June 2021 MUTANT RATS IN THE OFFICE And other pressing return-to-work problems Simplify and automate HR and payroll Think of the time you’d save. The manual errors you’d cut out. The extra productivity you’d gain by freeing up people from repetitive admin. You can make everything easier and better with the mobile-first People First platform. Streamline complex processes. Eliminate inefficiency. Reveal data-driven insights and bring together dispersed workforces. mhrglobal.com/people-first Contents June 2021 p18

Whether it’s a reluctance among sta to return or mutant rats taking over your workplace (see page 9), reopening o ces on a more permanent basis over the coming months is unlikely to be without its teething problems. In this issue’s return to the o ce special, we’ve honed in on several key aspects of welcoming employees back, and asked more than 500 of your HR peers about their plans for implementing  exible working, creating collaboration spaces and much more. Eleanor Whitehouse Acting editor p27 News & analysis Welcome from the CIPD p5 This month we’ve learned... p6 NEWS: Back to the offi ce? p8 PLUS The Queen’s speech; right to work checks Legal lowdown p14 Columnist Claudine Charles p17 p31 Case studies Willmott Dixon p18 Kingston Hospital NHS FT p20 OnSide Youth Zones p23 Features COVER Going back to work – safely p24 Why you need to put wellbeing front and centre The end of the offi ce as we know it? p27 Firms are shaking up how they use their physical spaces after Covid p36 Why hybrid still needs to be inclusive p31 A mix of home and offi ce could disadvantage some staff How you’re dealing with reopening p34 People Management readers share their experiences Interview: Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina p36 p38 The digital wellbeing expert on tech and productivity The multibillion-dollar fi rm with no people team p38 Why some businesses choose to forgo the function – and what HR can do about it HR’s guide to collaboration software p42 We compare a range of platforms on off er Career path Who I am Naomi Fergus p49 Reviews p50 The Fixer p53 People and posts p54 p49 Research p57 CIPD Focus p58

COVER: MELISSA BUTLER, CORBIS GETTYIMAGES WERE NO RATS HARMED GALLOWAY BRIAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY; MAKING JANE VICTORIA OF THIS STOUT; COLIN COVER; P3: JULIAN KLOVSTAD GETTYIMAGES; JP DODD; PHOTO; STOCK TETRA IMAGESLLC ALAMY Could HR solve...? Bridesmaids p62

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e uncertainties of ‘whatfocus onnext?’ all our people ere is growing con dence in many countries that managers. ey must be supported and we are getting on top of the pandemic, so the debate trained in how they now is turning to ‘what next?’ What next in how we adapt to work with can learn from it and embed more  exible working their teams, who could be working in patterns? What next in the economic recovery and quite di erent ways. what that will look like? And what next for the long Organisations haven’t done enough of this in Peter Cheese shadow it has created in people’s wellbeing and how the past, but we have Chief executive we may have to adapt over the longer term to contain to embed consistency this virus, or possibly others like it? of approach and

Back to the office to the same spaces, equipment and project because they can see them in innovation and apprenticeship” could not opportunities, a working from home the office every day, for example – and arrangement could lead to less favourable thrive without being together in an office. must ensure their teams are all party to BACK There are clear arguments in favour of a treatment and indirect discrimination discussions. “There should be no side principles, or issues of unfairness could hybrid model where staff come together claims,” she says. Moore advocates TO THE conversations going on,” she says. “Also, reviewing standard employment contracts to collaborate but do the bulk of their you could end up with ‘haves and have OFFICE everyday work at home, but could they be to cover some of the more practical nots’ if there are frontline workers who are considerations of a hybrid set-up, such as on to something, or is there a danger that unable to work remotely, so it’s important hybrid is not as inclusive as it seems? place of work (if ‘normal’ place of work to talk to them about different ways they is home, state that the employee can be “The lived experience of hybrid working can benefit from the flexibility offered to in a more normal context will be so required to attend the office); whether other employees.” they have core hours of work; details different to what it is now,” says Emma Emma Bartlett, partner at law firm become manifest. Parry, professor of human resource of expense allowances; and their data In many ways, these questions are more CM Murray, adds that creating any protection obligations. management at Cranfield University. division between home workers and “There’s been a camaraderie while we’ve Successful hybrid working is about all been at home but, if those in the office – even informally so much more than what’s on paper, you’re at home and – could have a longer-term impact. however. Rather than defaulting to policy, your colleagues “Working with different people, whether managers will need to consult with their are in the office, that is incidentally meeting them in teams regularly on whether arrangements that dynamic the workplace or undertaking projects work for all groups. We’re even seeing ese will be real factors in is different. together, helps employees learn about each the emergence of new roles dedicated to complex and uncertain than how we had We know other in a way that is often lost through building these frameworks, with titles from years videoconferencing, where networking is such as ‘chief mental health officer’ and of research not on the agenda and work may become ‘head of remote’. “There’s a fear that, if you into flexible the sole purpose of the interaction,” she ask, you’ll get thousands of permutations working says. “In doing so, unconscious or actual of working arrangements, but it’s actually that creating bias may not change or may become more more likely to be three or four,” says Stuart two tiers of pronounced. It’s incredibly important Duff, partner and head of development organisations’ ability to attract and retain to create diverse teams to avoid group to adapt to the pandemic in the  rst place. workers can lead at Pearn Kandola. “The best leaders of to discrimination thinking, which can also increase risk for remote teams know exactly how people Goldman Sachs CEO David against people the business as well as hinder creativity.” like to communicate, and how they like to Solomon has demanded She adds that, over time, there may be that staff return to their who work from be communicated with, rather than saying offices from June home because certain groups of individuals who are ‘this is our team and this is how we do it’.” more likely to hold on to home working Amy Walters, head of research Without inclusion, they’re not seen,” she says. Indeed, a than others because of their protected at Lane4, argues that this regular study of working patterns in April by the characteristics, such as working parents sta in what is expected to be a signi cant Office for National Statistics suggested consultation can be a chance to instil a Although the early guidance wasn’t always and those with underlying health this could already be happening. It sense of belonging and inclusion. “It feeds s an HR professional, it’s conditions. “They may become isolated into how you share information, found that employees who worked from colleagues, could miss this is what your impossible to escape the predominantly from home were less likely “There’s been a the assumptions you make Awords ‘hybrid working’ out on work opportunities by about your ‘team normal’. You right now. Teams have spent months to receive bonuses or pay rises. A survey virtue of being ‘out of sight’, by management consultancy Lane4 also comaraderie need to find a balance between reviewing policies and discussing they may also start to lose fostering a sense of belonging strategies for how – and, more showed that almost three in 10 employees confidence compared to those while we’ve all received no training to support their but individuals feeling their amount of churn in the labour market in importantly, where – the workforce physically working alongside hybrid office could professional development while working been at home, identity is preserved,” she says. clear, the decisions we had to make about might begin to return to some sort of their colleagues. The overall in a hybrid environment. “If people feel stressed because post-pandemic normality. Every day result could give rise to indirect but that will they are in a minority or that seems to produce a new announcement Claire McCartney, senior policy discrimination based on their adviser for resourcing and inclusion at change now” they need to cover something from a major brand on its ‘future of protective characteristic (for up, then change the default.” work’ strategy, and experts appear to the CIPD, says that unless organisations look like example, gender or disability). Duff warns that even in a hybrid agree that hybrid is the way forward. build their hybrid strategies through an An additional unintended consequence environment there’s a danger of employees But there have been a few vocal “inclusion and fairness lens”, there could could therefore be a broadening of the be unintended consequences for certain falling into ‘in’ and ‘out’ groups, however, the coming months. More  exible working dissenters. Last month JPMorgan be unintended consequences for certain gender pay gap,” she says. social distancing and working from home if which could threaten team cohesion. Many employers are assessing how a mix CEO Jamie Dimon said he expected groups. “There has been evidence through Employees’ personal circumstances the investment bank’s offices to return the pandemic that child and elder care “People fall into new patterns of working may also influence where they choose to quickly – even in flexible working spaces of home and office working could benefit to how they looked pre-Covid by the tends to fall more on women’s shoulders, work, so hybrid strategies need to take autumn. “It doesn’t work for those so there is a potential danger there; those people start putting photos on their desks this into consideration, according to Lydia and talk to the same people they see on them – but they risk disadvantaging certain who want to hustle. It doesn’t work for with disabilities or long-term health Moore, associate in the employment spontaneous idea generation. It doesn’t conditions might also want to work from that day – you can have the best possible group at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. set-up but people are still flawed and groups of employees work for culture,” he said. At Goldman home more,” she explains. Managers need “Organisations will need to be aware opportunities can be good for people’s Sachs, meanwhile, CEO David Solomon to be made aware of the risk of presence biased,” he adds. we could were unequivocal. And for those that unless everyone has equal access WORDS JOJO FARAGHERFARAGHER bias – not picking someone for a plum TETRA IMAGES LLC/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO sent staff a missive demanding that they come back to the office from June, claiming a culture of “collaboration, 32 peoplemanagement.co.uk peoplemanagement.co.uk 31 who had to continue to attend their places wellbeing and for inclusion and, as we of work, we had to make sure we did all we have seen, can also help people be more p31 could to protect them. Our health systems productive. Making these changes stick had to respond by prioritising their Covid will be what determines how we use the response, and governments jumped in to try pandemic as a catalyst for real and positive to save jobs and provide individual  nancial change in many of the age-old patterns and support, even as the economy faltered. paradigms of work for the future. Now there are many more variables to We have a responsibility to learn from this consider. ere is a great expectation that crisis and use it as a stimulus for change. e working patterns will change – housing people profession will again be front and markets in more rural locations are already centre. We recognise this responsibility at heating up, and CIPD surveys, along with the CIPD and our role in supporting our many others, indicate that people want more profession, but also in helping to challenge choice in how and where they work. How we and guide the thinking across policy respond in meeting individual expectations and business more broadly. e CIPD’s Businesses should be upcoming Festival of Work will focus on considering how those who and the practicalities of hybrid working, cannot work from home can the issues of fairness, inclusion and equity, these issues of embracing new ways of still benefi t from fl exible working and seeing that there is no ‘one size  ts all’ working, in developing the workforce of the solution, will take time to understand. Flexible future, and in the changes driving to more working also needs to be thought of for those responsible and sustainable businesses for who have to be in places of work to do their the long term. jobs. We will have to learn and adapt as we go. ere won’t be manuals to explain what to do, and it’s very important we don’t start writing lots of rules and policies, but instead work  rst and foremost from principles. Critical will be maintaining engagement and dialogue with our people throughout

HANNAH J TAYLOR; TOM MERTON GETTYIMAGES TOM TAYLOR; J HANNAH this journey. But we must also particularly

peoplemanagement.co.uk 5 This month we’ve learned...

{Pay & reward} The big lesson Home Maya Forstater claims the Center for Global Development chose not to renew her contract after she While many employers are expressed anti-trans opinions workers making redundancies, some are hoping to recruit staff by the end of the year get fewer bonuses Woody Allen once claimed 80 per cent of success is showing up. In a later interview, he conceded the actual figure was probably somewhere above 60 per cent, but that “the extra syllable in 70 ruins the rhythm of the quote”. However, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest he might have been {Employment law} right the first time – home working negatively affects both earnings and career Protect ‘gender critical’ views progression. Managing controversial issues While the EHRC said it The ONS found that, is a difficult task for employers, “Educating was not taking a position on between 2013 and 2020, and they need to ensure their whether the decision not to renew people who worked from workplaces are safe and inclusive. workers on Forstater’s contract was unlawful, home were on average 38 But when might a controversial or the lived it did say Forstater’s views were per cent less likely to have unpopular opinion be protected a philosophical belief protected received a bonus compared to under equality law? experience under the Equality Act, warning those who never worked from This question was partly of trans that a ruling against her “could home. Similarly, the analysis answered by the UK’s equalities leave people unprotected from showed that, between 2012 watchdog when it intervened in people is key” discrimination and harassment” and 2017, people who mainly an Employment Appeal Tribunal and restrict freedom of speech on worked from home were (EAT) last month, submitting evidence that debates over transgender rights. less than half as likely to the ‘gender critical’ view that trans women However, the EHRC also said there was be promoted. are men and trans men are women is a a “difference between holding a belief and Sarah Loates, founder of protected opinion. how that belief is manifested” and that this Loates HR Consultancy, The Equality and Human Rights did not mean anti-trans comments should warned that the figures Commission (EHRC) provided evidence be “free from consequence”. demonstrated an “often in support of Maya Forstater, who is Leanne Raven, senior employment lawyer overlooked” downside of a arguing that the Center for Global at Stephenson Harwood, said if the EAT hybrid working: the potential Development chose not to renew her did find in favour of Forstater it could for a “two-tier system” of contract because she expressed anti-trans invite more open debate about trans issues, employment to emerge. views on social media. Among other which businesses would need to prepare “People who work from things, Forstater said trans women for. “A key tool is educating the workforce home more could potentially were male and individuals should not about the lived experience of trans people lose out on projects that be “compelled to play along with literal and providing quality training on gender could enhance their CVs delusions like ‘trans women are women’”. identities and surrounding issues,” she said. and increase their chances

INTERPLAN, INC. FOR CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT; LESHKASMOK/GETTYIMAGES; BARNEY COKELISS; ROBERT ABERMAN ROBERT COKELISS; BARNEY LESHKASMOK/GETTYIMAGES; DEVELOPMENT; GLOBAL FOR CENTER FOR INC. INTERPLAN, of promotion,” she said.

6 peoplemanagement.co.uk Take-up{Flexible working} of lex drops Making friends at Despite the wholesale move to and take-up of  exi-time work could boost your bank balance remote working triggered by dropped one percentage point the pandemic, many workers to 12.6 per cent. {Pay & reward} are missing out on the bene ts  ese  gures contrasted of other forms of  exible those for home working, Want a pay rise? Just working. CIPD analysis of the which increased from 7.8 per ONS’s Labour Force Survey, cent to 10.1 per cent during which polled 74,832 people the same period, and almost from October to December doubled from 5.3 per cent to ask your colleagues 2020, showed a decline in 10.1 per cent between the last Are you good friends with new starters on probation the use of all types of  exible quarter of 2020 and January- your colleagues? If not, now can put themselves forward hours arrangements, such March 2021.  e data also might be the time to start for a pay rise.  ese salary as part-time,  exi-time and highlighted unmet demand changing that – because they decisions are then openly annualised hours. Between for  exibility. Nearly one in 10 could be the ones deciding debated and decided. “Since April-June 2020 and October- workers polled (9.3 per cent) your next pay rise. there are no bosses to decide December 2020, the use of said they would prefer to work 10Pines, a technology raises, we delegate power to part-time working fell from shorter hours and accept the  rm based in Buenos Aires, the people,” Jorge Silva, one 28.3 per cent to 27.6 per cent, associated pay cut. Argentina, is allowing its 85 of the  rm’s co-founders, told members of sta to set each the BBC, stressing that the {Health & wellbeing} other’s salaries. transparency wasn’t about  e  rm, which produces equality but about fairness. so ware for companies “We are not all equals, but One in ive experienced including Starbucks and we try to be fair,” he said.  e Burger King, holds three company also shares 50 per annual ‘rates meetings’ cent of its pro ts every year depression this year where anyone apart from among sta . Figures from the O ce for months of the year, compared National Statistics (ONS) to just 13 per cent of those {Health & wellbeing} have revealed that 19 per who reported being able to comfortable taking a Covid cent of employed adults a ord this expense. Similarly, test before returning to work experienced some form of workers with incomes of less Jabs lifting (75 per cent), compared to depression between January than £10,000 a year had the just 7 per cent who said they and March this year, with highest rates of depressive would feel uncomfortable, rates of depression in adults symptoms (37 per cent) when con idence while 80 per cent said they more than double pre- compared with all higher- With the vaccination rollout were con dent their employer pandemic levels. income groups. well under way, employees would maintain standards  e data also showed low Andy Bell, deputy CEO of are becoming more con dent to keep them and the general earners were most likely the Centre for Mental Health, about the return to work. public safe in their workplace. to experience depressive said employers needed to In a poll of more than symptoms. Of those who said adapt their ways of working 2,000 employed adults across they would be unable to to better support their sta ’s the UK, conducted by Aviva a ord an unexpected mental health: “ is should at the end of March, 71 per but necessary include creating an open and cent said the vaccine rollout expense of £850, supportive culture about made them optimistic a third (35 per mental health at work, giving about returning to their cent) said they people more control over workplace as normal.  is experienced how and when they return was up from just 50 per some form to ‘normal’ locations and cent at the end of November of depression practices, training managers last year. in the  rst in mental health literacy and  e majority of those three adapting policies around our polled said they would be changed circumstances.” Andy Bell says employers must better support employee mental health; the EHRC has said Maya Forstater’s views are protected under the Equality Act peoplemanagement.co.uk 7 TOP STORY

They’ll be back (fingers crossed) With employees set to return to offices in the summer, employers

must toe the line between encouragement and coercionWORDS FRANCIS CHURCHILL f anyone was in doubt over when this summer as it could cause like London and the advice to work from home a third wave of the virus, and ”Enforcing elsewhere “depended would end, they now hopefully recommended workers continue remote work on people being able have a bit more certainty. to work from home for the to have confidence Assuming there are no hiccups foreseeable future. Employers could see the to go to work”, he I in the current roadmap for easing were told to brace for indefinite benefits of said, before adding: lockdown restrictions – which has home working, but three days “I think it will already seen the return of non-essential later the prime minister outlined flexi-work lost” come back. I think shops, indoor dining and visits to his plans to end the work from it could come back other people’s houses – from 21 June home advice. remarkably quickly, but it does depend the government will no longer advise Asked in parliament to confirm the on keeping the virus down.” people to work from home if possible. change, Boris Johnson said: “That is And rules permitting, there are good But of course there were multiple certainly our intention, providing we reasons to start encouraging employees reasons to be doubtful. In the stay on track. But I want to be sure back to the workplace. Nearly one middle of May, news broke that that people will wait until we’re able in five employed adults (19 per cent) Sage – the Scientific Advisory Group to say that with more clarity later experienced some form of depression for Emergencies, the government’s on, because we must be guided by between January and March this year, scientific advisory body – was what’s happening with the pandemic.” figures from the Office for National

CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE, MELISSA BUTLER, DARREN MOWER/GETTY IMAGES warning against a return to the office What’s more, the “dynamism” of cities Statistics (ONS) showed last month,

8 peoplemanagement.co.uk News & analysis

with rates of depression in restrictions ease, Kelliher both business and social adults more than double pre- points out that some employees’ bene ts,” says Aston. pandemic levels. While going experiences of remote working On the whole, it appears that back to the workplace certainly made them keener than others the workforce is becoming more won’t be a panacea for this, to return to the o ce. “If con dent about a return to the a return to normality – be some remote working becomes workplace, emboldened at least it seeing colleagues again or enforced, rather than chosen in part by the success of the simply being able to return to by employees, it is likely that vaccine programme. In an Aviva work – will surely help many. the many bene ts available to poll of 2,000 UK employees at Tellingly, low earners and those employers of o ering  exible the end of March, almost three- who are nancially unstable had working will not materialise,” quarters (71 per cent) said the There’s a rat in higher rates of depression. she says. vaccine rollout made But employers need to walk Ultimately, says them optimistic the o ice a line – workers need to be Mike Robinson, ”Allowing sta about returning Lots of us got new pets welcomed into the o ce, but chief executive of to work as normal, to keep us company to individualise during lockdown, but a not pressured into going back the British Safety up from just 50 per less cuddly and far less when they don’t feel safe. Council, it’s up their jobs can cent at the end of welcome critter has While many businesses are to businesses to November last year. apparently been taking certainly thinking about how decide when and support Business is con dent over our workplaces they can implement remote whether employees too – both the while we’ve been wellbeing” at home. or hybrid working in the long return to the most recent Labour According to the term – a BBC poll of 50 of workplace based on Market Outlook British Pest Control the largest UK employers, their operations, so long as they from the CIPD and the latest Association and collectively employing 1.1 are compliant with government ONS gures show vacancies reported in Wired, rat sightings by its members million people, found that regulations. But, argues Louise are up and job con dence is hit a 78 per cent 43 rms planned to use a Aston, wellbeing director at at a record high. But, says Ben increase in October mixture of home and remote Business in the Community, Willmott, head of public policy 2020, with deserted working going forward – Clare these decisions should be at the CIPD: “ ere will be offi ces providing a Kelliher, professor of work made not just on what makes just as many who would rather rodent-friendly mix of warmth and silence as and organisation at Cran eld sense for the business, but also continue to work from home winter set in. School of Management, urges what is best for individual or in a more  exible way for a Some have even organisations not to rush to workers. “Giving employees the range of reasons. genetically mutated to remove access to workplaces. opportunity to individualise “Employers should be seeking become resistant to poisons used by pest While it is positive that their jobs and participate to meet individuals’ working controllers, making them businesses are exploring ways in work interventions can preferences as far as possible impossible to to maintain this form of support wellbeing, engagement while ensuring that the needs of exterminate using  exible working as lockdown and productivity, fuelling the organisation are fully met.” traditional methods. “Rats are having a whale of a time [because] they have stayed in offi ces and been left Returning in numbers undisturbed,” pest.co.uk We asked People Management readers about their plans, and how their staff feel about going back director Jonathan Ratcliff e told Wired. 9% 57% 44% are mandating offi ce plan to introduce 44% say their workforce attendance and training on their Covid say their employees is concerned about would consider legal guidelines for those are worried about contracting Covid on returning to more action against those returning from home structured hours public transport who refuse working 60% The increase in internet searches for joining the police while series six 57% 13% 40% of Line of Duty was being televised

say their workforce say their staff are are allowing staff to go 5562021 READERS, MAY SOURCE:MANAGEMENT SURVEY PEOPLE OF is worried about the into the offi ce on days SOURCE: DEBUT concerned about chosen by them after extra time taken up looking after a new by commuting pet when they return reopening peoplemanagement.co.uk 9 to the offi ce The government’s focus on skills and retraining, revealed in the Queen’s speech, was praised by many

Government promises to ‘level up’ skills Retraining and upskilling were front and centre at the state opening of parliament – but apprenticeship levy reform was conspicuous by its absence WORDS CALUM TRENAMAN

he government’s roadmap set out Additionally, the restructured The announcement was hailed by in the Queen’s speech last month skills system will put employers at many, with the government praised made a big promise to workers. If the centre of skills provision through for placing skills and retraining Tyou want to retrain, reskill and take a ‘skills accelerator programme’. The at the forefront of its plan for the a new career path, you can do so. As part government hopes this will build pandemic recovery. Indeed, young of the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda, stronger partnerships between people were among the hardest hit the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill employers and local colleges or by the coronavirus crisis: in April was introduced to parliament on 18 May training providers, ensuring that this year, data from the Office for and promises to “support a lifetime skills local needs are met in sectors such as National Statistics showed that the guarantee”. At any point in people’s lives, construction, digital, clean energy and under-25s accounted for more than a flexible loan for higher-level education manufacturing. The bill also allows half (54 per cent) of job losses in the and training – whether full time or the government to intervene in places past year. Ann Francke, chief executive part time, technical qualifications or of education or training if required of the Chartered Management

CHRIS JACKSON, PORCOREX, FUREVERPAWTRAITS.COM/ GETTYIMAGES FUREVERPAWTRAITS.COM/ PORCOREX, JACKSON, CHRIS academia – will be available. standards are not being met. Institute, said she was “delighted to

10 peoplemanagement.co.uk News & analysis

see the Queen’s speech focus on skills”, calling age of 19 fell by 8 per cent, and less than a quarter it the “right priority in a post-Brexit, post- (24 per cent) of apprenticeship starts so far in pandemic UK”. 2020-21 have been among the under-19s. But for many, there was an elephant in the “A more exible training levy would enable room – the apprenticeship levy, the reform employers to invest in other forms of accredited of which is on top of many employers’ training and development, and would maximise wishlists, was not even mentioned. “Without opportunities for employers to work with An a fundamental rethink of the local further education colleges and universities,” apprenticeship levy, plans to boost says Willmott. unexpected employer engagement with local ”The levy is  e government has proposed bonus education and training providers are to make the apprenticeship system Employees of West likely to be fatally undermined,” says failing to more exible in some ways, but not Midlands Trains Ben Willmott, head of public policy deliver for the way that most businesses were recently received an at the CIPD. “ e levy is failing to hoping for. In April, the government unanticipated windfall – learners and or so they thought. deliver the right results for learners unveiled a new exible apprenticeship Staff clicking through and employers. We need an e ective employers” scheme that would allow apprentices from a ‘thank you’ email skills system more than ever if the to work across multiple projects purporting to be from MD government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda is with di erent employers. Under the Julian Edwards off ering a to succeed.” Department for Education’s proposed exi-job bonus for those who had run trains during the  e levy, which was introduced in 2017 apprenticeship schemes, instead of working for 12 pandemic were instead to improve the provision of apprenticeships months or more with a single employer, apprentices emailed back telling them as an alternative to university, takes 0.5 per would be allowed to work across a range of projects it was actually a ‘phishing cent of the salary bill from all employers that and with di erent employers as part of the same simulation test’ and there was no bonus. spend more than £3m annually on wages.  e quali cation.  e proposals would enable sectors A spokesperson for government then tops this up by 10 per cent, with exible employment patterns and short-term the operator said: “We and the fund is kept for that employer to use on roles, such as construction, agriculture and the take cybersecurity very apprenticeships. Funds that aren’t used by the creative industries, to create more opportunities seriously. We run regular employer within two years expire and are passed for younger workers. training and it’s important to test back to the government. However, Lizzie Crowley, senior skills adviser your resilience.” But freedom of information requests by the at the CIPD, is concerned the proposals won’t CIPD have revealed that businesses missed go far enough, saying that many sectors where out on nearly £2bn worth of levy funds in the project-based work is the norm struggle to host last two years, as this was reclaimed by the full apprenticeships, meaning young people are Treasury because it was unspent.  is was despite missing out on a “crucial pathway into the labour “Be kind, employers doubling the amount they were market”. “ e government needs to go further because you spending on generic management apprenticeships than tinkering with apprenticeship exibility and in an attempt to use up money they had put reform the apprenticeship levy, which the evidence are all no into the pot. All of this is at a time when shows is restricting the number of apprenticeships better o cial government  gures show the number of going to young people and undermining employer apprenticeships going to young people under the investment in skills more widely,” she says. than the cleaner” A cleaner leaves The Queen’s speech at a glance a note for her The Skills and Post-16 Education 80,000 green jobs over the next also provide relief to employers ‘aggressive and cruel’ boss on her Bill was just one of the work-related 30 years. of veterans. last day before announcements in the Queen’s retiring speech last month. Here’s what else ● National insurance relief for ● Diversity: following the is on the agenda for this parliament: ‘freeports’: the government controversial fi ndings of the announced the National Insurance Sewell report on racial inequality, ● Green jobs: the government Contributions Bill, which will many groups were expecting an has brought in legislation to build on provide businesses at eight announcement. But there was only 45% the industrial decarbonisation previously announced freeports a passing mention that “measures of workers are in strategy, introduced in March, relief from national insurance will be brought forward to address favour of a ‘dogs in which promises to create contributions. The bill will racial and ethnic disparities”. the offi ce’ policy SOURCE: POWWOWNOW

peoplemanagement.co.uk 11 News & analysis In-person right to work checks on hold – for now Go ernment extends deadline a er backlash  om employers and business groups mployers worried about photographs of documents lockdown restrictions and ideally moving away from resuming in-person right when checking whether social distancing measures”. relying on physical documents to work checks while individuals are legally allowed One of the biggest and conventional workplaces,” still operating remotely to work in the UK. concerns for employers over says Osborne, adding that this E have been given a  e return to in-person in-person checks is the risk of would also be important for temporary reprieve. Following checks, which was initially discrimination claims arising other areas of immigration a backlash from employers and billed to happen on 17 May, from candidates or potential compliance. business groups, the Home will now come into force on employees unable to show  e Recruitment & O ce announced a temporary 21 June – the same day the their documents in person. Employment Confederation U-turn extending the Covid government plans to drop its  is is a risk the government is and the Association of rules that allow employers work from home guidance, aware of: o cial Professional Sta ng to use video calls and accept as long as infection rates are guidance urges Companies (APSCo) scans or still under control.  e Home businesses to “People are – both of which O ce said the change “take extra care not as good lobbied the Home was “aligned to ensure no one O ce for more time Experts believe the government with the is discriminated as tech is – also called for more should move away from relying easing against as a job permanent reform. on physical documents in the at spotting remote working age of applicant or “We had hoped that employee because fraudulent the Home O ce they are unable to would prioritise the show you their documents” expansion of digital documents”. checks – a process much However, the more suitable for the modern extension only kicks world of  exible work,” says the problem down Tania Bowers, legal counsel the road. “ e and head of public policy at way people are APSCo, adding that returning working now is to physical checks was not not the same as necessarily safer: “People are it was before not as good as technology the pandemic,” is at spotting fraudulent says Andrew documents.” Osborne, But Gillian McKearney, head of head of UK immigration immigration at Field sher, says there are at Lewis currently no signs a permanent Silkin. “ e change is on the way, and urges logistical issues employers to continue their for handling preparations for in-person valuable checks. “It’s key to note that documents businesses should still press where one or on with reimplementing both parties are procedures for the end of remote working remote checks,” she says. are not going to go “ is extension has only away by 21 June. delayed the issue of potential “ e government discrimination against needs to put structures prospective candidates who are in place to deal with the unable to show employers their

remote working trend, o cial documents.” TARIK EYEEM GETTYIMAGES HAJJAR

Did you know that CIPD members have exclusive access to the Employment Law at Work Service and legal helplines? cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/employment-law UK LEGAL LOWDOWN Harassment claim Addison Lee refused appeal on drivers’ after ‘coloured’ employment status after Uber ruling remark dismissed A cleaner’s claim for harassment Court of Appeal decides case has no reasonable chance of success related to race after an older colleague’s use of the term ‘coloured’ t was only a matter of time before the thousands of Addison Lee drivers could be to describe customers was dismissed ripples of February’s landmark Supreme entitled to an average of £10,000 each in after the judge ruled the term was Court ruling on Uber were felt by the rest compensation as a result of the judgment. not used with “any other negative Iof the gig economy – it just happened “We hope companies with similar business connotations that might have to be Addison Lee that was rst to feel the models to Uber and Addison Lee recognise disclosed prejudice”. e ects. Last month the private hire company that they cannot continue to deny people The judge added that the outdated term was used because it was believed had its appeal in a similar case thrown out basic rights,” said Liana Wood, a solicitor in to be less off ensive than referring to by the Court of Appeal on the basis that, the rm’s employment team, adding that the the customers as ‘black’, and that the following the precedent set by the Uber decision was “yet another blow to big rms language was once used by people of case, it had no reasonable chance of success. operating in the gig economy”. a “certain age” who “genuinely felt it to  e Court of Appeal denied Addison Derek Cribb, CEO of the Association be a polite term”. Lee’s request to appeal a 2017 employment of Independent Professionals and the Self- Ryan Justin was employed by facilities management company Atlas tribunal decision that its drivers were Employed, said the ruling was another sign to undertake cleaning services at dependent contractors.  e tribunal found that the government “urgently” needed to PureGym in Derby from 18 December there was an overarching contract between introduce clear rules around self-employment. 2019 until his resignation on 8 February the rm and its drivers, and that drivers met “ is is the true source of the confusion in the 2020. On 5 February 2020, Justin the statutory de nition of workers because gig economy: that while there is a de nition noticed a colleague, Markham Pell, had they were personally agreeing to work of employee and worker status in UK law, left a note in the company’s comment whenever they logged on to their device, a there is still no clear de nition of who exactly book that said “three coloured guys were messing around”. Justin, who ruling that was upheld by the Employment is self-employed,” said Cribb. “We cannot described himself as a black man, Appeal Tribunal. continue in a situation where the only way to intended to talk to Pell “in a spirit of  e Court of Appeal said the Uber ruling de ne self-employment is through court case educating”; however, the tribunal heard had “emphatically rea rmed” that, when a er court case.” the conversation became “closer to contracts are opposite to the realities of an An Addison Lee spokesperson said one of confrontation”. employer-employee relationship, they should this was an historic case regarding drivers The following day, Justin allegedly refused to be trained by Pell on a be disregarded in favour of legal statute.  e who were no longer in the company’s piece of equipment. Justin told Pell court added that Addison Lee’s case was “not employment, and it had since changed its his earlier comment had included innovative” and would have had a di erent working practices and the way it engages a racial term and, when Pell said he outcome to the case put forward by Uber. with drivers. didn’t understand the term to be Leigh Day, the law rm representing Addison Lee could still appeal its case to “nasty or upsetting” and he was “not the drivers in the case, has said it believes the Supreme Court. being racist”, the tribunal heard Justin responded that he met “people like him” in prison and could “knock him to the ground right now or walk out”. Gym trainer with fear of bodily luids ‘was discriminated against’ Justin sent his letter of resignation to his manager with immediate eff ect A gym trainer at Nuffi eld Health passed as fi t to do the job with condition, said the tribunal, on the same day, in which he said he was discriminated against after she agreed modifi cations, including not which was “surprising in an refused to work with Pell. refused to pick up sweaty towels, an undertaking hygiene-related tasks organisation whose purpose is to Andrew Willis, head of legal at employment tribunal has ruled. that could trigger her GAD. promote wellbeing”. Croner, said the case highlighted Ali Burton, who has been The tribunal said Burton had to Burton’s complaint of direct that education on race could reduce employed at the fi tness chain repeatedly explain her condition discrimination succeeded in disagreements among employees. since May 2018, has a generalised and required adjustments to part, as did her complaints anxiety disorder (GAD) and her managers, who “exhibited a of discrimination because of phobia of coming into contact with sceptical attitude”. One manager something arising in consequence bodily fl uids. The tribunal heard likened Burton’s phobia to “having a of disability, of harassment and that Burton disclosed her mental milk phobia and working in Costa”. of failure to make reasonable health condition at the interview Nuffi eld Health had adjustments. A remedy hearing For employment law advice and resources, visit hr-inform.co.uk SHUTTERSTOCK and induction stages, and was limited understanding of her has yet to take place.

14 peoplemanagement.co.uk Date: 11.May 2021 14:10:38

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“People practitioners should be open to being instigators of change” strategic andproactive. it,sowe always expect haveleast to be the surface andthen up pops when we with. Itdealt constantly rumbles under mean it nolonger exists or it’s been it’s notdiscussed in the press doesn’t table. We know all that just because and those conversations bold on the workplace. Let’s keep the fire burning positive change around racein the professionals. Let’s the be catalyst of because that’s we can do. all to inspire those around us to change, andwe shareare hopeful these messages change,andI’mexpect one ofthem. We a tickbox. and are active, rather than just acting as strategies are in consultation developed to ensure needs HR its EDI not there yet.But, more importantly, We are capable ofsomuch HR as Many blackandbrown donot people that ensure career development to their business strategy, and employee to all createto all better working opportunities are accessible environments. environments. that share changeand should a with their leadership, are ifthey similar transformational vision HR should be at be the should helmof HR peoplemanagement.co.uk STUDIO BLENDED LEARNING DIRECTOR OF FOUNDER AND 17 In practice Real organisations, real challenges Willmott Dixon “People have a universal need to feel they belong at work” The construction firm has set its sights on the ambitious target of achieving gender parity among its workforce by 2030 istorically, the construction but if 48 per cent of the available workforce female workforce meant starting at the industry hasn’t been best known is female, and we’ve only got 12.5 per cent, very beginning. Having previously found for its gender diversity. Analysis then we’re missing a trick,” he says. that careers advisers in schools were of official figures in 2019 by For Lee, treating the target as a piece of actively putting young girls off this path, union GMB found the sector’s organisational change work has been key to Lee and his team implemented a plan to H workforce was just 12.5 per cent reaching the company’s goal. For example, “influence the influencers”, and now host female – and with this number having defining the language used to articulate the open days specifically for careers advisers increased by 2.1 percentage points, case was important to help the workforce to promote the range of options on offer equivalent to just 60,000 workers, during relate to it, so the work was presented in in the industry. “They’ve told us their the preceding decade, at the same rate it line with one of the company’s core values thinking has been transformed,” he says. would take nearly two centuries to achieve of having complimentary teams. “And they’ll now actively encourage young gender parity. And following making the case for the girls to choose STEM [science, technology, But some firms are doing everything change came actually embedding it. As engineering and maths] careers.” they can to reach the holy grail of 50/50 well as a national gender diversity steering The company is also focusing on

COLIN STOUT COLIN gender representation far quicker than group covering the entire firm, Willmott several specific groups of the workforce 200 years; in particular, construction and Dixon also created several local steering to target those with the right skills but property services company Willmott groups within its regional businesses to who may have previously not considered Dixon plans to do so in just nine. The drive the change at a more granular level. construction, including Armed Forces organisation – which has 3,000 employees Finding the right people to champion the leavers and those returning to work after PHOTOGRAPHY as well as a regular supply chain of 7,000 change, says Lee, was “absolutely key”. He a career break, the latter of which has – has already reached more than double recruited people to the steering groups seen a number of women join the firm the industry average, with a 27 per cent who ticked two boxes: they were passionate from sectors including financial services, female workforce, and has ambitious plans about wanting to attract more women to banking and retail. “We’re looking to to reach a 50/50 split. The industry has, the industry, and influential within the attract women who are good leaders, good in the past, explains chief people officer company. “These people are respected with people and good project managers,” Rick Lee, “not been particularly attractive” within the organisation – hierarchy is explains Lee. ELEANOR WHITEHOUSE WHITEHOUSE ELEANOR for women, although that is set to change, irrelevant,” he explains. But with the industry notorious for with the rest of the sector slowly coming Trying to market the career its unsociable working hours, key to

WORDS on board. “The industry has a skills gap – opportunities in construction to the engagement for all staff, not just women,

18 peoplemanagement.co.uk Willmott Dixon

was better agile and flexible working – further accelerated by the Covid pandemic. Following a successful trial at one of its sites – in which the team’s working week was “People have a reduced from 52 hours to 45 by allowing flexible finish times and standardising meeting times, resulting in the project being completed seven weeks ahead of schedule – the company rolled out agile working across universal need to feel its entire workforce, and also introduced a home working allowance. Eighty-nine per cent of employees now say they are supported to work in an agile or flexible way. Willmott Dixon’s focus on achieving they belong at work” gender parity (it’s the “biggest area of disparity”, explains Lee) does also not mean other areas of inclusion and diversity are neglected. “There’s a universal need for people to feel a sense of belonging and appreciation at work, and that’s what inclusion and diversity is all about,” says Lee. The firm’s local businesses have got involved in nearby Pride events in recent years, and Lee says another focus is to expand the representation of ethnic minorities among the workforce. The company also ensures sites are inclusive, with outside cabins offering prayer rooms, toilets equipped with sanitary products and extra support for disabled visitors. It is also a Disability Confident accredited employer. And the firm’s work to improve gender diversity and other measures of inclusion are clearly being appreciated internally – 91 per cent of its staff agree they are working in a fully inclusive environment, and 100 per cent say they feel proud to work for Willmott Dixon. But the number of external accolades also speaks for itself. It recently made it on to The Times Top 50 Employers for Women list for the third year running, is the highest- placed construction firm on theFinancial Times Diversity Leaders Index, and has been in the top fiveSunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For for two years. But “If 48 per cent of for Lee, just being chosen isn’t the end goal: the workforce is “Over time, we’re going to see more and more construction companies on those lists female, and we and, for us, that’s the really important thing.” ✶ Lee will be speaking at this year’s online CIPD Festival of only have 12.5 Work on 15-17 June. To view the conference programme and per cent, we’re book your ticket, visit festivalofwork.com missing a trick” peoplemanagement.co.uk 19 In practice Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust “Public support had dried up by the second wave”

Being on the frontline of the pandemic response forced the trust to overhaul its approaches to wellbeing, recruitment and diversity hen Covid first hit, across adds: the trust also needed to “maximise” One year on, it’s clear Covid has taken the NHS there was a surge existing staff, including those in back its toll on staff wellbeing – particularly in redeploying staff to the office and corporate roles, and decide how those on the frontline. Before the frontline, doctors coming best they could support the wards. This pandemic, Cheatle explains, the trust out of retirement and even involved the HR team assessing people’s did a lot on wellbeing, even winning an Wgraduates coming on board skills and working out where they could be NHS England award in 2019. But Covid, to help trusts across the UK deal with safely redeployed – bearing in mind not to he says, has made the trust “completely the demand. But none of that could have expose them to undue risk or asking them rethink” its approach. “During Covid happened as quickly as it did without to do things beyond their skillsets. “We one, we tried to provide wraparound care each trust’s HR team – and it was no erred on the side of caution,” Cheatle says. for staff – everything from mental health different for south-west London-based “We wouldn’t ask someone to work in the support to onsite parking and a pop-up Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation ICU [intensive care unit], for example, supermarket,” he explains. “But we learned Trust. “It was a really challenging process unless they were completely up to date or we weren’t equipped to do for the team,” says Kelvin Cheatle, could be retrained quickly.” some things well.” director of workforce. “We had to come Cheatle, who has more “Covid is a bit So when the second wave up with new rotas and new working than 20 years’ experience in began, the trust focused on patterns almost overnight.” HRD roles, recalls the “great like a war. In increasing engagement and Referring to the first wave of the spirit” among staff during the middle of listening to what staff wanted pandemic as ‘Covid one’, Cheatle explains Covid one, with the trust through team briefings and how, as well as launching a campaign as “overwhelmed with public it you realise pulse surveys. “At one end of part of the national drive to encourage support”. However, this had you can do the spectrum, we brought DODD JULIAN recently retired staff to rejoin the trust, dried up by the second wave, in a clinical psychologist to a big part of this process was the need to and “Covid exhaustion” things quickly” support mental wellbeing “cut out the bureaucracy”. “We needed had set in. Although staff because staff were suffering

to fast track them in,” he explains. “So had accepted they needed to drop what deep trauma,” Cheatle says. “But then PHOTOGRAPHY when reappointing people, we made they were doing, says Cheatle, it was night staff also told us they would value sure their registrations were up to date, “clearly a very stressful process”. This was a hot meal, so we used some charitable they had a current DBS check and were particularly apparent when there was a funds to provide that. It was the HR team fit to practice. That gave us some supply huge spike in cases days before Christmas, that served those meals.”

relatively quickly.” with the trust forced to cancel annual leave The pandemic has also led Cheatle and RAMBHAI JYOTI But redeployment didn’t just mean and redeploy people “really rapidly” to his team to re-evaluate their wellbeing

getting clinicians to the frontline, Cheatle deal with the surge. strategy more broadly. Every employee WORDS

20 peoplemanagement.co.uk now has wellbeing conversations with their line manager to find out what support they need, and that support is tailored to four key areas: family, physical, mental and “Public support financial health. But wellbeing is not the only area Covid has shone a light on. Cheatle says it has also led the trust to rethink its I&D strategy and recruitment processes, and the Black Lives Matter movement and the had dried up by pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people with ethnic minority backgrounds spurred the trust on to appoint a diversity champion. More than a third of the trust’s workforce has an ethnic minority the second wave” background, with 57 nationalities represented. “The diversity champion will lead from the bottom up and find out what issues are facing BAME staff, those with disabilities – and our EU employees, because we regard them as a minority group too,” Cheatle explains. “And also to try and break the glass ceiling around career development.” The pandemic also taught Cheatle about the trust’s capacity for organisational agility, particularly in terms of recruitment and onboarding. “It’s a bit like a war. When you’re in the middle of it, you realise you can do things quickly when you have to,” he says. “If we can get people in in three days during Covid, why can’t we get them in more quickly generally? Some of our processes are overly bureaucratic and we want to cut through that.” One of the best things Cheatle says the trust has done during Covid was partner with three other local trusts – St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, and Croydon – to launch a joint recruitment hub, which acts as a ‘one-stop shop’ that allows them all to recruit at pace and scale, and has been vital in onboarding staff for the vaccine rollout. As part of its new recruitment strategy, the group has also introduced a digital staff passport, which has streamlined the onboarding process. Covid has been a huge learning experience for HR teams, and they have played a vital role in supporting frontline staff. But the biggest challenge now, Cheatle says, is dealing with the backlog of elective surgeries while ensuring staff are rested. “They’ve been at it solidly for 12 months, so need to be ready to go,” he says. “But also in case we get a third wave – and no one knows if or when that will arrive.”

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LDG0171 - People Management print ad-0521-f-FINAL.indd 1 17/05/2021 11:26:04 OnSide Youth Zones In practice

worked, which was prone to mistakes and no proper audit trail. “It took three The solution In 2017, OnSide Youth Zones partnered with workforce management provider UKG to trial its software at four of its 14 full days just to centres. The system enabled the charity to streamline all its administrative processes, distribute workloads more evenly among management staff at the centres and effectively track things such process payroll” as absence and employee availability. Because each Youth Zone operates as an independent charity with much of its funding coming from local businesses Switching from paper to a workforce management and councils, the system enabled the system has minimised the charity’s HR admin group to know “exactly where we’re spending the money”, says Hall. The problem approved by their manager at the end The software is now part of the Using technology to carry out basic, of each week and sent to the business charity’s standard model and is or sometimes not so basic, HR administrator, who would then add up being rolled out across Youth Zones, functions is commonplace in 2021. all the hours and send the information including new centres. But OnSide Youth Zones – a charity to payroll. “It was such a laborious that provides young people from process,” says Duncan Hall, systems The outcome disadvantaged areas with a range of implementation manager at OnSide “It’s a game changer,” says Lisa Potter, activities and support – was, until Youth Zones. “It would take three full HR and office manager at the Wigan recently, still using manual, paper-based days to process payroll because it was so OnSide Youth Zone, which had the new processes to do payroll and other time consuming.” platform implemented in September administrative tasks. Other issues Hall highlights with 2020. “It’s given ownership back to Staff would fill in paper timesheets, this process include inconsistency and managers and freed up my time in the which would be collected and unreliable recording of data and hours back office so I’m not chasing them for clarity or information on timesheets. It’s finally got us into the 21st century.” In fact, bringing in the software has reduced manager administration to just 10 minutes every other day, and the time spent on payroll tasks has been cut by more than 60 per cent. In addition, Hall says the system has helped to increase employee engagement and accountability. “It’s given staff CHRIS FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHY more control of their own time – they can book their annual leave from work or the comfort of their home, and they can

PHOTOGRAPHY view their timesheets and have visibility of what they’re being paid before they actually receive their payslip,” he explains. “All this has led to a more engaged The new system has enabled staff to take control of their time, workforce where everyone which has boosted engagement plays their part in managing JYOTI RAMBHAI WORDS JYOTI time and leave.”

peoplemanagement.co.uk 23 83% of employers say their staff are optimistic about going back to

the officeWORDS ELIZABETH HOWLETT

Not everyone is excited about lockdown easing, so HR needs to make sure the transition back to the workplace puts wellbeing front of mind

et again, another huge shift in the priorities. For example, a poll by Mental She adds that even a change in where world of work is occurring as a Health First Aid England in March people are sitting in the office could need Ydirect result of the pandemic. The found that a quarter of employees have an adjustment period. vaccine rollout is proving successful and received no mental health check-ins since And indeed, life during the pandemic now many businesses are considering how the start of the pandemic. has not just changed the way we work but to open their doors and safely welcome Despite the government still advocating also the way we live, which adds an extra employees back. But depending on who home working where possible at the time layer of complication when it comes to you speak to, returning to work will of going to press, wellbeing is something employee wellbeing. Rachel Suff, senior conjure up very different emotions. organisations should be actively addressing policy adviser at the CIPD, points out On the one hand, employees who have now, says mental health consultant Petra that people’s individual circumstances may either been furloughed or working from Velzeboer, who is all too aware of the have changed, whether that’s personally, home in the longer term may be eager to building anxiety around when businesses financially or mentally: “There’s going to be rejoin the working environment, while may reopen. “The main pressure points a big range of responses, and I think they others may be wracked with anxiety. And are nerves around public transport, health, will be overlaid by the past experience of although one in four fit notes issues by adapting to a new routine and having to the pandemic and all of the different work- GPs in April, May and June 2020 were readjust to working life,” she says. “Being related and personal experiences. Some for a mental health-related condition, out of the habit means feelings of anxiety people may now have a different domestic and almost one in five employed adults can go through the roof, and there will setting, they may have more responsibilities experienced depression between January be higher levels of nervousness and or their commute may have changed.” and March this year, it seems wellbeing is hypervigilance about who is around you, The transition from home working still not high on some employers’ lists of or what the protocols are in the workplace.” or furlough back into the workplace

24 peoplemanagement.co.uk BACK will need to be treated with a degree of Ensuring the sensitivity, but what is the best approach workplace is safe TO THE How are HR teams to take to ensure employee wellbeing is not and providing OFFICE managing the return compromised in the process? Su suggests clear information to the offi ce? taking it slow and steady to give employees on how the time to become more comfortable. “You business will We surveyed People Management need to allow a period of adjustment to keep the risk of readers about their plans, get people used to returning to a working catching Covid and how their workforces feel environment with other people so they down is relatively about going back can get con dent with their organisation’s straightforward, health and safety measures,” she says. “It has but employers to be tailored towards individual wellbeing cannot guarantee needs as much as possible, and it’s going that public to require a lot of discussion and e ort for transport is safe 15% organisations to get that right.” She warns – a challenge are mandating staff go into that if they don’t get it right, employee Andy James Picken, workforce health work every working day relations could crumble during a “very and wellbeing lead at Chester eld Royal once government advice tense time”. Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, took changes  is is the tactic Eugenio Pirri, chief in his stride. A large proportion of people and culture o cer at Dorchester Picken’s workforce travels by bus, so he Collection, has adopted in preparing his partnered with Stagecoach to help sta sta for returning to one of its many luxury seek assurance on safety measures directly hotels across the UK. “ e  rst thing we from the operator. He also used salary 53% need to do with concerns about returning sacri ce employee bene ts to o er an say their staff are to work is address them,” explains Pirri, alternative. “A lot of employees took up concerned about contracting Covid at work who has kept in touch with every member the cycle to work salary sacri ce scheme of sta since lockdown began, and has last year so we have since increased the introduced training programmes to “re- value to £5,000 and introduced an e-bike engage” his workforce with the Covid-safe discount,” he explains, adding that not business. “We are listening intently to all only does it keep sta concerns about 46% concerns but not thinking we need to have public transport at bay, it also helps to say their employees are an answer right away. We are just having improve their mental wellbeing. worried about maintaining conversations with them and walking them From a legal point of view, Richard childcare provisions after through the fear, which is sometimes just Port, principal solicitor at Boardside, returning to the offi ce not knowing what to expect.” He adds that assures that as long as employers have you must take your time and be respectful: done their duty of care to ensure sta are “You can’t put the business  rst; you have safe in the workplace, the rest is on the to put people  rst at this stage, and then employee. “In a black letter law sense, make the journey together towards a full an employee’s commute and personal 62% return to work.” thoughts on this [returning to work] are off ering more mental health support for Having open communication about are theirs to deal with,” he says. “We employees returning from health and safety measures is also an shouldn’t, however, be dismissive of home working e ective way to placate any nerves, workers who don’t want to use public says Dr Karen Michell, researcher at transport or are concerned about the the Institution of Occupational Safety workplace, but it will soon become an and Health. “Employers should listen anxiety that has less credence to it as to workers, understand where they are more people are vaccinated.” 43% coming from and then provide them  e return to work will potentially will require staff to be in with the information that can allay those split the workforce into two categories the offi ce for a minimum number of days per week fears, such as the hygiene and sanitation of excited and nervous, but Michell after reopening processes, one-way systems, social says it’s the individuals who aren’t distancing and perspex barriers,” she says, feeling comfortable that we need to pay adding that having one conversation attention to. “A lot of workers may have would not be enough. “It’s going to be a lost a relative, colleague or friend, and case of repeating these conversations to the grieving process for them during 67%  nd out if their mental health has been lockdown has not been normal.  ey will are off ering either slightly a ected and if they feel it is improving. have to deal with grief and coming back or signifi cantly increased Communication will be a key issue in to work at the same time so every case is fl exibility after reopening

SOURCE: SURVEY OF 556 PEOPLE MANAGEMENT READERS, 2021 MAY getting these workers back to work.” going to have to be managed.”

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Appraisal on a park bench Do we need the office? As Covid restrictions ease,

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peoplemanagement.co.uk 27 nce the staple of the  ve-days-a- o ce, is best, while 7 per cent prefer Head of people Louise Matthews says week commute, the location of its full-time remote working. A further there are huge advantages to working Oown unique brand of politics and 25 per cent think an even split between remotely, although there is a big challenge the centre of many of our working lives, the o ce and remote working is ideal. Given in building, and maintaining, a strong o ce has taken a step out of the limelight the changing ways of working expected company culture. To help people bond and during the last 15 months thanks to mass post Covid, 51 per cent of the businesses connect, HomeHero has implemented remote working instigated by the Covid surveyed also anticipate that their o ce or a programme of virtual team socials, pandemic. And a concept that may a few workspace will need to be repurposed. including wine tasting,  lm nights, years ago have seemed unthinkable is now Clearly, there are various ways forward cookery classes and cocktail evenings. being seriously considered by businesses up and many considerations for companies While the organisation works to a and down the country: whether they really to weigh up. “Organisations are taking remote- rst model, it also has a creative need – or indeed want – an o ce. di erent approaches,” says Rachel Su , ‘bunker’ in Shoreditch, east London, A recent BBC survey of 50 of the UK’s senior policy adviser at the CIPD. “Some which allows the team to come together biggest employers, together employing are going all out for 100 per cent home when they need to. “It’s a great spot for more than 1.1 million people, found working and closing their head o ces. workshops, brainstorms and team days,” almost all do not plan to bring sta back Others want to return to the more explains Matthews. “It’s a good  t for us, to the o ce full time once lockdown traditional, everyone onsite approach. But and a great balance in staying connected restrictions are eased, with 43 of the hopefully there will be more in between while working remotely. We’ve also really organisations saying they would embrace those two ends of the spectrum, where leaned in to tech tools like Slack, Google a hybrid model – a mix of home and o ce they look to combine the best of home Hangouts, Miro and Trello. We’ve had to working – where sta are encouraged to working with a return to the o ce.” adapt ways of working, but a year down work from home two to three days a week. Below we look at some of the models the line we’re seeing great results.” And the trend isn’t just prevalent being pursued and talk to senior people among the business behemoths. Research professionals about why their organisation The touchdown spaces published in April by Grant  ornton is going down a particular path, and the  e events of 2020 led Hertfordshire UK found just 5 per cent of 603 mid-sized challenges and opportunities this poses. County Council to review how and businesses believe that full-time o ce where its people work and to consider how working will be most e ective for their The remote-fi rst business working di erently could enable it to be people post pandemic. Drilling down into HomeHero, a prop-tech start-up with a a more modern and  exible organisation. the data, 44 per cent of the organisations team of 60, decided to become a ‘remote  is necessitated the development of a surveyed feel a shi towards more remote  rst’ organisation in the early weeks of the longer-term ‘ways of working’ vision that working, rather than o ce based, is the pandemic. For some, this means working prioritises outcomes over locations. best way forward. Of these, 37 per cent in their home o ces, while for others it Under this vision, greater use has been believe a blended approach, with more might be a local co-working space or hot made of ‘touchdown spaces’ introduced time spent working remotely than in an desking facility. a few years ago. “As a county council we have various buildings and job roles as well as the regular o ce bases, from  re How are HR teams using their offi ces after Covid? stations and libraries to We surveyed People Management readers about their plans day care centres,” says Caroline Butler, head 12% 43% 22% of HR strategy, reward are closing one or are keeping locations are encouraging and employee relations. but changing how “Many of our employees more locations use of co-working travel around the county they’re used spaces caring for our citizens. It made sense to open touchdown spaces in our buildings so they didn’t have to drive back to a main building 9% 42% 95% between clients.” plan to consult on Now they are aren’t planning say their workforces also being used with future closures any changes are supportive of Covid safety in mind. their plans Non-frontline sta , meanwhile, have been working at home for a year now. Recent pulse

SOURCE: SURVEY OF 556 PEOPLE MANAGEMENT READERS, 2021 MAY 28 peoplemanagement.co.uk BACK TO THE OFFICE surveys indicate that on the topic industry standards and going forward most covering employees’ best practice for workplace wish to work mainly intentions and will policies. For us, it was remotely with some take comments into important to give our time spent in the account as it re nes Revoluters some control o ce, rather than the local policies and over the way they would be pre-pandemic situation guidelines. “While we working, both now and in where o ce working was have proven that working the future.” the norm. from home is productive and e cient, we believe having colleagues The ‘what, not where’ model The half-and-half arrangement together in the same place has great value,” As part of its culture transformation Hybrid models are being developed in adds Hansen Peck. “ e o ce becomes strategy, Sta ordshire Police has developed various forms, each tweaked to suit an the preferred space for face-to-face a ‘trust-driven policing’ initiative with a organisation’s particular needs. One socialising, collaboration and creativity.” focus on delivery of results as opposed to a common answer that’s evolving with more traditional focus on time and physical the aim of striking a good balance is ‘the The collaboration campus presence as an indicator of performance. 50/50’, in which employees are allowed to Online retailer  e Very Group has  e advent of Covid accelerated the work work from home up to half of the time, but discovered that colleagues want to retain and helped people with a more traditional the o ce is still very much used. elements of remote working. It is mindful approach see that working in di erent Law rm Travers Smith has decided of related wellbeing issues – for example, ways could be a good thing. “We know that once Covid restrictions have been it introduced a ‘no meeting zone’ between people experience better health and permanently li ed and people feel safe to 12.30pm and 1.30pm daily, when wellbeing, lower absence, less stress, greater return to the o ce, those able to perform colleagues are encouraged to take a break. productivity and greater overall happiness their role e ectively on an agile basis will While the expectation is that there will when they have greater control over all be free to work remotely up to 50 per cent be more hybrid working than before the parts of their lives,” says Justine Kenny, per fortnight, with a minimum of two pandemic, Very has invested to recon gure director of people and resources. days in the o ce each week.  at said, its Liverpool campus – the base for around “So we want people to have a choice over it’s expected that certain populations like 1,800 people – to make it more suitable where, when and how they deliver on their trainee lawyers would bene t from being for collaboration and innovation. “We’re objectives. In essence, people need to be in the o ce more frequently, because of planning for a gradual return to the o ce, where they need to be to deliver what they the invaluable learning opportunities that recognising that it may take some time need to deliver, when it needs delivering. come from working directly with others. for some of our colleagues to feel truly If you are, for example, a response o cer, “HR plays a critical role in ensuring that a comfortable and get used to any Covid- then you need to be available to respond hybrid way of working is successful,” says safe measures that remain in the short to calls for service from the public on a HR director Moira Slape. “We have to term. We won’t be rushing into it,” says particular shi , whereas, if you’re an HR ensure those who choose to work remotely chief people o cer Sarah Willett. business partner who’s working on policy for a portion of their week are given the “We absolutely still need our o ces. development, you can do that any time of same development opportunities as those We believe creativity happens best when day from home, the park, the local café, or who are in the o ce more regularly.” people are together. Our o ce spaces wherever. It’s all about choice.” Travel technology giant Amadeus has will be about high-energy, high-impact Engineering group Mott MacDonald, also developed a 50/50 model, under creativity and collaboration.” Willett adds meanwhile, has adopted what group which all employees will be eligible to that the plans are about productivity and head of people Graeme Clarke describes work from home up to half of the time. o ering sta true value – and getting value as “a maturity-level approach to agile  e rm is also considering ‘work from back in return: “By o ering better balance, working” that gives people the freedom anywhere’ alternatives. “Working from  exibility and interesting and inspiring to operate within a framework. “We anywhere is being talked about a lot in work, we can widen our talent pool, and have taken a global perspective using the media but it is not straightforward attract and retain more amazing people.” company-wide principles that are open and there are more considerations,” says Meanwhile, ntech company Revolut to local interpretation,” he says. “ is gives Sabine Hansen Peck, senior VP of people, found 68 per cent of its employees wanted everyone  exibility.” culture, communication and brand. “Can the  exibility to work both from home  e approach was chosen because the job itself and the tasks be done from and the o ce, while 32 per cent preferred di erent countries are at di erent ‘anywhere’? Does the local infrastructure fully remote work. Consequently, the points in the pandemic. “Duty of care allow for proper tools and connections, like rm is transforming its workplaces into means we can’t impose a ‘one size ts all’ good broadband? And then there are also collaboration and innovation spaces called approach,” says Clarke. “If you try and legal and tax considerations.” RevLabs. “To help us select a model, respond in the moment from the ‘centre’ Amadeus has begun piloting the we gave a lot of careful consideration you end up confusing people as everything arrangement in France and expects to to the opinions of our sta ,” says Jim is di erent globally.” implement it across other international MacDougall, VP of people. “We also ✶ Read the CIPD’s Flexible working: lessons from the pandemic report at bit.ly/CIPDFlexiWorkReport STANISLAW PYTEL GETTYIMAGES STANISLAW sites over 2021. It has launched a survey researched global trends and reviewed

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Without inclusion, s an HR professional, it’s impossible to escape the Awords ‘hybrid working’ this is what your right now. Teams have spent months reviewing policies and discussing strategies for how – and, more importantly, where – the workforce might begin to return to some sort of hybrid office could post-pandemic normality. Every day seems to produce a new announcement from a major brand on its ‘future of work’ strategy, and experts appear to agree that hybrid is the way forward. look like But there have been a few vocal dissenters. Last month JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said he expected Many employers are assessing how a mix the investment bank’s offices to return to how they looked pre-Covid by the autumn. “It doesn’t work for those of home and office working could benefit who want to hustle. It doesn’t work for spontaneous idea generation. It doesn’t them – but they risk disadvantaging certain work for culture,” he said. At Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, CEO David Solomon groups of employees sent staff a missive demanding that they come back to the office from June, WORDS JO FARAGHER TETRA IMAGES LLC/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO claiming a culture of “collaboration,

peoplemanagement.co.uk 31

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offiJune from ces

that staff return to their their staff to that return

Solomon has demanded has Solomon Goldman Sachs CEO David CEO Sachs Goldman 32 Inclusive hybrid working bias – not picking someone – notbias picking for aplum of awareto made presence of be risk the need home Managers more,” she explains. want to work conditions also from might or long-term health disabilities with there; those thereso danger apotential is more on women’stends to fall shoulders, elder and care child that pandemic the “groups. evidence through been ere has consequences unintended be for certain lens”, fairness and “inclusion there could an through hybrid their strategies build organisations unless CIPD,the says that, inclusion for and resourcing at adviser ahybridin environment. working while development professional to support their received no training 10 in employees three showed almost that also Lane4 by consultancy management to receive Asurvey bonuses or pay rises. from homepredominantly were likely less employeesfound that who worked It happening. be already could this O ce suggested for National Statistics by the April in patterns ofstudy working they’re not seen,” a she Indeed, says. “ ere’s we’ve while acamaraderie been atmanagement Craneld University. professorParry, resource of human dierent to what it now,” is says Emma so be amorein context normal will hybrid not it inclusive is seems? as as that or there is adanger on to something, workeveryday at home, but be they could of their to but collaborate do bulk the hybrid model where sta come together  favour of in a arguments ere clear are o an together without in being thrive ce. innovation apprenticeship” and not could Claire McCartney, senior policy McCartney, senior policy Claire “ of experience elived hybrid working peoplemanagement.co.uk all been at home been but, if all all been at home been but, if all you’re at home and you’re and home at you’re at home and you’re and home at your colleagues your colleagues home because home because who work from people against discrimination to o the in are ce, who work from people against discrimination to are in the o the in are ce, that dynamic dynamic that that dynamic dynamic that workers can lead lead can workers workers can lead lead can workers is diis erent. is diis erent. two tiers of tiers of two two tiers of tiers of two that creating creating that know We that creating creating that know We working working from years working working from years exible e l b i x e  o t n i of research exible e l b i x e  o t n i of research that unless everyone has equal access access equal everyone has unless that need to aware be will “Organisations Cave Paisner. Leighton group at Bryan employment the in Moore, associate into consideration,this to Lydia according work, need to hybrid so take strategies inmay also uence where chooseto they gender pay gap,” she says. thereforecould of abroadening the be consequence unintended additional An disability). or gender example, (for characteristic protective on their based discrimination to indirect rise give could result  colleagues. their eoverall alongside working physically condence compared to those to lose mayor start they ‘out of being ofvirtue sight’, on work by opportunities out or miss from colleagues conditions. “ may ey become isolated health underlying with those and parents working such as characteristics, of protected their others because than more to hold likely on to home working who are groups of individuals certain creativity.” hinder as well as business the for risk increase also can which thinking, to avoidto create teams diverse group important It’s incredibly pronounced. may or maybias not become change more unconscious so, doing or “In actual says. of interaction,” the solethe purpose she not work and on agenda the may become is networking where videoconferencing, o awayother is in that en lost through together, helps employees about each learn projects undertaking or workplace the them in meeting incidentally is that “Working di with erent people, whether have– could alonger-term impact. o the in those ce –even informally home between workersdivision and CM Murray, any creating that adds employees.” other benecan t from  the oexibility ered to to them about dito talk erent ways they tounable work remotely, it’s so important nots’ workers there frontline are if who are haveyou and end could ‘haves up with conversations on,” going she “Also, says. “discussions. ere should no be side to party all are teams must their ensure o the day, ce every for –and example them in see can they project because Employees’ personal circumstances Employees’ circumstances personal over there may that, be She time, adds at law  partner Bartlett, Emma rm

“There’s been a

while we’ve all been at home, camaraderie but that will change now” sense of belonging and inclusion. “It feeds inclusion. and “It of feeds sense belonging a to instil achance be consultation can regular this that argues at Lane4, how is we do this it’.” and team our is ‘this saying rather than with, communicated be to how and like to they communicate, like how people remote exactly know teams “ Kandola. at Pearn leaders of ebest Du of head development and , partner or four,”more to three be likely says Stuart but it’s arrangements, of working actually of permutations thousands get you’ll ask, of remote’.‘head “ ere’s you if that, afear ‘chief o such as health mental cer’ and titles with frameworks, these building emergencethe of new roles to dedicated We’re groups. work for all even seeing on whether arrangements regularly teams their need to consult with will managers to policy, however. defaulting than Rather muchso what’s more than on paper, protectionobligations. data their and allowances; of expense havethey core hours of work; details to attendrequired o the ce); whether home, employee the is state that be can ofplace work (if of place work ‘normal’ considerations of ahybrid set-up, such as to cover some of more the practical employment standard contracts reviewing she Moore says. claims,” advocates discrimination treatment indirect and to lead favourable could less arrangement from home aworking opportunities, equipment spaces, to same the and biased,” he adds. hebiased,” adds. set-up  but people still are awed and have –you day possible that best can the people on see to same the they talking and photos putting people on desks their start  –even in quickly spaces working exible into of“People new patterns working fall cohesion. team threaten could which ‘out’ and into ‘in’ however, groups, falling environment there’s of employees a danger Amy Walters,Amy of head research about is hybrid working Successful Du ahybrid even in that warns

up, then change the default.” default.” the up, then change the assumptions you make you assumptions the make into how you information, share fostering a sense of belonging need to  between nd abalance about your You ‘team normal’. identity is preserved,” she says. identity preserved,” is she says. their feeling but individuals they need to cover something need to coverthey something or that aminority in are they people“If feel stressed because BACK TO THE OFFICE Before introducing its ‘Work, Life, working is inclusive of all employees, as that employees with Shi ’ hybrid working programme, well as thinking about the behaviours disabilities will prefer Fujitsu UK asked all employees about that support this new working culture. working from home their working preferences, with 18 per During Covid both Phoenix and Fujitsu even though many found cent opting to return to the o ce full witnessed how working from home o en remote working easier time. But managers continue to have put undue pressure on those with caring during the pandemic. An an open dialogue with teams to ensure and family responsibilities, and both “anticipatory welcome” policies are executed  exibly, says John have introduced  ve days’ additional paid should be part of any Pink, managing director for the private carers’ leave.  ompson says: “Overall inclusive hybrid strategy. “ ere’s a risk sector. Fujitsu’s approach is based on our approach is focused on enabling of creating a world where non-disabled principles rather than rigid rules, and colleagues to agree on an individual basis people work in the o ce and those with regular consultation has already led to an the working arrangements that will work disabilities work from home because the increase in engagement, in particular from best for them. We will use a framework to o ce is not accessible,” says Choudhury. female colleagues. Going forward, role consider the balances of a role, the activity “Being physically able to access the o ce modelling will be a key factor being worked on and the individual’s is still important, and these spaces need to in avoiding the ‘say, do’ gap that preferences.” be set up in such a way that we can access destroys trust in leaders, says “Hybrid could O en, however, employees that space if we so desire.” Pink: “ ere are unintended legitimise need to feel comfortable For organisations that build their consequences in the behaviours before they can speak up if approach to hybrid through this lens, of leaders – saying one thing but working new arrangements don’t  t, this could be an opportunity to lessen then observed to be encouraging remotely and or need extra support. Many some of the inequalities that have been presenteeism, and a return to employees with disabilities highlighted over the past year. “ e pre-pandemic o ce culture.  e lead to a shift felt frustrated by how quickly positive way to look at this is that we opportunity for organisations in culture” employers were able to o er will begin to counter certain penalties that  nd the right balance will adaptations at the start of the women and other minorities have di erentiate them in the market, and it pandemic, for instance. experienced as a result of being out of will open up an array of opportunities for “ ese are things we have been asking for sight,” argues Sarah Jackson,  exible talent from all backgrounds to thrive and for many years, such as  exible working working campaigner and former CEO drive the organisation forward.” structures and working from home of charity Working Families. “More Sara  ompson, HR director at savings options,” says Atif Choudhury, chief women will work from home more o en, and retirement  rm Phoenix Group, executive of social enterprise Diversity but there will also be a chunk of men also led a consultation with employees and Ability. “If organisations are proactive that choose to work from home too, and to ensure inclusivity sits at the core of its about making these changes then people organisations are much more sensitive hybrid approach.  is includes ensuring don’t have to have a high degree of self- to losing male talent than female. that if o ces are adapted this is done advocacy to get back to work.”  ey’ll become more alert to things like so with accessibility in mind, and that In the coming months, he adds, proximity bias when that applies to all the technology used to support hybrid organisations should not assume employees, which could so en career penalties and legitimise working remotely whoever you are, and lead to a shi in culture.” Which hybrid mode works best?  e challenge is that the shi to hybrid is going to be a new experience for every organisation Alexia Cambon, director for research at • Working alone, together (in the same – its impact will be hard to analyst company Gartner, says one of building but working on diff erent things, predict because there’s no data to the issues around hybrid working is that asynchronously) base it on. “ e most important organisations tend to be vague about what • Working alone, apart (asynchronously thing is to have a spotlight on it actually means. “It’s not just that there is from a remote location) inclusion and fairness at the heart no set place of work, it’s a model,” she says. – whether it’s training, technology “Rather than thinking about it as a black- During the pandemic, much of the focus was or communications,” concludes and-white policy, it’s better to view it as a on distributed synchronous work, but Cambon McCartney. “We know more about philosophy with core principles that are your argues that inclusive employers will need to our colleagues than ever before guardrails. It should be employee driven, from make all of these modes equally accessible: the perspective of ‘how can I make this way of “Organisations tend to think that synchronous thanks to the pandemic, so we need working help me to be more productive’ rather work creates innovation and have historically to use that sense of connection than ‘one size fi ts all’.” underinvested in asynchronous work. Diff erent to address inequality as soon as Gartner has come up with four collaboration personality types will enjoy diff erent modes possible if we see it.” ✶ Find out more about the CIPD’s #FlexFrom1st ‘modes’ in the hybrid environment: – junior staff will get passive learning from campaign, calling for the right to request fl exible • Working together, together (in the same the offi ce while introverts may prefer to work working to be a day-one right, at cipd.co.uk/ building, synchronously) alone. It’s about understanding how teams fl exfrom1st • Working together, apart (remotely, but collaborate and what their dynamics are, and synchronously) using the modes accordingly.” peoplemanagement.co.uk 33 How is reopening the offi ce going for you? We’ve decided to Circumstances have been di erent for every embrace fl exible working people professional during the pandemic.  ose and allow our employees to work where they are most comfortable preparing to welcome employees back share Lisa Kumar, senior how it’s working for them HRBP at 1E This is There’s a an opportunity for real desire from many some employers to change the to come back to the workplace landscape of work. Flexible working and work as they were before. Nothing will be the norm and offices will be can replace face-to-face interaction and places with a specific focus rather than collaboration – it’s so important for smaller a base to sit out the working day businesses like ours Jane Markey, HRBP at Lianne Baker, head of HR at Thorn SDS Gascoyne Estates

Our workplaces have been open throughout. Clear We and regular communication, plan to reduce our reassurance and understanding office space, but we still want to individual needs has been important maintain our regional hubs. Balancing Neil Morrison, group HR cost with potential use is proving difficult director at Severn Rachel Roe, HR manager Trent Water at Compleat Software

34 peoplemanagement.co.uk The restrictions mean BACK How is reopening we’ve found it really challenging TO THE to be efficient. But we’ve been able to OFFICE carry out some planning and look at how the offi ce going the business could work more effectively Sophie Metcalf, head of HR at Expect for you? We’ve Distribution focused on ensuring a smooth transition as staff return to the offi ce. We’ve made all our locations Covid secure, which has really helped them feel safe Nicole Forrester, HR adviser at Roc Search

We are encouraging personalising when and how you work. But this has to be balanced with the additional cost of IT hardware, Choice home desks, etc, which is presenting a real is key – those challenge for a medium-sized business who want to continue Lisa Davidson, chief people offi cer at working from home should be able to. HR plays a pivotal role in Connect Health ensuring a smooth transition Kunjan Zaveri, HR manager UK at TCR2 Therapeutics Our employees feel excited and empowered about our new agile ways of working. Our focus is There on trust and choice are mixed feelings Sarah Dewar, chief people officer around returning. Most at Mental Health want to remain remote and some Concern want to keep the work-life balance but also collaborate with colleagues. Workplace design has to change to allow collaborative working Nilam Lakhani, HR director peoplemanagement.co.uk 35 36 peoplemanagement.co.uk Interview “We’re expected to be available all the time, and that has a cost” Digital wellbeing expert Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina explains how the merging of our home and work lives and addiction to our devices is obliterating productivity

INTERVIEW FRANCIS CHURCHILL

f our relationship with technology consequences, whether it’s healthcare and the way culture in many companies was under the spotlight before the costs, presenteeism or absenteeism, or loss works is that we’re expected to be Ipandemic, it’s nothing compared to of productivity. available all the time, and this has a cost. a er 15 months of remote working.  e blurring of the line between our home You’ve talked about how technology You gave up your smartphone while and work lives has made us more aware can act like an attention black hole. working in digital marketing. What of how our emails and smartphone How does this aff ect our work? did you learn about how it aff ected noti cations permeate every part of It’s partly about distractions.  ere’s your work life? how we live. People Management spoke very good research by Gloria Mark from I’m not advocating everyone give up to digital wellbeing expert, best-selling the University of California, Irvine, who their smartphone, but I was worried author and founder of Consciously looked at how o en knowledge workers that as a small business owner I would Digital Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina about switch tasks. Five years ago they were be missing out on opportunities. But how tech is a ecting us – and what we switching every three minutes, even pre- I think giving it up allowed me to be can do about it. pandemic it was every 40 seconds. more e cient. We tell ourselves that we Humans don’t multitask well. Say have to react straight away, and most What is digital wellbeing? you’re writing a report and an email jobs don’t require that. For the majority Technology is playing an increasingly comes in. Rather than being distracted it’s enough to have one channel of important role, but we’re never actually by the email and going back to the communication for something urgent taught how to treat our devices.  e report, you check your social media, as long as people know what they can pandemic was a perfect example. People have a co ee, or something else. On expect from you. were told: ‘You work from home. Here’s average, 23 minutes passes until you go  ere’s no easy  x, because we’re a computer.’  en people started feeling back to the  rst task. So if your work dealing with increasing amounts of fatigued and weren’t able to separate requires concentration, if you can only information. Humans are getting work from home life. stay focused for 40 seconds it will be better at super cial tasks that require Research shows that on average, people very di cult to accomplish one task. some multitasking skills, but it comes in the UK are spending two hours longer We end up putting a lot of e ort into at the cost of deep thinking. I work in working, logging o at 8pm as opposed working during our eight-hour work a position that requires thinking, so with to 6pm – which may sound great for an day, which creates more pressure. Our my clients I make it clear that, if you employer. But other research has found brains literally consume more energy. want results, don’t expect me to get back when people don’t have proper separation Sometimes we end up working longer to you in the next  ve minutes. from their devices, they’re more likely hours, or some people work evenings ✶ Dedyukhina will be speaking at this year’s online CIPD Festival of Work on 15-17 June. To view the to feel stressed. And companies are or late at night so they’re not being conference programme and book your ticket, visit

more likely to experience longer-term distracted.  e way so ware is designed festivalofwork.com BRAIN GALLOWAY

peoplemanagement.co.uk 37 Rated five stars by its customers. Energy supplier of the year 2021. Certified B Corp. Valued at more than £1.4bn. Doesn’t have an HR department.

Octopus Energy recently proclaimed its lack of a centralised people function. But why has eschewing HR become something to be lauded, and what can the profession do to prove its worth?

WORDS ELEANOR WHITEHOUSE

38 peoplemanagement.co.uk Rated five stars by its customers. Energy supplier of the year 2021. Certified B Corp. Valued at more

Octopus Energy’s middle than £1.4bn. managers take on a lot of the company’s people- related responsibilities

Doesn’t have an t was a revelation that got the performing people-related roles: but adds organisational sclerosis and HR community talking back a single HR business partner is part friction, as departments get busy Iin February when, as part of a of finance; two recruiters work directly foisting stuff on other departments.” BBC ‘CEO Secrets’ interview, Greg with managers to source candidates; And while it’s an arrangement that Jackson – boss of green energy start-up and two L&D professionals sit under will undoubtedly raise eyebrows in HR department. Octopus Energy – explained that he the sales team. Most immediate HR HR circles, Octopus isn’t the first doesn’t believe HR departments make tasks are dealt with by managers, who reasonably sized organisation to employees happier or more productive, are responsible for their own teams and eschew a traditional HR structure, and so his company doesn’t have one. are trained to deal with HR-related is unlikely to be the last. High street It’s certainly a bold claim. But issues before being given management stalwart Timpson is renowned for its while there are a number of reasons responsibilities. The company describes unconventional people practices, with companies may not have in-house HR, the set-up as scaling what small a very basic ‘people support’ team in such as being too small or choosing businesses without HR departments do. place at a regional level. “They [HR] try to outsource it, Octopus does still The approach, Jackson tellsPeople to take over,” CEO James Timpson told have the capability in place – instead Management, stems from Parkinson’s HR magazine in an interview in 2009. choosing to disperse its minimal people Law. “As soon as you have a function, “HR is [there] to support the frontline; team within the firm rather than have it creates ‘need’ for itself – it sees the it is not there to tell staff what to do.” a centralised function. Despite having world through its lens and expands to But what may seem like an untenable a workforce of more than 1,200, the meet the needs it sees,” he says. “Often set-up to many has clearly been put in company has fewer than 10 employees this not only costs companies money, place with good reason. Jackson is clear

peoplemanagement.co.uk 39 that managers hold more autonomy But for those businesses considering regulations and shared parental leave, at Octopus, are given “extensive” a future with diminished, devolved or adds Sarah Mason, chief people o cer management experience above most even dissolved people functions, a host at Foxtons: “Without that expertise, of their peers, and are free to lead their of pitfalls potentially await. Although line managers could inadvertently teams as they see t without the “fear” line managers undertake some HR tasks cause problems. Other HR specialisms of hierarchy. “Managers shouldn’t need all the time, like recruitment and who require speci c knowledge to ensure a department telling them how to do gets promoted, one of these the task is done well, such as their jobs – they should be able to pitfalls is the “ever increasing” “HR is about understanding how bias and reach out and nd expertise where they amount of legislation to di erent selection methods need it. It’s what small companies do conform to, says Emma Parry, how you get can a ect the hiring process.” and it works,” he explains. professor of HR management the best out of Washika Haak-Saheem, While this decentralised set-up clearly at Cran eld School of associate professor of HR works for Octopus, Jackson accepts that Management: “IR35 is just your people in management at Henley it may not work for other businesses. one example. It’s a lot for relation to Business School, points out And it’s a choice that organisations line managers to take on and that, without centralised HR, have to make, explains David D’Souza, understand the intricacies of strategy” businesses risk having a “large membership director at the CIPD. employment law.” discrepancy” between their “Every organisation would want to be But aside from falling down on pieces policies and practices. “ ere would able to develop its people, hire people, of legislation, organisations risk lacking be no binding in between – you have pay people and support people, but people with the right experience. policies, but line managers employ there’s a decision that’s being made A quali ed HR person, whether in- di erent practices,” she says. “ is about whether you want a centre of house or external, will have the right could be dangerous because you’re excellence in these places,” he explains. quali cation and know how to handle diluting your policies, your values and “How much of that duty and those issues, explains Lucy Heath, people your culture.” di erent capabilities you can devolve, and HR consultant at law rm Charles And it’s also likely to become versus the more traditional model of Russell Speechlys: “Rather than what a problem when a business looks to having a dedicated HR department that would essentially be a line manager develop a people strategy, adds Parry. looks a er all those things.” saying ‘where do I start?’” “HR is about how you get the best out Many areas of HR are also of your people in relation to delivering very technical and the strategy. I struggle to see that you require specialist can expect line managers to understand Octopus Energy CEO knowledge, such fully how to do that,” she explains. Greg Jackson is clear his approach to HR is as TUPE Attributing more responsibility to not for everyone line managers is potentially problematic for the managers themselves, at a time when they are becoming increasingly responsible for myriad other important areas such as mental health. “ ere are limits to what any individual can do with the number of hours in the day,” says Parry. “Are we asking them to do everything around managing people, and deal with all the con icts and grievances and challenges that happen in every organisation, but that eat time? To me, that’s just not a sensible organisation design proposition.” But as D’Souza notes, the presence of an HR function and line managers becoming more accountable shouldn’t be in con ict with each other. “Most HR professionals would like line managers to take more accountability, yet they [organisations] think [devolving HR to line managers] is the best way of solving that problem,” he says. “But what they miss out on is expertise to help them grow a business, enhance its capability to be better

4028 peoplemanagement.co.ukpeoplemanagement.co.uk Firms without HR placed to achieve what it needs to do, cutting-edge and agile,” she says. “That than us talking about how excellent and of course stay legal.” means they translate that into ‘let’s we are,” he says. But that doesn’t mean Angela O’Connor, founder of The not have HR’. For me, that goes back HR professionals should avoid talking HR Lounge and former HR director, to decades of HR trying to prove that about how excellent they are. “There’s agrees. “More than anything, it’s it’s valuable, and move away from a positioning piece within every potentially missing the opportunity this image of being administrative organisation for HR teams to be really to take steps forward in not just to something more strategic.” clear on the value they’re adding, and development, but productivity, And O’Connor is of the belief to make sure the work they’re doing innovation and creativity,” she explains. that many organisations – especially is about enabling, not controlling, “Those things can be released with the “young, organic start-ups” – see HR organisations,” D’Souza says. right HR people in place.” as “the suits” who come in only to take Parry agrees that it’s HR’s job to drive It is possible, Parry theorises, to set over and exert control. “But that’s not change in the perception that it’s too up an organisation without HR. “You the HR people I know,” she says. “They slow or policy heavy. “I would prefer could bring in external consultants to can be cheerleaders for the organisation to see the Timpsons and Octopus design the policies and frameworks, and the people who are most progressive Energies of the world working with bring in people to train managers and in bringing about change. I wonder HR and asking how they can manage think about how you get the best out if there’s a mismatch between what HR in a way that promotes agility of people. And you can outsource all people think HR is and what we know and empowerment,” she explains. the transactional stuff. And if you great HR can do.” “That must be more productive than do get into problems, you can pay an One cause of this mismatch is likely just saying ‘getting rid of the formal employment relations expert to deal to be people’s past experiences of HR. function will make everything better’, with that,” she explains. “But it’s a lot of “Unfortunately, a lot of people have a because it won’t.” hassle for the sake of not having an HR horror story,” says Mason. “We need The pandemic has also been a golden function. In theory you could do it, but to tip the balance to ensure people also opportunity for HR to demonstrate its I’m not convinced of the value.” have plenty of examples of where HR integral organisational value – a plight But perhaps a more pressing issue has supported good people practices kicked off by a widely shared March for the profession than just and positive working 2020 article in The Economist entitled the disadvantages of having “There’s a environments, and enabled ‘The coronavirus crisis thrusts corporate no HR department is why meaningful careers.” HR chiefs into the spotlight’. “It’s about some businesses see this as a mismatch Similarly, O’Connor promoting more of the success stories,” positive thing. “Particularly between what assumes those who forgo says O’Connor. “There’s a lot we can do for smaller organisations in a people function do by talking about how we as a profession their first phases of growth, people think so because of previous can make things great for organisations. it can be very attractive to HR is and what dealings. “I wonder what And I’d like to see more chief execs not have HR, especially if HR experience senior talking about the value of great HR.” they associate that with some great HR can do” people in organisations But one thing the profession should of the things HR would have had in the past that led avoid doing is becoming defensive when been associated with in the past, which them down the path of ‘we don’t want organisations question its role. “There is a need for someone to police or create HR’,” she says. “Maybe someone’s had are different ways of configuring work bureaucracy, or create policy that’s a bad experience in the past, because, – be it outsourcing or using consultants going to get in the way of them doing with some of the great HR people I’ve – that will work for different what they need to do,” says D’Souza. worked with, the managers want more organisations,” says D’Souza. “But there As part of her research, Haak-Saheem because they can see how it can help comes a point in any organisation’s spoke to young CEOs in the tech, IT the organisation to succeed.” growth where you need deep expertise, and engineering industries who saw And, D’Souza points out, a less-than- and that is still undervalued until it HR as something they “don’t need to positive past experience shouldn’t mean causes them a problem. look after in-house”. “Their perception bosses shun the function altogether. “That’s where we need to be proactive is that HR is good for admin and they “No one wants a bad HR department, in saying to businesses that we don’t just would like to outsource it, but that line but that shouldn’t lead to people solve the problem when you have a legal managers should be able to look after not wanting an HR department at issue, we solve the problem of how to their own people,” she explains. “I think all,” he says. But if HR does have an get people flourishing.” this is driven by their perception of unfavourable reputation, how can it O’Connor agrees. “When I read the what HR can and can’t do.” rectify that? D’Souza highlights that BBC interview with Octopus, I didn’t Parry agrees there is a “perennial the best way to fix a PR problem is feel for a minute it was an attack on problem” with the image and value of to make the problem go away. “So HR – I thought it was somebody saying HR. “People have a perception of HR as the profession continues to have ‘this is how we want to develop the as something that’s very transactional, greater impact, you’ll find more CEOs organisation’,” she explains. “We can’t bureaucratic and old-fashioned, when championing the profession, which take things personally – we just need to they want their organisations to be makes a more significant difference keep moving on in the way we do.”

peoplemanagement.co.uk 41 ‘

Collaboration software

Emma Jones – ➔ X

E What collaboration software should we go for?

No idea! A

With hybrid working set to become the new normal, having the right tech in place is critical. But what should businesses consider when choosing om the abundance of options on the market? WORDS JYOTI RAMBHAI

hether yours went for Teams, with their full functionality or are just Slack and G-chat are examples of Zoom, Meet, Slack or another unsure what else is available, it can be communication tools. W platform, a huge number of di cult to know whether their current Conferencing so ware such as Zoom, organisations had to quickly implement set-up could be improved. Google Meet and Microso Teams have online collaboration tools when Covid People Management explores what two core functions.  e  rst is to allow forced sta to work inde nitely from collaboration platforms can o er two or more people to communicate via home – and said platforms have seen businesses and their workforces, and video; and second, it enables groups to an exponential rise in users as a result. takes an in-depth look at the pros and share their screens and simultaneously Zoom alone saw a 30-fold increase cons of the di erent products available. access apps and documents. in use during April 2020, with sales Coordination technology has both during the last three months of 2020 What is collaboration technology? teamwork and taskwork functions, up 370 per cent compared to the same Collaboration technology is so ware, which allow teams to work on projects period in 2019. mostly cloud-based, designed to and manage schedules e ciently. Now more than a year into the facilitate group work, both in the o ce Examples include Trello, Monday and pandemic and with lockdown and remotely.  ere are three types of Asana, as well as a range of e-calendars. restrictions easing, businesses are collaborative tools: communication, reconsidering their working models and conferencing and coordination. Which software is right for your looking at how such tools  t into their As the name suggests, communication business? future as more sta opt for a blend of so ware enables teams to easily talk For those companies that brought in home and o ce-based working. But to each other, particularly when collaboration so ware in a hurry last for organisations that implemented working from di erent locations. year, Rita Trehan, former Fortune 200 solutions in a hurry, are unfamiliar Instant messaging apps such as CHRO and founder of transformation

42 peoplemanagement.co.uk CollaborationBACK software consultancy Dare, says now is a good people in the sector could not do their WhatsApp groups to using personal time to “pause and take a look back”. day-to-day job because they did not have phones and laptops.TO THE “Many businesses previously had the a cloud-based system. While WhatsApp,OFFICE for example, has mindset that it would take them six “While they needed the protocols in been used to either replace desk chat or years to put in place a technology place and structures for security reasons, collaborate efficiently, there are several platform or it would take them two it not only highlighted the need for issues arising when using it for work years to get everyone on board with the transformation and change, but also purposes. One of these is inclusivity. idea,” she adds. “But the pandemic has whether the industry needs to rethink Swift says WhatsApp chat groups are enabled them to see things differently its business model.” often not overseen by management, and has shown them that, when you She adds that sometimes the best and as a result are creating cliques. “In have a desire to do something, you can option is to look at how various wider teams, we’ve seen that sometimes make it happen – and happen fast.” softwares integrate and work with only selected people have been added When analysing their current each other, to ensure that teams to the chat group,” she says. “They platforms, Trehan says firms should can communicate, coordinate and are collaborating really well for work avoid looking at “what hasn’t gone collaborate effectively. purposes and the chat seems very well”, and instead consider what they This is exactly what digital marketing efficient. But by not including some can learn from it. “The ability to pivot agency Best Response Media has chosen people, it is purposefully not being and change quickly tells you something to do. The company uses G-suite from inclusive, which could then inhibit the about your organisation’s agility, Google, which comes with Google Meet, performance of other people in the adaptability and flexibility. It may not G-chat, document and calendar sharing team who are not in the group.” be 100 per cent perfect, but that’s a good ability and more, and alongside that they Furthermore, because these groups thing,” she explains. use Slack and other project management are not overseen by senior management, So how do you decide what type of tools. Jessica Salter, people operations Swift says there has been a surge in the platform is right for your company? specialist, says the organisation has had number of incidents on shadow IT Whether you’ve recently invested in its collaboration tools set up for a few reported in the last 12 months – mainly collaboration software or been using it years as its employees regularly worked inappropriate comments that come pre-pandemic, Natalie Swift, founder of remotely before the pandemic and have across as racist or sexist. “I’ve dealt with consultancy Swift HR, says one of staff and clients all over numerous discipline cases where one the first things leaders should do is “Consult with the world. “We use person in the chat has become really identify their firm’s requirements. your staff – Slack as our internal uncomfortable and released screenshots “When you are establishing the communication tool of it to the employer. The employer business needs, you’ve got to make find out what because we found it then has to take action against a it clear you are setting up the new integrates really well number of people,” she explains. systems with employees in mind. tech they’re with the various other “I had one case that resulted in a So consult with them and find comfortable software we use to get couple of people being dismissed, two out what technologies they are our work done,” she tells others given a final written warning, comfortable with as well as what with” People Management. two more a written warning and others the operational needs are,” she says. “The project managers dealt with informally. Unfortunately, “For those members of staff who are use Jira, a development tool, and it this is the nature of it being a group reluctant to change, involving them in integrates with that, as well as with our chat. And with these disciplinaries, it the decision-making process is a good Gmail and calendars. And we recently only takes one person to report it to way to get them on board. And once added PolyAI, which enables us to do management for this kind of avalanche you’ve identified the needs, you can polls and surveys among staff easily and of cases to occur.” research the technologies that fit that efficiently through Slack.” The other issue is cybersecurity. and decide what the right platform for WhatsApp messages are not encrypted, the organisation is.” What are the alternatives? including back-ups, and the data is But with so many platforms out there Of course, not every organisation shared with and held by Facebook. that offer similar features, how do you brought in collaboration software This, Swift warns, means there is a real choose? Trehan says there is a tendency when the UK first went into lockdown, risk of data breaches to any personal for organisations to “assume they only and some still haven’t. This is partly or sensitive commercial information need to have a single platform” or a because some companies saw remote on there. There have also been security bespoke set-up, but that is “probably working as a short-term thing, so issues with workers using their personal not the best decision if we want to truly instead found workarounds using what accounts with Google Maps. For move forward”. “We saw this with a Swift refers to as ‘shadow IT’. Shadow example, if a care worker is travelling couple of industries when the pandemic IT, Swift explains, is “unsanctioned to different patients’ homes to provide hit,” she explains. “The banking and software solutions that employees are care and using Google Maps on their insurance industries have always had using as an alternative” but that have personal mobile to get directions, a risk-averse approach. So when we not been approved by the company. Google Maps will then hold those switched to remote working, many This can be anything from setting up addresses. In fact, Google Maps will

peoplemanagement.co.uk 43 PMT_010621_044.indd 1 14/05/2021 15:55 Collaboration software hold the home addresses of every back” into the old ways of working. workforce wellbeing. “ e key things vulnerable person in the district they  erefore, moving forward is one of for the success of any virtual team is had visited and, if their account was the key bene ts of having these tools to build trust and social cohesion, hacked, that information could be in place – it’s “recognising the new era and to do that you need good valuable to fraudsters, Swi warns, of inclusivity and collaboration” that collaboration and communication adding that businesses “need to be embraces a hybrid approach of remote systems,” she explains. aware of these vulnerabilities” when and o ce working. “So it’s using those platforms not not using proper collaboration tools. For Swi , while collaboration and just for work-based purposes, but coordination are the biggest bene ts, also for connection between the Do you need collaboration tools at all? particularly when using tools such team, such as setting aside time to  e pandemic has accelerated the need as Trello and Azure for projects, she get to know new sta or  nd out for  rms to invest in collaboration believes that, during the pandemic, how members of your team are doing so ware, says Trehan, and there is now it has also played a crucial role in on a personal note.  is helps build a “real need for companies not to fall performance management and relations, particularly right now.”

Which platform is right for you? People Management explores the functionality of several providers’ collaboration off erings

Coordination apps Trello Asana Monday Podio Wrike Message Y Y Y Y Y boards/dashboards

Tasks/project lists Y Y – unlimited Y Y Y

Assign tasks/projects Y Y Y – paid Y – subscription only Monitor project progress Y – paid Y Y – paid Y Y in real-time/activity log subscription only subscription only Timeline Y – paid Y – paid Y – paid – Y subscription only subscription only subscription only

Schedule/e-calendar Y – paid Y Y – paid Y Y – paid subscription only subscription only subsciption only File sharing Y – via Dropbox Y Y Y Y

Integrate with other Y – paid Y Y – paid Y Y – basic apps/platforms subscription only subscription only integrations with Google Drive and Microsoft 365 User limit Unlimited Up to 15 Up to two on free Up to two on free – teammates version version

Storage Unlimited Unlimited 500GB on free Unlimited 2GB on free version version

Mobile app Y – Y Y Additional features – – Zoom integration – Gantt chart

Cost Free Free Free Free Free

Subscriptions start Premium from Subscriptions Subscriptions Subscriptions from from $10 per user, £9.49 per user, from £7 per user, from $7.20 per $9.80 per user, per month per month per month month per month

peoplemanagement.co.uk 45 Collaboration software Communication and conferencing apps Slack Google Meet/ Microsoft Zoom Ryver Flock Basecamp G-chat Teams Instant messaging Y Y Y – Y Y Y Video conferencing Y Y Y – up to 60 Y – up to Y Y – only on – minutes on 40 minutes on paid for free version free version Record meetings Y – via a third Y –only Y – only Y – paid – Y – paid – party app with G-Suite through subscription subscription subscription Microsoft only only subscription Audio calls Y Y Y Y – phone Y Y – paid – features subsciption on paid only subscription only Screen sharing Y Y Y Y Y – limited Y – paid – to fi ve users subscription on a call only Document sharing Y Y – part of Y – part of – Y – from Y Y G-suite Microsoft 365 Dropbox, Google Drive or Box.com

Create diff erent Y Y Y Y Y Y – only on Y channels/groups paid for version. Free version off ers 10 public channels Integrate Y – up to Y Y Y Y Y – paid Y with other 10 third-party apps subscription platforms/apps on free version only Mobile app Y Y Y Y – – – Storage limit 5GB on free 30GB per 10GB per 1GB cloud 500GB version. user on user on free recording 10 GB per G-Suite version. per licence member on starter 1TB per standard and package. organisation, 20GB per 2TB, 5TB and plus 10GB member on unlimited on per licence, plus subscription premium on paid subscriptions subscription Security Y – paid Y Y – basic on – Y Y Y subscriptions free version only

Additional features – – – Social media Task – Message streaming management board on paid packages News To-do lists streaming/ Scheduling RSS feed Cost Standard G-Suite Free Free From $49 Free $99 per subscription: starter: £4.14 per month Paid month £5.25 per month per user, per Microsoft Paid subscription Plus subscription: month 365 package subscription from $4.50 £9.75 per month from £3.80 from per user, Standard: per user, per £119.90 per per month £8.28 per month year, per user, per licence month

46 peoplemanagement.co.uk

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PMT_010621_047.indd 1 14/05/2021 15:55 Reviews: Sheree Atcheson explains Career path how allyship can help combat inequity Helping you get further p50

Masterclass How to support domestic abuse victims

For the thousands Staying in regular contact with they know you are there to of people who are victims through calls, emails provide support. victims of domestic and texts is crucial Every case is di erent, but abuse, work can in the event of a disclosure be a safe place and of domestic abuse by an provide respite, so with employee there are some lockdown restrictions steps every employer should has come a rise in calls take to uphold their duty of Elizabeth Filkin to domestic abuse care to sta . If the employee Founder and chair helplines. With more wishes to report their abuser of the Employers’ people working from and makes this clear in the Initiative on home, opportunity to workplace, they should call Domestic Abuse leave the house has been 101, but if the situation reduced, and therefore is critical they should call so has the chance to get display signs of stress, anxiety 999 immediately. Some victims help and support. or depression; seem to be may wish to disclose abuse to Domestic abuse can interfere more nervous or jumpy than their employer without making with every aspect of a victim’s usual; or be unusually absent a report to the police, but life, including employers can still o er support. their ability to “Signpost staff to support Keeping in touch with those work and overall facing abuse through regular wellbeing, because services and charities” calls, emails and text messages it can cause is essential, as this could be their long-term mental and physical from work or social occasions. only access to support. But if you health problems. e role of However, remote working has lose contact with them, swi businesses in tackling it is not made spotting abuse harder for action should be taken to re- to be underestimated, and has employers if the employee has establish it through a home visit. been emphasised during the not made a disclosure. You should also signpost sta pandemic, when the boundary If you fear an employee may to support services and charities between work and home life has be facing abuse, it’s essential to wherever possible. been blurred. remember the person a ected e key thing is to remember ere is no ‘typical’ victim may not want to admit they where the responsibility for of domestic abuse and no are in an abusive relationship, abuse lies, and that is never with de nitive signs of abuse, but and it’s vital not to judge or the victim. Don’t ask them why those a ected may su er from make assumptions. e most they didn’t speak up sooner, or

frequent physical injuries; important thing is to make sure why they haven’t le . Taking it further Read Watch Read Employers’ Initiative ‘How employers can Business in Take it further on Domestic Abuse’s respond to domestic the Community’s Read: Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse guidance guidance for employers abuse’ webinar by Hestia domestic abuse for employers during Covid-19 during Covid-19 Housing and Support toolkit bit.ly/

https://www.eida.org.uk/our-covid-19-response bit.ly/EIDAGuidance bit.ly/HestiaAbuse BITCAbuseToolkit LIVERMORE GETTYIMAGES ELIZABETH Watch: How employers can respond to domestic abuse webinar by Hestia Housing and Support https://www.youtube.com/ 48 peoplemanagement.co.uk watch?v=nEvXXV6eZ74 Read: Business In The Community’s domestic abuse toolkit https://www.bitc.org.uk/toolkit/domestic- abuse-toolkit/ Who I am The past year has been a rollercoaster. At the Naomi Fergus beginning of 2020, we tried Medical recruitment offi cer at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to gure out how we could continue the recruitment process, and we managed to make it remote and limit contact with people. Now, we’re mostly still working I used to be a teacher, from home, everything is still and unfortunately had a bad going ahead with recruitment experience at the end of my career. and we have redeployed sta I didn’t have a good perception to cover absences. But it’s of HR before that, but the team not been too bad.  e only was very helpful. A lot of people downside to working remotely assume HR is just hiring, ring or is the odd IT issue. sticking up for the organisation, but I realised there’s a lot more than that. I started a new job in the NHS and started talking to people in the HR department there. I found it interesting and eventually decided to do my quali cations.

I would have gone into HR earlier if I’d known about it as Before the pandemic JULIAN DODD JULIAN , all DODD JULIAN a career option when I was at our interviews were face-to- college or university. I used to tell face, but now we conduct my students to think outside the them via Microso Teams, box. Life might not be a straight which is less personal, but road, and you need to try di erent allows us to keep recruiting to PHOTOGRAPHY jobs to see if they’re actually for essential roles. To counteract you.  ere’s not enough people this, we try to improve our in these professions going into candidate experience by schools and telling students what keeping in regular contact, MAGGIE BASKA PHOTOGRAPHY it’s like. and I think good levels of MAGGIE BASKA customer service compensates for some of the restrictions. INTERVIEW

My days usually go by quickly, mainly because I have a four-year-old daughter. I have kept to the same working hours as before lockdown because routine is CV key for both me and her. I get up early and do exactly Naomi Fergus began her HR career as HR interim what I would have done before lockdown. Our team at Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust also makes sure we’re doing a daily catch-up. During in 2013, before being promoted in 2014. She began the rst lockdown we didn’t have that, and we realised working as HR and fi nance administrator at Forest we felt disconnected.  is check-in helps us feel Hill School in 2018, and joined King’s College connected and like we’re supporting each other. Hospital NHS FT as medical recruitment offi cer in April 2019. She gained her CIPD Level 3 Foundation Diploma in HR Practice in 2018. “She advocates allyship as the best strategy to adopt in Reviews stamping out Demanding More inequity” Sheree Atcheson, Kogan Page, £14.99/£9.72 e-book

e murder of George Floyd the  rst step the lack of awareness to Atcheson, is “any person in Minneapolis almost this towards a fairer around privilege and who actively promotes time last year and the ensuing world can be unconscious bias, and and aspires to advance the global Black Lives Matter daunting. advocates allyship as the culture of inclusion through movement shed a light on In Demanding best strategy to adopt in intentional, positive and racial inequality like never More, Atcheson stamping out inequity. conscious e orts that bene t before, and highlighted – global director She goes back people as a whole”, and her the need for businesses and of diversity, equity to basics to explain the tips for being a better ally, wider society to step up and inclusion at Peakon, terminology – what including actively seeking and do more to tackle the founder of Women Who ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ out learning on systemic historic prejudices those Code and listed as one of actually mean and the inequalities and being from ethnic minorities Computer Weekly’s top 50 di erence between the two, proactive about supporting have faced. But for some most in uential women as well as the concepts of underrepresented people, organisations, despite having in tech in 2020 – draws intersectionality, privilege are surely a must-read for the best of intentions to on her experiences as a and unconscious bias. But all organisations. better themselves and their young woman of colour perhaps most important ✶ Atcheson will be speaking at this year’s online CIPD Festival of Work on 15-17 June. employees’ experiences, in an overly white, male is the sixth chapter on To view the conference programme and understanding how to take industry to highlight allyship. An ally, according book your ticket, visit festivalofwork.com

{Book} {Book} Work Disrupted People Before Tech What’s new Jeff Schwartz, Wiley, £20.02/£15.25 e-book Duena Blomstrom, Bloomsbury Business, £20/£11.70 e-book In Vantage Points, Thanks to Covid, the future of work hit a CIPD Fellow and lot sooner than expected. But if that’s a In a world of artifi cial intelligence, agile executive coach worrying prospect, Schwartz’s guide is working and video meetings, it’s easy to Paula Leach helps certainly one to add to your reading list. forget the human side of work. But fi rms leaders consider Written in a refreshing conversational are increasingly aware of psychological their own unique style and peppered with humorous safety and how protecting it can bring big circumstances, illustrations from Marketoonist’s Tom business benefi ts. In this book, whether they run a Fishburne, Schwartz – a founding psychology expert Blomstrom explains in business of three or partner of Deloitte Consulting’s Future of clear terms why maintaining employees’ 3,000, and use their Work practice – draws on interviews with psychological safety during digital own perspectives and leading business thinkers to off er advice transformation can lead to higher experience to create on recognising opportunities and using productivity and better performance, clarity and nurture mental models to help employees thrive. drawing on a host of global case studies. their workforce’s potential. {Book} {Book} Meanwhile, in Super Neuro You, The Reset The Learning-Driven Business coach and former Elizabeth Uviebinené, Hodder & Stoughton, Alaa Garad & Jeff Gold, Bloomsbury, £30/£17.55 HR director Claire £16.99/£9.99 e-book e-book Walton combines 2020 saw us hit ‘refresh’ on how we Any HR professional understands the fi ction with live and work like never before, so value of learning, but taking a strategic neuroscience-based Uviebinené’s latest release comes at approach and truly embedding it within coaching. Protagonist a pertinent time. The FT columnist the fabric of an organisation’s culture is Laura undertakes looks at how, if we want to reset how no mean feat. Enter Garad and Gold. In coaching to learn how we work as individuals, we must also The Learning-Driven Business, the two to better harness her reset businesses, communities, cities world-renowned academics share their skills and improve and society. The Reset off ers food decades of experience and distil why her life, with readers for thought through Uviebinené’s own organisational learning is vital, as well given the chance wisdom and interviews with the likes of as the frameworks needed to embed to work through the fl exi-work campaigner Anna Whitehouse it, across easily digestible chapters same exercises. and Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon. complete with a host of case studies.

50 peoplemanagement.co.uk Date: 17.May 2021 16:54:29

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recently published an article people are feeling about this How can we encourage in e New York Times right now? about ‘languishing’: a term  ink about what type of the use of online L&D? coined by sociologist Corey structured approach would Our learning and offi ce-based company so Keyes. Languishing dulls help bring back progress. development off ering had only have the bare minimum our motivation, disrupts our Only your sta can provide previously all been face-to- in mandatory training, but ability to focus and triples the you with insights speci c face classroom sessions but, there’s been nowhere near odds that we will cut back at to your company, and I after the fi rst lockdown last the take-up we expected. work. At a macro level, the de nitely recommend year, my HR team spent a I know people are busy root cause of barely anyone checking out recent CIPD huge amount of money and and workloads have utilising your new platform and People Management energy taking all our training increased, but I think the may well rest here. Insight webinars in which and development online, platform is brilliant and I’m Over the last 15 months, other organisations share sourcing and launching a disappointed it’s not being we have all had such di erent how exactly they re-engaged new digital platform so staff used more. experiences balancing life their L&D. It does require wouldn’t be disadvantaged and work. Initially, online additional e ort now, but by not being able to come in. Wharton School of L&D was likely embraced as a with a little more time I’m The problem is that barely Pennsylvania organisational routine that eased our sense of sure the new platform will anyone is using it. We’re an psychologist Adam Grant dread, but have we asked how be a big hit.

peoplemanagement.co.uk 53 Email us Moves your moves PMeditorial@ haymarket.com People and posts Who’s making HR headlines? Grocery delivery service brings 16 years of recruitment, executive director of people Beelivery has appointed leadership and mentorship and purpose. He joins from Mandy Hamerla, Chartered experience to the role. Leonard Cheshire Disability, FCIPD (1), as chief people TFS HealthScience has where he was executive offi cer. Hamerla was previously promoted Andreia de Melo director of people. director of HR consultancy Cabral, Assoc CIPD, to Rachel Scheel has taken 1 2 Modern HR, having also spent executive vice president on the role of senior VP of time at companies including and head of HR and talent global diversity, equity and Argos and Pearson. acquisition. She joined the inclusion at digital advertising Maxine Bonwick, Assoc contract research organisation agency Criteo. She brings CIPD, is the new HR director at in 2018 as interim director of more than 20 years of HR Groupe Renault UK and Ireland. international HR. experience to the position, She was formerly HR business Sadaf Parvaiz has joined having worked at companies partner at Volkswagen Group professional services fi rm including GE Healthcare and UK, and has also worked at GHD as inclusion and diversity AMEC Group. 3 4 Ingram Micro and Nestlé. leader. She previously worked Employment law fi rm King’s College Hospital as director for diversity, Boardside has hired Hannah NHS Foundation Trust has inclusion and belonging Jenkins (5) as its fi rst appointed Mark Preston, (Americas) at EY. specialist commercial law Chartered MCIPD (2), as Tarun Tawakley (3) has solicitor. She joins from chief people offi cer. He arrives returned to Lewis Silkin as Bannatyne Fitness, and has from Surrey and Sussex partner after four years as also spent time at Aviva and Healthcare NHS Trust, where head of employment law Callcredit Information Group. 5 6 he was executive director of and commercial litigation at HireRight has welcomed organisational development Deliveroo. Tawakley started his Smitha Rao (6) as HR director and people. career as a trainee at the law for EMEA and Asia-Pacifi c. Travis Ousley has moved fi rm in 2007. Before joining the background into the role of head of people Charities Aid Foundation screening company, Rao was at on-demand software teams has recruited David Jessop, global senior director for talent start-up Distributed. Ousley Chartered FCIPD (4), as and culture at Unbxd.

The next step We help you to help your career My job title is a HR adviser but my Cornish (pictured), co-founder and credentials with a strong piece of everyday duties refl ect that of an director of HRi. So when I recruit work. You could also share current HR manager. I’ve also completed HR professionals, I’m far more adverts for HR managers in your my CIPD Level 5, have 15 years’ interested in what they’ve done and sector that demonstrate the level experience and have managed a their potential. A job title is simply a of responsibility. team of three HR administrators description of a role or a purpose and When you apply for external for the past fi ve years. There’s no not a true refl ection of skills, abilities positions, there is also nothing wrong room for progression at my current and experience, so don’t worry. with putting ‘HR manager’ on your company so I’m looking to move Diff erent organisations may CV and explaining at interview that on and into an HR manager role. recognise job titles in diff erent ways, your internal title is ‘HR adviser’ but However, I’m fi nding it hard to get with the scope of an HR manager is being reviewed. Key things that interviews at this level – the feedback or adviser role in one organisation diff erentiate between the two roles I get is generally that they are looking potentially very diff erent to another. are management skills and leading for someone already in that role or That said, it might be worth asking on projects, so focus on making your working at that level. How can I prove Let us your organisation to review CV very tight and unambiguous about I’m capable of doing the job despite and update your title to refl ect what you are responsible for, your my title not matching? solve your your actual duties and current achievements and key duties. You career crisis level of responsibility. Try and could also consider undertaking a

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Find out more at: cipd.co.uk/online-courses e l a t e s t  ndings  om t h e  n e s t Research minds ‘Fake fl ex’ disadvantages parents and carers Employers must avoid – the report warned that measures that give the illusion businesses risk creating a of exible working, which two-tier workforce if they could see parents and carers did not start thinking more missing out on the bene ts of broadly about exibility. It remote working, a new report said true exibility was about has warned. how people work, not just In a survey by Karian and where they work, and can Box and the Global Institute take numerous forms such as for Women’s Leadership at job sharing, having set hours, King’s College London, 90 working compressed hours or per cent of organisations said term-time working. they’d increased support for With women more likely home working, and 97 per cent than men to work part were looking to adopt a hybrid time and to want to work working model. Home workers may be from home post pandemic, Despite this, the report missing out on opportunities a two-tier workforce could argued that more targeted to progress support for part-time workers undermine progress on gender measures were needed and a third (36 per cent) were equality. To mitigate this, because those who take on the experiencing increased actively redesigning job roles. the report recommended bulk of caring responsibilities workloads as they are seen Dubbed ‘fake ex’ – where employers establish routines – mainly women – risk seeing as always being available. employees work remotely but and processes that ensure the boundaries between work  e poll of 254 without measures to prevent employees working from and personal life dissolve. organisations revealed that them having to do more or home do not miss out on At the same time, many only half (52 per cent) of work in ways that don’t  t opportunities to progress. carers working exibly are employers provided more around other responsibilities ✶ bit.ly/FakeFlexiWork

Hand signals a signi cantly higher rating Investors  is means their focus is on for group a liation, personal improving e ciency and improve virtual experience and learning infl uence SME internal functions. meetings outcomes.  ey also reported HR practice Meanwhile, companies improved interaction with backed by private equity  rms Hand signals can improve the peers. In fact, one in  ve said HR management practices o en adopt a more strategic experience of video meetings they felt they knew the group are in uenced by the values approach, whereby they seek and make teams feel closer, (19 per cent) and found it of  nancial investors in small to accelerate growth and according to a study by easier to exchange ideas in businesses, research by Trinity return on investment in a University College London. the seminar (22 per cent). Business School has found. relatively short time frame. Researchers trained half Daniel Richardson, co-lead According to the study of  e researchers found that of the 100 undergraduate author, said many people seven small Irish  rms in the government venture capital students who participated  nd online social interactions agrifood sector, companies also led to  rms taking to use a set of hand signals do not replicate seeing people take an operational, strategic this approach. in their Zoom seminars, in person because you “can’t or transformational approach And SMEs that receive such as waving before they make eye contact or pick up to HR depending on the type corporate venture capital – spoke and raising a hand to on subtle nods or gestures”. of investor and their values. where a large company takes show empathy. A erwards,  is makes it hard to know SMEs that receive  nancial an equity stake in the small participants were asked to if people are engaged, and backing from ‘angel’ investors  rm – adopt either a strategic complete a questionnaire so “we wanted to investigate – private investors who o en or transformational HR evaluating their experience. a behavioural method”, have high net worth – tend practice depending on the  e study found students he added. to adopt an operational level of investment.

MOMO PRODUCTIONS GETTYIMAGES MOMO who used hand signals gave ✶ bit.ly/HandSignalsVideoCalls approach to HR management. ✶ bit.ly/InvestorsHRPractice

peoplemanagement.co.uk 57 58 to the CIPD’s 12-strong board. sectorsprivate, public voluntary and development experience from the people and of HR awealth bring Together, they term. three-year FerrarJonathan for asecond trustees. re-elected also ecouncil Sue Round have appointed been Dr and Siobhán Sheridan while D’Aeth of the board, chair as joins Valeriethe CIPD council, Hughes- its charitable purpose. onresponsibly delivering while resources it uses and ensuring of theCIPD direction strategic members responsible are for the Board work lives. working and to helpdirectors champion better the election non-executive of three to announce delighted eCIPD is members board new three welcomes CIPD in L&D, OD and peopledevelopment and in L&D, OD Appointees have awealth ofexperience Following a unanimous vote by aunanimous Following peoplemanagement.co.uk EXTRA EXTRA enabling effective working. offguide key for tips ers CIPD’s The succeed. to will planning require times, atdiff or locations erent diff from working be erent may members team where way, ahybrid in Working working Hybrid ✶ ✶ bit.ly/HybridWorkingFlowchart bit.ly/HybridWorkingGuide Focus ✶ working practices. can avoid harmful fuelling organisations that so tools healthy for digital boundaries set we can athow looks and workers, home between gap bridging the communications in play platforms virtual that explores the instrumental role podcast latest CIPD’s The way working? of adigital for wired brain human the Is fatigueDigital podcast bit.ly/DigitalFatiguePodcast of the next few years requires deep skill deep requires skill years of few thenext about thechoices sectors to think all in organisations “Supporting Authority. people o Conductcer at theFinancial now is Sheridan chief ago, years 30 at NatWest specialist L&D an nearly to gain.” stands when you put people  everyonerst, that, makers decision convincing in practice by and uencing policy this change, championing CIPD is enabling good business outcomes. e while work, to approaches traditional to recalibrate opportunity a unique move out of we thepandemic, have consultancy. She says: “As we hopefully herPensions, business own runs and for the Department for Work and D’Aeth anon-executive is director Having joined the HR profession as as profession HR the joined Having OD, and HR in Hughes- Specialising ✶ charter. the in fithe out set action to ve calls meet to hoping organisations off to advice practical ers BITC, with association in for employers, compiled guide CIPD’s The workplace. ethnic disparities in the tackling of aim the with 2018, late in Community the in was launched by Business Charter atWork Race The Work Charter at Race BITC bit.ly/CIPDRaceAtWorkCharter

The CIPD’s People Profession Survey provides a global snapshot of what HR and L&D practitioners are focusing on luck new appointments. their in grow.” profession the within others It’s honour helping an in to play apart profession. people the for opportunity now and the pandemic, agreat is the world of work we emerge as from to much so be going to do to reset consultancy. She says: “ ere is leadershipand to up set her own diversity for learning, talent, HRVP recentlyand le arole at BP as peopleexperience in development, support challenge.” and to for turn we that can a community professionals we as have that critical “ ework not it’s is easy, and always  OD,” and L&D she of says. elds HR, from the everyone in expertise and ✶

bit.ly/CIPDNewBoardMembers of them thebest eCIPD wishes more 25Round has years’ than ✶ 2021. 4June on closes survey The you. support best can it that so CIPD the with thoughts your Share on. focused are they what and feeling are practitioners refl people how ecting profession, HR the of snapshot Survey is an annual global Profession People CIPD’s The work? of world changing the to adapting you are How Survey Profession People

New appointees (L-R): Valerie Hughes-D’Aeth, Siobhán Sheridan and Dr Sue Round

bit.ly/PeopleProfessionSurvey

WORDS KRISTIAN ADAMS AND NATALIE BAKER People Management is published on behalf of the CIPD by Haymarket Business Media, a division of Haymarket Media Group Ltd. 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00000000_PMT_010621_Jobs FP.indd 1 peoplemanagement.co.uk17/05/2021 16:39 61 Rather than criticising her in front of colleagues, Annie Walker’s (pictured) boss should have off ered her one-to-one support ALLSTAR UNIVERSAL PICTURES ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK PICTURES ALAMY ALLSTAR UNIVERSAL Could HR solve...? BRIDESMAIDS A retail worker is humiliated by her boss when personal issues a ect her at work The problem The solution Jewellery sales assistant Annie Walker In the space of just over a minute, show Annie how it’s done would be Don manages to use inappropriate helpful but, as Moore points out, is nding it hard to meet targets when behaviour, humiliation, sexual this actually had the opposite e ect: problems in her personal life begin to harassment and bullying while “In the right learning environment, dealing with what should have been observing how other colleagues seep into her working life. A er a failed a simple opportunity to provide handle di erent situations can be sale, her boss, Don, criticises her and Annie with feedback, says Ian very powerful in helping to develop asks her why she can’t be “more like Moore (pictured), people director skills and con dence, but to do so at Lodge Court. “Giving feedback in front of others is humiliating.” Kahlua’’, a colleague he clearly favours. in an open workspace or public Moore suggests that more one- When Annie responds that she is area should never happen,” he says. to-one support would be helpful trying, Don tells her to try harder. But “ is could adversely impact the for Annie, as well as changing business’s reputation and brand, not the direction and tone of the could he have used a di erent approach to mention have a negative impact conversation. “Providing feedback to motivate and support Annie when on the engagement of is a skill, not a gi ,” he says. “And she’s clearly struggling? the team.” one that needs to be developed and Don obviously practised to ensure the maximum thought asking Kahlua positive impact on the individual’s to demonstrate her performance and the engagement

‘love is eternal face’ to of the team.” US distribution: People Management (ISSN 1358 6297) is published monthly by Haymarket,146th Avenue, Bridge 2nd Floor, House, Jamaica, 69 London NY 11434, Road, Twickenham USA. TW1 Periodicals The 3SP. US annual postage subscription paid at Jamaica price ismaintained NY $392. 11431. US Airfreight postmaster: at Haymarket Network, and mailing Send address Bridge in the USA House, changes by agent named 69 to London People WN Shipping Road, Management, Twickenham USA, TW1 156-15 Air 3SP. WN Business Shipping USA, Ltd is acting 156-15 as 146th our mailing Avenue, 2nd agent. Floor, Jamaica, USPS ID number NY 11434, 7010 USA. Subscriptions records are

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