Acas highlights big issues for year ahead


Employees think recruitment, technological change and productivity will be the biggest issues in their workplace this year, a survey by the employment relations service Acas reveals. 


The emphasis on recruitment is not surprising, given recent record levels of vacancies (which stood at 848,000 in the period September to November, 2.8 job vacancies per 100 employee jobs. The industrial sector showing the largest estimated vacancy rate was accommodation and food service activities (4.1 vacancies per 100 filled employee jobs).


Participants in the Acas survey were asked to pick the three biggest issues faced by their current workplace in 2019. 


Apart from the 15% who didn’t think there would be any issues faced by their current workplace this year, the full results were:


• getting the right people with the right skills (53%);


• productivity (36%);


• technological change (36%);


• fit and healthy staff (18%);


• equality and fairness (17%);


• other (16%); and


• tackling sexual harassment (3%). 


Acas chief executive Susan Clews said: “Employees feel that getting workers with the right skills is a key concern in the year ahead. This could be attributed to uncertainty around our relationship with the EU at the moment or general concerns around skills shortages”. 


She added that technological change, if it is not managed well, can cause stress and impact workplace relations; while productivity concerns call for “well-managed and innovative” workplaces that encourage employee engagement.


The Acas poll surveyed 2,035 staff below senior-manager level.

www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6638