In this edition of HR Roundup, we cover some of the key topics that affect the healthcare sector in the UK, such as staff management during the festive season, the implications of the autumn budget, and the latest insights on immigration for health and social care. Read on to find out more about these important issues and how they can affect you and your staff.
Preparing for the festive period
The festive season in the UK is a time when many employees want to take some time off to celebrate Christmas or other religious festivals with their families. This can create a challenge for staff management, especially in the healthcare sector, where it is essential to have enough staff to provide quality care to patients. How can staff or managers decide which holiday leave requests to approve and which ones to reject when there are too many requests for the same dates or when the requests come at the last minute?
One possible solution is to encourage employees to plan their holiday leave well in advance and use a first-come-first-served basis to allocate the available slots. This can help avoid conflicts and ensure fairness among the staff. To facilitate this process, employees can use HR management software that has a staff holiday planner feature. This can help them keep track of their holiday entitlement and plan their leave accordingly.
It is also important to communicate regularly with the staff about their holiday entitlement and any limitations or constraints that apply during the festive season. This can help prevent misunderstandings and disappointments among the staff. Another possible option is to use a rotational system for the festive season, where some staff get their preferred time off this year and others get it next year. This can help maintain a balance between the needs of the staff and the stability of the healthcare sector.
Autumn Budget
The chancellor presented the 2023 autumn statement this November, outlining the government’s economic and fiscal plans for the next year.
The main announcements included:
- An increase to the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage for 2024.
- A £100 billion investment fund for infrastructure projects, such as roads, railways, broadband, and housing.
- A £23 billion increase in public spending over the next five years, mainly on health, education, and defence.
- A £12 billion tax cut for businesses and households, including a reduction in the main rate of corporation tax from 19% to 17%, an increase in the personal allowance to £13,000, and a freeze in fuel duty and alcohol duties.
- A £7 billion package of measures to help the regions and nations of the UK, such as a new UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a levelling up fund, and a city and growth deals programme.
- A £4 billion commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, including a carbon tax, a green bond, and a green industrial strategy.
For more detail in the changes that will most affect healthcare businesses and organisations, we have written a guide that can be read here.
ONS insights on immigration for health and social care
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released its provisional long-term international migration statistics in November, which revealed that Health and Care Visas introduced in 2020 are driving growth in long-term sponsored work visas. For example, there were 86,000 workers dependent on this type of visa in YE June 2022, but there were 154,000 in YE June 2023, an increase of 79% in a single year.
This information is important for health and social care organisations as it shows that the Health and Care Visa scheme is attracting more skilled workers from overseas to fill the gaps in recruitment within the UK’s health and social care sector. This can help improve the quality and availability of services for patients and clients, as well as reduce the pressure and workload on existing staff. The Health and Care Visa scheme also offers benefits for the visa holders, such as lower fees, faster processing, and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
