The first in a series of three reports has been published providing an insight into trends in digital learning. The report, Digital Learning Realities 2017, is based on a second annual survey of 1,100 learning and development professionals, carried out by Learning Technologies (organisers of the annual Learning Technologies Awards) and Fosway Group. It includes insights on: L&D organisation and structure Digital learning teams and headcounts Investment trends for the year ahead Parts 2 and 3 of the report will be available shortly, ex... Continue reading

Ill-fitting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that isn’t designed to protect women workers can get in the way of them doing their job safely, according to a new report published by the TUC. The report, Personal protective equipment and women, reveals that despite a legal duty to provide the correct PPE to staff free of charge, only three in ten women (29%) told researchers that the PPE they wear to keep them safe at work is specifically designed for women. This creates serious safety issues – having to wear the wrong shoes, for example,... Continue reading

Companies across the UK have paid out over £61m in health and safety fines throughout 2016 – almost 2.5 times that seen in 2015, according to insurance firm, BLM’s health and safety tracker. Research shows there were a total of 292 incidents recorded during 2016, with an average pay-out of almost a quarter of a million pounds – four times the £69,500 average cost seen the previous year, where 358 cases were brought. This follows a change in legislation made in February 2016, with new guidelines imposed for health and safety, food hygi... Continue reading

An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that a woman with Asperger’s syndrome was discriminated against when she was asked to take a situational judgement test. The case is thought to mark one of the first times a claim for indirect disability discrimination – where a workplace rule or policy that applies to all employees leaves a disabled person at a disadvantage – has succeeded at EAT level. Terri Brookes, who represented herself in the case, was asked to take the multiple-choice test as part of the first stage of her applicati... Continue reading

A new study published by the TUC reveals that the UK has seen significant growth in ‘insecure’ forms of employment compared to other EU countries. It links the growth to relatively weak legal protections for those in ‘bogus’ self-employment, agency work and on zero-hour contracts. The report comes at the same time as GMB, the union for couriers, launched new legal action against Hermes, following its success against Uber in October last year – a ruling which means drivers are entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage and... Continue reading