances are respected.

## Recognise contribution consistently

Recognition is one of the most cost-effective retention tools available, yet it remains underused. [Research indicates that 78% of employees would be more productive](https://dpglearn.co.uk/blog/human-resources/7-tips-for-managing-employee-retention-in-2024/) if recognised more frequently, and 83.6% say recognition directly affects their motivation \[11\]. Despite this, just over half of employees surveyed reported having any formal recognition programme at their workplace.

Recognition doesn't need to be elaborate or expensive. A specific, timely acknowledgement of good work, whether delivered publicly or privately, often carries more weight than an annual award ceremony. What matters is consistency and sincerity. When effort goes unrecognised over time, employees are likely to draw their own conclusions about how their contribution is valued.

Managers play a central role here. Where feedback only surfaces when something goes wrong, employees may come to associate check-ins with criticism rather than support. Building recognition into regular one-to-ones, team meetings, and project reviews takes minimal effort but can materially affect how people experience their work.

## Listen before people leave

Retention problems rarely appear without warning. Employees who feel undervalued, overlooked, or stuck tend to show signs well before they start job searching. The challenge, especially for smaller businesses, is creating opportunities to surface those concerns early, when something can still be done.

Anonymous surveys can help. A short, periodic questionnaire - quarterly or twice a year - gives employees a way to share feedback they might not raise in person. The questions don't need to be elaborate.

*   Do you feel supported in your role?
*   Is there anything that would make your day-to-day easier?
*   Do you see a future for yourself here?

Even in small teams where anonymity is harder to guarantee, framing the survey as genuinely confidential can encourage more honest responses. Including questions about [wellbeing](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace) and workload can also flag early signs of burnout or stress before they lead to absence or resignation.

Regular check-ins offer another way to stay connected. A short conversation every few months, separate from performance reviews, gives employees space to share what's working and what isn't. Stay interviews take this further: structured conversations with employees the business most wants to retain, focused on what keeps them engaged and what might eventually prompt them to leave.

What matters most is acting on what you hear: visible follow-through builds trust. Even when the answer is "we can't do that right now," explaining why demonstrates that the conversation was taken seriously.

## What effective retention actually looks like

Employee retention isn't a perk or a programme - it's the cumulative result of how an organisation treats people day to day. Fair pay, meaningful development, competent management, flexible working, and consistent recognition aren't individual initiatives. They're the operating conditions that make people want to stay.

The businesses that retain talent most effectively tend to share a common trait: they ask employees what they need before those employees start looking elsewhere for it. When that conversation is honest, regular, and followed by action, it requires very little investment but can prevent losses that run into tens of thousands per person.

For most organisations, improving retention doesn’t require expensive or complicated changes, but it does require consistency.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] CIPD, _Benchmarking Employee Turnover_, 2024.  
\[2\] Culture Amp, _UK Attrition Rates_, as reported in Personnel Today, December 2024.  
\[3\] Oxford Economics and Unum, _The Cost of Brain Drain_, 2014.  
\[4\] CIPD and Omni RMS, _Resourcing and Talent Planning Report_, September 2024.  
\[5\] People Insight, _Employee Onboarding Checklist_, 2025.  
\[6\] HR DataHub, _2024 Pay Planning Survey and Employee Retention Strategies_.  
\[7\] Human Resource Journal, _Strategies for Employee Retention in High Turnover Sectors_, 2024.  
\[8\] People Management, _Why L&D is critical to driving employee retention in 2024_, January 2024.  
\[9\] UK Learning and Work Institute, _The workforce learning slowdown?_, 2025.  
\[10\] CIPD, written evidence to Parliament on hybrid and remote working, 2024.
\[11\] DPG, _7 Tips for Managing Employee Retention in 2024_, citing recognition research.
<br>

employee-retention-strategies-2.jpg

Employee retention strategies: How to keep your top talent

HR teams and employers should start preparing now for what will become one of the most significant shifts in labour market enforcement in years. The new body is designed to streamline, strengthen, and modernise how workers’ rights are protected - and how employers are held accountable. 

This article explains what the Fair Work Agency is, what it will do, and why employers should begin preparing now. 

## What is the Fair Work Agency?

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will be an Executive Agency of the Department for Business and Trade, combining several existing enforcement functions into a single, more streamlined body, designed to improve compliance, reduce duplication, and strengthen protections for workers across the UK. Its creation follows the government’s commitment to ‘Make Work Pay’ and to simplify the enforcement landscape for both workers and employers. [1] 

The main goal of the FWA is to replace what has been characterised as a ‘fragmented and inefficient’ enforcement system with a single point of contact, supported by a unified enforcement strategy [2]. 

## What the Fair Work Agency will do

### Unify enforcement of key employment rights

The FWA will consolidate enforcement of a growing range of statutory employment rights. At launch, this will cover several key areas. 

- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage. 
- Holiday pay. 
- Statutory sick pay compliance. 
- Employment agency rules. 
- Gangmasters licensing and labour exploitation offences.

### Provide a single, recognisable point of contact

The FWA will act as a ‘one-stop shop’ for workers and employers alike. Instead of navigating multiple agencies, employers will have a single point of contact for guidance, inspections, investigations, and compliance queries. Workers will also benefit from a clear and reliable channel for raising concerns, with investigations coordinated and handled more transparently. 

Business Secretary Peter Kyle has described the new body as “a game-changer in ensuring rights are properly enforced, whilst backing those businesses that already do the right thing.” [4] 

### Support employers to meet their legal obligations

Although enforcement is central, the government has emphasised that the FWA will also focus on ‘resolving issues upstream’ by supporting employers who want to comply with the law [2]. This is expected to include: 

- clearer statutory guidance 
- sector-specific compliance advice, particularly in high-risk sectors 
- education and engagement before formal enforcement action. 
 
### Bring stronger powers to inspect and enforce

The FWA will have significantly enhanced enforcement powers, many of which go beyond current practice in areas such as holiday pay [2]. These are expected to include: 

- powers to inspect workplaces and require the production of records and evidence 
- notices of underpayment requiring arrears to be paid, with penalties of up to 200% 
- the ability to bring employment tribunal claims on a worker’s behalf 
- civil and criminal enforcement tools for serious labour market offences 
- cost-recovery powers, allowing enforcement costs to be charged to non-compliant employers.

## Key implications of the FWA for employers

The creation of the FWA is not simply administrative restructuring. It represents a step-change in how workplace rights will be enforced. 

### Stronger, more coordinated enforcement

Employers should expect increased inspections and scrutiny, particularly in relation to pay, holiday entitlement, and record-keeping.  

### Creates a more level playing field

Businesses that already invest in fair practices are likely to benefit from tougher enforcement against those who undercut them by failing to comply with the law. 

### Increased risk of financial exposure

The power to issue notices of underpayment with financial penalties, six-year look-back periods for holiday pay, and the ability to recover enforcement costs from non‑compliant employers is significant. Even inadvertent compliance errors could result in substantial financial exposure [5]. 

### Greater likelihood of complaints and investigations

With a single, well-publicised enforcement body, workers will know exactly where to go for support, increasing reporting and regulatory engagement. 

The Agency’s powers, including notices of underpayment with financial penalties of up to 200% and the ability to recover enforcement costs from non‑compliant employers, mean that even inadvertent compliance errors could carry significant financial exposure.[2] 

Commenting on how the FWA will affect employers, Mentor’s employment law expert Susan Galashan is optimistic:


>“On a more positive note for employers, the introduction of holiday rights enforcement will bring benefits over time. Holiday calculations and interpretation of the law is notoriously complex, and any additional guidance that this centralised function can provide will be very welcome.” <br>
>Susan Galashan, Senior Employment Law & HR Consultant

## What HR teams should be doing now

Although the Fair Work Agency will not be fully operational in April 2026, employers should begin preparing now to reduce risk and strengthen compliance. 

A sensible first step is to review pay practices, ensuring that National Minimum Wage, holiday pay, and statutory sick pay obligations are being met in practice - particularly in relation to deductions, working time calculations, and irregular-hours arrangements. HR teams should also audit contracts and workplace policies, focusing on worker status, holiday entitlement wording, record-keeping practices, and the use of agency labour. 

Employers should assess whether internal reporting and grievance channels are clear, accessible, and trusted, as effective internal resolution can significantly reduce the likelihood of issues escalating to external enforcement. 

Finally, investing in manager training - especially for those making front-line decisions - can help mitigate legal risk, embed good practice, and prevent costly enforcement action once the FWA becomes operational. 

## Final thoughts

The Fair Work Agency marks a new chapter in employment regulation and enforcement. Its mission is clear: to protect workers, support responsible employers, and raise standards across the labour market.  

The period between now and April 2026 offers a valuable opportunity for employers to strengthen compliance foundations, reduce enforcement risk, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to fair, transparent, and lawful employment practices. 

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] UK Parliament, Make Work Pay: Employment Rights Bill. Third Report of Session 2024-25. 

\[2\] Department for Business & Trade, Employment Rights Act 2025: the Fair Work Agency factsheet.  

\[3\] Department for Business & Trade, Labour Market Enforcement Strategy 2025 to 2026: call for evidence, November 2024.  

\[4\] Department for Business & Trade, Press release: New agency chair appointed to crack down on minimum wage underpayment and worker exploitation,14 October 2025. 

\[5\] Lewis Silkin, Employment Rights Bill amendments published, 5 March 2025.  


Colleagues reading and discussing papers on a desk

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The Fair Work Agency: What this new enforcement body means for employers

Workplace mental health costs UK employers around £51 billion annually. Yet nearly half of employees still feel uncomfortable discussing their wellbeing with managers. With mental health conditions accounting for almost 50% of all work-related ill health, leading to 40.1 million lost working days in 2024, the business case for change has never been clearer. \[1\]\[2\]

Time to Talk Day, taking place on Thursday 6th February 2026, is the UK's biggest mental health conversation. Run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in partnership with the Co-op, the day encourages workplaces, families, and communities to talk openly about mental health. For employers, it presents a practical starting point for addressing workplace wellbeing - not through complex programmes, but through conversation.

## Summary

- Time to Talk Day 2026 falls on Thursday 6th February. It aims to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations about mental health in workplaces and communities.
- Poor mental health costs UK employers [approximately £51 billion per year](https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/about/press-room/poor-mental-health-costs-uk-employers-51-billion-a-year-for-employees.html) through presenteeism, absenteeism, and staff turnover \[2\].
- [45% of employees](https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/Key-workplace-mental-health-statistics-for-2024/) feel uncomfortable discussing mental health concerns with their manager, fearing negative repercussions \[3\].
- [75% of employees](https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1887693/bridging-mental-health-gap-hr-professionals-improve-support-tackle-stigma) believe people view mental illness as a weakness - a perception that prevents many from seeking support \[4\].
- The business case is compelling: employers receive an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested in mental health support \[2\].
- Practical participation requires no budget - sharing information, modelling openness from leadership, and creating space for conversation all contribute.
- Employers have legal duties to protect employee wellbeing and make [reasonable adjustments](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/reasonable-adjustments-in-the-workplace) for those with mental health conditions that qualify as disabilities.

## What is Time to Talk Day?

Time to Talk Day emerged from [Time to Change](https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/), England's largest programme to tackle mental health stigma. Launched in 2007 by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief, and the Department of Health, the campaign set out to change how people think and act about mental health - not just raise awareness, but shift behaviour. \[5\]

The approach worked. Over its 14-year run, Time to Change reached millions of people and achieved measurable improvements in public attitudes towards those experiencing mental health problems. \[6\]

In 2014, the campaign introduced Time to Talk Day as an annual moment for the nation to come together around one simple action: having a conversation about mental health. The idea was that a shared national moment would give people permission to start discussions that might otherwise feel awkward - and that positive experiences would carry forward into everyday life. \[7\]

Time to Change closed in March 2021, but Mind and Rethink Mental Illness committed to continuing the annual event. Since 2022, the Co-op has partnered with the charities to deliver Time to Talk Day, helping it reach new communities across the UK. \[8\]

The day is now delivered across the UK by different partner organisations:

- **England**: Mind and Rethink Mental Illness
- **Scotland**: [See Me](https://www.seemescotland.org/seeus/campaigns/time-to-talk/time-to-talk-day-2026) with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health)
- **Northern Ireland**: Inspire
- **Wales**: Time to Change Wales

The need remains clear. Despite progress, [many people still fear judgment](https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/time-to-talk-day/) when discussing mental health, and workplace stigma continues to prevent employees from seeking support. \[8\] Time to Talk Day addresses this directly - creating a moment where everyone, regardless of their own experience, is encouraged to talk about mental health.

## Why workplace conversations matter

Stigma remains the primary barrier to employees seeking help. Research shows that 75% of employees believe people view mental illness as a weakness \[4\]. This perception creates silence: over a third of employees feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health with managers, whilst [73% report feeling unable to disclose mental ill-health](https://www.amh.org.uk/world-mental-health-day-tackling-stigma-and-knowing-your-mental-health-rights-in-the-workplace/) for fear of jeopardising their job status \[5\].

The consequences extend beyond individual suffering. Each year, [one in six employees](https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1894093/its-time-address-mental-health-stigma-work) experience a mental health issue at work \[6\]. When these employees struggle in silence, businesses face increased absence, reduced productivity, and higher turnover. Staff turnover attributable to mental health issues [has increased over 150% since 2019](https://www.spill.chat/mental-health-statistics/workplace-mental-health-statistics) \[7\].

Time to Talk Day addresses this directly. The premise is simple: normalising conversation reduces stigma, which making it easier for people to seek support before problems escalate. Evidence consistently shows that early intervention produces better outcomes for individuals and lower costs for employers.

## The business case for action

Mental health is not solely a wellbeing issue - it is a business performance issue. Deloitte's 2024 research estimates the annual cost of poor mental health to UK employers at £51 billion \[2\]. This breaks down into three categories:

| **Cost type** | **Definition** | **Annual cost** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Presenteeism | Employees working whilst unwell, performing below capacity | £24 billion |
| Staff turnover | Recruitment and training costs when employees leave | £22 billion |
| Absenteeism | Direct costs of sick leave | £6 billion |

Presenteeism represents the largest share - often invisible on balance sheets but visible in missed deadlines, reduced quality, and disengaged teams. For businesses with remote or hybrid workers, [monitoring productivity](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/monitoring-employee-productivity-in-remote-work-environments) requires particular care to avoid adding pressure that worsens mental health.

The return on investment for addressing these costs is well-documented. Deloitte's analysis found that employers receive an average of £4.70 for every £1 spent on mental health interventions. The highest returns - up to £6.30 for every £1 invested - come from **organisation**\-**wide** interventions: changes to workplace culture, policies, and practices that prevent problems like stress and burnout from developing, rather than support offered after employees are already struggling. \[2\]

These figures reflect reduced absence, improved productivity, and better retention. Companies that foster open communication and mental health awareness see a 20% increase in employee retention rates \[3\]. When 61% of UK employees who left a job in the past year cited poor mental health as a factor \[7\], the retention argument alone justifies investment.

## How to participate in Time to Talk Day

Participation does not require a significant budget or elaborate programmes. The most effective approaches focus on creating permission to talk and demonstrating that conversations are welcome.

### Free resources

Mind and Rethink Mental Illness provide [free downloadable resource packs](https://timetotalkday.co.uk/download-a-pack/) designed specifically for workplaces. These include posters, social media graphics, conversation starter cards, bunting, bingo cards, and true-or-false quizzes - everything needed to run activities without starting from scratch. \[12\]

The [Time to Talk Day website](https://timetotalkday.co.uk/how-to-take-part/employers/) offers tailored guidance for employers and provides many practical suggestions.

- Hosting a lunch and learn session, in person or virtually, where colleagues can share experiences or learn about mental health support.
- Organising walk and talk events - side-by-side conversations often feel less awkward than face-to-face.
- Running a tea and coffee catch-up with conversation prompt cards.
- Holding a quiz with mental health questions woven in.
- Simply sharing the campaign graphic on internal channels using #TimeToTalk \[13\].

For those wanting to build confidence before starting conversations, Mind offers a free online course called [Conversations in the Community](https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helping-someone-else/conversations-in-the-community/). The self-paced course includes video clips of real conversations about mental health and practice scenarios. \[14\]

### Leadership visibility

When senior leaders acknowledge stress, tiredness, or the challenges of balancing work demands - without oversharing - it signals that similar conversations are acceptable throughout the organisation. This modelling matters more than formal policies. Employees watch what leaders do, not just what policies say.

Consider having a senior leader share a brief message on Time to Talk Day acknowledging that mental health affects everyone and that support is available. Focus on being authentic rather than overly polished.

### Creating space, not spotlight

The goal is making conversation possible, not mandatory.

- **Quiet check-ins**: Managers asking "How are you really doing?" during one-to-ones, with genuine time to listen.
- **Visible information**: Posters, intranet pages, or team communications highlighting available support - [Employee Assistance Programmes](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/unlock-your-employees-potential-with-mentors-new-employee-assistance-programme), mental health first aiders, external resources.
- **Low-pressure activities**: Tea and coffee catch-ups, walking meetings, or designated time for informal conversation.
- **Clear signposting**: Ensuring employees know what support exists and how to access it.

Research shows that over half of employees are unaware of available mental health support \[4\]. Communication - not lack of resources - is often the barrier.

### Conversation guidance

[Mind offers practical tips](https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/time-to-talk-day/) for having supportive conversations \[8\].

- **Ask open questions**: "What does that feel like?" gives space to share without pressure.
- **Listen without fixing**: Resist the urge to offer solutions immediately - being heard is often what people need.
- **Respect readiness**: Some people may not want to talk yet. Acknowledging this without pressure makes future conversations more likely.
- **Follow up**: Checking in again shows ongoing support rather than a one-off gesture.

## Building sustainable support

Time to Talk Day works best as a catalyst rather than a standalone event. Organisations seeing lasting improvement treat it as part of a [broader workplace wellbeing strategy](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/developing-employee-wellbeing-initiatives-in-the-workplace).

### Monitor and measure

Track indicators such as absence rates, engagement survey results, and uptake of support services. Without data, it is difficult to identify what works or where gaps remain.

### Train managers

Managers often hold back from approaching employees they suspect are struggling - 55% report fear of mishandling the situation \[4\]. Brief training on recognising signs, starting conversations, and knowing when to signpost professional support builds confidence. Mental Health First Aid training provides one structured option, though lighter-touch awareness sessions also help.

Mind provides [recorded webinars](https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/campaigns/mental-health-at-work-commitment/resources/webinar-series/) through its Mental Health at Work Commitment series, covering topics such as prioritising mental health through systematic programmes and creating open workplace cultures. \[15\]

Managers do not need to be mental health experts. Knowing what resources exist and being willing to listen covers most situations.

### Review policies and practices

Consider whether existing policies support or hinder mental health. Your [employee handbook](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/drafting-an-employee-handbook-what-employers-need-to-know) sets the tone for how mental health is treated across the organisation. Questions to ask include:

- Do flexible working arrangements genuinely flex, or only in theory?
- Are workloads monitored and redistributed when individuals struggle?
- Do [return-to-work processes](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/returning-to-work-after-the-holidays) support gradual reintegration after absence?
- Is mental health mentioned explicitly in wellbeing policies?
- Does your approach account for [neurodivergent employees](https://www.natwestmentor.co.uk/news/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace), who may experience mental health differently?

## Beyond Time to Talk Day

Time to Talk Day works best when it prompts longer-term thinking rather than a single day of activity. The organisations seeing genuine returns use it as a starting point: reviewing policies, training managers, making support visible, and building mental health into everyday management practice.

A single conversation rarely transforms workplace culture, but consistent attention to how employees are supported - and whether they feel able to ask for help - does. Small, repeated actions often matter more than large one-off initiatives.

The costs of poor mental health are measurable: higher absence, lower productivity, increased turnover. The returns on investment are equally clear. For employers ready to act, Time to Talk Day offers a practical first step toward a workplace where mental health is treated with the same seriousness as physical safety.

_This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information is accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified professional._

\[1\] Health and Safety Executive, _Health and safety statistics 2024/25_, November 2025.

\[2\] Deloitte UK, _Mental health and employers: the case for investment_, May 2024.

\[3\] MHFA England, _Key workplace mental health statistics for 2024_, 2024.

\[4\] Benenden Health, _Bridging the mental health gap_, September 2024.

\[5\] Action Mental Health, _World Mental Health Day: Tackling Stigma and Knowing Your Mental Health Rights in the Workplace_, October 2023.

\[6\] People Management, _It's time to address mental health stigma at work_, October 2024.

\[7\] Spill, _Workplace mental health statistics_, 2025.

\[8\] Mind, _Time to Talk Day - Talking tips_, 2025.

\[9\] Action Mental Health, _World Mental Health Day: Tackling Stigma and Knowing Your Mental Health Rights in the Workplace_, October 2023.

\[10\] People Management, _It's time to address mental health stigma at work_, October 2024.

\[11\] Spill, _Workplace mental health statistics_, 2025.

\[12\] Time to Talk Day, _Download a Pack_, 2025.

\[13\] Time to Talk Day, _Employers_, 2025.

\[14\] Mind, _Conversations in the Community_, 2025.

\[15\] Mind, _Mental Health at Work Commitment webinars_, 2025.

\[16\] Mates in Mind, _Time to Talk Day 5 February 2026_, 2025.

Time to Talk Day 2026: What employers need to know

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