Human Times

UK Edition

21st August 2026

THE HOT STORY

Unions pledge to resist EHRC guidance on single-sex spaces

Trade unions representing 3.6m workers and students are opposing new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regarding single-sex spaces. Unison, which has 1.3m members, plans to challenge employers to adopt trans-inclusive policies, despite guidance saying access to single-sex spaces is dependent on biological sex rather than gender identity. In a video posted on X, Andrea Egan, the Unison general secretary, said: "Over 600 members have written to us and provided examples of how the updated EHRC guidance is unworkable. We've also heard many employers have withdrawn their trans equality policies in response to this guidance and that is unacceptable . . . I'll be working with our network and equality team to ensure that we are taking the fight to every workplace to make them trans inclusive."

The Times

LEGAL

Belittling the boss is not a sackable offence

An employment tribunal in Watford has ruled that an employee's unflattering remarks about their boss did not constitute a sackable offence. The case involved Sahir Rahim, a senior manager at Associated British Ports (ABP), who lost his job after being overheard by ABP's Head of Programme Ben Hodgkin "loudly" criticising him. Rahim's behaviour was later deemed "gross misconduct" and he lost his job because the relationship with his manager and the company had "broken down beyond repair." The tribunal has now found he was unfairly dismissed as he was not paid sick pay. Evidence from a senior manager indicated that she thought withholding sick pay was "a disciplinary measure" and "was the right course of action because of how the claimant had behaved in undermining Mr Hodgkin."

The Independent

The Times

ECONOMY

UK finally showing signs of productivity boost, say economists

Morgan Stanley analysts have identified nascent signs of tech-driven improvements in UK productivity growth. If sustained, it could boost incomes and ease some of the strains on Britain’s public finances. Separately, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has reported an eight-point increase in its consumer confidence index to -28 in August. Gen Z showed the most optimism, anticipating improved finances and increased spending. Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: "Consumer sentiment continued to rise, with confidence in the economy hitting its highest level since the historical lows reached at the start of the Iran conflict." The GfK consumer confidence index also rose significantly in July, increasing at its fastest pace since November 2023.

Financial Times

The Times

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Competition for degree apprenticeships quadruples in England

Competition for degree apprenticeships advertised through England’s government platform has quadrupled in three years, according to BBC analysis of Freedom of Information data. The data showed the number of applicants through the government's central platform nearly tripled from 8,100 to 21,800 over the past three years, while the number of positions available fell by almost half, from 7,300 to 3,700. Applicants said they applied to university as a "backup" because competition was so fierce as employers cut back on hiring because of high employment costs and economic uncertainty. The Department for Work and Pensions said it was "backing employers who take on young apprentices."

BBC News

Reform proposes tax rebates to boost apprenticeships

Reform UK is proposing a taxpayer-funded wage rebate for businesses employing apprentices, plus a £2,000 retention bonus for those who stay with their employer for at least two years after qualifying. The party's education spokeswoman, Suella Braverman, said a Reform government would introduce an "apprenticeship wage credit" offering SMEs a 30% rebate on the wages paid to apprentices aged 16 to 18. The party says the measures, which could cost up to £2bn over five years, would help deliver 600,000 apprenticeship starts a year by 2034.

BBC News

HIRING

Hays reports first loss in 20 years

Hays, the UK's largest recruiter, reported a £54.5m loss before tax for the year ending June, marking its first annual loss since 2003. The company attributed the downturn to political instability, economic uncertainty, and increased reliance on AI in hiring processes. The UK recruitment sector is struggling, with net fees dropping by 10% and job vacancies at a five-year low, as businesses hesitate to hire amid rising costs and inflation.

The Times

The Daily Telegraph

LEADERSHIP

Travelodge CEO resigns amid safety overhaul

Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell has resigned amid criticism of the hotel chain’s handling of a sexual assault case at one of its hotels. Ray Reidy, the firm's finance chief, will serve as interim CEO. Travelodge also announced that a review by senior lawyer Paul Greaney KC found that the group has "acted quickly to make changes to improve safety and security across our operations." Travelodge is working with trade body UKHospitality to develop best-practice guidance and is carrying out its own internal review.

INTERNATIONAL

Young adults in the US are increasingly wary of AI

Young adults in the US workforce are increasingly sceptical about artificial intelligence, fearing that advances in the technology will precipitate widespread job losses. For the first time, most adults under 30 (55%) say they are more concerned than excited about AI; across age groups, about half or more say they’re more concerned than excited about the technology. The vast majority of Americans (71%) believe AI will lead to fewer jobs in the US over the next two decades; 5% said AI would lead to more jobs over that time period.

Only 5% of Afghan labour market is female

The International Labour Organization (ILO) says that only 5.1% of workers in Afghanistan are women, a significant decline from 16.5% in 2020. Afghanistan has the second lowest female labour force participation rate globally, trailing only Yemen. The ILO highlighted severe restrictions on women's access to education and employment since the Taliban regained power in 2021. It has called for urgent steps to counter women's "severe exclusion," saying this is essential to aid the Afghan economy more generally. "Afghanistan cannot build a resilient labour market while such a large share of its population remains excluded from economic activity," observed Tite Habiyakare, senior coordinator and head of the ILO office for Afghanistan.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

Finnish companies experiment with shorter working hours

A report from the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) looks at outcomes for four Finnish companies that have introduced different forms of shorter working hours. The report says innovative and flexible workplaces could turn new ways of working into a significant competitive advantage. Taina Vallander, of STTK's social impact team, says the focus should be less on whether working hours should be shorter or longer and more on how work itself is changing. "We are approaching the discussion about shortening working hours from the perspective of how we can improve employees' well-being and commitment, maintain their ability to work, and possibly extend their careers or distribute work differently," Vallander says.

YLE Uutiset

Better onboarding could help retain Thai employees

More than half of Thai employees rate their onboarding experience as average or poor, according to a survey by Robert Walters Thailand. Only 15% found it excellent, while 35% rated it average and 16% poor. Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana, Country Manager, noted that weak manager support and unclear roles hinder retention. She emphasised the need for greater manager accountability, clearer expectations, and stronger human connections. Punyanuch said: "Helping employees move from learning to contributing during those 90 days is very important." She added: “Technology can make onboarding very efficient and fast, but it should be seen as a support rather than to replace human connection.”

The Nation

OTHER

Sense of belonging affects GCSE scores

Pupils who feel they belong at school achieve higher GCSE scores, according to a report by the Department for Education. The study, authored by Pallavi Banerjee from the University of Cambridge, analysed data from 4,763 pupils across 165 schools. It found that those who strongly disagreed with the statement "I feel like I belong at school" scored 7.72 points lower on Attainment 8 than those who strongly agreed. The report highlights significant disparities in belonging based on gender, ethnicity, and special educational needs (SEN), with 63.08% of pupils feeling a sense of belonging overall.

FE News.co.uk

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