This report brings valuable new data and insight from research by the CIPD and Railpen on the current state of workforce reporting at the UK’s largest companies. The report shows where there have been improvements since our group’s last report in 2022, and where there are still reporting gaps across the themes of workforce cost and composition, employee relations and wellbeing, employee voice, reward and skills and capabilities.  

Workforce reporting is the component of reporting that relates to a company’s employment model and working practices, communicating the value and impact of the workforce. It is a key part of stakeholder engagement and responsible business practice, used to show how the workforce is managed and developed, and to provide crucial information for decision-making. Showing how organisations manage and develop their people, not only shows the value they place in their workforce but also provides information on how effectively organisations are addressing material governance and sustainability issues.

With our report findings showing significant variation in the quality of disclosures, the report urges companies, investors and policy-makers to prioritise clearer, more consistent and balanced workforce reporting. Stronger workforce reporting standards help build a future of higher business performance, greater accountability and more meaningful engagement with shareholders and other stakeholders. 

While the findings and recommendations are based on the UK context, the broader implications should be of interest wherever you are based.  

Key findings include:  

  • Recruitment: 38% of organisations provided information on their turnover rate; just one company provided information on their recruitment costs.  
  • Employee skills and capabilities: Just 10% of firms disclosed information on total training costs; 33% provided information on apprenticeships; 41% provided information on hours of training per employee.  
  • AI adoption: 13% of FTSE firms referenced AI skills training for staff; 14% reported they have an AI governance policy or strategy.  
  • Health and safety: 15% of organisations provide information on their absence rate; 39% provide information relating to the mental health of their workforce.  
  • Employment relations/ bullying or harassment: 27% of organisations provided information on the number of disciplinary, grievance or whistleblowing cases; just 10% provided information on the reasons.  

Download the full report and read more at Railpen

 

Future of workforce reporting | report

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