HRreview Header

Career breaks encouraged by employers ‘keen to reduce head count temporarily’

-

Employers concerned about cutting budgets may want to consider offering employees career breaks until the economic climate has improved.

According to Gap Year for Grown Ups, some employers are actively encouraging their staff to travel for a period of time.

Lauren Mackay, brand manager at Gap Year for Grown Ups, explained that she had seen a difference in the profile of the people taking a long break, and she explained: "We are seeing a lot of people being made redundant and taking some time out."

Commenting on the benefit of career breaks from an employer’s perspective, Ms Mackay said: "I think employers are definitely much more in tune with the whole idea of career breaks. With the recession at the moment, they’re encouraging people to take a break and are keen to reduce their head count temporarily."

One Life Live undertook research recently to see how redundancies and the recession was fuelling interest in career breaks and it revealed that over half the population wanted to take a break either to travel or work overseas as a volunteer.

Latest news

James Rowell: The human side of expenses – what employee behaviour reveals about modern work

If you want to understand how your people really work, look at their expenses. Not just the total sums, but the patterns.

Skills overhaul needed as 40% of job capabilities set to change by 2030

Forecasts suggest 40 percent of workplace skills could change by 2030, prompting calls for UK employers to prioritise adaptability.

Noisy and stuffy offices linked to lost productivity and retention concerns

UK employers are losing more than 330 million working hours each year due to office noise, poor air quality and inadequate workplace conditions.

Turning Workforce Data into Real Insight: A practical session for HR leaders

HR teams are being asked to deliver greater impact with fewer resources. This practical session is designed to help you move beyond instinct and start using workforce data to make faster, smarter decisions that drive real business results.
- Advertisement -

Bethany Cann of Specsavers

A working day balancing early talent strategy, university partnerships and family life at the international opticians retailer.

Workplace silence leaving staff afraid to raise mistakes

Almost half of UK workers feel unable to raise concerns or mistakes at work, with new research warning that workplace silence is damaging productivity.

Must read

Ian Dowd: Brexit impact on UK legislation and the HR function

The referendum on the UK membership of the European Union is just around the corner. With it comes the possibility of a future where Britain gets to change and revisit some of the employment legislation currently decided upon by the EU. While it is hard to predict which laws the Government would include in such a review, there are a few obvious candidates that have been a thorn in the flesh of British businesses for a while now.

Why giving is good for business

SMEs are facing a myriad of challenges in 2018. From the impact of Brexit on the job market to differentiating themselves from larger corporates, it is becoming harder for SMEs to stand out and more importantly,  attract the best talent.
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you