With hybrid and flexible working patterns becoming more prevalent, employers who are keen to maintain pre-pandemic productivity levels are investing in new tools, software and processes to ensure that staff can work as effectively from home or other remote locations as they would in the office. There are advantages to a business having staff on flexible working patterns and working away from the office, as they can reduce their carbon footprint by downsizing to smaller premises or sharing workspace with other businesses, reduce their heating and electricity bills and have people working at hours that are more convenient to overseas partners, contractors and clients.

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However, should an employer be dissatisfied with the productivity and output of their workforce, they may consider different methods of restoring efficiency. This may require staff to return to the office or more usual working patterns. However, where this is no longer feasible due to the size of the premises or availability of desk space, they may begin to consider ways of monitoring their employees as a way of increasing productivity, motivating staff and ensuring that the remote working practices that they have implemented are effective and appropriate.

Monitoring Employees Fairly

With evidence demonstrating that, on the whole, allowing staff to work from home actually increases productivity , employers must have a valid reason for implementing employee monitoring, choose their method of monitoring carefully, and apply it equally to their entire workforce. They should ensure that all staff understand why it is being implemented, what behaviours or issues the monitoring is attempting to identify or resolve, how the data gathered will be handled and what the impact will be should monitoring uncover an issue.

If staff are not fully briefed and accepting of the monitoring solution that is to be applied, it may have the opposite effect to that intended, eroding trust, reducing morale and affecting staff mental health. Equally, if a particular demographic is targeted, the business will be discriminating against members of their workforce which, if disciplinary action was then taken against the targeted employees as a result of information uncovered by the monitoring, could put the business at risk of a constructive dismissal claim.

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Constructive Dismissal

Constructive dismissal describes a situation where an employee leaves their job due to the unreasonable or unfair behaviour of their employer, as explained at https://www.employmentlawfriend.co.uk/constructive-dismissal. In a situation where employee monitoring is used by the business which leads to staff feeling victimised, discriminated against or directly creates a breakdown of trust, that business could be at risk of the employee commencing a case against them.

This delicate situation could have severe financial and reputational consequences for a business so it is always worth carefully balancing the need for employee monitoring with the risks of implementing it. If a decision is made to proceed, ensure that it is rolled out fairly, used appropriately and that employees are included in the decision-making process.

Summary

By giving employees the opportunity to raise concerns and contribute to discussions ahead of rolling out employee monitoring, they are less likely to be intimidated by the decision to implement this strategy. In updating and expressly including employee monitoring processes in the business’ HR policy, the business will be better able to protect itself against unintended consequences.

We’re all aware that there’s a cost of living crisis going on, and it seems as though almost every aspect of daily life is becoming affected by spiralling costs. As UK interest levels reach a 41 year high, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) found that by October 2022, the cost of goods has risen by an average of 11% on last year.

The Impact On Housing

The housing market has not remained immune to the economic changes. The impact of soaring inflation is likely to be particularly hard for those who are in rented accommodation, as the economic factors add to a number of other challenges. In addition to the increase to the cost of borrowing, a simple lack of housing stock means that records for rental prices across England and Wales are being broken again and again. Indeed, the cost of renting a home has risen by almost 16% over the last three months, as reported by the Standard

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Now, the average rent for a prime property in London has reached a staggering £5000 a month, which represents a real term increase of almost £200 a week on 2021 prices. Perhaps as a result of these rental increases, property search website RightMove reports a surge in interest in smaller properties to rent, including studio apartments, which have now overtaken single bedroom properties as the most desirable places to rent.

A Widespread Issue

With an estimated four million households currently living in rental accommodation, it’s not a problem that can be overlooked. The majority of rental properties are owned by private landlords, who will, of course, face their own challenges as a result of the current economic climate. Whilst there are initiatives in place to increase the volume of rental stock, such as the Build To Rent programme, it’s still the case that fewer than 50% of landlords are aware of such schemes. Campaigners are petitioning the UK government to take action, yet the proposed Renter’s Reform Bill does not, as yet, include any measures to cap or curb the soaring private rental prices.

Many see buying a property as a way out of paying high rents, but this is an expensive prospect. From the challenge of saving for a deposit and the decrease in available mortgage products, buyers will be faced with a range of other costs, whether a home buyers survey  Nottingham, to a conveyancing bill in Milton Keynes. For those planning to buy, consulting with experts such as Sam Conveyancing is a good first step.

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The Future For Rentals

Right now, the situation looks rather bleak for anyone hoping to move into a rented home. Figures suggest that there were 38% fewer rental properties available in June of this year compared to June 2021, whilst interest in renting such properties had increased by 60%. The outlook is brighter for those renting designated “affordable housing”, as the government is considering a 6-7% cap on rental increases for such properties, as well as limiting rental increases to once a year. They also say that the planned Renter’s Reform Bill will give renters more power to challenge high rental increases by private landlords. It is hoped that the economic situation will improve into spring / summer 2023.