Research and analysis

Department for Work and Pensions Employer Survey 2022: research report

Published 14 September 2023

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

DWP research report no. 1042

A report of research carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions.

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First published September 2023

ISBN 978-1-78659-562-1

Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other government department.

Voluntary statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

The Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code) is built around 3 main concepts, or pillars, trustworthiness, quality and value:

• trustworthiness – is about having confidence in the people and organisations that publish statistics
• quality – is about using data and methods that produce assured statistics
• value – is about publishing statistics that support society’s needs for information

The following explains how we have applied the pillars of the Code in a proportionate way.

Trustworthiness

This survey fieldwork was conducted by IFF Research, working to the Government Social Research code of practice. The analysis was primarily conducted by IFF, with some secondary analysis conducted by analysts at the Department for Work and Pensions. The writing of the report was conducted by analysts at the Department for Work and Pensions and has been checked thoroughly by analysts at the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure it meets the highest standards of analysis and drafting.

Quality

The survey was carried out using established statistical methods. The research has been quality assured using IFF Research internal quality checking processes, which have been shared with the Department for Work and Pensions. The analysis of findings and report writing has been quality assured by analysts at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Value

The report provides evidence of employer attitudes and behaviour in relation to key issues of interest to the Department for Work and Pensions to support policy development. These areas include recruitment, retention, progression, skills, pensions, specific groups who may be disadvantaged in the labour market, and health and disability at work.

Executive summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned IFF Research to conduct the 2022 Employer Survey. This report presents findings from the survey, conducted with 8,002 employers in Great Britain. The aim of the survey was to understand employer attitudes and behaviour in relation to a range of topics of interest to DWP, including recruitment, retention, progression, pensions, specific groups who may be disadvantaged in the labour market, health and disability at work, and employer engagement with DWP. Fieldwork was carried out between 8 February and 6 April 2022.

Most employers take action to support employee health and wellbeing at work across a range of measures. Seven in ten employers said they take steps to identify and address employee health and wellbeing at the earliest opportunity, while one in four address it when it becomes a problem.

Nearly nine in ten employers provide some form of support to prevent employee ill-health or improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce. The most common form of support, offered by three in four, was health and safety training or guidance. Three in four employers thought that workplaces should provide mental health support for their employees.

The most common flexible working policy offered to employees approaching or considering retirement was the opportunity to gradually reduce working hours, offered by eight in ten employers. However, one in five employers said that there are no benefits to their business in offering flexible working policies for these staff.

Three in four employers who had recruited benefit claimants said they had been well prepared for work. Low numbers of applicants with the required skills and a low number of applicants more generally were cited as main reasons why employers were unsuccessful recruiting in the last year. Among employers who expect their approach to recruitment will change over the next five years, more than half said they expect to use online platforms more, while around one in ten expect to use recruitment agencies less.

Seven in ten employers reported no contact with DWP in the last 12 months. When employers had contacted DWP, they were more likely to be satisfied with how their last query was dealt with than dissatisfied, with four in ten satisfied compared to one in ten dissatisfied.

The most common pension offered by employers to new employees is Defined Contribution, with nearly nine in ten employers who reported their scheme type offering this. Employers reported a wide range of factors influencing their decision around pension provider, with the most common being ease or convenience of the provider or scheme(s), reported by nearly half of employers. Advice from a professional body, colleagues or from fellow employers was the most common factor contributing to a decision to switch pension provider, reported by just over a third of employers who had switched.

Half of employers said that they monitor the diversity of their workforce, although when asked whether this monitoring is broken down by grade or level of seniority, less than a third said that it was.

1. Summary

1.1 Introduction

DWP commissioned IFF Research to conduct the 2022 Employer Survey. The survey gathers evidence from employers on their policies, procedures, awareness and attitudes in relation to a range of topics of interest to DWP. These include the recruitment, retention, and progression of staff, as well as awareness and engagement in employer focused government initiatives, employee pension provision, and health and disability at work.

1.2 Survey methodology

The survey used a mixed mode design (online and telephone) and involved a sample of employers in Great Britain from a range of size bands, regions and sectors. Initial piloting of the survey took place between 24 January and 27 January 2022. In total, 51 pilot interviews were achieved (42 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and 9 online surveys). The mainstage fieldwork was carried out between 8 February and 6 April 2022. In total, 8,002 interviews were achieved (4,794 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews and 3,208 online surveys).

The survey sample was drawn from Market Location, a commercial database. Sampling was informed by counts from the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR). Interview targets were set using a Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) approach designed to ensure good base sizes for analysis by all employer size-bands and sectors without the achieved interview profile deviating too far from the underlying population. The data collected in the 2022 Employer Survey was weighted to make it representative of the underlying population of employers in Great Britain in terms of business sector, size and country.

To cover a wide range of topics the sample was split into modules which meant that the majority of questions were asked of a sub-sample only.

The survey sampled at the organisational level, meaning the survey sought to speak to the most senior person in the organisation responsible for people management / HR. This was often the managing director or the proprietor.

This report presents findings from the survey. Additional statistics and more detailed breaks of the statistics within this report are published in separate data tables alongside this report. Data tables also report on any statistically significant differences across sub-groups (employer size, sector, region, turnover, and organisation type).

1.3 Key findings

1.31 Overarching differences in employer practice

The survey observed a range of differences in responses across size bands and sectors. An area where statistically significant differences in practice is observed was in relation to health and disability at work, where larger employers tended to report more inclusive recruitment and retention practices, and a greater awareness and use of government initiatives (such as Access to Work and Disability Confident). Larger employers also reported more engagement with DWP in general.

Comparisons across different size bands, sectors, region and financial turnover are available in the accompanying data tables published alongside this report.

1.32 Health and disability at work: Chapter 3

Employers reported a range of barriers to supporting staff with long-term health conditions or disabled staff at work, or staff on long-term sickness absence to return to work. A lack of capital to invest in support (33%), lack of time or staff resource (29%), and a lack of expertise or specialist support (23%) were the most common barriers cited by employers to supporting staff on long-term sickness absence to return to work. However, the most common response when asked about barriers faced was that employers do not face any barriers to supporting these staff (38%).

A similar pattern of barrier emerged when employers spoke about supporting disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions at work. A lack of capital to invest in support (18%), a lack of expertise or specialist support (16%), and a lack of time or staff resource (15%) were the most common barriers. However, one in five (19%) said they do not face any barriers.

Most employers take action to support employee health and wellbeing at work across a range of measures. Seven in ten employers (72%) said they take steps to identify and address employee health and wellbeing at the earliest opportunity, while one in four address it when it becomes a problem (25%).

Nearly nine in ten employers (87%) provide some form of support to prevent employee ill-health or improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce. The most common form of support, offered by three in four (75%), was health and safety training or guidance. Nearly three in ten employers (28%) said that they provide Occupational Health or Vocational Rehabilitation services for their staff.

Three in four employers (73%) thought that workplaces should provide mental health support for their employees. Workplace adjustments were the most common type of support offered to employees with a mental health condition, mentioned by almost half of employers (47%). However, when asked what they offer to employees with a mental health condition over a third of all employers (35%) said they do not provide anything for employees with a mental health condition.

1.33 Older workers: Chapter 4

The most common flexible working policy offered to employees approaching or considering retirement was the opportunity to gradually reduce working hours, offered by eight in ten employers (17% said they would offer this on a case-by-case basis, not routinely). One in five employers (20%) who do not offer any flexible working arrangements for these staff said that there are no benefits to their business in offering these policies.

The survey asked employers who employ staff over the age of 50 about the benefits and challenges of having these staff in their organisation. The most common perceived benefit of staff over 50 was their experience (80%), followed by reliability (55%), and loyalty to the company (39%). One in twenty of these employers (6%) said there were no particular benefits of having older workers in their organisation. Employers reported a range of challenges to having employees over 50, although more than four in ten (43%) reported no challenges. The most common challenges reported were that staff might retire soon (20%), difficulty with the physical aspects of their jobs (20%), and health-related absences (19%).

1.34 Recruitment, retention and progression of staff: Chapter 5

Employers were asked if they had recruited or tried to recruit in the last 12 months. Around half (49%) of employers had not recruited or tried to recruit in the 12 months prior to fieldwork, while four in ten (42%) had recruited staff. A further one in ten (9%) employers had tried to recruit but had not managed to take on new staff. Low numbers of applicants with the required skills (58%) and a low number of applicants more generally (56%) were cited as main reasons why employers were unsuccessful recruiting in the last year.

Of the employers who had either recruited or tried to recruit in the last 12 months, over one in ten (14%) had recruited or tried to recruit new staff using Jobcentre Plus, and nearly one in five (18%) employers had recruited someone who is a benefit claimant. Employers who had recruited benefit claimants were asked how well prepared they have been for work, with three in four (75%) saying they had been well prepared.

A large majority (85%) of employers said they hadn’t had problems retaining staff in the year prior to fieldwork, while around one in ten (14%) of employers said they had. A wide range of barriers were reported by employers who had experienced problems with retention, with the most common barrier being poor terms and conditions, reported by almost one in four of these employers (23%).

Nearly seven in ten (68%) employers said they monitor the earnings progression of their employees. However, when asked whether there is a transparent progression pathway to ensuring entry level jobs are a stepping-stone to higher paid work, four in ten (40%) employers said they had this in their company, while over half (54%) said they don’t have this, and six per cent didn’t know.

1.35 Engagement with government employment schemes and wider engagement with DWP: Chapter 6

The majority of employers (72%) had not made any contact with DWP in the last year^{[footnote 1]}. The most common reasons for employers making contact with DWP were for the Kickstart scheme (9%), workplace pensions (9%), or Apprenticeships^{[footnote 2]} (9%). Employers were more likely to be satisfied with their contact with DWP over the 12 months prior to fieldwork, with 44% satisfied compared to 13% dissatisfied.

A large majority of employers had heard of Apprenticeships (89%), and just over a third (36%) had heard of Traineeships, while fewer had heard of work trials (15%) or Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (6%). Almost a quarter of employers who were aware had recruited through Apprenticeships (24%), while less than one in ten employers who were aware of each of the other respective schemes had recruited through any of these.

1.36 Pensions: Chapter 7

When asked what pension schemes they offer, four in ten (42%) employers said they offered a Defined Contribution pension scheme (money purchase scheme) to new employees^{[footnote 3]}, while very few (4%) offered a Defined Benefit pension scheme. Around one in five (18%) employers said they do not offer any pension scheme to new employees and three in ten (30%) didn’t know. For employers who reported offering a pension scheme, nearly nine in ten (87%) offered a Defined Contribution scheme.

Employers mentioned a range of factors they take into consideration when choosing a pension provider for their employees. The most common factor is the ease or convenience of the provider or scheme(s) (48%), followed by advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (44%), and then the fees or costs on the employer (36%), and the value for members/employees of the provider or scheme(s) (36%). However, nearly one in five (18%) didn’t know. When asked about switching pension provider, over three in four employers (77%) said they hadn’t switched pension provider or thought about switching, while almost one in ten (9%) had switched or thought about switching. Employers who had switched pension provider cited a range of reasons for this, the most common were advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (36%), value for members/employees (35%), value for money for the employer (33%), and the fees or costs on the employer (31%).

1.37 Disadvantaged groups: Chapter 8

Around one in five employers (21%) said that they employ people from specified groups who may be disadvantaged in the labour market. The definition of “disadvantaged groups” used for the purposes of this survey included those who are homeless, prison leavers, people with drug and/or alcohol issues, and care leavers. We also know that veterans may experience additional challenges, so the survey included this group as well. Employers who said they do not currently employ people from these groups were asked what would encourage them to consider doing so. Just over one in three employers (34%) said a financial subsidy would encourage them, however nearly one in three (32%) said none of the options presented to them would encourage them to consider employing people from these groups.

1.38 Diversity of the workforce: Chapter 9

Half of employers (50%) said that they monitor the diversity of their workforce, while 45 per cent said they do not. Employers were asked what benefits and barriers they see in employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics, such as ethnicity, gender and class. Around three in ten employers (31%) said that a benefit in employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics would be improved company culture, while just over one in five (22%) said a benefit was a wider talent pool to select from. However, one in five employers (20%) responded to this by saying that they see no benefits. Two in three employers (66%) said that they don’t see any barriers in employing a diverse workforce.

2. Introduction

2.1 Policy background and research objectives

DWP commissioned IFF Research to conduct the 2022 Employer Survey. The survey gathers evidence from employers on their policies, procedures, awareness and attitudes in relation to a range of topics of interest to DWP. These include the recruitment, retention, and progression of staff, as well as awareness and engagement in employer focused government initiatives, employee pension provision, and health and disability at work.

DWP has responsibility for supporting people into work, and to progress in work. The UK currently has just under one million vacancies, and relatively low unemployment by historic standards (ONS 2023). Understanding employers’ core skills requirement is essential to support training and retraining in order to meet labour demand in the face of fast technological change and changing demographics. Despite high demand for labour, the last two years have seen a relatively large number of people leaving the workforce and therefore there is a need to understand employer attitudes to worker retention and support at-risk groups.

A key aim of the survey is to understand employers’ approaches to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions at work, as well as to monitor any changes in employer practice as government implements policies to support employers to manage ill-health in the workplace. The survey meets these objectives by measuring barriers and bridges to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions at work. Furthermore, it measures employer use of inclusive retention and recruitment policies and procedures (such as occupational health and vocational rehabilitation).

DWP is committed to ensuring those with wider additional or complex needs get the right support they need to move forwards and overcome barriers to employment.  Therefore, employers were also asked in this survey about their attitudes towards, and practices around, employing people from particular groups, such as veterans and from specified groups who may be disadvantaged in the labour market (those who are homeless, prison leavers, people with drug and/or alcohol issues and care leavers).

Many employees are supported to build their financial resilience in retirement by saving into a workplace pension through automatic enrolment legislation, introduced in 2012. Pension participation amongst employees eligible for automatic enrolment is high, and the survey aims to understand employers’ approaches to enrolling employees who fall outside of the automatic enrolment legislation criteria, and the choice of pension scheme they make for their employees as automatic enrolment matures.

Finally, DWP work with a range of partners, employers, and specific sectors to improve opportunities for all individuals including those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Employers were therefore asked about their attitudes towards employing a diverse workforce, and what monitoring of diversity takes place.

2.2 Methodology

The survey used a mixed mode design (online and telephone) and involved a sample of employers in Great Britain (GB) from a range of size bands, regions and sectors. Following initial piloting of the survey, the mainstage fieldwork was carried out between 8 February and 6 April 2022. In total, 8,002 interviews were achieved (4,794 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews and 3,208 online surveys).

The survey sample was drawn from Market Location, a commercial database. Sampling was informed by counts from the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR). Interview targets were set using a Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) approach designed to ensure good base sizes for analysis by all size-bands and sectors without the achieved interview profile deviating too far from the underlying population. Findings are weighted to be representative of GB employers.

To cover a wide range of topics the sample was split into modules which meant that the majority of questions were asked of a sub-sample only. This means that the base sizes for some questions will vary, despite being asked of all eligible employers.

The survey sampled at the organisational level, meaning the survey sought to speak to the most senior person in the organisation responsible for people management / HR. This was often the managing director or the proprietor.

More details of the survey methodology are set out in Annex A.

2.3 Analysis and interpretation of the data

All tables and charts report weighted data but include the unweighted base. The survey results are subject to margins of error, which vary depending on the number of respondents answering each question and pattern of responses. This report presents descriptive analysis of survey findings only.

Where figures do not add to 100%, this is due to rounding or because the question allows for more than one response.

The survey observed differences in responses across size bands and sectors, for example, more comprehensive and inclusive recruitment and retention practices, and employer progression practices. These differences are available in the accompanying data tables published alongside this report, which included testing for statistical significance. Further details on the significance testing used is included alongside the published data tables.

2.4 Report structure

The remainder of this report is divided into seven further chapters which set out findings from the survey:

• Chapter 3: Health and disability at work
• Chapter 4: Older workers
• Chapter 5: Recruitment, retention, and progression of staff
• Chapter 6: Engagement with government recruitment schemes and wider employer facing policies
• Chapter 7: Pensions
• Chapter 8: Disadvantaged groups
• Chapter 9: Diversity of the workforce

3. Health and disability at work

This chapter presents findings on employer experience, attitudes and practices towards recruitment and retention of disabled employees and those with a health condition. It also covers engagement with government policies and programmes such as the fit note, Disability Confident scheme and Access to Work.

3.1 Barriers to supporting return to work, and disabled staff or staff with health conditions at work

Employers were asked what, if any, barriers they face in supporting employees on long-term sickness absences to return to work once they are well enough to do so. The most common response from employers was that they do not face any barriers, reported by nearly four in ten (38%). However, over half of employers (57%) cited barriers, with the most common including a lack of capital to invest (33%), and lack of time or staff resource (29%).

Table 3.1. Which, if any, of these barriers does your business or organisation face in supporting employees on long-term sickness absences return to work once they are well enough to do so? - multiple responses.

Barrier	Percentage
We do not face any barriers	38%
A lack of capital to invest in support	33%
Lack of time or staff resource	29%
A lack of expertise or specialist support	23%
Lack of flexibility in the way work is organised	17%
The benefits of investing in retaining an employee don’t warrant the investment	14%
Employee engagement in the process	12%
A lack of support from senior leaders	5%
Other	2%
Don’t know	5%

Base: All employers except those who have no employees on long-term sickness absence (3,228)

The survey also asked employers which, if any, barriers they face in supporting disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions at work. Four in ten employers (44%) responded by saying they don’t have disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions. Overall, almost one in five employers (19%) said they don’t face any barriers in supporting disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions.

Where employers did cite barriers the most common were a lack of capital to invest (18%), a lack of expertise or specialist support (16%), and a lack of time or staff resource (15%).

Table 3.2. Which, if any, of these barriers does your business or organisation face in supporting disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions at work? - multiple responses.

Barrier	Percentage
Don’t have disabled employees or employees with long-term health conditions	44%
We do not face any barriers	19%
A lack of capital to invest in support	18%
A lack of expertise or specialist support	16%
Lack of time or staff resource	15%
Lack of flexibility in the way work is organised	12%
The benefits of investing in retaining an employee don’t warrant the investment	8%
Employee engagement in the process	7%
A lack of support from senior leaders	3%
Nature of job roles	1%
Accessibility of building	1%
Other	1%
Don’t know	3%

Base: All employers (4,003)

3.2 Approaches to supporting disabled staff and staff with long-term health conditions

Employers were asked whether they take action to identify and address employee health and wellbeing issues at the earliest possible opportunity, or if they take action as and when employee health and wellbeing becomes a problem. Seven in ten (72%) employers take steps to identify and address employee health and wellbeing at the earliest opportunity, while one in four (25%) address it when it becomes a problem.

Employers were asked how they manage the return to work following long-term sickness absence. Around three in ten employers (27%) said they do not have employees on long-term sickness absence. Just over half of employers manage the return to work after long-term sickness absence by having regular meetings to discuss how the employee is coping (56%), offering phased return to work (55%), and altered hours (54%). However, four per cent of employers said they are taking no actions to manage the return to work after long-term sickness absence.

Table 3.3. Which of the following does your business/organisation use to manage the return to work after long-term sickness absence? – multiple responses.

Method	Percentage
Regular meetings to discuss how the employee is coping	56%
Phased return to work	55%
Altered hours	54%
Amended duties	49%
Develop return to work plans	41%
Workplace adaptations	37%
My organisation does not have employees who are on long-term sickness absence	27%
Referral to specialist treatment (for example physiotherapy, counselling)	22%
External, specialist support to manage the employees’ return	16%
None of these	4%
Other	1%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers (4,003)

Nearly nine in ten employers (87%) said they provide some form of support to prevent employee ill-health or improve health and wellbeing. The most prevalent form of support offered was health and safety training or guidance (75%), and just over half of employers (51%) provided interventions to prevent common health conditions becoming a problem. However, just over one in ten (12%) said they currently don’t provide anything.

Table 3.4. Which, if any, of the following do you currently provide to prevent employee ill-health or improve the general health and wellbeing of your workforce? – multiple responses.

Support	Percentage
Health and safety training or guidance	75%
Interventions to prevent common health conditions becoming a problem	51%
Activities to encourage a supportive culture	44%
Training for line managers on ways to improve employee health and well-being	29%
Health and wellbeing promotion programmes to improve employees’ physical activity or lifestyle	21%
An employee assistance programme (EAP) or staff welfare / counselling programmes provided by an external organisation	13%
We currently don’t provide anything	12%
Other	3%
Health insurance	1%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers (4,003)

The survey asked employers what support they give to employees who are unable to perform their usual tasks due to ill health. The vast majority of employers said they provide some form of support to employees, with very few employers (4%) saying they provide none of the options presented to them. Seven in ten employers (70%) provide reduced hours, while six in ten (63%) offer changed duties and just over half (51%) offer remote working. Access to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) was provided by seven in ten employers (70%)^{[footnote 4]}, while just over four in ten (41%) provided pay above SSP. In total, 29% of employers said that they provide access to both SSP as well as paying above SSP.

Table 3.5. Which of the following types of support do you give your employees when they are unable to perform usual tasks due to ill health? – multiple responses.

Support	Percentage
Reduced hours	70%
Access to Statutory Sick Pay	70%
Changed duties	63%
The ability to work remotely	51%
Pay above Statutory Sick Pay	41%
Access to occupational health advice	31%
None of these	4%
Other	3%
Private health insurance	1%
Flexible working	*%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers (4,003),*% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

The survey asked employers about their approach to inclusive retention. Employers were asked what they are doing to support disabled staff and staff with long-term health conditions, from a list of options. In response, just over four in ten employers (41%) said they do not employ any disabled people or people with a long-term health condition. The most common forms of support, offered by around one in four employers, was encouraging open discussions about disabilities and health conditions (24%), followed by offering workplace adjustments (23%). However, almost a quarter (24%) said they were doing none of these things.

Table 3.6. Thinking about your approach to disabled employees/ staff who have a long-term health condition, are you doing any of the following? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
We do not currently employ any disabled people or those with a long-term health condition [footnote 5]	41%
Encouraging open discussions about disabilities and health conditions	24%
None of these	24%
Offering workplace adjustments	23%
Identifying / sharing good practices for recruiting and retaining disabled people within the organisation	13%
Providing staff with specific training around disability	11%
Providing mentoring, coaching, buddying or other support networks for disabled employees	10%
Providing occupational health service or Employee Assistance lines for disability concerns or issues	9%
Identifying / sharing good practices for recruiting and retaining disabled people externally with other organisations	7%
Don’t know	2%
Prefer not to say	2%

Base: All employers (2,669)

The survey then asked employers about their approach to inclusive recruitment. Over half of employers (54%) said they were doing none of the actions presented to them related to inclusive recruitment. The most common inclusive recruitment approach employers reported doing was ensuring staff involved in the recruitment process have appropriate disability equality awareness, reported by a third of employers (34%), followed by nearly a quarter (23%) making adjustments for disabled people during the recruitment process.

Table 3.7. Thinking about your approach to recruitment, are you doing any of the following? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
None of these	54%
Ensuring staff involved in recruitment process have appropriate disability equality awareness	34%
Making adjustments for disabled people during the recruitment process, for example application form that is inclusive offering interview adjustments	23%
Offering work trials for disabled people	17%
Offering apprenticeships for disabled people	11%
Offering traineeships for disabled people	11%
Accessing support from Jobcentre Plus, Work Choice providers or local disabled people’s user led organisations (DPULOs)	9%
Offering paid internships, supported internships (or both) for disabled people	8%
Actively looking to attract and recruit disabled people	8%
Don’t know	3%
Prefer not to say	3%

Base: All employers (2,669)

3.3 Application of legal responsibilities

Employers were asked how confident they feel in applying their legal responsibilities for employees in relation to health and safety, disability and sick leave. Nine in ten employers (91%) reported they feel confident in applying their legal responsibilities, when thinking about health and safety, disability and sick leave.

Table 3.8. Thinking about health and safety, disability, and sick leave, how confident does your business feel in applying your legal responsibilities for employees? – column percentages.

Level of confidence	Percentage
Very confident	51%
Fairly confident	39%
Neither confident nor unconfident	5%
Not very confident	1%
Not confident at all	1%
Unsure what the legal responsibilities are for my business	1%
Don’t know	1%
Prefer not to say	*%

Base: All employers (4,003),*% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

Employers who said they were not confident in applying their legal responsibilities were asked the reason for this. The most common reason employers gave for not being confident was not yet having to fulfil the legal responsibilities (31%). Over half of the responses to this question related to issues with information, expertise and support (52%).

These employers were also asked what would increase their confidence in applying their legal responsibilities. The most common suggestions given were practical support and advice in applying legal responsibilities (57%), better quality of information provided (48%), better signposting to information (46%), and training for managers (32%). One in ten employers (10%) responded by saying they didn’t know what would increase their confidence. Three per cent of these employers said nothing would help them as its not relevant to their business, and four per cent said something else.

Table 3.9. Which of the following best describes the reason why you aren’t confident in applying your legal responsibilities? – column percentages.

Reason	Percentage
Have not yet had to fulfil the legal responsibilities	31%
A lack of expertise or practical support	22%
Don’t know where to find the right information	18%
The available information is not very helpful	11%
It is difficult to apply the legal responsibilities in this business	8%
Other	4%
Lack of time / other priorities	2%
Regulations change frequently	*%
Don’t know	3%

Base: Employers who are not confident applying legal responsibilities (196), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

3.4 Sickness absence and presenteeism

The survey asked a range of questions about employer approaches towards sickness absence and what, if anything, they do to prevent it. Two thirds of employers (67%) said they collect and keep sickness absence data, while just under a third (32%) said they don’t and two per cent didn’t know.

Employers were also asked about what they are doing to prevent or reduce working while ill. Over a third of employers (37%) said they have, or plan to, implement measures to prevent or reduce working while ill. Nearly six in ten (57%) said they didn’t have or plan to implement measures to prevent or reduce working while ill, and six per cent didn’t know.

Employers were also asked about the impact of presenteeism on their organisation. One in five employers (19%) said that their business productivity has been negatively impacted by people working whilst ill in the last year, while nearly four in five (78%) said it hasn’t been negatively impacted and three per cent didn’t know.

The survey asked employers what they typically do in response to a sickness absence of more than one week. The most common response to this was allocating tasks to other employees, reported by just over three in four (77%) employers.

Table 3.10. In response to a sickness absence of more than one week would you typically… - multiple responses.

Response	Percentage
Allocate tasks to other employees	77%
Delay delivery of tasks associated with the absent employee	39%
Hire temporary staff	19%
None of these	8%
Other	2%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers (4,003)

3.5 Online information relating to health and disability at work

The survey asked employers whether they have recently searched for information online in relation to managing ill-health or disability at work. Nearly a fifth (18%) of respondents said that they have searched for this information online within the last year^{[footnote 6]}.

These employers were then asked what sources of online information on managing ill-health or disability at work they have used. GOV.UK was most common source of information on managing ill-health or disability at work, reported by two in three employers (67%). Other common sources of information used by employers were information from professional bodies (41%), the ACAS website (27%), and the HSE website (24%).

Table 3.11. What sources of online information on managing ill-health or disability at work have you used? – multiple responses.

Source of online information	Percentage
GOV.UK	67%
Information from professional bodies	41%
ACAS website	27%
HSE website	24%
Information from Charities	8%
Other	6%
General internet search / online	4%
NHS website	4%
HR consultants / advisers	3%
None of these	3%
External consultants / advisers	2%
Don’t know	3%

Base: Employers who have searched online for information (947)

Employers were then asked how helpful they found the information on managing ill-health or disability at work. Most employers (88%) who had used these sources found the information they provided helpful, with only three per cent of employers saying that they found the information unhelpful and one per cent saying they didn’t know.

3.6 Occupational Health and Vocational Rehabilitation services

Employers were asked about the provision of Occupational Health (OH) services and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services for their staff. Nearly three in ten employers (28%) said that they provide OH or VR services for their staff, while two in three (65%) said they do not. The most common way employers accessed OH was to use an external provider on an ‘as required’ basis (13%).

Table 3.12. Does your business/organisation provide access to Occupational Health services or Vocational Rehabilitation services for your employees? – column percentages.

	Percentage
Not currently utilise occupational health or vocational rehabilitation resources	65%
Yes, access support from an external provider on an ‘as required’ basis	13%
Yes, use public sector bodies (for example NHS Health at Work Service)	7%
Yes, have a long-term contract with an external provider	5%
Yes, have in-house resource	3%
Don’t know	6%
NET: Do provide access to OH/VR	28%

Base: All employers (4,003)

When looking at the overall access rate of OH/VR across different size bands, the survey found that nearly three in ten (27%) small employers provide access to OH/VR, two thirds (67%) of medium employers do, and nearly nine in ten (89%) of large employers provide access to OH/VR.

Table 3.13. Does your business/organisation provide access to Occupational Health services or Vocational Rehabilitation services for your employees? - NET figure across different employer size bands

	Small employers	Medium employers	Large employers
NET: Do provide access to OH/VR	27%	67%	89%

Employers who said they provide OH or VR services for their staff were then asked how satisfied they were with the services they use. Employers were largely positive, with just over two in three employers (68%) saying that they were satisfied while only two per cent were dissatisfied. Nearly one in five employers were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (17%), just over one in ten employers (12%) responded that they didn’t know, and two percent preferred not to say.

A range of reasons were given by employers when asked why they provide OH or VR for their staff. The most common reason given for providing these services was to meet employees’ expectations (37%).

Table 3.14. What are your reasons for providing Occupational Health services or Vocational Rehabilitation services for staff? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
Meeting employee’s expectations	37%
Helping to satisfy legal obligations	29%
Maintaining or increasing productivity	29%
To provide for staff with long-term illnesses	28%
Helping recruitment or retention	26%
Duty of care / importance of staff wellbeing	15%
Maintaining reputation	13%
Helping to minimise cost	9%
Other	9%
Don’t know	5%

Base: Employers who provide access to OH/VR service (1,606)

Employers who said that they do not offer OH or VR for their staff were asked what has prevented them from providing these services. Over half of these employers (53%) said that there is no demand for these services in their organisation. Similarly, another common reason for not providing OH or VR was a lack of cases (27%), and six per cent said that there is no need as their organisation is too small.

Table 3.15. What has prevented your organisation from providing Occupational Health services or Vocational Rehabilitation services for staff? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
There is no demand for these services within my organisation	53%
Lack of cases	27%
Cannot afford cost of providing services	11%
No need - organisation is too small	6%
Prefer informal approach	6%
Hard to determine value for money	3%
Other	3%
Lack of understanding of OH	2%
It is beyond my remit as an employer	2%
Don’t know	3%
Prefer not to say	*%

Base: Employers who do not provide access to OH/VR services (2,171), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

In addition to OH and VR services, the survey also asked employers about their provision of group protection insurance (GPI). Less than one in five employers (18%) said they provide GPI, with five per cent saying they didn’t know if they do and one per cent preferring not to say. Employers who do not provide any form of GPI were asked the reasons why they do not provide this for their employees. Unaffordability (29%) and lack of cases (28%) were the main reasons given by employers for why they don’t provide GPI.

Table 3.16. What are your reasons for not providing group protection insurance for your employees? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
Cannot afford cost of providing services	29%
Lack of cases	28%
Not suitable due to size of the business	13%
It is beyond my remit as an employer	8%
Prefer informal approach	7%
Don’t know enough about it	6%
Hard to determine value for money	6%
Other	5%
Lack of understanding of OH	4%
Offer other benefits	3%
Not relevant to business	2%
Prefer not to say	1%
Don’t know	10%

Base: Employers who do not provide Group Protection Insurance (2,852)

3.7 Mental health at work

To gain a better understanding of employer attitudes towards mental health, employers were asked whether workplaces should provide mental health support for their employees. Nearly three in four employers (73%) thought that workplaces should provide mental health support for their employees, while 13 per cent said they do not think workplaces should provide this, and 14 per cent said they don’t know.

Employers were also asked whether they assess and monitor mental health at work. Overall, a third of employers (33%) said that they have systems in place for assessing and monitoring the mental wellbeing of employees, while almost two thirds (64%) said they do not, and three per cent said they don’t know.

Employers were also asked how they support employees with a mental health condition. Workplace adjustments were the most common type of support offered to employees with a mental health condition, mentioned by almost half of employers (47%). Just over six in ten (61%) of employers said they provide one or more types of support for employees with a mental health condition. However, when asked what they offer to employees with a mental health condition over a third of all employers (35%) said they don’t provide anything for employees with a mental health condition.

Table 3.17. Which, if any of the below, do you offer to employees with a mental health condition? – multiple responses.

Support	Percentage
Workplace adjustments (for example to workload, working pattern)	47%
We don’t provide anything	35%
Signposting to external support services	30%
Access to occupational health services	18%
Tailored mental health interventions in the workplace	17%
An employee assistance programme (EAP), or staff welfare / counselling programme provided by an external organisation	16%
Provide informal support	4%
Prefer not to say	1%
Other	1%
Don’t know	2%

Base: All employers (2,669)

Employers who said they offer support to employees with mental health conditions were asked whether they had seen an increase in the take up of that support over the last 12 months. Almost eight in ten employers (79%) hadn’t seen an increase in take up of the support they offer, while less than two in ten (14%) said they had seen an increase.

Table 3.18. Over the last 12 months, have you seen an increase in take up of the support that you offer to employees with a mental health condition? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
No	79%
Yes - because more employees are coming forward to take up the offer	8%
Yes - because we’re providing more support	6%
Yes - because more employees are becoming eligible	4%
We don’t provide any interventions	5%
Don’t know	2%

Base: All employers who offer employees with mental health conditions support (1,900)

3.8 Fit note

Employers were asked if they had heard of the fit note. Seven in ten employers (71%) responded that they are aware of the fit note, while nearly three in ten hadn’t heard of the fit note (28%), and one per cent didn’t know.

Less than one in ten employers (7%) had been presented with a fit note from an employee where their doctor had stated that they ‘may be fit for work’ and provided advice on adjustments that might be needed to accommodate them (in the last 12 months). Of these employers, nearly half (45%) found the suggested adjustments helpful, while just under three in ten found them unhelpful (27%).

The most common reason why employers found the suggested adjustment helpful was that it is clear what the employee can/can’t do (18%). The most common reasons employers felt the suggested adjustment unhelpful was that they lack clarity/specificity (47%), and medical professionals lack the full understanding of job role / industry (39%).

Table 3.19. Why have you found the adjustments suggested on these Fit Notes helpful? – multiple responses. ^{[footnote 7]}

Reason	Percentage
Clear what employee(s) can / can’t do	18%
Other	15%
Enables employee(s) to return to work	13%
Adjustments were clear	13%
Prefer not to say	13%
Adjustments have been easy to implement	10%
Specific to employee(s)	9%
Assessment is independent / trustworthy	8%
Additional guidance was required / didn’t have in-house expertise	3%
Don’t know	13%

Base: Employers who found adjustments on fit note helpful (180)

Table 3.20. Why have you found the adjustments suggested on these Fit Notes unhelpful? – multiple responses. ^{[footnote 8]}

Reason	Percentage
Adjustments lack clarity / specificity	47%
Medical professionals lack full understanding of job role / industry	39%
Other	10%
Prefer not to say	8%
Fit Notes given out too easily	6%
Employee(s) not engaging with the process	1%
Don’t know	*%

Base: Employers who found adjustments on fit note unhelpful (142), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

3.9 Disability Confident

More than four in five (85%) employers said they have not heard of the Disability Confident scheme, with just over one in ten (14%) reporting that they had. Of those aware of the scheme, around one in ten (11%) reported they were a member. Of those aware of the scheme but not a member, the most common reason for not joining the scheme was that they have other priorities, mentioned by nearly three in ten (28%).

Table 3.21. For what reasons have you not joined the Disability Confident scheme? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
Have other priorities	28%
Don’t have the resources	24%
Unsure how to apply	18%
Not suitable due to the size of the business	16%
Don’t think it is worth it	11%
Do not have any employees with disabilities	8%
Not needed (unspecified)	7%
Work not suitable for people with disabilities	6%
Not looking to hire anyone else / expand the business	3%
Other	5%
Don’t know	6%

Base: Employers who are aware of Disability Confident but not a member of the scheme (297)

3.10 Access to Work

Employers were asked if they were aware that the DWP can provide employers with support through the Access to Work scheme. Seven in ten (71%) employers were not aware of the support provided through the Access to Work scheme, while just over a quarter (26%) said they were aware, and two per cent said they didn’t know.

Of those aware of Access to Work, one in ten (10%) employers reported their organisation, or one of their employees, had received support through the scheme, while nearly nine in ten (87%) said they had not, and three per cent said they didn’t know. Of employers who were aware of Access to Work but hadn’t received support through it, the main reason they hadn’t received support was because they have no disabled employees (86%), followed by another ten per cent saying it’s not required.

Table 3.22. What are the main reasons you haven’t had (Access to Work) support? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
No disabled employees	86%
Not required (unspecified)	10%
Don’t have the resources	6%
Other	3%
Don’t know	3%

Base: Employers who are aware of Access to Work but not had support through it (600)

4. Older workers

This chapter presents findings on flexible working arrangements offered by employers and their attitudes towards older workers (those aged over 50 years).

4.1 Flexible working arrangements

The survey asked employers which flexible working policies they offer to staff approaching or considering retirement. Nearly two thirds of employers said they would offer the opportunity to gradually reduce working hours (64%), with an additional 17 per cent of employers saying they would offer this on a case-by-case basis.

Table 4.1. So, which, if any, of the following do you offer to employees approaching or considering retirement? – row percentages.

	Yes	Would offer on a case-by-case basis	No	Don’t know
Opportunity to take a long break, such as a few months off, but then having the chance to come back to their job	26%	22%	46%	6%
Opportunity to retrain for a new role	28%	18%	49%	5%
Opportunity to take on a less demanding role	45%	19%	33%	3%
Opportunity to gradually reduce working hours	64%	17%	18%	2%
Opportunity for family or caring leave	55%	20%	20%	4%
Working from home	46%	11%	41%	2%
Flexitime	60%	14%	25%	2%

Base: All employers who employ anyone over the age of 50 (2,181)

The survey also asked employers which flexible working arrangements they offer for staff regardless of age. The most common flexible working policy offered for staff regardless of age was the opportunity for family or caring leave (62%), with an additional one in five (19%) saying they would offer this on a case-by-case basis.

Table 4.2. Which, if any of the following, do you offer employees in general, regardless of their age? – row percentages.

	Yes	Would offer on a case-by-case basis	No	Don’t Know
Opportunity to take a long break, such as a few months off, but then having the chance to come back	30%	20%	47%	4%
Opportunity to retrain for a new role	44%	16%	37%	4%
Opportunity to take on a less demanding role	45%	18%	34%	4%
Opportunity to gradually reduce working hours	56%	17%	25%	3%
Opportunity for family or caring leave	62%	19%	16%	4%
Working from home	44%	9%	44%	2%
Flexitime	61%	12%	24%	3%

Base: All employers (2,667)

When employers who don’t offer flexible working arrangements for staff approaching or considering retirement were asked what is preventing them from offering flexible working policies, a third (33%) said that flexible policies are managed by line managers on a case-by-case basis. One in five employers (20%) responded to this by saying there are no benefits to their business in offering flexible working policies.

Table 4.3. Is there anything in particular stopping you from having any of these policies in place to support later life working? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
It is managed by line manager on a case-by-case basis	33%
There are not any benefits to our business	20%
Employees do not want to work longer	12%
Too costly	12%
We are concerned about the ability of older employees to continue working	11%
No barriers	9%
Type of job roles / work involved	8%
Size of business	5%
Other	5%
No older employees	4%
Don’t know	11%

Base: All employers who don’t offer any flexible working arrangements to employees approaching or considering retirement (345)

4.2 Attitudes towards older workers

The survey asked employers who employ workers aged over 50 about the benefits and challenges of having these staff in their organisation. The most common perceived benefit of staff over 50 was their experience (80%), followed by reliability (55%), and loyalty to the company (39%). One in twenty of these employers (6%) said there are no particular benefits of having older workers in their organisation.

Employers reported a range of challenges to having employees aged over 50, although more than four in ten reported no challenges (43%). The most common challenges reported were that staff might retire soon (20%), difficulty with the physical aspects (20%), and health-related absences (19%).

Table 4.4. What do you perceive to be the main benefits of having workers aged over 50 in your organisation? – multiple responses.

Benefit	Percentage
Experience	80%
Reliability	55%
Loyalty to company	39%
Good job specific skills	36%
Punctuality	33%
Good customer service skills	32%
Good communication skills	29%
Motivation / self-motivation	28%
Mentor / provide on the job training to new workers	27%
Tend to be more even-tempered	25%
Productivity	22%
Ability to cope with stress	22%
No particular benefits	6%
Other	5%
More diverse / balanced workforce	*%
Don’t know	2%

Base: All employers who employ anyone over the age of 50 (2,181)

Table 4.5. What do you perceive to be the main challenges of having workers aged over 50 in your organisation? – multiple responses.

Challenge	Percentage
No particular challenges	43%
Might retire soon / succession planning problems	20%
Difficulty with physical aspects	20%
Health-related absence	19%
Stuck in their ways	18%
Slow to learn new skills / tasks	15%
Out of date skills and qualifications	9%
Accommodating flexible working requests	5%
Accommodating caring responsibilities	5%
Difficulty with cognitive aspects	4%
Productivity	4%
More difficult to manage older workers	3%
Motivation	2%
Other	1%
Don’t know	2%

Base: All employers who employ anyone over the age of 50 (2,181)

5. Recruitment, retention, and progression of staff

This chapter presents findings on employer approaches towards the recruitment of staff including engagement with government schemes, along with their expectations around future recruitment activity. This chapter also covers barriers to retention of staff and employee progression.

5.1 Recruitment of staff

Employers were asked if they had recruited or tried to recruit in the last 12 months. Around half (49%) of employers hadn’t recruited or tried to recruit in the last 12 months, while four in ten (42%) had recruited staff. A further one in ten (9%) employers had tried to recruit but had not managed to take on new staff.

Table 5.1. Has your organisation recruited or tried to recruit staff in the last 12 months? – column percentages.

	Percentage
No	49%
Yes - we have recruited	42%
Yes - we have tried to recruit but have not managed to take on new staff	9%
Don’t know	0%

Base: All employers (2,666)

The survey asked employers who had tried unsuccessfully to recruit on at least one occasion in the last year the reasons why they had not been able to find a suitable candidate. Six in ten (62%) of employers who had tried to recruit in the last 12 months stated they had been unsuccessful on at least one occasion. Low number of applications, either with the required skills (58%) or more generally (56%), and a lack of interest in the kind of work on offer (49%) were the most common reasons given by employers. Almost half of employers (48%) who had tried unsuccessfully to recruit also cited a low number of applicants with the required attitude, motivation or personality as a reason.

Table 5.2. What are the main reasons you have not been able to find a suitable candidate? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
Low number of applicants with the required skills	58%
Low number of applicants generally	56%
Not enough people interested in doing this kind of job	49%
Low number of applicants with the required attitude, motivation or personality	48%
Lack of work experience the company demands	35%
Too much competition from other employers	29%
Lack of qualifications the company demands	23%
Job entails shift work / unsociable hours	16%
Remote location / poor public transport	12%
Poor terms and conditions (for example, pay) offered for post	11%
Poor career progression / lack of prospects	8%
Seasonal work	6%
Other	5%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers who said there were times where they tried to recruit but were unable to (1,158)

The survey also asked employers what the main barriers to recruitment were, employers were not provided with response options to choose from for this question and a wide range of barriers were cited. Low number of applicants with the required skills was the most common response, with one in five (19%) stating this. Just over one in ten (11%) respondents mentioned a low number of applicants in general, and nearly one in ten (9%) cited a low number of applicants with required attitude, motivation or personality. Further, nearly one in ten (8%) could not afford additional staff. However, over one in ten employers (13%) didn’t know what the main barriers to recruitment were. Nearly one in ten (9%) employers responded to this by saying they were not looking to recruit new staff.

Table 5.3. What are the main barriers to recruitment for your business/organisation? – multiple responses. ^{[footnote 9]}

Barrier	Percentage
Low number of applicants with the required skills	19%
There are no barriers to recruitment	12%
Low number of applicants generally	11%
We are not looking to recruit new staff	9%
Low number of applicants with the required attitude, motivation or personality	9%
Rising costs / cannot afford to recruit additional staff	8%
Lack of qualifications the company demands	6%
Lack of work experience the company demands	6%
Poor terms and conditions, for example, pay, flexible working	6%
Other	6%
Location of the business / organisation	5%
Too much competition from other employers	4%
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic	3%
Job entails shift work/unsociable hours	2%
Problems with recruitment channels (for example, cost of advertising)	2%
Impact of Brexit (for example, fewer EU applicants)	1%
Education system focus on academia, rather than industry	1%
Prefer not to say	2%
Don’t know	13%

Base: All employers (2,665)

Of the employers who had either recruited or tried to recruit in the last 12 months, over one in ten (14%) had recruited or tried to recruit new staff using Jobcentre Plus, and nearly one in five (18%) employers had recruited someone who is a benefit claimant. However, fifteen per cent of employers didn’t know if they had recruited a benefit claimant in the last 12 months. Employers who had recruited benefit claimants were asked how well prepared they have been for work, with three in four (75%) saying they had been well prepared.

Table 5.4. You said you have recruited benefit claimants in the last 12 months. How well prepared for work have they been? – column percentages.

	Percentage
Very well prepared	22%
Well prepared	52%
Poorly prepared	13%
Very poorly prepared	7%
Don’t know	4%
Prefer not to say	1%

Base: All employers who had recruited a benefit claimant in last 12 months (278)

Employers were asked if they expected their organisation’s approach to recruitment to change over the next five years. Three in ten employers (30%) expected their approach to change, while a little over half (56%) did not. Of those employers who did expect their recruitment approach to change, the survey asked them in what ways. Over half of employers (55%) expected to use online platforms more, while around one in three (35%) expected to use more video or online interviews to recruit.

Table 5.5. In what ways would you expect your organisation’s approach to recruitment to change over the next five years? – row percentages.

	Use less	Use the same amount	Use more	Not use at all	Don’t know
Using online platforms to recruit	4%	25%	55%	13%	4%
Using recruitment agencies to recruit	14%	17%	20%	44%	5%
Using video or online interviews to recruit	9%	15%	35%	35%	7%
Using online tests to recruit	8%	12%	24%	49%	7%
Recruiting through educational establishments	5%	19%	45%	24%	7%
Using automated recruitment solutions such as artificial intelligence	8%	6%	11%	59%	14%
Using job fairs to recruit	8%	13%	21%	50%	8%
Using the Jobcentre network to recruit	8%	18%	27%	36%	11%

Base: All employers who expect their approach to recruitment to change in next five years (819)

5.2 Retention of staff

The survey asked employers if they have had problems retaining staff over the last year. A large majority (85%) of employers said they hadn’t had problems, while around one in ten (14%) of employers said they had, and one per cent didn’t know. Employers who reported having problems retaining staff in the last year were asked what the main barriers to retention were. A wide range of barriers were reported, with the most common barrier being poor terms and conditions, reported by almost one in four of these employers (23%). One in twenty employers (5%) didn’t know what the main barriers were.

Table 5.6. What are the main barriers to retention for your business or organisation? – multiple responses.

Barrier	Percentage
Poor terms and conditions (for example, pay)	23%
Competition from other businesses / organisations	16%
Poor career progression / lack of prospects	16%
Job entails shift work / unsociable hours	16%
Jobs do not cater for flexible working	10%
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic	10%
Remote location / poor public transport	9%
Staff not suitable (inc. lack of motivation, rather claim benefits)	7%
Jobs offer limited or uncertain hours (for example, zero hour contracts)	6%
Lack of training	5%
Jobs are temporary or seasonal	5%
Nature of job role	4%
Other	14%
None of these	1%
Prefer not to say	2%
Don’t know	5%

Base: All employers who have had problems retaining staff (548)

Employers were also asked what additional support or guidance might help them retain staff. The most common response to this, mentioned by around two in three employers (65%), was that no additional support or guidance would help. A wide range of forms of support and guidance were cited, but each of these only by a small percentage of employers, with the most common being support with training (7%).

Table 5.7. What additional support or guidance would help you retain staff? – multiple responses. ^{[footnote 10]}

Support or guidance	Percentage
Nothing - no additional support or guidance	65%
Support with training	7%
Financial support with wages / NI / tax	5%
Funding (unspecified)	3%
Employee loyalty schemes	1%
Finding and encouraging staff with the right work ethic	1%
Improving working conditions	1%
Assistance in improving profile of industry	1%
Make work more beneficial / ensure people don’t rely on benefits	1%
Prefer not to say	1%
Support to sponsor overseas employees	*%
Improve links between educational establishments and employers	*%
Improvements in local transport (for example more buses, cheaper)	*%
Other	6%
Don’t know	13%

Base: All employers (2,666), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

5.3 Employee progression

Nearly seven in ten (68%) employers said they monitor the earnings progression of their employees. However, when asked whether there is a transparent progression pathway to ensuring entry level jobs are a stepping-stone to higher paid work, four in ten (40%) employers said they had this in their company, while over half (54%) said they don’t have this, and six per cent didn’t know.

On the topic of employee progression at work, the survey asked employers what is available for all members of their staff. Flexible working (63%), supporting professional development (57%), and mentoring (44%) were all commonly mentioned by employers.

Table 5.8. Do you have the following for all members of staff…– multiple responses.

	Percentages
Flexible working	63%
Supporting professional development	57%
Mentoring	44%
Individualised progression and learning plans	36%
Shadowing and work experience	34%
Appraisals	1%
Other	4%
None of the above	2%
Don’t know	15%

Base: All employers (2,666)

The survey asked employers about the learning opportunities offered to their staff. Around three in four (77%) employers said they encourage employees to upskill/undertake learning activities (for example, time to access training courses), while one in five (20%) said they don’t, and two per cent didn’t know. Around two in three employers (65%) said they provide training courses for their staff, while one in three (33%) said they don’t, and two per cent said they didn’t know.

Employers were asked whether they have any HR or senior leadership-level responsibility for embedding progression of staff into working practice. If their organisation does not have a HR department (particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises), employers were alternatively asked whether someone at their organisation has formal responsibility for considering staff progression in their working practices. Nearly half of employers (48%) said they had some form of formal responsibility for embedding progression of staff into working practice, while slightly more (49%) said they don’t, and three per cent didn’t know.

Employers were asked what additional support or guidance, if any, would help them progress staff. Possible funding pots that employers can draw on to support training and progression was mentioned most frequently, by just over half of employers (53%). However, a third (33%) said that no additional support or guidance would help them progress staff.

Table 5.9. What additional support or guidance, if any, would help you progress staff? – multiple responses.

Support or guidance	Percentage
Possible funding pots that employers can draw on to support training and progression	53%
None	33%
Clear signposting to advice and guidance support	31%
Link person within Jobcentre Plus that employers can approach	25%
Advice on how to offer career conversations and development discussions	24%
Other	2%
Don’t know	5%

Base: All employers (2,666)

6. Engagement with government employment schemes and wider engagement with DWP

This chapter presents findings on employer engagement with government employment schemes, such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), Jobcentre Plus (JCP) / DWP Work Trial Programme, Traineeships, and Apprenticeships. The chapter also includes findings on employer’s wider engagement with DWP and Jobcentre Plus.

6.1 Contact with DWP

Employers were asked whether they had made contact or obtained information from the DWP in the last 12 months about a range of issues. Over seven in ten employers (72%) had not made any contact with DWP in the last year. Nearly one in ten employers engaged with DWP about the Kickstart Scheme (9%), workplace pensions (9%), and apprenticeships (9%).

Table 6.1. In the last 12 months, have you made contact or obtained information from the Department for Work and Pensions about any of the following issues? – multiple responses.

Issue	Percentage
Kickstart Scheme	9%
Workplace pensions	9%
Apprenticeships	9%
Work experience	3%
Advertising a job through DWP online services	2%
Universal Credit	2%
Traineeships	2%
Access to Work	2%
Disability Confident	2%
Redundancy Support	1%
Child maintenance	1%
Reasonable Adjustments	1%
Inclusive recruitment support	1%
Mentoring Circles	1%
Positive Action	1%
DWP Work trial programme	1%
Sector based work academies programme (SWAPs)	*%
Other	1%
None of the above - no contact with DWP	72%
Don’t know	2%

Base: All employers (2,666), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

6.2 Satisfaction with contact with DWP

Employers who had contacted DWP in the last 12 months were asked on a scale of one to ten (where one is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied) how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with the way their query was dealt with on the most recent occasion. Just over four in ten employers (44%) were satisfied, while around one in ten (13%) said they were dissatisfied. Around a third of employers (32%) where neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the way their query had been dealt with.

Table 6.2. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your query was dealt with by DWP on this most recent occasion? – column percentages.

Satisfaction	Percentage
1 - Extremely dissatisfied	8%
2	2%
3	3%
4	2%
5	13%
6	6%
7	11%
8	19%
9	8%
10 - Extremely satisfied	17%
Don’t know	11%

Base: All employers who made any contact with DWP in the last 12 months (860)

Employers who said they were satisfied with the way their query had been dealt with by DWP (scoring between 8-10) were then asked why they provided this score. A third (34%) of these employers said that this was because they received the information required / queries were answered. A range of reasons were given by employers who were dissatisfied with the way their query had been dealt with (scoring between 1-3), most commonly being not receiving a response (16%) followed by not receiving the information required (15%)^{[footnote 11]}.

Table 6.3. Why did you provide this score for your satisfaction with the way your query was dealt with? – multiple responses (Positive responses only). ^{[footnote 12]}

Reason	Percentage
Received information required / queries were answered	34%
Query was dealt with quickly	19%
Happy with service	17%
Staff were professional	12%
Information was clear / easy to understand	6%
Website was helpful / easy to use	3%
Good communication	2%
Other	6%
Prefer not to say	6%
Don’t know	7%

Base: All employers who were satisfied with most recent contact (391)

Table 6.4. Why did you provide this score for your satisfaction with the way your query was dealt with? – multiple responses (Negative responses only). ^{[footnote 13]}

Reason	Percentage
Never received a response	16%
Didn’t receive information required	15%
Application was rejected	13%
Staff were unprofessional	10%
Took too long to receive a response	10%
Difficult to contact	10%
Poor communication	4%
Information lacked clarity	4%
Poor candidates	2%
Website / online systems too complicated	2%
Other	20%
Don’t know	7%
Prefer not to say	10%

Base: All employers who were dissatisfied with most recent contact (96)^{[footnote 14]}.

6.3 Engagement with DWP employment schemes

Employers were asked whether, in the last 12 months, they had engaged with a range of DWP schemes, including: provided a period of work experience to an individual who was unemployed; tested how well an individual would fit into their workplace through a Work Trial; received a payment or subsidy for recruiting an 18-24 year old who had previously been unemployed; worked on designing pre-employment training for individuals who are unemployed but looking to enter work in their sector; received a payment or subsidy for recruiting a young disabled person with complex support needs. Less than one in ten employers said they had used each of these schemes, with a large majority (84%) saying they had used none of these.

Table 6.5. In the past 12 months, have you through the DWP or JCP…? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
Provided a period of work experience to an individual who was unemployed?	7%
‘Tested’ how well an individual would fit into your workplace through a Work Trial?	7%
Received a payment or subsidy for recruiting an 18–24-year-old who had previously been unemployed?	6%
Worked on designing pre-employment training for individuals who are unemployed but looking to enter work in your sector?	2%
Received a payment or subsidy for recruiting a young disabled person with complex support needs	*%
None of these	84%
Don’t know	1%

Base: All employers (2,666), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

The survey asked employers if they currently employ anybody through any government schemes. Just over one in ten (12%) employers said they do, while nearly nine in ten (88%) said they don’t. Employers who said they don’t employ anybody through any government schemes were asked why. After not looking to recruit any new staff (38%), the most common reasons for not employing anyone through government schemes was being unaware of these schemes (13%), followed by just over one in ten (11%) not knowing enough about the schemes.

Table 6.6. Why have you not employed anyone through any Government schemes? – multiple responses.

Reason	Percentage
No need / we’re not currently looking for new staff	38%
I am not aware of any Government schemes	13%
I do not know enough about the Government schemes	11%
Prefer to recruit experienced staff through other routes	7%
Increased poor quality job applications	6%
Not suitable for business / job roles	4%
Increase in admin costs	4%
Bad experience in the past	2%
Don’t qualify for Government schemes	2%
Increase in token job applications	2%
Prefer not to say	2%
Low number of applicants	1%
Increase in extra hours requests	*%
Increase in the volume of payslip queries	*%
Other	6%
Don’t know	8%

Base: All employers who do not employ anybody on Government scheme (2,168), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

The survey asked employers if they were aware of a range of government employment schemes, whether they had recruited through these schemes, and how job ready candidates had been^{[footnote 15]}. These schemes include Sector-based Work Academy Programmes; JCP / DWP Work trial programmes; Traineeships; and Apprenticeships. A large majority of employers had heard of Apprenticeships (89%), and just over a third (36%) had heard of Traineeships, while fewer had heard of work trials (15%) or Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (6%). Almost a quarter of employers aware of Apprenticeships had recruited through them (24%), while less than one in ten employers who had heard of each of the other schemes had recruited through them.

Table 6.7. Before today, had you heard of the following? – row percentages.

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs)	6%	93%	2%
JCP / DWP Work trial programme	15%	82%	2%
Traineeships	36%	61%	3%
Apprenticeships	89%	10%	1%

Base: All employers (2,666)

Table 6.8. Have you recruited through any of the following? – row percentages.

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs)	2%	98%	1%
JCP / DWP Work trial programme	7%	92%	1%
Traineeships	5%	95%	1%
Apprenticeships	24%	76%	1%

Base: All employers who had heard of Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (156); JCP / DWP Work trial programmes (487); Traineeships (1,022); and Apprenticeships (2,414).

Employers who had heard of the schemes were asked how likely they were to engage with these in the next 12 months^{[footnote 16]}. The majority of employers said they were unlikely to engage in these schemes, with the most likely being Apprenticeships (19%).

Table 6.9. How likely are you to make use of the following in the next 12 months on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very unlikely and 5 is very likely? – multiple responses.

	Likely	Neither likely nor unlikely	Unlikely	Don’t know
Sector-based Work Academy Programmes	7%	14%	71%	8%
JCP / DWP Work trial programme	9%	14%	68%	9%
Traineeships	10%	14%	69%	8%
Apprenticeships	19%	14%	61%	6%

Base: All employers who had heard of Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (156); JCP / DWP Work trial programmes (487); Traineeships (1,022); and Apprenticeships (2,414).

7. Pensions

This chapter presents findings on pension schemes offered at workplaces, automatic enrolment of certain groups, pension provider selection and switching, and guidance and information provided to staff.

7.1 Pension schemes and automatic enrolment

Under the Pensions Act 2008 every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a workplace pension scheme and contribute toward it. This is called automatic enrolment. The survey asked employers whether, in the last year, they had automatically enrolled employees who fall outside of the automatic enrolment legislation criteria. These employees are those aged 18-21 years, earning less than £10,000 a year, and aged above State Pension Age.

Most employers had not automatically enrolled workers in these groups: 15 per cent of employers had automatically enrolled staff aged 18-21, 13 per cent of employers had automatically enrolled staff earning less than £10,000 a year, and 7 per cent of employers had automatically enrolled workers aged above State Pension Age.

Table 7.1. In the last financial year, have you automatically enrolled workers in any of the following categories into this scheme: – multiple responses.

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Those aged 18-21	15%	78%	7%
Those earning under £10,000 a year / £830 a month / £195 a week	13%	78%	9%
Those aged above State Pension Age	7%	85%	8%

Base: All employers (2,667)

Employers were asked what type of pension scheme they offer to new employees. Four in ten (42%) employers offered a Defined Contribution pension scheme (money purchase scheme) to new employees, while very few (4%) offered a Defined Benefit pension scheme. Around one in five (18%) employers said they do not offer any pension scheme to new employees^{[footnote 17]} and three in ten (30%) didn’t know. For employers who reported offering a pension scheme, 87% offered a Defined Contribution scheme.

Table 7.2. What type of pension scheme do you offer to new employees? – column percentages.

Type of scheme	Percentage
Defined Contribution (money purchase scheme)	42%
Defined Benefit	4%
Other	2%
No pension scheme	18%
Don’t know	30%
Prefer not to say	4%

Base: All employers (2,667)

7.2 Pension providers

The survey asked employers what factors they take into consideration when choosing a pension provider for their employees. Employers mentioned a range of factors, most commonly, the ease or convenience of the provider or scheme(s) (48%), advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (44%), the fees or costs on the employer (36%), and the value for members/employees of the provider or scheme(s) (36%). However, nearly one in five (18%) didn’t know.

Among employers who offer a Defined Contribution pension scheme, the most important factors remained the same, with the most common being the ease or convenience of the provider or scheme, mentioned by nearly two in three (64%).

Table 7.3. What factors did you take into consideration when you chose a pension provider and scheme for your employees? – multiple responses.

	All employers	Employers who offer defined contributions
The ease or convenience of the provider or scheme(s)	48%	64%
Advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (more formal advice)	44%	51%
The fees or costs on you (the employer)	36%	49%
The value for members / your employees of the provider or scheme(s)	36%	49%
The value for money of the provider or scheme(s) for you	33%	45%
The fees or costs on your employees	31%	42%
The governance of the scheme(s)	31%	44%
The investment outcomes of the scheme(s)	22%	31%
A previous relationship with the provider	12%	15%
Advice from friends or families (less formal advice)	9%	10%
Not applicable, for example, self-employed / family business	6%	*%
Other	2%	2%
Don’t know	18%	7%

Base: All employers (2,667) and employers who offer defined contributions (1,121)

Employers were also asked whether they have ever switched or thought about switching from their pension provider. Nearly one in ten (9%) employers said that they had switched or thought about switching. Over three in four (77%) employers said they hadn’t, with nearly half of employers (37%) saying they wouldn’t know how to.

When looking only at those employers who offer defined contributions, a little over one in ten (11%) said that they had switched or thought about switching. A large majority (85%) of employers who offer defined contributions said they hadn’t switched, with just over a third of employers who offer defined contributions (35%) saying they wouldn’t know how to switch providers.

Table 7.4. Have you ever switched or thought about switching from your pension provider? – column percentages.

	All employers	Employers who offer defined contributions
Yes - I have switched provider once	4%	5%
Yes - I have switched provider more than once	1%	1%
Yes - I have thought about switching but not done it	4%	5%
No - I have not switched (but would know how to if I wanted)	39%	50%
No - I have not switched and wouldn’t know how to switch providers	37%	35%
Don’t know	15%	3%

Base: All employers (2,667) and employers who offer defined contributions (1,121)

Employers who had switched pension provider were asked what factors contributed to their decision to switch. Employers cited a range of reasons, the most common were advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (36%), value for members/employees (35%), value for money for the employer (33%), and the fees or costs on the employer (31%).

When looking only at those employers who offer defined contributions, the most commonly cited factor was the value for members / their employees of the provider scheme, cited by over a third (36%)^{[footnote 18]}.

Table 7.5. What factors contributed to this decision to switch? – multiple responses.

	All employers	Employers who offer defined contributions
Advice from a professional body, colleagues or fellow employers (more formal advice)	36%	34%
The value for members / your employees of the provider or scheme(s)	35%	36%
The value for money of the provider or scheme(s) for you	33%	32%
The fees or costs on you (the employer)	31%	30%
The ease or convenience of the provider or scheme(s)	26%	30%
The investment outcomes of the scheme(s)	25%	23%
The fees or costs on your employees	25%	33%
The governance of the scheme(s)	21%	28%
Advice from friends or families (less formal advice)	9%	4%
A previous relationship with the provider	7%	3%
Previous provider could / would no longer provide our pensions	4%	5%
Poor service from previous provider	2%	1%
Previous pension provider was taken over	2%	0%
Other	3%	3%
Don’t know	5%	3%

Base: All employers who have switched pension provider (183) and Employers who offer defined contributions (68)

7.3 Information and guidance for employees

Employers were asked what information or guidance they provide for their employees on State Pension entitlement, workplace pensions / Automatic-Enrolment, and retirement income planning. A majority (68%) of employers said they provide their employees with information or guidance on workplace pensions / Automatic-Enrolment. Around a third (35%) of employers said they provide information and guidance on State Pension entitlement, while fewer (15%) said they provide information or guidance on retirement income planning for their staff.

Table 7.6. Do you provide information or guidance for employees on any of the following – row percentages.

	Yes	No	Don’t know
State Pension entitlement	35%	59%	6%
Workplace pensions / Automatic-Enrolment	68%	28%	5%
Retirement income planning	15%	78%	7%

Base: All employers (2,667)

Employers who said they do provide information or guidance for their employees were then asked in what ways they have offered this advice to their staff. The most common was by email (40%), followed by referrals to external organisations (28%), and courses or workshops (17%). Just over a quarter (27%) of employers didn’t know how this information is provided to their employees.

Table 7.7. Have you offered this information or guidance to your employees in any of the following ways? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
Email	40%
Referrals to external organisations	28%
Courses or workshops	17%
Word of mouth	11%
Hard / paper copy	5%
Mid-life MOT	4%
No information or guidance offered	2%
Other	1%
Don’t know	27%

Base: All employers who offered advice on State Pension entitlement, Workplace pensions / Auto-Enrolment, or Retirement income planning (2,068)

8. Disadvantaged groups

This chapter presents findings on employers’ views around employing people from specified groups who may be disadvantaged in the labour market. For the purposes of this survey, the term “disadvantaged groups” was used and included individuals who are homeless, prison leavers, people with drug and/or alcohol issues, and care leavers. We also know that veterans may experience additional challenges, so the survey included this group as well.

8.1 Recruitment of disadvantaged groups

The survey asked employers whether they interview, employ and receive applications from people in the specified groups. Around a quarter (24%) of employers said they interview people from these groups, while just over one in five (21%) said they employ people from these groups, and slightly less than this (17%) received applications from people in these groups. Three in five (61%) employers responded by saying none of the options applied for disadvantaged groups in their organisation.

Table 8.1. In your organisation currently, which of the following applies for disadvantaged groups? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
We interview people from disadvantaged groups	24%
We employ people from disadvantaged groups	21%
We receive applications from disadvantaged groups	17%
Don’t know	7%
None of these	61%

Base: All employers (2,666)

Employers were asked how many other businesses comparable to theirs they think are already helping people from these disadvantaged groups find job opportunities. In response, nearly two in five (38%) employers said they don’t know. Around three in ten (27%) thought there were very few other businesses, while two in ten (20%) thought there were some. Less than one in twenty (4%) employers thought that most comparable businesses were helping people from disadvantaged groups, while around twice as many (10%) thought there were none. Only one per cent said that they thought all other businesses comparable to theirs are already helping people from disadvantaged groups find job opportunities.

Table 8.2. How many other businesses comparable to yours do you think are already helping people from disadvantaged groups find job opportunities? – column percentages.

	Percentage
None	10%
Very few	27%
Some	20%
Most	4%
All	1%
Don’t know	38%

Base: All employers (2,666)

Employers who said they do not currently employ people from the specified disadvantaged groups were asked what would help or encourage them to, from a list of possible options. Around three in ten employers mentioned a financial subsidy (34%), information on how to reach / engage with people from these groups (31%), and a better understanding of the ‘benefits’ of employing people from these groups (30%). Another third (32%) of employers said that none of the options presented to them would help or encourage them to consider employing people from disadvantaged groups, while fifteen per cent didn’t know what would help or encourage them.

Table 8.3. What would help or encourage you to consider employing people from disadvantaged groups? – multiple responses.

	Percentage
A financial subsidy	34%
Information on how to reach / engage with people from these groups	31%
Better understanding of the ‘benefits’ of employing people from these groups	30%
Mentoring support for the employee provided externally	28%
Hearing from other organisations who already employ people from these groups	28%
Support from JCP for you as an employer	27%
In work support provided by the Jobcentre to the employee	25%
Positive promotion of your company	24%
Buddying support from another company with a history of employing individuals with complex barriers	22%
Don’t know	15%
None of these	32%

Base: All employers not currently employing people from disadvantaged groups (1,891)

Employers were asked if there were any specific barriers that would make them less likely to employ someone from the specified groups who may be disadvantaged. Around half of employers mentioned addiction (51%) and a criminal record (48%). Other frequently mentioned barriers were having no fixed address (39%), lack of education / skills (33%) and a health condition (30%). Just over three in twenty employers (16%) said that none of the listed barriers would make them less likely to employ someone from a disadvantaged group.

Table 8.4. Are there specific barriers that would make you less likely to employ someone from a disadvantaged group? – multiple responses.

Barrier	Percentage
Addiction	51%
Criminal record	48%
No fixed address	39%
Lack of education / skills	33%
Health condition	30%
Access to tech / connectivity	16%
Don’t know	5%
None of these	16%
Prefer not to say	3%

Base: All employers (2,666)

Employers were then asked if there were any specific groups they would have a keen interest in supporting. More than half (58%) of employers said they would have a keen interest in supporting veterans (ex-armed services), while four in ten (40%) mentioned care leavers and nearly three in ten (28%) mentioned homeless people. Around one in five (22%) employers had no keen interest in supporting any of the groups listed.

Table 8.5. Are there specific groups you would have a keen interest in supporting? – multiple responses.

Group	Percentage
Ex armed services	58%
Care leavers	40%
Homeless people	28%
Prison leavers	22%
People with drug / alcohol issues	14%
None of these	22%
Don’t know	15%

Base: All employers (2,666)

9. Diversity of the workforce

This chapter presents findings on diversity in the workplace, including employer attitudes towards employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics.

9.1 Workforce diversity policies and procedures

The survey asked employers whether they monitor the diversity of their workplace. Half of employers (50%) said that they do, while 45 per cent said they don’t and five per cent didn’t know. When those who do monitor diversity were asked whether this is broken down by grade or level of seniority, around three in ten (28%) said that it is, around six in ten (62%) said it isn’t, and nearly one in ten (9%) didn’t know.

Employers were then asked whether they actively seek to ensure their workforce is diverse in terms of personal characteristics, such as ethnicity, gender and class. Around half of employers (53%) said they do not actively seek to ensure their workforce is diverse in terms of personal characteristics. Around a quarter (23%) said they do through internal regulations on recruitment, and six per cent said they do through diverse recruitment panels.

Table 9.1. Do you actively seek to ensure your workforce is diverse in terms of personal characteristics (for example ethnicity, gender, class)? – column percentages.

	Percentage
Yes, through internal regulations on recruitment	23%
Yes, through diverse recruitment panels	6%
No	53%
Other	7%
Prefer not to say	4%
Don’t know	8%

Base: All employers (2,666)

9.2 Attitudes towards workforce diversity

Employers were asked what benefits and barriers they see in employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics, such as ethnicity, gender and class. The most frequently mentioned benefits were improved company culture (31%), having a wider talent pool to pick from (22%) and a better understanding of customers (19%). Just over half of employers cited one or more of the benefits listed (51%), with an additional one in ten (11%) saying none of these benefits. However, one in five employers (20%) responded by saying they don’t see any benefits in employing a diverse workforce.

Table 9.2. What benefits, if any, do you see in employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics (for example ethnicity, gender, class)? – multiple responses.

Benefit	Percentage
Improved company culture	31%
Wider talent pool to pick from	22%
No benefits	20%
Better understanding of your customers	19%
Positive branding for your company / organisation	14%
Increased innovation	10%
Enhanced productivity	10%
Greater employee retention	8%
None of these	11%
Prefer not to say	3%
Don’t know	15%

Base: All employers (2,666)

When asked about the barriers they see in employing a diverse workforce, two thirds of employers (66%) responded by saying they don’t see any barriers in employing a diverse workforce. Less than one in ten mentioned diverse individuals not applying as often (7%), their organisation is located in an area with a low BAME population (7%), language barriers (6%) and gaps in experience or qualifications (5%).

Table 9.3. What barriers, if any, do you see in employing a diverse workforce in terms of personal characteristics (for example ethnicity, gender, class)? – multiple responses.

Barrier	Percentage
No barriers	66%
Diverse individuals don’t apply as often	7%
Our organisation is located in an area with a low BAME population	7%
Language barriers	6%
Gaps in experience and / or qualifications	5%
Lack of technological facilities to cater for certain employees	1%
Concerns over culture clashes in the workplace	1%
Clients / customers resistant to change	1%
Organisation is resistant to change	*%
Other	4%
Don’t know	8%
Prefer not to say	3%

Base: All employers (2,666), *% means the percentage is less than 1, but greater than 0.

Appendix A: Research methodology

Questionnaire development

The questionnaire for the Employer Survey and an email invitation for online fieldwork was developed collaboratively between IFF and DWP between December 2021 and January 2022. The questionnaire covered a wide variety of topics, including:

• approaches taken for monitoring and supporting employee health and well-being
• awareness and experience of DWP and Jobcentre Plus schemes (for example Disability Confident, Access to Work and Apprenticeships)
• experiences of interacting with DWP and Jobcentre Plus
• experiences of recruitment over the last 12 months
• provision of training and progression pathways for employees
• approaches to monitoring and managing diversity in the workplace
• employment and working arrangements of people aged over 50 and disadvantaged groups
• pension schemes and benefits offered to employees

The questionnaire was modularised to ensure a sufficient base size was achieved for each topic while still maintaining a manageable interview length. This was to mitigate respondent fatigue and therefore ensure the collection of high-quality responses.

Employers were randomly assigned to one of six modules, each of which were designed with close attention paid to flow and length. The routes through the questionnaire are set out in Table 10.1.

Table 10.1. Survey module routes

Survey section	A1	A2	B1	B2	C1	C2
S: Screener	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
A: Approaches the health and disability at work	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
B: 50 plus Choices	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
C: Fit note	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
D: Mental health at work	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
E: Disability confident	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
F: Access to work	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
G: Voluntary reporting framework	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
H: Recruitment and skills	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
I: Employer perceptions / disadvantaged groups	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
J: Employee progress	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
K: Interaction with DWP/Jobcentre Plus (JCP)	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
L: Diversity	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
M: Disadvantaged groups	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
N: Employer benefits	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
O: Workplace Pensions	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
R: Closing and re-contact	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Fieldwork

Piloting fieldwork

IFF Research piloted the Employer Survey between 24 January and 27 January 2022. In total, 51 interviews were achieved (42 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and 9 online surveys). The pilot involved administering the survey as it would be during mainstage fieldwork, with the addition of cognitive questions to assess comprehension, survey flow and survey length. The pilot also provided an opportunity to monitor survey outcomes and response patterns. The average length of the survey was in line with the target length of 15 to 20 minutes

Telephone (CATI)

Prior to the commencement of CATI pilot fieldwork all interviewers received a briefing on the survey and were issued with written instructions, providing them with an understanding of the background to the research, the questionnaire design, the screening criteria and the sample design.

In total, 1,000 employer records were drawn for the CATI pilot. Of these, 675 were contacted during the allotted fieldwork period and 42 interviews were completed. Tables 10.2 and 10.3 present the number of interviews completed by sector and size.

Table 10.2. Achieved pilot CATI interviews by sector

Employer Sector	Achieved interviews
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	2
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	0
Manufacturing	6
Construction	2
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	7
Transport & Storage	3
Hotels & Restaurants	2
Communication	6
Financial Intermediation	0
Real Estate & Business Activities	6
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	5
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	3
Total	42

Table 10.3. Achieved pilot CATI interviews by size

Employer size	Achieved interviews
2 to 4	6
5 to 9	8
10 to 24	15
24 to 49	6
50 to 99	4
100 to 249	2
250+	1
Total	42

Online

As with the CATI pilot, 1,000 employer records were drawn for online pilot fieldwork. All 1,000 were sent an initial email invitation and then, two days later, those that had not yet engaged with the survey and not opted out of the research were sent a reminder. In total, 9 online surveys were completed. Tables 10.4 and 10.5 present the number of interviews completed by sector and size.

Table 10.4. Achieved pilot online interviews by sector

Employer Sector	Achieved interviews
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	0
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	0
Manufacturing	0
Construction	2
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	2
Transport & Storage	0
Hotels & Restaurants	0
Communication	0
Financial Intermediation	0
Real Estate & Business Activities	2
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	3
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	0
Total	9

Table 10.5. Achieved pilot CATI interviews by size

Employer size	Achieved interviews
2 to 4	1
5 to 9	1
10 to 24	4
24 to 49	1
50 to 99	2
100 to 249	0
250+	0
Total	9

Mainstage fieldwork

At the outset of the project, a target of 8,000 interviews was set. Informed by counts from the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR), interview targets were set by size and sector within country using a Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) approach. This was designed to ensure good base sizes for analysis by all size-bands and sectors without the achieved interview profile deviating too far from the underlying population.

Mainstage fieldwork was carried out between 8 February and 6 April, 2022. In total, 8,002 interviews were achieved (4,794 Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and 3,208 online surveys). Table 10.6 presents the profile of achieved mainstage interviews in terms of sector and size. Table 10.7 presents the profile of achieved mainstage interviews by country.

Table 10.6. Achieved mainstage interviews by sector and size

Employer Sector	2 to 4	5 to 9	10 to 49	25 to 49	50 to 99	100 to 249	250+	Total
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	196	115	80	24	8	5	4	432
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	93	62	68	43	28	23	9	326
Manufacturing	187	126	112	108	106	88	43	770
Construction	280	162	103	74	63	37	14	733
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	405	203	149	92	67	85	45	1046
Transport & Storage	144	91	61	48	50	42	19	455
Hotels & Restaurants	148	160	150	75	64	44	15	656
Communication	205	96	83	74	29	19	12	518
Financial Intermediation	153	74	49	46	42	21	7	392
Real Estate & Business Activities	551	235	180	125	97	85	75	1,348
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	156	125	127	89	85	71	40	693
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	277	126	84	53	43	27	23	633
Total	2,795	1,575	1,246	851	682	547	306	8,002

Table 10.7. Achieved mainstage interviews by country

Country	Achieved interviews
England	6978
Scotland	650
Wales	374
Total	8,002

As noted previously, the questionnaire administered in mainstage fieldwork was modularised to ensure a sufficient base size was achieved for each topic while still maintaining a manageable interview length. Table 10.8 presents the number of interviews achieved for each module and section of the questionnaire.

Table 10.8. Achieved mainstage interviews by module

Survey section	A1	A2	B1	B2	C1	C2	Total
S: Screener	1,334	1,335	1,333	1,333	1,334	1,333	8,002
A: Approaches the health and disability at work	1,334	1,335	0	0	1,334	0	4,003
B: 50 plus Choices	0	0	0	0	1,334	1,333	2,667
C: Fit note	1,334	1,335	0	0	0	0	2,669
D: Mental health at work	1,334	1,335	0	0	0	0	2,669
E: Disability confident	1,334	1,335	0	0	0	0	2,669
F: Access to work	1,334	1,335	0	0	0	0	2,669
G: Voluntary reporting framework	1,334	1,335	0	0	0	0	2,669
H: Recruitment and skills	0	0	1,333	1,333	0	0	2,666
I: Employer perceptions / disadvantaged groups	0	0	1,333	1,333	0	0	2,666
J: Employee progress	0	0	1,333	1,333	0	0	2,666
K: Interaction with DWP/Jobcentre Plus (JCP)	0	0	1,333	0	0	1,333	2,666
L: Diversity	0	0	1,333	1,333	0	0	2,666
M: Disadvantaged groups	0	0	0	1,333	0	1,333	2,666
N: Employer benefits	0	0	0	0	1,334	1,333	2,667
O: Workplace Pensions	0	0	0	0	1,334	1,333	2,667
R: Closing and re-contact	1,334	1,335	1,333	1,333	1,334	1,333	8,002
Total	1,334	1,335	1,333	1,333	1,334	1,333	8,002

Telephone (CATI)

As with the pilot, prior to the commencement of mainstage Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), fieldworkers received a briefing on the evaluation and were issued with written instructions, providing them with an understanding of the background to the research, the questionnaire design, the screening criteria and the sample design.

Mainstage CATI fieldwork took place between 14 February and 6 April, 2022. A total of 4,794 interviews were achieved. Table 10.9 presents the profile of achieved CATI interviews in terms of sector and size. Table 10.10 presents the profile of achieved CATI interviews by country.

Table 10.9. Achieved CATI mainstage interviews by sector and size

Employer Sector	2 to 4	5 to 9	10 to 49	25 to 49	50 to 99	100 to 249	250+	Total
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	178	107	72	21	7	4	3	392
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	87	52	61	38	23	19	8	288
Manufacturing	108	46	27	21	42	49	33	326
Construction	227	100	33	38	41	29	9	477
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	235	78	39	31	43	63	37	526
Transport & Storage	117	69	42	31	33	32	18	342
Hotels & Restaurants	114	107	98	52	49	37	13	470
Communication	167	67	63	56	21	15	9	398
Financial Intermediation	128	43	33	39	35	19	3	300
Real Estate & Business Activities	295	75	42	35	50	49	60	606
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	99	53	32	11	34	24	15	268
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	191	70	40	33	30	17	20	401
Total	1,946	867	582	406	408	357	228	4,794

Table 10.10. Achieved CATI mainstage interviews by country

Country	Achieved interviews
England	4,196
Scotland	386
Wales	212
Total	4,794

Online

Mainstage online fieldwork took place between 8 February and 6 April, 2022. On the day of launch all employers sampled for online fieldwork were sent an invitation email. Three reminders were sent to employers that had not engaged with the survey and not opted out of the research. The first was sent 7 days after the initial invitation, the second was sent three weeks later and the third was sent four weeks later.

A total of 3,208 interviews were achieved. Table 10.11 presents the profile of achieved online surveys in terms of sector and size of employer. Table 10.12 presents the profile of achieved online surveys interviews by country.

Table 10.11. Achieved online mainstage interviews by sector and size

Sector	2 to 4	5 to 9	10 to 49	25 to 49	50 to 99	100 to 249	250+	Total
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	18	8	8	3	1	1	1	40
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	6	10	7	5	5	4	1	38
Manufacturing	79	80	85	87	64	39	10	444
Construction	53	62	70	36	22	8	5	256
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	170	125	110	61	24	22	8	520
Transport & Storage	27	22	19	17	17	10	1	113
Hotels & Restaurants	34	53	52	23	15	7	2	186
Communication	38	29	20	18	8	4	3	120
Financial Intermediation	25	31	16	7	7	2	4	92
Real Estate & Business Activities	256	160	138	90	47	36	15	742
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	57	72	95	78	51	47	25	425
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	86	56	44	20	13	10	3	232
Total	849	708	664	445	274	190	78	3,208

Table 10.12. Achieved online mainstage interviews by country

Country	Achieved interviews
England	2,782
Scotland	264
Wales	162
Total	3,208

Response rates

Telephone (CATI)

Table 10.13 presents the call outcomes for mainstage Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) fieldwork. Overall, the response rate was 35% (achieved interviews as a proportion of complete sample).

Table 10.13. Call outcomes for CATI mainstage interviews

Call outcomes	Number of interviews	Proportion of all sample	Proportion of complete sample
Total sample	53,381	100%	N/A
Ineligible	2,366	4%	N/A
Contacted multiple times but without securing an interview	26,479	50%	N/A
Unobtainable	10,222	19%	N/A
Out of quota	681	1%	N/A
Total complete sample	13,733	26%	100%
Achieved interviews	4,794	9%	35%
Refusals	8,591	16%	63%
Breakdown during interview	348	1%	3%

Online

Table 10.14 presents the outcomes for mainstage online fieldwork. Overall, the response rate was 2% (achieved interviews as a proportion of all employers).

Table 10.14. Online mainstage outcomes

Outcomes	No. of interviews	Proportion of all sample
Total sample	185,323	100%
Ineligible	234	0.1%
No response	175,927	95%
Out of quota	367	0.2%
Full interview not completed / opt-outs	5,587	3%
Achieved interviews	3,208	2%

Weighting

The data collected in the 2022 Employer Survey was weighted to make it representative of the underlying population of employers in Great Britain in terms of business sector, size and country. Weighting the data was necessary because of the deliberate decision to oversample larger employers and those in smaller sectors. Weighting targets were set using IDBR data shown in Tables 10.15 and 10.16.

Separate weights were calculated for employers allocated each of the 5 different routes through the questionnaire.

Table 10.15. Weighting profile by size (number of employees) and sector

Sector	2 to 4	5 to 9	10 to 49	25 to 49	50 to 99	100 to 249	250+	Total
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing	4.43%	0.73%	0.22%	0.04%	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%	5.45%
Mining, Quarrying & Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	0.28%	0.13%	0.09%	0.03%	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%	0.58%
Manufacturing	2.73%	1.24%	0.94%	0.41%	0.25%	0.14%	0.08%	5.79%
Construction	8.95%	1.91%	0.86%	0.22%	0.09%	0.04%	0.02%	12.09%
Wholesale, Retail & Motor Trades	9.38%	3.90%	1.92%	0.49%	0.22%	0.10%	0.07%	16.08%
Transport & Storage	2.20%	0.74%	0.38%	0.12%	0.07%	0.04%	0.03%	3.57%
Hotels & Restaurants	4.44%	2.63%	1.76%	0.42%	0.13%	0.06%	0.04%	9.49%
Communication	3.84%	0.69%	0.49%	0.18%	0.09%	0.04%	0.03%	5.37%
Financial Intermediation	0.98%	0.31%	0.17%	0.06%	0.04%	0.03%	0.03%	1.61%
Real Estate & Business Activities	17.49%	4.19%	2.35%	0.65%	0.35%	0.21%	0.14%	25.37%
Public Administration, Defence, Education & Health and Social Work	2.66%	1.49%	1.48%	0.63%	0.35%	0.23%	0.20%	7.03%
Other Community, Social & Personal Service Activities	4.82%	1.62%	0.77%	0.19%	0.08%	0.04%	0.03%	7.55%
Total	62.20%	19.59%	11.43%	3.44%	1.71%	0.95%	0.68%	100.00%

Table 10.16. Profile of the underlying population by country

Country	Percentage
England	88.43%
Scotland	7.15%
Wales	4.42%
Total	100.00%

As a result of adjusting a dataset to make it representative of the underlying population, weighting produces a design effect, which reduces the effective sample size (Williams 2008). In this instance, the design effect is 1.11 (Gabler, Ganninger, Hader & Munnich 2008). A design effect of this size means that the effective sample size is 4,883 (Williams 2008).

An effective sample size of 4,883 means that, as a worst-case scenario, findings are accurate to within +/- 1.4% percentage points at the 95% confidence level. By this, we mean that if 50% of the effective sample of 4,883 agreed with a statement in the questionnaire, we can be 95% confident that the response from all employers would lie between 48.6% and 51.4%.

Measuring a margin of error at 50% is referred to as a ‘worst-case scenario’, as the margin of error decreases the closer results approach 0% or 100%. Table 77 shows the margin of error for the un-weighted sample and the effective sample of employers to demonstrate how it changes by survey responses.

Table 10.17. Margins of error at the 95% confidence level

Sample	Number of interviews	Margin of error at 50%:50%	Margin of error at 70%:30%	Margin of error at 90%:10%
Unweighted sample employers	8,002	+/- 1.09 pp	+/- 1.00 pp	+/- 0.66 pp
Effective sample of employers	4,883	+/- 1.40 pp	+/- 1.28 pp	+/- 0.84 pp

Appendix B. Research materials

Appendix B is available as a PDF at GOV.UK

1. The different types of contact employers had with DWP is set out in section 6.1 ↩

2. The Department for Education is responsible for apprenticeships ↩

3. Employers must offer a workplace pension where they have entitled workers. Employers who don’t offer a pension scheme may be sole traders or micro businesses with no eligible workers. Ineligible employees are those aged 18-21, earning less than £10,000 a year, and aged above State Pension Age ↩

4. Not all employees qualify for SSP. To be eligible, they must be classed as an employee, earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (in 2023/24 this is £123 per week) and have been sick or incapable of work for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days). Employees not entitled to SSP may have been eligible for Universal Credit (UC), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or the Government’s Test and Trace Support Payment which ended on 24 February 2022. ↩

5. This response option wasn’t read out to respondents. ↩

6. The survey sampled the most senior person responsible for HR / people management in their organisation. We might expect other staff in an organisation to access this form of information too, so this figure should be used with caution as it is likely to be an underestimation. ↩

7. This was a free text question and employers could provide more than one reason for their satisfaction. ↩

8. This was a free text question and employers could provide more than one reason for their dissatisfaction. ↩

9. This question was a free text option and respondents could state more than one barrier. ↩

10. This question was a free text option. ↩

11. Results for this question should be treated with caution due to a low base size (96). ↩

12. This was a free text question and employers could provide more than one reason for their satisfaction. ↩

13. This was a free text question and employers could provide more than one reason for their dissatisfaction. ↩

14. Results should be treated with caution due to a low base size for this question. ↩

15. Employer views on whether candidates were job ready is not included in this report because base sizes were too small. Figures are included in the accompanying data tables published alongside this report. ↩

16. Employers who were unlikely to engage with these schemes were asked why. A wide range of responses were given and these can be found in the accompanying published data tables ↩

17. Employers must offer a workplace pension where they have entitled workers. Employers who don’t offer a pension scheme may be sole traders or micro businesses with no eligible workers. Ineligible employees are those aged 18-21, earning less than £10,000 a year, and aged above State Pension Age. ↩

18. Caution low base size ↩