67 BUSINESS ADVICE More and more businesses are finding that employees are driving activism around topics and issues in the workplace that are important to them. In fact, 59 percent of employers expect employee activism to increase even further. But what are some key topics that could trigger employee activism in the workplace? And what can employers do to address them? We’ve outlined four of the most important that are likely to circulate in conversations and must be addressed. COST OF LIVING AND PAY CONCERNS The cost of living is a huge concern to residents of the UK, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) finding that consumer prices are 3.4 percent higher compared to the previous year. Pair this with the Labour Market Outlook: Winter 2023/2024 from the CIPD finding that basic pay increases are expected to fall to 4 percent, which is the first decline since spring 2020. As the gap between the cost of living and salaries grows, it’s likely that employee activism will focus on seeking increased pay. It is important for businesses to take note of how this might affect headcount in their workplace, as talented workers will begin looking elsewhere for better pay, which could, in turn, damage their reputation. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT As public perception of sustainability becomes more prevalent, so does that of workers throughout the UK. Research by KPMG found that 20 percent of UK office workers would turn down a role if environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors of a business were deemed as ‘lacking’. This shows the shifting importance of prioritising sustainability in business strategies when looking at employee retention and attraction, especially to avoid activism. There are several ways that employers can emphasise their commitment to sustainability and ESG, such as investing Employee activism Employee activism is on the rise. Here, cycling retailer Director Ben Mercer highlights the most important issues to employees and how to respond with empathy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=