Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are more concerned about employee engagement and discipline than they are about the impending upheaval posed by the agency workers regulations (AWR).

According to new research from Citation, an employment law specialist, parental leave and sickness are also more pressing an issue than the new rules, which will offer equal rights to temporary workers and contractors.

Andrea O’Hare, head of personnel and employment law at Citation, said that the key to maintaining employee engagement is to remain in contact with workers even when they are off work with an illness.

“We advise clients to establish and maintain regular contact with employees who are sick as regular open dialogue between employer and employees enables employers to closely manage … absence issues,” she claimed.

Recently, XpertHR claimed that flexible benefits require a shift in management style – particularly if they incorporate home working.

The cost of school meals is what puts most working parents off letting their children try them.

According to the School Food Trust, 58 per cent of parents – including those who benefit from flexible workplace benefits like childcare vouchers – would adopt school meals if they were offered them at a reduced price.

Under existing rules, schools have to charge the same price to every child – regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

Schools must apply for permission to alter pricing through the Department for Education.

However, ministers are planning to change these rules in the Education Bill so that pricing can be varied.

The move would help workers at the lower end of the pay scale, who may already be benefitting from childcare discounts.

Claire Rick, spokeswoman at the School Food Trust, said: “Offering promotions and reduced prices on healthy school meals does encourage more families to try them.”

She added that school lunches tended to be healthier and provide pupils with much more dietary variety.

Recently, insurance expert Aviva claimed that the food that companies offer their staff at lunch time could actually damage their productivity if menus are not crafted carefully.

Companies that offer lifestyle benefits in the form of food at lunchtime may actually be harming staff motivation.

Results from a new Aviva study have shown that 45 per cent of firms provide nourishment to their staff, but 38 per cent of this is said to be unhealthy.

This leads to nearly a third of respondents taking in their own lunch in order to maintain a healthier diet.

According to the study, firms may need to ensure they are rewarding the hard work of staff with various perks, as 30 per cent said they skipped lunch breaks to keep up with their workload.

Head of clinical development at Aviva UK Health Dr Doug Wright reiterated the importance of employees getting a break and eating the right products.

“Employers can help by offering healthy food options to support and encourage their staff to eat well and by removing those barriers that still exist to taking a proper lunch break,” he commented.

A lack of breaks may explain figures released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, which showed many 18 to 24-year-olds are unhappy in their jobs.

Workers across the UK could miss out on lifestyle benefits worth £8.5 billion this year, new figures have revealed.

A study conducted by unbiased.co.uk has suggested the huge sum will be lost as people fail to claim childcare and pension perks from the government.

Those who do not receive childcare vouchers from their employer may be eligible to apply for tax credits from the authorities, but statistics have shown that 475,000 families who are entitled to the money may not realise it.

As well as this, up to £2.3 billion of pension credit looks set to remain unclaimed in 2011.

The July 31st deadline to apply for the financial support has now passed, but unbiased.co.uk chief executive Karen Barrett has said a 30-day extension for renewals is normally granted by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.

“It has never been more pressing for entitled consumers to ensure they are making the most of the tax credits and benefits available to them,” she remarked.

Last week, managing director of moneymaxim.co.uk Mark Bower urged workers to talk to their employers about receiving childcare provisions.

Companies may be put under pressure to offer staff better lifestyle benefits such as money off certain everyday items, as consumer confidence in the UK has deteriorated.

According to latest figures compiled by Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium (BRC), one in three people do not have any spare cash from their monthly wage once they have forked out for all of their bills – a record high in Britain.

Indeed, 71 per cent said they had been forced to reassess their shopping habits, with 65 per cent opting to buy budget brands in order to make savings.

The need for employers to offer special deals to their workforce was reiterated by director general of the BRC Stephen Robertson.

“Even after paying out for essentials, households that do have spare cash are choosing to pay off debts and build-up savings rather than spend on the high street,” he remarked.

This comes after a study conducted by Work Life UK on behalf of the Guardian showed 53 per cent of workers would turn to a colleague in order to gain financial advice.

Large numbers of people see their property as crucial to their future lifestyle benefits, as many have neglected company pension schemes.

A new study conducted by Barings Asset Management has shown that 13 per cent of respondents said their “property is their pension”, which has grown from just eight per cent in 2008.

The research also discovered that 38 per cent of eligible males have not taken on a pension as part of their employee benefits package.

Around 1.4 million people over the age of 55 have not got a retirement fund, while 18 to 24-year-olds are unsurprisingly the biggest offenders, with 69 per cent having no scheme in place.

Chief investment officer at Barings Marino Valensise said the figures were “very worrying”.

“It is concerning to learn that only half of people in their late twenties and early thirties are contributing into a pension scheme,” he remarked.

The public sector appears to buck this trend, as recent statistics compiled by Badenoch and Clark showed 45 per cent would rather take a pay cut than reductions in pension provisions.