Understanding & Guidance | Top reasons staff spoke to HR during pandemic year

Almost three-quarters of UK workers have approached HR in the last year for a variety of reasons, new research from Factorialhr.co.uk has found.

Requests for flexible working (43%), discussing sickness or mental health (42%) and returning to work after illness (31%) were among the top reasons for UK staff speaking to HR.

The 2,300-strong study of full-time employed UK adults also found that workers went to the people function about pregnancy and maternity/ paternity leave (27%), or to discuss workloads (25%).

Furthermore, ten per cent admitted that they had approached HR to request being put on the Government's furlough scheme, though less than one per cent said that their request was actioned.