According to a poll from YuLife and YouGov, just over a third (39%) of people think their place of work has some sort of positive impact on society and the planet. This is in spite of the many announcements from organisations about how ESG (environmental, social, and governance) can boost employee engagement and help them stand out from their competitors. With many businesses having upped their ESG investment in recent years, the report claims to shed light on what UK working adults want and expect from their workplaces, equipping businesses with vital insights into how to focus their ESG programmes most effectively.

The report finds that many UK employees consider ESG initiatives to be an important factor in their choice of workplace. 42% of UK working adults agree that they are more likely to work for a company with environmental initiatives (such as recycling programmes, sustainable products and packaging, a walk-to-work scheme, etc.) over one without. Thirty seven per cent of UK working adults say they would steer clear from working for a company with poor green credentials. Despite this, the finding that less than half of all employees agree that their workplace makes a positive impact on society and the planet demonstrates that many employers need to bolster their ESG offerings.

Other findings include:

• 66% of UK working adults (including 73% of women) agree that volunteering positively impacts wellbeing.
• A majority of workers (52%) feel that it would enhance their sense of wellbeing if their employer took them away from work to volunteer on a regular, fixed basis.
• Most working adults (53%) agree that they are more likely to volunteer for causes if their workplace arranged it for them.
• When asked to imagine working for a company that is investing in causes to tackle climate change and environmental issues 62% of working adults agree it would make them think more positively about their company.
• 51% of UK working adults believe they are more likely to commute to work using environmentally friendly means of transport (walking, cycling etc.) if their employer incentivised them to do so.
• 56% of UK working adults believe it is important that their company buys products and services from diverse and sustainable brands. Only 10% feel that is it not important at all that their company does this.
• 44% of UK working adults believe it is important to them to have a say in the causes their company invests in.
• ESG initiatives tend to matter more to younger employees; 66% of 25-34 year-olds agree that they’re more likely to volunteer if arranged by their workplace, and 62% are more likely to walk or cycle to work if incentivised by their employer.

“In the wake of the ‘Great Resignation’, employees are increasingly conscious about choosing a workplace which best fits their needs, preferences and priorities,” said Sammy Rubin, CEO and Founder, YuLife.

“This survey clearly demonstrates that large numbers of UK employees want to work in an environment which makes a positive difference to society, but employers still have some way to go in order to respond to employee demand on this issue. With many companies’ budgets now tightening, it’s especially important that businesses don’t lose sight of this vital need, and ensure that ESG expenditure is well-matched to employees’ expectations.”

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), together with the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM), has called upon future Prime Ministerial candidates to commit to a proper national plan on asbestos. This follows HSE statistics showing an increase in asbestos deaths to over 5,000 each year.

BOHS is critical of what it calls the government’s “wishy-washy” response to Parliamentary Inquiry recommendations, published earlier this year. Parliament called on Whitehall to join up its thinking and collect better data to protect nurses, teachers and those in social housing who are at increasing risk of exposure to asbestos as building stock degrades.

Jonathan Grant, Registrar of the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management said: “The government’s response dodges the main issues coming out of the Inquiry. It needs to have a proper joined up strategy using research, tax incentives, communication, building control, the conveyancing system, technology, and the opportunities arising from the greening of buildings. Instead, the government plan is to use a handful of inspectors, a bit of social media and wishful thinking to move things on.

“We are pleased that there are indications that the government thinks it might be a good idea for people surveying for a cancer-causing toxin like asbestos, should now have some level of competence and accreditation. It’s also progress that they appreciate the need to ensure that the contractors who check to see that asbestos is being removed from properties properly, should not be on the same contractor’s payroll.”

Professor Kevin Bampton, CEO of BOHS said: “In its Response, the government says it is listening to professional bodies like us, but they clearly have not read the evidence given to Parliament, the Select Committee Report or its own statistics on asbestos deaths. The new PM needs to show leadership on asbestos, which is a national problem from the humblest of Council houses through to the Palace of Westminster itself.”

CCTV Cameras are a great deterrent in preventing theft and physical abuse for our member companies however retailers are being hit for their failure to protect customer and employee privacy in video footage, according to a nationwide survey of retailers from video security and privacy company, Secure Redact.

The survey asked 500 British retailers a range of questions relating to in-store use of video surveillance technology, the visual data privacy of customers, GDPR violations and more between May and June 2022.

It reveals that 43% of brands surveyed reported they had been fined for a violation of video surveillance GDPR legislation. Of these retailers, 37% reported paying an equivalent of 2% of their annual turnover, 30% said the fine amounted to 3% of annual turnover, and 15% said the fine was 45% of annual turnover. Some 33% of those fined had to close stores as a result of enforcement action.

Simon Randall, CEO, Secure Redact, said: “These findings paint a vivid picture — the unstoppable rise of video is meeting the immovable object of privacy regulation, with retailers and shoppers left to pay the price. The rapid increase in mass-surveillance of UK shoppers represents a breach of personal privacy on a colossal scale, and the regulators appear to be clamping down hard.”

The retail sector has been a popular market for AI and analytics in surveillance devices, with technology providing the ability for operators and store managers to pick out ‘hotspot’ areas and improve efficiencies in stock placement and queuing lines.

Similarly, UK retailers surveyed for Secure Redact intend to expand video surveillance technology use, such as wireless CCTV, facial recognition technology, queue monitoring or body cameras in-store. Approximately 94% of survey respondents already use at least one of these technologies, and all said they intend to use them more in future, highlighting that many companies are looking to use video surveillance for more than just security purposes.

Meanwhile, 68% of consumers say it is critical that retail store employees understand their preferences and needs, and video analytics has become a core part of that strategy, but improper use, storage and handling comes with significant financial and reputational liabilities for brands across the UK and beyond.

Mr. Randall continued: “Consumers care about privacy. Implementing stronger privacy measures with in-store video will only further retailers’ objectives – not hinder them. People think that privacy and video analytics are incompatible – with smart deployment and the right technology, that’s no longer true.”