progression, which should be available in the public sphere, to encourage companies to invest more time and money into their staff.
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ONS reports total pay increases of 1.9% 18 October 2019
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released documentation that evidences that there has been an increase in total pay between the periods of June to August 2019, compared to the period from June to August 2018. The uplift is by approximately 1.9% which also considers the effect of inflation. The figures include total pay to employees and encompasses bonus payments. Regular pay, exclusive of those bonuses, has increased by 2% over the same period. Although the news that there has been a boost to pay is positive and fully welcomed, the statistics demonstrate that average weekly earnings still sit below the rates that were observed prior to the 2008-2009 recession. The total pay for staff was reported as £502 (gross) per week in August 2019 as opposed to the slightly higher figure of £525 recorded on February 2008. The survey delves into the pay figures across various sectors and shows that most have seen a significant increase of over 3% to annual pay growth, with the exception of manufacturing, which saw a boost of 2.7% to total pay. There was also disparity between the public and private sectors as the private sector observed higher growth levels than public bodies, but seemingly saw higher growth levels in the period between March to May 2019. Experts have explained that this could be due to the NHS amending the dates for awarding pay rises for certain staff.
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Continued support for the Mental Health at Work Commitment 23 October 2019
The Times has reported how 30 employers have recently signed up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment, with huge names such as Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever and John Lewis Partnership all pledging to honour the commitment, in a bid to improve mental wellbeing within the workplace. The Mental Health at Work Commitment is underpinned by values originally laid out in the Thriving at Work review and in signing the commitment, businesses show their engagement with mental health at work and demonstrate that they are interested in the mental wellbeing of their staff. The six pledges of the statement, which have been devised alongside mental health charities, large employers and trade organisations are as follows: • Developing a systematic programme of activity to prioritise mental health • Being proactive in ensuring work design and organisational culture drive positive mental health outcomes • Promoting an open culture around mental health • Increasing organisational confidence and capability • Providing mental health tools and support • Increasing transparency and accountability through international and external reporting Existing signatories include Royal Mail, Santander, Deloitte and Barclays, and there are a wide range of businesses from a variety of sectors that had previously signed up to the initiative. Figures released by the Mental Health at Work charity highlight the extent of the effect of mental health on individuals at work. It was found that 39% of employees had experienced poor mental health where work was at least partially responsible, and that 300,000 people lose their jobs every year due to long term mental health issues. Only 51% of people felt comfortable discussing mental health problems at work which demonstrates that there is still stigma attached to the issue of mental health, which shouldn’t be perceived in this way in the 21 st century.
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The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
Payroll: need to know
cipp.org.uk
Page 162 of 629
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