1953 Coronation
Our new queen is Coronated at the age of 25. A national bank holiday celebrates our new queen and her reign begins. Whilst this was considerably before my time, I cherish the story of my Nana climbing a lamppost to wave to the Queen on her Coronation tour.
Meanwhile, the NHS has been established for 5 years. Average salary is less than £7 per week. The Education Act passed only 6 years earlier in 1944, meant that female teachers were not to be dismissed upon marriage however gender discriminations in the workforce remained rife.
1966’s Wales Mining Disaster
The awful catastrophe in 1966 resulted in a dramatic and tragic loss of many lives including many young children. There was a national outcry at the time due to the delay in the Queen visiting the survivors and families of the lives lost in the disaster. The Queen did not want to pull attention away from what was important at the time of grief for the families, however this was portrayed “as being cold” in the public eye. Upon visiting Aberfan, the Queen’s good intentions became clear and the level of emotion and warmth expressed by the Queen made a long-lasting impression.
Meanwhile, average salary is less than £22 a week for men and £11 a week for women. The NHS nurse profession is hauled over by fairer pay, allowing married women to work, acceptance of male nurses and more flexible hours. Considered the golden age of the NHS, private health insurance is yet to become a mainstream alternative.
1977 Silver Jubilee
The Queens Silver Jubilee was another highlight and celebrated with street parties across the country and the world.
Meanwhile, the Equal Pay Act had come into force in 1975, stipulating that men and women must be paid the same wage for the same job. In the same decade the Industrial Relations Act which allows compensation for unfair dismissal is introduced. Average salary less than £70 per week. A well-known medical insurer, Bupa, pioneered the concept of health screening, opening their first screening centre in London.
1986 Queens 60th Birthday
Street celebrations occur around the country with a special concert being held in her honour.
Meanwhile, the average salary increases to around £155 per week. Off the back of the stock market crash and recession the late 1980’s we saw an increase in the consistent employment of temporary workers. The 1980’s also saw the start of flexible benefits being introduced in the workplace.
1997 The Passing of Princess Diana
Similar to our current state of affairs, the world went into shock at the sudden and premature loss of Princess Diana. The Queen and her family went though a period of mourning but also change in how they related and interacted with the public at large.
Meanwhile, average salary is around £330 per week.
1997 is also the year in which advo was born, dealing with only private medical insurance broking back then, little did we know how our company would evolve over the next 25 years.
1996 saw the final decision made on the Smith v Safeway plc case which related to a male workers hair style. The case set the precedent for the “Conventional appearance rule not discriminatory” In Smith v Safeway plc (16 February 1996) EOR69A, the Court of Appeal holds that an appearance code which applies a standard of what is conventional applies an even-handed approach between men and women, and not one which is sex discriminatory.
2002 Golden Jubilee
Our Queen had completed 50 years on the throne. The event was celebrated with a Pageant along The Mall along with traditional street parties and events up and down the UK and Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, average salary stands at £391 per week and employee benefits, in particular the demand for medical insurance was on the rise. The increase in demand followed the developing issues and pressures within the NHS. 2002 also saw the introduction of new legalisation in the form of the Employee Act 2002.
2012 Diamond Jubilee
We celebrated 60 years’ service from our queen. Due to widespread austerity the official celebrations were scaled back compared to previous years however this did not stop our nation from making the most of the extra bank holiday. 2012 also marked the year of London hosting the Olympics giving our economy a much need boost.
Average salary stood at £506 per week and automatic pension enrolment meant employers of all sizes had to work on implementing pension schemes for their employees. Within our industry this had a large impact on pension brokering. With the process becoming more automated the need for specialist advice and recommendations decreased.
It did however highlight the importance of offering employee benefits to secure and retain the best talent.
2022 Platinum Jubilee
Finally we reach almost present day celebrating our queens reign reaching 70 years. Whilst this was a celebration, it was also the start over concerns relating to the queen’s health.
Average salary is £601 per week and within our own business we celebrated our Silver Anniversary marking 25 years of our business.
Similar to the queen, we have had to change and evolve in order to provide a relevant and valued service. Many, myself included, see this as the main strength of the queen. Given her length of reign she has had to change and adapt to an ever-changing environment and public expectations. Her appeal is wide reaching. Much like my 95-year-old nana, my 2- and 5-year-old children love the queen and are fascinated by her palace and presence.
Whilst her physical presence has gone, what will remain are the strong morals and values she has ingrained in her successors.
Sources
https://www.morton-fraser.com/insights/history-employment-law
https://www.portafina.co.uk/the-pension-timeline/
https://www.bupa.com/our-bupa/our-story
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1983/feb/10/average-weekly-wage
https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/spotlight-on-the-1980s-workplace/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_benefits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II