Hr Network Volume 19 Issue 1

Inspiring People Development

SEPTEMBER 2022 VOLUME 19 ISSUE 1 A MEDIA AVENUE PUBLICATION | www.hrnetworkjobs.com

Moving mountains

THROUGH THE POWER OF

HR influence

SPECIAL FEATURE: SUPPORTING WOMEN IN THEIR EXPERIENCE OF PERIMENOPAUSE

unique experiences

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an experience, like no other Our newly renovated showroom is open and ready to be rediscovered. We recently embarked on an incredible transformation to create a space that celebrates heritage whilst innovating with contemporary design.

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hamiltonandinches.com

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY Moving mountains through the power of HR influence HR can move mountains when it influences well. The new world of work is transforming how practitioners influence colleagues, peers, leadership and industry. Andy Moore discovers how HR is in a powerful position to be a leading light in organisations.

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CONTENTS

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News

14 Employment Law Update Duty of care with EAP’s amid cost of living crisis

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20 Stats Research reveals importance of an ageing workforce experiencing age discrimination

22 Feature Two Preview of Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022

28 Feature Three Improving Employee Engagement

32 The Bookshop Latest bestsellers to the published

34 Special Feature Supporting women in their experience of Perimenopause

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38 EXTRA Health and wellbeing considerations for HR managers with forthcoming Metaverse

42 Insights Culture & Purpose, Holiday Entitlement, Retirement Planning

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46 My LinkedIn Jim Hogsflesh - Right Management

CONTRIBUTORS

Ruth Gladwell

Founder and Publisher:

Employment Law Update: In-work Poverty: What is it and how can employers support their employees? p. 14

Senior Associate Editor:

Navigator Employment Law

Daniel Gorry

Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

WorkNest

Deputy-Editor:

Insight: Clearing up the confusion around holiday pay and entitlement p. 42

Editor-At-large:

Mark Cooper

Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Editor’s Assistant/Admin:

Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh Insight: Helping employees return and thrive in the workplace p. 43

Brian Sloan Age Scotland

Insight: Are you and your workers ready for a ‘happy’ retirement? p. 44

Marion Robertson editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Advertising/Sponsorship: Donna Turner advertising@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Design: Media Avenue Ltd Hr NETWORK now available on: LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/ hrnetwork1

Chris Preston

Tuddl

Insight: How to maintain culture and purpose in hybrid working p. 45

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ HrNETWORKNews YouTube: www.youtube.com/ user/hrnetworkscotland

Jim Hogsflesh

Right Management MyLinkedIn p. 46

Media Avenue Limited 18 Young Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JB 0131 625 3267 www.hrnetworkjobs.com www.mediaavenue.co.uk

The views expressed in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND) are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of Media Avenue Ltd. Media Avenue Ltd does not endorse any goods or services advertised, or any claims or representations made in any advertisement in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND) magazine and accepts no liability to any person for loss or damage suffered as a consequence of their responding to, or placing reliance upon any claim or representation made in any advertisement appearing in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND)magazine. Readers should make appropriate enquiries and satisfy themselves before responding to any such advertisement or placing reliance upon any such claim or representation. By so responding or placing reliance readers accept that they do so at their own risk. © Media Avenue Ltd. 2022.

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W E LCO M E

September 2022

Welcome to our September issue of Hr NETWORK magazine.

We are well and truly back in the black, following a fantastic few months, which included of course the Hr NETWORK Conference & Exhibition in May at BT Murrayfield Stadium and also included the hugely insightful Leaders Dinner featuring HR Director for NHS National Services Jacqui Jones and outgoing HR Director of Aegon UK, Gill Scott.

This is a far cry from what we all had to endure during COVID and I find it staggering, the amount of loyalty and commitment from some people in our industry who, who if they hadn’t supported us the way they have, we might not be here to tell the story.

Work has commenced on the forthcoming Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022, which we expect to return to pre-pandemic guest numbers of around 800 people and the next few months are going to be hugely exciting as we approach the Gala Dinner.

We are very grateful to all our sponsors for their amazing support this year and thanks also to the many organisations that have secured their Table of 10 at the forthcoming Gala Dinner. A special thank you must also go to our wonderful Judging Panel who give a huge amount of their time and commitment to the entire process.

This renewed sense of excitement and anticipation of course is because we are now as I say, in full planning mode for the forthcoming Hr NETWORK Awards Gala Dinner 2022 taking place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November.

The next stage of the judging process will include interviews with the Judges for all shortlisted finalists, which will take place in mid-September and the winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner in Glasgow.

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Also, I should say that here are only few tables remaining and if you would like to join us at the Gala Dinner with your guests, please contact the Awards Planning Team as soon as possible.

This Issue In this online edition of the magazine, Andy Moore looks at the power of influence and how HR practitioners can create more positive and constructive conversations using this powerful skill.

The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, the Bookshop and a range of Insight features on some hot topics in the people management & development world.

I hope you enjoy your online copy of Hr NETWORK Magazine and look forward to welcoming you at our events this year – whether they are online or in-person!

Lee Turner Publisher

Contributors: Ruth Gladwell, Mark Cooper, Brian Sloan, Daniel Gorry, Chris Preston

NEWS

Employers must consider the risk of kidnap and ransom for worldwide staff Poverty, under-resourced law enforcement, and a resurgence of travel since the pandemic together make for an expected spike in kidnap and ransom cases worldwide, according to expert predictions revealed by Towergate Health & Protection.

Employers must be aware of the risks to be able to mitigate against them and provide support to overseas (and UK) employees.

Kidnap and ransom are not necessarily about the worstcase scenario of being taken hostage. It could be the threat of extortion, being forcibly taken to a cash machine to withdraw money, or virtual kidnap, where perpetrators falsely claim they have taken an international traveller hostage to coerce others into paying a ransom.

Experts in international travel safety are able to provide reports relating to the risk levels of political situations, crime levels and conflicts within a region. They are also able to give guidance on good and bad transport options for an area. Cultural do’s and don’ts are an important part of local knowledge, which can help to avoid situations escalating. There are now mobile apps with on-theground, to-the-minute security information, which update more quickly than the Home Office website.

Sarah Dennis, head of international, Towergate Health & Protection, says: “There are many forms of kidnap and ransom, and it probably happens more often than many employers would think. Companies with overseas employees must make sure their staff are supported.”

Many employers may not realise that it is possible to provide kidnap and ransom support for their employees via specialists in the field. This can be for employees with overseas placements, those who travel regularly for work, or a one-off trip. The same level of assistance should also be provided to family and friends with them.

There is the risk of exposure to kidnap and ransom in every country, including the UK, but for employees working abroad, it becomes a greater risk. While there is no set age or gender that is more at risk, there are areas of the world where the probability of kidnap and ransom is much higher, including Africa, Asia and South America.

Kidnap and ransom support can also be relevant to those based in the UK, so it is important that employers look at wider support for the entire workforce.

Prior knowledge and planning are both vital in mitigating the risk of kidnap and ransom.

Industries move to hybrid working as productivity levels at home rise

YouGov survey revealed an increase in productivity levels for those working with a hybrid approach.

Demand for hybrid working has risen since the pandemic with remote employees seeing more productivity at home. To meet demand, 15% of the UK workforce has gone hybrid.

The Information Technology and Services sector had the highest number of hybrid roles (9,800) listed in June compared to other sectors. The top 5 industries operating a hybrid approach for staff are Information Technology and Services, Financial Services, Marketing & Advertising, Construction and Civil Engineering.

The research by Oriel Partners found that of 896,279 jobs listed on the social networking platform, 794,184 were listed as on-site, showing the demand in employers encouraging staff back into the office. 46,213 (5%) jobs were fully remote-based with the majority being in the IT and Computing sector and Financial Services industry.

Analysis of over 890,000 job advertisements has found that 57,609 (15%) roles are listed as hybrid working opportunities.

Across the UK, Oxford shows the most flexibility with 90% of roles in the area being advertised as hybrid roles, versus the City of London which had 64% of roles listed as hybrid working.

PA recruitment specialists, Oriel Partners, have completed research into hybrid working by analysing LinkedIn job listings to report on the increase in demand for a flexible work environment, post-pandemic. A further supporting

Google searches for hybrid working hit a peak level this year, with increased interest throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

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NEWS

Give employees more free time to increase work performance, suggests new research Managers seeking to reduce problems caused by employees using too much on-the-job leisure time should offer bonuses that provide more off-thejob leisure time, finds new research from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

period and an extra €6 for period one, and the free time bonus group received €4 for each period with an extra 25 minutes to use the internet in period one.

Those given an extra 25 minutes leisure time as a bonus exhibited 60% less on-the-job internet consumption compared to those given extra cash. Also, those given extra leisure time showed increased work performance in terms of completed tasks.

Employees spend a considerable amount of their working time enjoying on-the-job leisure, the most significant being private use of the internet, which can cost companies billions of dollars due to reduction in effective working time.

This suggests that a cash bonus doesn’t affect employees’ on-the-job leisure time nor their work performance. However, gifting employees more off-thejob leisure time does reduce on-the-job leisure time of employees and increases their performance while working.

Professor Timo Vogelsang, Assistant Professor from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, investigated the impact of cash or free time bonuses on work performance and leisure time. Participants were asked to complete a task on a computer with internet access which involved moving sliders to randomly predetermined positions.

Prof Vogelsang says: “This study shows that ‘time is not money’ when using a gift of more off-the-job leisure as a form of management control. Compared to money, time has certain favourable characteristics and affects employees’ behaviour at work. Leisure time is a noteworthy alternative to cash bonuses and the various forms of non-cash bonuses currently in use.”

At the beginning of each task, participants could click the time-out button to access the internet. Subjects were free to choose how to spend their time on the internet and could minimise the internet browser at any time to continue working. In the main experiment, participants were involved in two working periods lasting 30 minutes each.

Off-the-job leisure as a bonus can be implemented by informing employees in advance that they can leave early on certain days or that they will be gifted extra holiday days. This suggests that employees may appreciate a better work-life balance over salary increases.

This study used three groups: one group received €4 for each period, the cash bonus group received €4 for each

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NEWS

UK employee engagement falls to record low levels

success. Workplaces with high employee engagement achieve higher productivity, better customer relationships, lower employee turnover, and higher profitability.

Confidence about the UK’s job market also declined by four points over the last year, with just 40 per cent of people feeling that now is a good time to find a job.

Falling UK confidence bucked the trend of growing job-climate confidence in Europe, which was up 16 points year-on-year, and in North America, where positive sentiment soared by 44 points to 71 per cent.

The UK is home to one of the most dissatisfied workforces in Europe following a two percentagepoint fall in employee engagement levels over the last year, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Report. Employee engagement among UK workers has declined steadily over the last decade.

Despite low levels of employee engagement in the UK, Gallup’s report reveals that Britons still feel that they enjoy a high quality of life. Although lower than Europeleading Finland, where 84 per cent of people think they are thriving in life, the UK (60 per cent, down one point on the year) continues to outperform the majority of European countries for life satisfaction, including Germany (56 per cent), France (43 per cent) and Spain (41 per cent).

Just nine per cent of UK workers feel enthused by their work and workplace today – compared to 16 per cent in Germany and 33 per cent in Romania, home to Europe’s most engaged workforce. Across Europe, just 14 per cent of people feel engaged with their work, with rates also dipping below ten per cent in Spain, France and Italy. This compares to average engagement levels of 33 per cent in North America and 27 per cent in South Asia.

Levels of anger and sadness among the UK population increased by two points and one point respectively over the last year, with 15 per cent of people surveyed admitting to being angry and 20 per cent feeling sad a lot of the day.

Gallup research has consistently found that employee engagement is a significant driver of organisational

Survey reveals 1 in 5 employees can’t take time off work due to staff shortages

as they’re contacted by employers to help cover unplanned staff absences and excessive workloads.

Furthermore, the majority (60%) of employees feel their employer explicitly discourages them from taking time off work, while 1 in 10 don’t feel able to ask for mental health leave.

This lack of time off is concerning, given that the survey also found 44% of employees report feeling burnt out at work, while a third find trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance to be the most stressful aspect of work.

1 in 5 of the nation’s office workers are being prevented from taking time off work due to staff shortages and reduced resources meaning their requests are denied, a new survey reveals.

This is despite many organisations advertising flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements on job adverts - only then to instil unhealthy working habits in staff.

The Annual Leave Allowances survey, from Just Eat for Business, reveals how office workers utilise annual leave allowance, how their employer promotes holiday entitlement, and how time off impacts work-life balance amidst a move towards flexible working.

Despite annual leave being key to employees taking time off work to rest and re-energise, many of the nation’s workforce are unable to do so due to staff shortages and demands.

This follows a recent report that found labour shortages were the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right now, with over 1.3 million job vacancies and 900,000 fewer workers today than the Bank of England expected prior to the pandemic.

Staff shortages came out as the biggest disrupter of annual leave requests, while a further 26% of office workers can’t enjoy time off once they are granted it,

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NEWS

Shortage of white-collar staff reaches breaking point

areas have fallen given the widely reported talent shortages in all three sectors as the UK’s unemployment rate continues to fall and fewer candidates seek employment.

Alex Fourlis, Managing Director at Broadbean Technology commented: “The UK’s skills crisis is continuing to be a focal issue, and for good reason as our data shows that these shortages are impacting almost every business, across every sector. While there is an undeniable shortage of blue-collar workers in fields such as retail and logistics, the dearth of workers in highly skilled sectors is also of concern for the UK’s economic bounce back, with candidates for these positions not only harder to source, but also requiring lengthier training programmes to develop. This lack of white-collar applicants has the potential to negatively impact the UK’s status as an economic powerhouse.

Application numbers in white-collar jobs are at breaking point with recent data showing a 35% decline between May 2022 and June 2022. That’s according to the latest data from the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology.

Broadbean’s statistics also reveal a 28% decline in the number of applicants year-on-year between June 2021 and June 2022, a figure that could be explained by the fact that there were more active jobseekers last year as the country emerged from lockdown at the end of June 2021.

“For employers and recruiters, now is a critical time.

Businesses need to rebuild and nurture dwindling talent pools, utilise innovative technology to streamline hiring and maximise partnerships with external talent suppliers in order to find the undiscovered talent that is so desperately needed. Difficult times are ahead for the UK economy, and immediate action needs to be taken to establish a recruitment market that can best support the country’s economic bounce back.”

When analysing the data by sector, the statistics reveal a significant decline in applications across IT, pharmaceuticals and accounting. The IT arena saw application numbers fall by 29% between May and June of this year, while figures in pharmaceuticals and accounting were down 41% and 33% respectively.

It’s perhaps no surprise that applications across these

Virgin Money cost of living payment to staff The increase in the cost of living is on everyone’s minds, whether in political circles, in the media, or in the local supermarket. It’s also been part of many conversations among the leaders that many employees are experiencing additional pressure on their finances.

For all eligible colleagues, an additional £1,000 was paid with their August pay on Friday 19 August

Virgin Money has introduced a number of ways to help colleagues through this year, including the new ‘My Money’ webinars. These complement the financial wellbeing guidance and the additional benefits already available to colleagues, such as the discounts on high street and supermarket brands on offer through Virgin Tribe.

Syreeta Brown, Chief People and Communications Officer: “The past few years have highlighted the importance of being flexible and supportive, as well as listening colleagues to identify their needs.

“We know that the increase in the cost of living has become a real concern for many so, driven by our Purpose of ‘making you happier about money’, we wanted to make a meaningful difference to those most affected. It was also important to us to keep this payment apart from the annual pay review, so a one-off payment was our preferred approach.

Earlier this year, they also acted to provide an average uplift of 5% in base salary for colleagues and to launch A Life More Virgin (ALMV). As well as giving colleagues five new wellbeing days, ALMV also provides more flexibility, which includes how often you make use of our hubs, and greater choice in how to take the Flex Allowance for colleagues who receive that.

“Together with the 5% pay increase at the start of the year and our new flexible working package, we’re keen to make sure our colleagues feel valued and supported in the work they do.”

However, Virgin Money have continued to monitor the situation closely and, driven by their Purpose, concluded that they would make a special one-off payment.

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NEWS

Majority of women’s wages have not increased in line with inflation

61% of women cite their finances as their greatest source of stress, compared to 52% of men. Further, almost half (46%) of women claim to lose sleep because of financial stresses; 40% of men claim to experience this.

Most (81%) women say that they are prioritising immediate financial commitments (e.g. mortgage repayments and utility bills) over long term financial goals, with 70% cutting back on social commitments to save money. In comparison a respective 64% and 56% of men have made these claims.

Almost half of women are losing sleep over financial concerns, according to new research from Mintago.

Chieu Cao, CEO of Mintago said: “Unfortunately, gender financial gaps are nothing new. But it is extremely concerning to see that women seem to be suffering more than men – both emotionally and financially – throughout the cost-of-living crisis. It is therefore vital that action is taken.”

The financial wellbeing platform surveyed 1,024 UK adults in full-time employment. It found that over two thirds (67%) of women have seen their financial situation deteriorate since the beginning of 2022, compared to 58% of men.

Rachele Carraro, a financial wellbeing expert for Mintago, said: “Women have been on the backfoot for some time, so the fact that we are bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis is unfortunately not surprising.

Of course, the gender pay gap – which currently sits at 7.9% – is the primary cause of this. But with inflation, energy bills and fuel prices at record heights, the reality is that the current crisis reflects the elevated financial burden that women face in the workplace, as well as in society.

Over half (54%) of women have seen their monthly outgoings at least double since the beginning of 2022.

Fewer men (45%) have experienced this.

Indeed, the majority (70%) of women say their employer has not raised their wages in line with inflation. In contrast, a third (33%) of men have received a wage increase to match inflation.

A similar proportion of men (55%) and women (54%) feel uncomfortable discussing personal issues (e.g., mental health or financial worries) with their employer.

Demand for a four-day working week intensifies

workers – rising to 55% in Greater London – would take a pay cut if it allowed them to have total flexibility over when they work.

A further, 40% – rising to 57% in Greater London – would also be willing to take a pay cut if it would guarantee flexibility over the location they could work (i.e., remotely, or to split time between home and the office).

According to a new report by ADP exploring employees’ attitudes towards the current world of work, six-in-ten (60%) UK workers would like more flexibility as to when they work, such as condensing hours into a four-day week.

This number increased to two-thirds (67%) in Greater London.

Yet, the preference for most (60%) workers would be to get more flexibility as to when they work but keeping the same number of hours they work during the week.

For example, to transition from a traditional 40-hour five day working week towards four working days over 10 hours each.

Debates over the length of the workweek are nothing new. Prior to the 1920s, six days weeks were the norm. It wasn’t until 1926 and The Ford Motor Company that the Monday-to-Friday pattern we are familiar with took hold.

This desire for great flexibility comes at a time when there is a mental health ticking time-bomb happening in offices up and down the land. Over half (51%) of men and 45% of women admit that their work is suffering due to their poor mental health. This is leading to over a quarter (29%) of workers actively trying to change their job and/or move into another industry.

To truly achieve the efficiencies to make a four-day work week viable, new tools and operating practices often need to be introduced. The good news is that six-in-ten (60%) respondents to our survey felt that their employer has got all the right systems in place to accommodate a 4-day working week. In fact, almost a quarter (23%) said that they have already been given the opportunity to move to a 4-day working week within the next 12 months.

Although pay remains a priority for many workers, almost half (45%) admit they would accept a pay cut if it meant improving their work-life balance, this rises to 64% in Greater London. Similarly, four-in-ten (40%)

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NEWS

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BULLYING & HARASSMENT

DATA PROTECTION

DISABILITY

DISCIPLINE & GRIEVANCE

DISMISSAL

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS

E M P L OY M E N T L AW U P DAT E

‘IN-WORK POVERTY: WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN EMPLOYERS SUPPORT THEIR EMPLOYEES?

By Ruth Gladwell Navigator Employment Law

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Concerns about affordability surround us daily; from the news stories regarding the cost of living and the pressure on the government to offer solutions.

It seems we all feel that there is an ominous dark cloud that will shroud the sunshine and the autumn of angst will creep in before we know it.

ith ‘in work poverty’ increasing, concern starts to manifest itself in the workplace in a number of ways. In work poverty is defined when an employee’s income, after housing costs, is less than 60% of the national average, they don’t earn enough to meet the cost of living and are living in poverty.1 Factors that make it difficult for many employees to escape poverty can include:

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A pay rise that has not matched the rising cost of living.

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Domestic circumstances, relationship breakdown, bereavement or illness leading to financial hardship.

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Job insecurity that is either present or perceived and people becoming trapped in low paid jobs.

E M P L OY M E N T L AW U P DAT E

TUPE

ONS households below average income statistics

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2022 PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey

WORKING TIME

Don’t assume that everyone is the same and one size fits all; engage with staff. If you operate a survey to support this, then be sure to keep expectations aligned with any options to which you may wish to signpost staff. Of course, include an

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TERMS & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

An overarching Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) could go some way to help employee’s navigate financial wellbeing.

These programmes have been a heavily highlighted benefit during the pandemic for wellbeing, counselling, and there’s a likelihood that there’ll be an ‘arm’ of financial coaching to tap into. If you have an EAP – call the provider, find out what the service offering is, and establish whether it could be enhanced within your organisation’s affordability zone.

Long term relationships and loyalty can be effectively built when an employee can really see how the employer is looking to the future with them in mind. It is crucial to keep expectations in check and develop your management team in achieving this to avoid employee relation challenges down the line.

Those who do follow the do-nothing approach may find themselves mending a roof when the sun isn’t shining.

REDUNDANCY

Doing nothing is of course an option, but with the background of the pandemic, we have now all experienced the increased awareness of the duty of care an employer has towards employees’ needs. There has been significant investment in understanding and implementing programmes that surround the wellbeing of employees.

Reward and benefit packages need to be crafted with an underlying strategy that includes attention to your ever changing diverse populous. Many employers review benefits in the new tax year, so considering what the budget for the package is likely to be now will help form solutions. Salary exchange programmes are effective and minimally burdensome to implement. Another option is to consider contributions and subsidies rather than full membership to some of those more expensive benefit schemes that may better fit your affordability criteria.

In the challenging recruitment market, retention of an employee with aptitude and potential can be preferable to recruitment of an entirely new candidate. Investing in skills – some that can be developed and learnt internally through cross training, shadowing of a leader or colleague along with a sustained external programme can provide a holistic and tangible return on investment.

MATERNITY & PARENTAL RIGHTS

With the economic environment affecting employers as well as their employees, employers may be wondering what they can do or whether they should do anything at all?

open question to ask what they may be looking for. If they are indeed looking at what other employers are offering, they may have more research information on the matter than you do. Early engagement will help to highlight the issue before periods of unplanned absence start cropping up. Along with any survey that you are undertaking ensure that there is attention being paid to delivering the outputs of the survey.

For example, some renewed management training on communication and empathy would be ideal.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Interestingly, in relation to this last factor, a PwC Employee Financial Wellness Survey2 indicated that financially stressed employees in the US are twice as likely to look elsewhere for work and a key factor they’re looking for is an organisation that would care more about their financial well-being. With US statistics usually being seen as an indicator of future UK trends this could be a factor to consider in recruitment strategies, focussing on the wider employee value proposition.

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F E AT U R E

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F E AT U R E

Moving mountains

THROUGH THE POWER OF

HR influence HR can move mountains when it influences well. The new world of work is transforming how practitioners influence colleagues, peers, leadership and industry. Andy Moore discovers how HR is in a powerful position to be a leading light in organisations…

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F E AT U R E

Wind the clock back three years.

Few would have predicted how HR’s function as a key influencer would change beyond recognition in the modern, international workplace.

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ost-pandemic, the seismic shift in organisations and workforces has moved HR ever closer to playing a strategic business partner role with leadership. Their more traditional role of focussing solely on people management is now being revolutionised.

Dr Arlene Egan, interim CEO of Roffey Park International, believes that practitioners must continue to influence senior teams, and forge an almost egalitarian partnership.

“HR must now have a seat at the leadership table, figuratively and literally. They must be able to inform the board about the reality of what it’s like to work in an organisation,” she explains. “The decisions we make, whether at board or executive level, must be bound in reality or they will not work, leading to higher staff turnover and a poor work culture.”

From a staff influencing perspective, practitioners are now reinventing themselves and returning to their role of championing employees, believes Arlene. In her past experience, whether working as a leader or employee, HR sometimes used to function purely for staff and not leadership.

still be viewed with trepidation, with some people still viewing practitioners as only there to enforce discipline or to fight fires.

“There is an alliance piece in understanding how true organisational change brings about transformation.

There are many real live change projects that cannot happen without HR,” she advises. “HR must be involved from a perspective of the whole staff context, representing the views and values of both front line teams and leadership.”

But what about industry influence? “Networking is key for HR influencing. Through industry bodies, they can really bring value to the industry and by developing networks of HR experts,” Arlene comments. “HR can influence through having a wider pool of peers to draw from to help themselves solve problems they face, and to get fresh perspectives. In terms of raising the profile of the sector and profession, industry bodies and networks are imperative.”

The impact of mobile, international multi-generational teams, together with diversity and inclusion - all underline how HR can influence an organisation and its governance.

Importantly, she believes that many modern organisations are still inward facing. And this is why member bodies can help to develop skills, plus build and support the networks of the professionals themselves.

These are factors where HR influence plays a key role.

People look to practitioners as mentors, and for them to have a finger firmly on the pulse of organisational strategy, trends, demographics and data.

She adds: “The question we must ask is, how proactive can practitioners be? What level of initiative should they take to be heard? Effective influencing can lead to major transformation and change projects across organisations.”

Arlene adds: “HR should be the ones people look to.

They shouldn’t be looking to CEOs or managers. HR’s power in influence is being experts in their domain and being able to influence the decision making of the rest of the leadership team.”

For HR, knowledge is power: it is incumbent on every practitioner to know the challenges, issues and solutions facing the profession, she believes.

For this to happen, it’s about “shifting the dial on accessibility”. Practitioners must convey the message that, without them, organisations will not make the progress they need to make.

Ultimately, influence is all down to people. She believes that fostering a less hierarchical ethos depends on organisation culture. Employee perception of HR can

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F E AT U R E

Influencing is also vital for professionals to enrich their own CPD and career through the power of networking.

Importantly, it can be very inspiring to know the career paths and aspirations of other practitioners.

So, what is the future for HR influencing? Dr Egan sums up: “It now has the chance to rise in prominence. There is always massive potential for practitioners to be a strategic business partner. The biggest challenge is helping managers to manage an ever-global diverse workplace with greater inclusion across multiple demographics and skillsets. HR will have to be listened to more than ever.”

HR influencing tips

“How can practitioners carve out a space, step forward and move into that space themselves?” Arlene asks. “It is essential that other leaders listen and are convinced by what HR has to say and be educated. Ultimately, HR’s true value is being able to ask the right questions that other leaders may not ask.”

Increasingly, there is an important relationship between HR advising, shaping and steering an organisation’s direction and growth. And, while many organisations may strive to become as digitalised as possible they are still governed and controlled by people.

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HR must play a more strategic business partner role with leadership

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Practitioners must have a seat at the top table

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Decisions must be bound in reality

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Effective influencing can achieve major transformation

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People look to practitioners as mentors

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Fostering a less hierarchical ethos depends on organisational culture

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Many modern organisations are still inward facing

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Influencing is also vital for HR to enrich its own CPD

“ Networking is key for HR influencing. Through industry bodies, they can really bring value to the industry and by developing networks of HR experts.”

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S F TAT E ATSU R E

Research reveals importance of an ageing workforce as one in five experience age discrimination

The pandemic has led to an exodus of the ageing workforce and with businesses facing severe talent shortages, many are looking to attract older workers back into the workplace to deal with these deficiencies.

Talent solutions provider, Reed has released the whitepaper ‘Internal mobility and ageing workforce’.

Research from Reed shows that while businesses are well aware of the benefits of the ageing workforce, they may not be putting the support older workers need in place. Almost one in five workers surveyed (17%) said they had experienced age discrimination.

Reed surveyed 1,000 employees over the age of 40, and 500 senior HR managers from UK businesses with 1,000 employees or more.

The majority of HR managers were clear on their need to hire older workers. 62% were looking to actively recruit older workers, while 58% claimed that they were trying to attract older workers due to the impact of them leaving the workforce during the pandemic.

One way of solving this problem is via internal mobility policies, such as the training and reskilling of new and existing workers, opportunities for people to explore new roles, and flexible working - including the chance to reduce someone’s working hours or working days.

46% of workers over 40 said their company had no wellbeing policies specifically for older workers and 45% felt that there weren’t enough benefits on offer for workers of their age range.

Lee continued: “The ageing workforce is a huge pool of talent, with a wealth of experience on offer for businesses. Companies are missing a trick by not offering them benefits tailored to their needs at a later stage in their working life.

“If you’re looking to attract older workers, make sure you’re putting in place benefits such as learning and development opportunities, reduced hours or the chance to explore different parts of the business.”

Reed’s research outlined the benefits older workers found the most valuable. The most desired benefits are flexibility in working hours (42%), increased pension contributions (25%) and an increase in holiday allowance (16%).

These policies have known benefits in terms of retention, career development, reductions in the time taken to hire new workers and increased engagement within the workforce.

Despite this, 56% of hiring managers had no specific internal mobility policies for older workers and nearly three quarters (73%) did not know what was meant by internal mobility for the ageing workforce.

Lee Gudgeon from Reed, said: “While it’s encouraging that businesses are looking to recruit older workers and see the value they can bring, they also need to support their older workers and identify where they need to take action.”

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International Enterprising Impactful Leading Strathclyde The final word in business education

Our Masters programmes are consistently ranked among the best in the UK – and around the world. Our department of Work, Employment and Organisation is Scotland’s leading centre for research, knowledge exchange and professional education in human resource management and employment studies. As HRM experts, we understand the importance of providing high quality education that fits around your career: We offer: • A part time MSc/PGDip Human Resource Management programme which is completed in two years with classes from 1–7pm once a week.

• CIPD* approved postgraduate qualifications leading to Associate Membership.

• Constructive external engagement with policy makers and practitioners.

Make Strathclyde your destination.

www.strath.ac.uk/business

* CIPD is the professional body for HR and people development.

SBS are proud to be offering programmes in conjunction with CIPD (previously IPD and IPM) for almost 70 years.

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RECOGNISE. ACKNOWLEDGE. REWARD.

CELEBRATING THE CHAMPIONS OF SCOTTISH HR IN 2022

By Teresa Flannigan

The Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute will celebrate 15 years of recognising, acknowledging and rewarding the champions of the Scottish HR profession this year.

The hugely anticipated annual awards gala dinner, anticipated to attract around 800 top HR & people industry professionals, will see the presentation of 15 Awards for a range of people, project and organisational categories and will take place at the hugely impressive Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November 2022.

The Gala Dinner will be hosted once again by broadcaster and presenter Stephen Jardine, who has hosted the Gala Dinner since November 2007.

The nominations process for this year’s Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 has now closed with nominations entered from all business sectors across Scotland, in all categories.

Table sales for this year’s Awards Gala Dinner are in extremely high demand as anticipated and organisations wishing to host a table of 10, are strongly advised to secure their table as soon as possible.

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Introducing the Judging Panel for 2022 Julian Bell

Capital Institute to deliver a well established and proven strategic framework that allows learners to advance their careers and prepare them to lead the future of HR. Prior to running her own consultancy, Susan lead and developed a Global Consulting Practice which was designed to help companies build strategic capabilities for workforce planning, transformation, business analytics and differentiated people practices.

Julian is a senior HR professional with over 20 years experience supporting business improvement through people-change programmes in many industries from blue chip, FMCG industries to, more recently, Private Equity funded growth companies. He recently became Global HRD for EC English, an English language training company with 27 schools in 8 countries across the globe. Julian started his career in Sales & Marketing with M&M/Mars confectionery in Slough but quickly “saw the light” and moved into HR and held a number of Business Partnering and European Internal Communication/ Engagement roles. He then returned to Scotland, working for Diageo in a number of UK, European & Global roles covering M&A, OD, Business Partnering, Talent Management and Resourcing. Staying in Food & Drink he then spent five years as HRD for Robert Wiseman Dairies and latterly, assisting the transition to Muller-Wiseman Dairies. In 2014 he became Director of Group HR for Redeem, a P/E backed, global provider of mobile phone recommercing services and sales before moving be CPO for Cloudreach, a P/E backed global cloud-enablement startup. Julian was educated at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh and holds a BSc in Economics from St Andrews University where he is a visiting lecturer in HR, and also met his wife, Pauline with whom he has three ballet dancing children and lives in Dollar.

John Ferguson John is Founder and Managing Partner of John Ferguson Leadership Ltd a results-based leadership company with particular emphasis at Executive and Board levels. John is recognised as a specialist in strategy facilitation and enabling high performing teams. With over 25 years leadership development background, John is recognised for his wealth of international experience and practical insights to support clients to optimise their leadership and achieve their commercial organisational objectives for today and tomorrow. John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and Deputy Chair of a community service organisation.

Fiona Martin Fiona is a highly experienced Chief Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry.

Skilled in negotiation, business planning, coaching, environmental awareness, and business transformation, Fiona is a strong business development professional with a Post Graduate Diploma focused in Personnel Management from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Susan DeFazio Susan is a recognised expert in strategic workforce planning, business growth and organisational effectiveness with 20+ years global experience. With a passion for empowering internal capabilities by making ‘the how’ possible for leaders and practitioners, as the founder of Be Future Ready Today, she acts as an advisor, coach, speaker, organisational health and strategic workforce planning expert. She is passionate about simplifying the world of work. Susan is a partner with The Human

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F E AT U R E RECOGNISE

ACKNOWLEDGE

REWARD

Key Sponsor

SAVE THE

Award Category DATE!Sponsors Learning & Development Award of the Year

NATIONAL AWARDS 2022

sponsored by:

in partnership with

Search Consultancy provides recruitment solutions to organisations across all major industry sectors and they are absolutely committed to offering their sponsorship and support to identify, develop and recognise talent in Roffey Park Institute each of their specialist areas. Working so closely with Hr NETWORK, they believe gives them incredible insight Based in the UK, Singapore and Ireland, Roffey Park into the HR profession, your passions and your Institute delivers high impact Leadership and challenges, and as an industry where so many clients are Management Development, and Organisational Development programmes and qualifications, as well For further details contact the Awards Planning Team onalso candidates, where better to invest? Search HR is one of 30 niche specialisms within their exceptional as development and coaching for HR and HRD leaders Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk recruitment service offering and business partners. They improve leadership, www.hrnetworkjobs.com management and organisational development For further information, please visit: performance and capability. They equip learners with www.search.co.uk the skills, resilience and agility they need to navigate 35 the change and uncertainty of today’s organisations.

They also want to make the world of work a better HR Graduate of the Year place. So they are unapologetically and passionately sponsored by: people-focused, as they believe this is key to sustainable organisational performance.

Gala Dinner, Glasgow Hilton, Thursday 10th November 2022

For further information, please visit: www.roffeypark.com Brodies LLP is Scotland’s largest law firm. Home to more Leading Individuals than any other firm in Scotland, Brodies has 43 top tier rankings in the independent legal directories, including employment, where it has been regarded as a leader in the field for many years. The team consists of specialists in employment, immigration, pensions, health & safety, and remuneration & employee benefits. The team provides high-quality, innovative services to a wide variety of clients in the private and public sectors and is praised for its commerciality with personality. Its specialist lawyers apply common sense and practical, in-house experience to ensure delivery of relevant, high quality legal services, tailored to the needs of each client.

For further information, please visit: www.brodies.com

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HR Project of the Year

Employee Engagement Award of the Year

sponsored by:

sponsored by:

SOR AVAILABLE TO SPON

SOR AVAILABLE TO SPON

Benefits of sponsoring this category: By sponsoring this category, you are directly supporting the HR community in Scotland. Hr NETWORK has been committed to supporting HR professionals and those closely associated with this vibrant and energetic community for more than 14 years.

Benefits of sponsoring this category: By sponsoring this category, you are directly supporting the HR community in Scotland. Hr NETWORK has been committed to supporting HR professionals and those closely associated with this vibrant and energetic community for more than 14 years.

For further information, please visit: www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/

For further information, please visit: www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/

Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year

Organisational Development Award of the Year

sponsored by:

sponsored by:

Three is committed to creating an engaging and inclusive culture. Their Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Steering Committee – made up of volunteers from across their business – is making some great progress, aligning with the Race at Work Charter and the Talent Tech Charter, celebrating diverse calendar of events and ensuring their policies and processes support their people. They believe that being diverse and inclusive, with a strong sense of belonging is not only the right thing to do but it will make them a stronger and better business. And they’re committed to making it part of their very DNA. For further information, please visit: www.three.co.uk/

Based in the UK, Singapore and Ireland, Roffey Park Institute delivers high impact Leadership and Management Development, and Organisational Development programmes and qualifications, as well as development and coaching for HR and HRD leaders and business partners. They improve leadership, management and organisational development performance and capability. They equip learners with the skills, resilience and agility they need to navigate the change and uncertainty of today’s organisations. They also want to make the world of work a better place. So they are unapologetically and passionately peoplefocused, as they believe this is key to sustainable organisational performance.

HR Business Partner of the Year

For further information, please visit www.roffeypark.ac.uk

sponsored by:

Right Management from ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions has more than 40 years of expertise in the talent lifecycle, helping organisations ensure they have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

Their workforce solutions include outplacement, workforce career management, leader development, coaching and assessment. Right Management’s solutions blend high-tech and high-touch, providing the strategies and insights to ensure your workforce is equipped for the future, whilst empowering employees to take charge of their careers.

For further information, please visit: www.rightmanagement.co.uk

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Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year

The wellbeing marketplace brings together established providers, consultants, tech-based services and more to make it easy to get inspiration and find new solutions.

sponsored by:

For further information, please visit: www.loveyouremployees.co.uk

Best Employer/Workplace of the Year

Be-IT is Scotland’s largest independently owned technology and digital resourcing company. From their offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow & Belfast they support over 180 clients across the UK to source the hard to fill skills within technology. They are experts in their field and operate across 14 business sectors from start-ups, SMEs to blue chips and multinationals, and they’ve helped thousands of professionals find permanent, interim and contract roles across the full spectrum of IT, change, development and communications. So, if you’re looking to add to your technology or digital team, speak with the local experts.

sponsored by:

Seamless, flexible, and leading-edge applicant tracking systems – Jobtrain pioneered online recruitment technologies in 1999. They are regarded as the UK’s most innovative and client-focused ATS / Talent Acquisition Management Software provider and deliver solutions for SMEs up to Enterprise organisations.

They are a trusted partner to organisations including, NHS Scotland, Cornerstone Care, Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, Toshiba, Odeon Cinemas, Wheatley Housing Group and Scottish Canals. They enable you to manage the sourcing, assessment and hiring of the right people with minimum effort and maximum efficiency.

This automation of recruitment administration frees up recruiters’ time to focus on the important elements of hiring – people and relationships.

For further information, please visit: www.be-it.co.uk

Corporate Responsibility Award of the Year

sponsored by:

SOR AVAILABLE TO SPON Benefits of sponsoring this category: By sponsoring this category, you are directly supporting the HR community in Scotland. Hr NETWORK has been committed to supporting HR professionals and those closely associated with this vibrant and energetic community for more than 14 years.

For further information, please visit: www.jobtrain.co.uk/home/talent-acquisitionsuite/?source=hr-network-scotland

HR Team of the Year sponsored by:

For further information, please visit: www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/

Health & Wellbeing Award of the Year

sponsored by:

Navigator is Scotland’s leading legal services practice specialising in Employment Law, Human Resources, Health & Safety, Data Protection, GDPR and Immigration Law. From their offices in the West End of Edinburgh, they support clients across the UK which operate across a broad spectrum of sectors. They provide legal advice, conduct employment law, health & safety and GDPR audits, write policies and procedures and represent at employment tribunal. They also write and deliver bespoke training and development sessions on a range of topics that can be tailored to your needs.

Love Your Employees is a platform to help employers improve employee wellbeing to help drive employee and company performance. Employers can score themselves across the five pillars of wellbeing (mental, financial, physical, career and social) and use this score to shape their reward, benefits and wellbeing support.

Organisations can easily review their provisions online, arrange free reviews with independent consultants quickly and simply find support with no sales pressure.

For further information, please visit: www.navigatorlaw.co.uk

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CEO of the YEAR

Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR

sponsored by:

The Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR Award is Scottish HR’s most prestigious award made to an individual who has an established history of distinguished service to the HR profession either as a practitioner, academic or consultant or may be someone who has successfully transcended different areas of the HR profession.

SOR AVAILABLE TO SPON Benefits of sponsoring this category: By sponsoring this category, you are directly supporting the HR community in Scotland. Hr NETWORK has been committed to supporting HR professionals and those closely associated with this vibrant and energetic community for more than 14 years.

If you have any enquiries in relation to sponsorship or becoming a table host at he Gala Dinner at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November 2022, please contact: Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland. co.uk

For further information, please visit: www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/awards/

HR Director of the Year sponsored by:

LHH exist to help people, teams and organisations find and prepare for what’s next. Their end-to-end HR solutions future-proof organisations and careers all over the world. Through Advisory, Career Transition & Mobility, Learning & Development and Recruitment Solutions, they enable transformation, and their job is never done because there’s always another tomorrow to prepare for. They make a difference to everyone they work with, and they do it with local expertise, backed by global infrastructure and industry-leading technology.

LHH’s over 8,000 colleagues and coaches span 66 countries, working with more than 15,000 organisations, a majority of Fortune Global 500, and nearly 500,000 candidates each year. Together they address needs across the entire talent journey, helping organisations build their capabilities and individuals build brighter futures. There is a world of opportunity out there. Let’s get to work. LHH is a part of the Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

For further information, please visit: www.lhh.com/lhhpenna/en/

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HOW TO

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For a business to succeed, it’s imperative that employees remain engaged and productive.

But this is often easier said than done, especially since improving employee engagement usually involves careful planning and a change in company culture. There are things you can do though, and it’s sometimes possible to see results right away.

H

ere Rovva, the virtual offices specialist shares their top tips for improving employee engagement and how you can implement them in your own business.

How to engage employees Whether you’re a start-up who wants to ensure your future workers are engaged from the start, or you’ve noticed a dip in engagement levels with your current workforce, there are several things you can do to improve the engagement of your workers.

Communicate effectively The first step in any engagement strategy is communication. Without good communication across your entire workforce, you run the risk of your employees feeling disconnected from one another.

Ensuring you communicate regularly is especially important for organisations with remote or hybrid working policies, as home workers are often the first to feel disengaged or out of the loop. A Buffer survey found that the second and third biggest challenges associated with remote working were loneliness and a lack of communication.

There are lots of things you can do to improve communication across your organisation, from circulating company news more frequently to simply encouraging ‘water cooler’ chat for your remote employees who don’t have the opportunity to catch up with colleagues in the office. As a manager or company owner, it’s also important to make sure you are accessible to your workers, whether you choose to

have an open-door policy or you personally communicate with your employees on a regular basis.

Ensuring you have plenty of lines of communication is essential too, whether you use a collaboration tool like Slack, a video calling and chat platform like Microsoft Teams or good old fashioned email. You should promote your preferred methods of communication to all your employees and ensure they can use them appropriately to keep in touch with their line managers and colleagues.

Invest in wellbeing A key thing to remember when you are responsible for a team of people is that everyone has a personal life as well as a professional purpose. It’s therefore important that wellbeing plays a role in improving employee engagement, especially as the two are closely linked and have an impact on one another.

Research has shown that when employee engagement and wellbeing work together, they can promote a more productive workplace, decreasing burnout and improving motivation. However, if the two become disconnected, it can result in poor performance and negatively impact a person’s mental health.

Investing in the wellbeing of your employees is not only important for engagement, but can also set you apart from other businesses who simply see their employees as worker bees and don’t pay attention to their health and wellbeing.

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Regularly check-in Annual or mid-year reviews or appraisals are no longer enough for the modern workforce, especially for employees who work remotely and don’t benefit from on-the-fly conversations in the office. And checking in doesn’t always mean a formal conversation about work; it could just be a chat to find out how a person is feeling.

You should make an effort to regularly check in with your employees, ask how they are and how they are managing their workload, but also ask about their plans for the weekend to make sure they are looking after their wellbeing and not overdoing it with work.

If you have a largely remote workforce, you should also make face-to-face conversations a priority, whether you have a weekly video call with each employee or ask to meet for lunch every so often.

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There are several things you can do to measure employee engagement.

We’ve already mentioned the importance of employee engagement surveys and gathering feedback, but this is one of the best ways to measure employee engagement. Hearing directly from your employees is the quickest and most effective way to find out how your employees feel and what you can do about it.

Another method for measuring engagement is to calculate your employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS). You can do this when you send your feedback surveys, gathering the results and calculating the scores to find your most and least engaged employees at the end. Calculating your eNPS uses a simple formula to assess how your workers feel about work and your organisation.

Ask for feedback It might seem obvious, but asking your employees how they feel about work and gathering their feedback in a survey is an invaluable tool for improving engagement. But why conduct an employee engagement survey? By regularly surveying your employees, you can discover areas for improvement and find out what is making employees feel disengaged, and likewise find things that make them feel more engaged.

Giving your employees a voice can also improve engagement in itself, by showing your workforce that you’re a forward-thinking company that cares about the wellbeing of its staff. Whether you choose to send anonymous surveys once a quarter, have a suggestions box in the staffroom or ask for feedback during one-to-one conversations, feedback is essential.

Provide recognition and feedback Just as asking for feedback is vital for improving engagement, regularly giving feedback and recognition to your employees is important too.

Ensure you and your team leaders regularly look for a job well done and provide positive feedback to the employee who did the work.

You could also publicly acknowledge the work they have done on your company intranet, social media or other collaboration platforms. It’s also a great idea to encourage employees to provide recognition or thanks to one another, fostering a culture of positivity and recognition.

Feedback is particularly important for millennial workers, who currently make up a huge portion of the global workforce. A TriNet survey found that 74% of millennials feel ‘in the dark’ about how they are performing at work, leaving them feeling disengaged and unsettled.

How to measure employee engagement While implementing the above employee motivation and engagement strategies can go some way to improving employee engagement, you need to measure their effectiveness to see how they are working in your organisation.

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Your employee retention levels can also help you measure how engaged your employees are. Disengaged employees are unlikely to stay with you, while engaged workers are more likely to stay with you for longer. Look for patterns in your retention levels to find out whether you have a problem with engagement and keeping loyal staff.

With some employee engagement productivity statistics stating that UK workers are only productive for two hours and 53 minutes a day, this is another great measure for engagement. You can measure productivity by dividing your revenue for a specific period by your number of employees, before comparing the results and looking for trends, patterns and improvements.

Improving your employee engagement isn’t going to happen overnight, so always be prepared to try different techniques and measure what works for your business over time. And always remember, keeping your employees happy is essential for business success!

FE B OAT O KUSRHEO P

BETWEEN the LINES How To Live When You Could Be Dead

By Deborah James When Deborah James was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer at just 35, she learned a powerful lesson: the way we respond to any given situation empowers or destroys us. And with the right skills and approach, we can all face huge challenges and find strength and hope in the darkest of places. How to Live When You Could Be Dead will show you how. It will awaken you to question your life as if you didn’t have a tomorrow and live it in the way you want to today. By harnessing the power of positivity and valuing each day as though it could be your last, you’ll find out, as Deborah did, that it is possible to live with joy and purpose, no matter what.

Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors

By Tom Bower The British Royal Family believed that the dizzy success of the Sussex wedding, watched and celebrated around the world, was the beginning of a new era for the Windsors. Yet, within one tumultuous year, the dream became a nightmare. In the aftermath of the infamous Megxit split and the Oprah Winfrey interview, the Royal Family’s fate seems persistently threatened. The public remains puzzled. Meghan’s success has alternatively won praise, bewildered and outraged. Confused by the Sussexes’ slick publicity, few understand the real Meghan Markle. What lies ahead for Meghan? And what has happened to the family she married into? Can the Windsors restore their reputation? With extensive research, expert sourcing and interviews from insiders who have never spoken before, Tom Bower, Britain’s leading investigative biographer, unpicks the tangled web of courtroom drama, courtier politics and thwarted childhood dreams to uncover an astonishing story of love, betrayal, secrets and revenge.

MANIFEST

By Roxie Nafousi MANIFEST is the essential guide for anyone and everyone wanting to feel more empowered in their lives.

Self-development coach and ‘Queen of Manifesting’ Roxie Nafousi will show you how in just seven simple steps you can understand the true art of manifestation and learn how to create the life you have always dreamed of. Whether you want to attract your soulmate, find the perfect job or your dream home, or simply discover more inner-peace and confidence, MANIFEST will teach you exactly how to get there in just 7 steps . . .

1. Be clear in your vision 2. Remove fear and doubt 3. Align your behaviour 4. Overcome tests from the universe 5. Embrace gratitude without caveats 6. Turn envy into inspiration 7. Trust in the universe A meeting of science and wisdom, manifesting is a philosophy and a self-development practice to help you reach for your goals, cultivate self-love and live your best life. Unlock the magic for yourself and begin your journey to turning your dreams into reality.

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Support

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ting women in their experience of perimenopause

Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women between the ages of 40 to 44. Perimenopause is a natural life stage for women, just like puberty, and should not be viewed as a disease or disorder.

M

enopause can dramatically affect and woman’s working life and the ability to speak openly about menopause.

Employers should be offering support to women at work, dealing with the wide-ranging symptoms of menopause.

Transitioning to menopause may bring about mixed emotions, some women may view it as a relief that they will soon be free of monthly periods while other women can be upset by the prospect of not being able to fall pregnant anymore.

Women’s individual experiences of perimenopause can vary from person to person. Some women may experience very few symptoms, while others will experience symptoms so severe that it impacts their quality of life. Perimenopause has over 34 symptoms and can include hot flushes, night sweats, digestive issues, changes in sex drive, headaches and mental health problems – all related to declining oestrogen levels.

Leading health tech firm Forth wanted a better understanding of women’s lived experiences so conducted a survey on over 4,000 women both under and over the age of 40 to investigate their symptoms regarding perimenopause and gain an in-depth overview of the subject. They also did this to end the stigma related to the topic and hopefully get more women talking about their menopause experiences.

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Methodology They questioned a total of 4,031 women on the perimenopausal symptoms they have experienced.

1,020 women were under the age of 40 and 3,011 over the age of 40.

Forth surveyed a higher percentage of women over the age of 40 as this is when perimenopause is most likely to occur.

The types of questions asked in the survey included whether respondents experience hot flushes, if they’ve had to deal with vaginal dryness or pain during sex and whether they are suffering from any mood changes like increased anxiety, depression and bursts of anger.

The most common perimenopausal symptom is mood changes Forth’s research revealed that nearly three-quarters (74%) of women have symptoms related to perimenopause.

From exploring the general data, it was revealed that women under the age of 40 showed similar symptoms

as women over 40, which highlight’s that symptoms alone can’t be used to diagnose perimenopause. As perimenopause symptoms can mirror any number of other conditions, it’s important to use a blood test to analyse hormones alongside symptoms – especially in women under 40.

The top three most common symptoms reported by women who took the survey and answered with either ‘often’ or ‘always’ were: 1. Changes in mood – 87% 2. Changes in memory – 81% 3. Poor sleep – 80% When they investigated which were the least common symptoms, vaginal dryness and/or pain during sex was the least commonly reported symptom, with 41% of women choosing ‘often’ or ‘always’.

Hot flushes were the following most uncommon symptom, at 44%. In third-bottom place was night sweats with just over half (56%) confirming symptoms.

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This highlights the fact that women are experiencing cognitive symptoms of perimenopause that go beyond the expected symptoms of hot flushes or night sweats. A lack of education surrounding perimenopause may mean women are living through this transition stage without knowing they’re suffering from perimenopause.

More women under 40 suffer digestive issues than those over 40!

The percentage of women answering that they have experienced mood changes like increased anxiety, depression, and outbursts of anger is fairly balanced no matter if the woman is under or over 40 years of age. The percentages are as follows; 87% of women over 40 answered that they ‘always’ or ‘often’ experience mood changes compared to 89% of women under 40.

The research also found that women who are both over and under 40 reported an increase in their frequency and urgency to urinate, both at 66%.

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When they explored the percentage of women experiencing digestive issues or frequent bloating, there appears to be a larger percentage of women under the age of 40 (82%) than women over the age of 40 (77%) suffering from these symptoms. This could be due to the impact rising and falling levels of oestrogen levels can have on the digestive system.

Another unanticipated statistic that the survey revealed was that more women under the age of 40 suffered from vaginal dryness and pain during sex than those over the age of 40. 51% under the age of 40 answered ‘always’ or ‘often’ in the questionnaire compared to 41% of those over 40.

Additionally, the majority of women both over and under the age of 40 answered in the survey that they have suffered from poor sleep at 80% and 82% respectively.

A symptom associated with perimenopause that many people are unaware of is dry and itchy skin.

The survey revealed this is still an extremely common symptom among women under and over the age of 40. 70% of women under the age of 40 answered they have

‘always’ and ‘often’ noticed their skin becoming dry or itchy compared to 68% of women over the age of 40.

However, dry and itchy skin is simply a symptom associated with perimenopause, not a determining factor. As dry and itchy skin is something a lot of women suffer with, it shouldn’t be used to selfdiagnose yourself with the condition.

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Forth’s team of medical and scientific experts are leaders in their field and their knowledge and experience helps their clients to reach their best.

HEALTH A WELLBEI F E AT U R E

CONSIDERATIONS FOR HR M AS THE METAVERSE DRAWS C

REALITY Regarded by many as the future of the internet, the metaverse is still in its infancy but the hi-tech concept looks set to revolutionise the way we work. In this feature, Willis Towers Watson’s Employee Benefits division reviews the health & wellbeing considerations for HR Managers as the metaverse draws closer to reality and the huge impact this has on the future workplace.

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AND

ING

MANAGERS CLOSER TO

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Meet the metaverse Through avatars, users of this advanced form of virtual reality will be able to interact with a computergenerated environment – along with other users.

Current schools of thought suggest that, rather than using a computer, migrants to the metaverse will use a headset to access a virtual world, which will connect them to unlimited digital environments.

It may be more than a decade from fruition – and it may sound like The Matrix made real, or a gamer’s fantasy – but we can expect the metaverse to have a huge impact on the future workplace.

Consequently, it behoves HR managers to understand how the metaverse could be harnessed and used to benefit the health and wellbeing of employees.

As the last two years have shown, employees have learned to adapt to remote working. Figures from a recent YouGov survey revealed that 56 per cent of respondents said they would now prefer to work from

home at least some of the time.

There has been a similar reaction internationally, from countries such as the USA, Japan and Australia.

It is highly likely, therefore, that the future will see employers choosing remote working practices for their employees over the traditional onsite work.

The new technology is expected to make the working from home (WFH) experience more practical, more effective and more pleasurable. Already, WFH has demonstrated health and wellbeing gains for employees, from less exposure to illnesses to improved work/life balance.

Avoiding the ‘home alone’ syndrome Humans are not designed to be solitary beings. To thrive they require contact with others, communication and mental stimulation.

While video conferencing may help fulfil the practical, work-related needs of remote workers, the spontaneous communication

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opportunities that the physical workplace offers is lost. The opportunity to have casual conversations and share in ‘watercooler’ moments encourages engagement, which has proven mental health benefits.

The virtual workplace of the metaverse allows for such encounters. Through their avatars, employees will be able to have those corridor conversations, share their opinions on the latest news events or discuss their social lives.

A workplace that has a culture of fun is a workplace that employees enjoy being in – be it virtually or physically – and this will invariably translate to a sense of wellbeing.

Ensuring team spirit continues Working remotely can induce feelings of anxiety and frustration for employees engaged in collaborative projects. The risks of miscommunications and misunderstandings are heightened when colleagues are not physically ‘there’ to explain and demonstrate their ideas and solutions.

F E AT U R E

The metaverse will help remove such concerns by providing a real-time shared workspace where camaraderie is still able to exist and where responses are not delayed.

Furthermore, the immersive augmented reality available in the metaverse will allow for greater creativity, An architectural team, for example, will be able to ‘walk’ around, inspect and discuss 3D, computer-generated designs.

Risks and dangers The sense of inclusion and connectivity that the metaverse can bring are obvious positives, but there’s a risk the opposite may also occur.

Because the metaverse is still embryonic its impact cannot yet be properly assessed, but the effect of VR use may signpost possible health and wellbeing outcomes.

In some cases, users have overengaged with VR resulting in detachment from reality and feelings of isolation.

Psychologically, there is a danger that inhabitants of the metaverse could end up living a ‘tunnel vision’ existence. Employees’ typical working hours coincide with periods when their minds are most alert.

Spending those hours ‘living’ in a virtual world may have ramifications when employees re-enter the real world, with all its imperfections.

VR can also discourage physical activity, resulting in unhealthy sedentary lifestyles.

To address these issues, HR managers will need to ensure employees have regular metaverse breaks.

Such breaks are more easily monitored when employees are in the workplace, but less so when they are working from home.

Consequently, breaks should be formalised as a key part of corporate metaverse polices. We may even see the emergence of tachograph-style technology to regulate employees’ metaverse time.

With the number of employees WFH expected to increase as the metaverse becomes established,

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it follows that HR practitioners will need to schedule more check-ins and catch-ups with employees.

This will enable early indications of mental health issues to be more easily addressed, while good working practices and health and safety advice will be more easily enforced.

Preparing for the unknown Technological advances are rarely paused or reversed and the assumption by many is that the metaverse will happen.

Should it meet – or exceed – expectations, it will be a massive evolutionary step in the world of work.

The responsibilities facing employers will be huge and it is essential that HR departments focus on how it can be best used to serve the health and wellbeing needs of employees.

For those businesses that are already starting to see the potential of metaverse adoption, the message is clear, start preparing now.

I N S I G H T : H O L I DAY PAY A N D E N T I T L E M E N T

Clearing up the confusion around holiday pay and entitlement In recent years, there has been a steady stream of litigation with employment law professionals dealing with holiday entitlement and pay, with the latest being the Supreme Court’s decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel. Here, Daniel Gorry, Legal Director, Scotland at WorkNest looks closer at the case and what we can learn from it.

Whilst the legal principle in the Harpur Trust v Brazel case – that under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR) ––all permanent workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ leave each leave year paid at the rate of a week’s pay, calculated in line with the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) – seems straightforward enough, many employers and HR professionals are confused by how it can be implemented in practice.

Note that the decision dealt only with workers who are permanently employed throughout the year, not those who have breaks in employment between assignments.

In theory, the 12.07% method could still be used for such variable hour workers; however, this is not without risk and, if challenged, could well be found to be in breach of the WTR.

What does the decision mean?

For full and part-time full year workers, nothing has changed; holiday entitlement can still be pro-rated for part-time workers with fixed working hours in the sense that a “week” for that worker will represent their parttime working hours.

What should employers do now?

Those who permanently employ zero hours, ad-hoc or term-time workers, and have applied the 12.07% formula to calculate holiday entitlement, will likely have underpaid holiday pay. This could give rise to unlawful deduction from wages claims and claims in respect of a breach of the WTR.

For full and part-time part year workers, namely all workers who are engaged under a permanent contract who do not work every week, there is a change; employers must ensure that they receive at least 5.6 weeks’ paid leave in the leave year and shouldn’t use the commonly applied 12.07% method to link the accrual of holidays to the number of hours worked.

Employers should assess their potential liability by determining which workers are affected, looking back at what holiday pay has been paid over the past two years and comparing this against what ought to have been paid in line with the averaging approach above.

How do we work out what a “week” means?

Where any underpayments are identified, employers need to assess the likelihood of a claim and decide whether to make a back payment or bear the risk of any claim. There are, of course, employee relations considerations inherent in each.

The approach recommended by BEIS is to apply a “representative reference period” to find an average week in days or hours. Employers can then work out what proportion of a “week” each day or hour of leave would represent, with this then being paid at the relevant proportion of a week’s pay, calculated in line with the ERA provisions. Most employers will be used to carrying out an averaging exercise to find a week’s pay, so applying this same principle to find an average “week” shouldn’t be too onerous.

We strongly recommend seeking legal advice to explore your potential liability for past underpayments and to manage your approach going forward to mitigate the risk of future claims.

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I N S I G H T : H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G

Cancer Treatment: Helping employees return and thrive in the workplace In Maggie’s Cancer Centre’s 2021 audit report, which collected information from people who visit their centres across the UK and asked visitors for the first time about their employment status, results revealed that 46% of visitors were currently working, either in full or part time employment or self-employed. As part of the ongoing commitment to working and supporting the Maggie’s At Work campaign, Hr NETWORK asked Mark Cooper, centre fundraising manager for Maggie’s Edinburgh, to provide an insight into some of the findings of the report and offer some advice for HR professionals who find themselves supporting colleagues returning to work after cancer treatment.

with the practicalities of going back to work, staying active and positive. Led by Maggie’s cancer support specialists, the course has a transformational impact on people at the end of their treatment.

We have worked with several national organisations to help shape their care package for staff and we recently helped implement a cancer champion network within a national bank, providing training for individuals who volunteered to become cancer champions and ongoing support for those volunteers. Cancer Champions are an internal source of support for anyone who is diagnosed with cancer, armed with knowledge about Maggie’s and other organisations they can signpost colleagues towards.

We helped a national bank set up an internal cancer support network, chaired by a volunteer and completely confidential it enabled staff to talk openly about their situation in a safe space and created a nurturing environment for staff to continue to be present in.

As well as almost half of our visitors currently working, either in full or part time employment or self-employed, those employed tended to be younger visitors and previously had cancer or were caring for someone with cancer.

We also had some great feedback from a recent visitor to our Maggie’s Edinburgh Centre:

Also featured in the 2021 audit, 100% of people surveyed, who said they were currently employed stated that they felt visiting Maggie’s “helped them return to work sooner than they had expected.” And 99% said that they felt Maggie’s helped them “Helped make the adjustment to being back at work easier.”

“ Thanks so much for such a brilliant course. When I started, my confidence was really low and I was struggling to think about being back in a work environment. With the help of you, and the others on the course, I have found a way of pacing myself, speaking kindly to myself and helping work colleagues understand what I need. I’ve been back 6 months and I feel more like myself, more confident and more able to be back at work.”

Maggie’s offer a seven-week course ‘Where now?’.

This course supports beyond cancer treatment, the course helps people prepare emotionally as well as

To find out more about Maggies Cancer Centre’s and how HR professionals and employers generally can help employees and employers with a cancer diagnosis, please visit the Maggies website: www.maggies.org/ cancer-support/managing-practically/work-andcancer/

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INSIGHT: RETIREMENT PLANNING

Are you and your workers ready for a ‘happy’ retirement?

It’s likely that most workers across Scotland have found themselves daydreaming at the photocopier about their perfect retirement. The traditional perception of a ‘happy’ retirement is perhaps travelling the world, indulging in hobbies, learning new skills, or just enjoying some well-earned downtime. Here, CEO of Age Scotland Brian Sloan highlights the results of a recent poll, which paints a worrying picture of how financially unprepared Scots are for retirement, but offers some guidance on how employers and employees can prepare for a better retirement.

Employees shouldn’t be on their own when it comes to making decisions in relation to retirement. As the number of over 50s in our workforce continues to grow, there is a real need for organisations to support employees to plan for life after work. Talking openly about retirement allows organisations to engage their older workers, maximise skills and succession plan.

However, only a fifth of UK workers feel that they can talk openly with their manager about their retirement plans.

In Scotland we have the highest proportion of pensioners in persistent poverty than the other UK nations. We’re urging workers to plan ahead as a very large group of people we polled will face a big drop in their living standards in later life if they do not take action now.

Our latest research reveals that this dream may not be a reality for many, with six in ten Scots certain they will not have enough money to comfortably live on when they retire. The YouGov poll commissioned by Age Scotland found that only 35 per cent of respondents were certain they had enough money to retire, with women a lot more uncertain than males, arguably highlighting the gender pension gap.

Our recent ‘Lead the Way in Age Inclusion’ event was attended by HR professionals from over 30 Scottish organisations and included a discussion about preretirement planning. Although three quarters of organisations attending the event offer their workers pre-retirement support, only 32 per cent of those employers think the support they offer is adequate.

Our poll paints a worrying picture of how financially unprepared Scots are for retirement. Amidst the biggest squeeze on household income in over 30 years, workers of all ages, especially those nearing retirement, are bound to be concerned about how the cost-of-living crisis might impact their income in later life. There’s real fear we are going to see a growing retirement poverty gap as living costs continue to rocket.

Age Scotland’s Planning For Your Future workshops allow older workers to prepare for retirement and to feel comfortable talking about their plans with their employers. The right advice and some effective forward planning could make a long-term difference to the shape of our financial future and make those ‘happy’ retirement dreams come true.

Planning your retirement has arguably never been more important. No matter how far away it may seem, it’s good to start reviewing your finances early in your career, and preferably contribute substantially to your pot, to ensure your future income will allow you to enjoy the lifestyle you want. As you approach retirement it’s good to get your finances in order — decide how you will spend your pension pot, deal with any debt and trace old pension pots from previous jobs.

For more information, please visit: www.age.scot/ planningforyourfuture

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I N S I G H T : E M P L OY E E E N G A G E M E N T

How to maintain culture and purpose in hybrid working 3. Use the right technology software and tools

As their organisations embrace the new, tech-enabled world of hybrid or flexible working, leaders often ask how they can maintain or enhance culture and purpose. Here, Chris Preston, CXO at Tuddl, the UK’s exciting new digital performance and wellbeing coach for your team offers some advice and tips on how to keep your dispersed teams engaged and motivated.

Digital transformation is more about people than technology. Reinforcing company culture with tools that are intrinsically built for remote teams is the first step.

Using an employee performance tool, such as Tuddl, helps to clearly communicate your team’s priorities with their input on what matters the most. It also centres your teams with shared accountability for goal-setting, priorities, and collaboration just as well as you would in any office setting.

It’s become the most asked question in the world of work today! How do you keep your dispersed teams engaged and motivated, and anchored to a common set of values and sense of direction?

4. I dentify the seeds of problems and eliminate unnecessary stress Harnessing the ability to check the workplace climate and identify various challenges that teams are facing is one of the best ways to build a winning culture. Knowing what issues are stressing your team shows that you have your finger on your organisation’s pulse. Moving on issues before they become damaging helps your teams maintain a sense of purpose, prioritise meaningful work, and stay focused.

Here’s a starter for five:

1. Focus on the culture and capabilities you’re trying to build Be clear on your company values and how they impart into the daily operations of the business. The values and behaviours you want to see in your people need to be articulated and defined. These are manifested differently in the virtual world than in an office environment, but they still need to be reinforced frequently to support collaboration and teamwork.

5. Combine people insights and team experience Understanding your people is key to nurturing and fostering a thriving workplace culture. Data is great in helping steer your culture, but it can sometimes be misinterpreted and politicised. Combine your people’s own experience and expertise, alongside overarching team insights, to make better data-informed decisions that aid connectivity and shared ownership.

Focus on shared goals, what these lived behaviours look like in real situations, and celebrate with individuals when they exhibit them.

2. Place employee wellbeing at the forefront

In conclusion.…

Remote teams will only be successful if people feel psychologically safe. To avoid teams feeling a fear of expressing their opinions and needs, employees need support to operate from a place of trust, openness and inclusivity. Physical distance should not create emotional distance between teams.

Creating and maintaining a company culture is crucial for any business; even more so for businesses operating remotely.

These new working patterns can create huge opportunities, though they also pose unique challenges.

If we can sum it up, it’s about identifying those challenges, developing agile solutions and support, and being intentional about your commitment to culture and purpose.

Whether it’s employee wellness programmes, daily check-ins, or Friday hangouts and virtual break rooms, supporting your people and showing them you care about their wellbeing will directly impact on their performance in a remote or hybrid working environment.

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MY LINKEDIN

MyLinked Jim Hogsflesh

Client Solutions Director at Right Management Current: Right Management Connections: 500+ Location: Crail, Scotland, United Kingdom

About:

• •

With over 25 years HR & Workforce Consulting Experience, I specialise in maximising the value of the workforce by focusing on developing and managing Client relationships on a Local, National and International level. Specialise in developing client solutions in: • Assessment • Leadership Development • Career Mobility • Career and Leader Coaching • Outplacement

UK Enterprise Account Manager Thomas International Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 UK Account Director Right Management Jan 2010 – Jan 2016 New Business Development Manager Hudson Sep 2007 – Jan 2010

Experience: Right Management January 2017 - present

UK Corporate Sales Executive Office Angels Mar 2004 – Sep 2007

For more than 40 years, Right Management has transformed organizations across more than 75 countries by evaluating, developing, and transitioning their talent. Our strong pool of coaches and leadership experts works closely with our candidates to help them identify their strengths, develop new capabilities, or transition them to new careers. I am responsible for consulting and client relationships with a local, national and global remit, around Workforce Solutions, with expertise across multi sectors focusing in the North of England and Scotland. Point of contact for developing and creating innovative solutions across the following areas: • • • • •

Workforce Career Transition & Outplacement Coaching - High Impact Coaching, Leader Coaching, First 90 Days Coaching, Career Coaching, Digital on demand coaching

Education: University of Derby Business & Finance, Certificate of Management Studies 1994-1996

Recommendation: “Jim is an absolute professional with a wealth of experience across multiple sectors. I worked with Jim on a number of new business pitches. He is highly knowledgeable and has an engaging and charismatic personality. Jim has the ability to identify the challenges and then provide specific, tailored solutions to meet those needs and exceed all expectations with both internal customers and external clients alike. He is good fun, a team player and I highly recommend him.”

David Hunter, TA Recruitment Leader, Commscope

Assessment Leadership Development - Including, Leadership effectiveness, Team Effectiveness and Leadership Acceleration identifying future leaders Inclusive Leadership Career Mobility - Redeployment, Manager as a Coach, Career Coaching

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FEATURE 3

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Gala Dinner, Glasgow Hilton, Thursday 10th November 2022 For further details contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk www.hrnetworkjobs.com 35 47

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Transform your future.

Big change offers great opportunity. As you step forward into 2022, the need for new leadership and management skill sets and an even stronger coaching and collaborative mindset is already upon you. At Roffey Park Institute we hear your call. The change and transformation agenda. The need for managers to connect and empower teams to perform. For colleagues to become stronger business partners and internal consultants. Critical thinking and decision making at speed will be crucial to the organisational task ahead. Relearning working and reworking learning will be imperative.

At Roffey Park Institute we can help unlock your and your organisation’s potential. With our partnership approach we can deliver tailored solutions to realise organisation goals.

Together we can make a difference.

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