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Nearly 660 employers have been named for minimum-wage underpayments nationwide. Around £4m has been returned to 27,000 workers as the new Fair Work Agency takes a more central role in enforcement.
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E.ON’s UK chief has left potential OVO job cuts open. The companies employ about 12,000 people between them as competition scrutiny continues ahead of a proposed 9.6-million-customer combination.
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Sainsbury’s plans 10,000 work experience opportunities for young people nationwide. The programme combines school engagement, employability workshops, and practical workplace exposure as youth employment conditions remain difficult.
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Zero-hours reforms could raise employer costs and alter staffing models. CIPD research finds two-thirds of employers using the contracts expect higher HR and management costs, while around a third anticipate redundancies or greater reliance on alternative workers.
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Leading banks increasingly combine credit fundamentals with advanced technical skills. GICP’s analysis of 1,500-plus job postings finds judgement, governance, communication, data, and AI capabilities appearing together across modern credit roles.
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Hays beat annual profit forecasts despite persistent recruitment weakness. Cost reductions and stronger consultant productivity helped offset declining fees, particularly across permanent hiring markets.
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Workplace friendships develop differently between women and men, researchers find. A longitudinal study published in Social Networks found women formed denser same-gender groups, while men were less likely to develop the same friend-of-friend ties.
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UK employers remain willing to hire despite continuing economic uncertainty. Robert Half finds 34% plan to expand permanent headcount this year, while technology, finance, and specialist skills remain particularly competitive.
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Employment-status reform is returning to the centre of labour policy. Fabian Society and Joseph Rowntree Foundation research urges stronger enforcement against misclassification and a reversal of the burden of proof in parts of the labour market.
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T Level completions rose sharply as technical education expanded nationwide. Almost 20,000 students completed the qualifications this year, up more than 65%, as employers and government seek stronger routes into skilled work.