SATURDAY 14TH MAY 2019
CONTENTS
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COVER STORY Who cares? Supporting carers in the workplace Andy Moore looks at how employers can support staff with carer responsibilities
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CONTRIBUTORS
Founder and Publisher:
SIMON HODGSON Director, Carers Scotland
Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Feature One: Who cares? p. 16 Simon is the director of Carers Scotland and Carers Northern Ireland
Senior Associate Editor: Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Deputy-Editor: Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
DR. ROBERT COLES Roffey Park Institute Feature Two: Resilience p. 22
Editor-At-large: Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Robert is the CEO of Roffey Park Institute which is located in the UK, Ireland and Singapore
Editor’s Assistant/Admin: Marion Robertson editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Advertising/Sponsorship:
NEIL ARCHIBALD
Donna Turner advertising@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Editor At Large: Competition in the Workplace p. 38 Neil is a freelance business journalist who has previously held senior HR positions
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WELCOME
November 2019 All the finalists for this year’s Awards can be found in this latest issue of the magazine and the winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner taking place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 14th November. This Issue Andy Moore takes a look at the challenges that many employees and employers in Scotland encounter as carers, whether they are caring for an elderly parent or perhaps a child with historical health issues. Thankfully, Andy finds that there is help out their for carers in the workplace. Editor At Large Neil Archibald looks at subject of competition in the workplace between colleagues and teams. The regular sections of the magazine include: Five Fab…, Stats and Bookshop.
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elcome to the November issue of Hr NETWORK magazine which our historical readers will know is the ‘Awards’ issue showcasing ALL the finalists and all the build up to the hugely anticipated and very exciting Hr NETWORK National Awards 2019 which, for the next three years, will be in partnership with the world class executive and research institute, Roffey Park. My colleagues and I have been working closely with Roffey Park’s CEO Dr. Robert Coles and his wonderful team based both in Scotland and at their headquarters in Horsham, West Sussex to maximise the huge opportunities that exist for both parties with this exciting partnership.
The Gala Dinner which is now completely sold out will attract around 800 HR & people professionals and in doing so, will recognise, acknowledge and reward the champions of the Scottish HR profession across 18 categories including: HR Assistant/ Officer of the Year sponsored by Aegon UK, HR Team of the Year sponsored by Navigator Employment Law and a brand new category making its first appearance in the awards this year, Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year sponsored by CYBG Virgin Money. At the November Gala Dinner later this month, I will thank Roffey Park Institute for their wonderful support along with the great support from all the category sponsors, our supporting sponsors and the table hosts for making it all possible. I will also provide an update on our exciting plans for the Hr NETWORK Conference 2019, our Hr40 Dinners and some new initiatives that will help us continue to support this wonderful HR profession in Scotland.
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I hope you continue to enjoy your latest copy of Hr NETWORK Magazine and if you would like to see some specific topics covered in the magazine, please just get in touch.
Lee Turner Publisher
The Gala Dinner which is now completely sold out will attract around 800 HR & people professionals... Hr NETWORK also available on: LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hrnetwork1 Twitter: www.twitter.com/HrNETWORKNews YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ hrnetworkscotland
NEWS
One in ten UK parents do not see their children on a working day until after 7pm A nationwide report reveals the extent to which busy parents are missing out on their child’s most precious years, with an average of 10 per cent of working mums (and the same percentage of dads), now leaving the house before their children wake up, leaving the breakfast routine and school run to a co-parent, nanny or child-minder.
later. And this is having an emotional impact on children, as 93 per cent of the kids surveyed said they wish they had more time with their parents.
In fact, as many as one in five parents (19 per cent) claim they cannot remember the last time the family sat down together for breakfast together, while only a quarter of modern families (24 per cent) now sit down together for breakfast during the week, according to the study.
The study from Nutella found that long working hours (34 per cent) are the main reason parents struggle to spend quality time with their children, with more than one in ten (11 percent) admitting busy schedules mean they miss out on family time.
The survey also shows that one in ten British dads NEVER make it home in time to eat dinner with their kids (compared to one in twenty working mums), while seven percent of all working parents say they frequently miss their child’s bedtime because of their job.
A staggering two thirds of the parents polled, claim they see less of their kids than their own mums and dads did of them, when they were young.
The nationwide study of 2,000 parents and their children found a significant 23 per cent of mums and dads feel under “constant” time pressure as a family.
Other things, which get in the way of family life include the burden of household chores (34 percent) and the intrusive nature of screens (24 percent) as well as the long commute to and from work (16 percent).
According to the findings, 38 per cent of all working parents saying they do not get home in the evening until 7pm or
Aon addresses serious issues identified in Mental Health First Aid training Leading global professional services firm Aon has developed a range of client services for employers to fill the gaps identified in Mental Health First Aid provision. Aon’s services include strategic consultancy, data analysis and impact measurement, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses that support the Mental Health First Aiders themselves, as well as communication support. According to research, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses are commonplace in workplaces throughout the UK. They are delivered by many providers to support the
mental health and wellbeing of all employees, including the 1 in 4 people who will suffer with diagnosable mental health conditions each year. This is estimated to cost businesses between £33 billion and £42 billion annually, on average equating to £1205 and £1560 per employee. However, the research from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) highlights serious pitfalls for employers rolling out MHFA in isolation from a wider strategy, not least due consideration of vital issues such as the scope of the role – and, importantly, taking care
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of the MH First Aiders themselves. Measurement of impact has also been problematic. Charles Alberts, head of health management at Aon, explains: “Many employers don’t know where to start with mental health support, even after the Government published its Thriving at Work report. There is enormous positive support for high quality MHFA training, however according to the IOSH, significant issues can include boundaries and safety issues for the trained MH First Aiders and understanding the impact of the training.”
NEWS
More than two thirds (68%) of Scottish business leaders surveyed reported good working practices around flexible working, with 43 per cent saying their business had a very flexible working culture and that flexible working was accepted as the norm.
‘Flexible working is good for business’ say Scottish business leaders
While a quarter (25%) said they had some really good practices in place for flexible working and many people had the opportunity to work flexibly. As a minimum, organisations are legally required to consider requests for flexible working from employees who have been employed at least 26 weeks.
Almost nine in ten (87%) Scottish business leaders surveyed who offer flexible working say it has had a positive impact on their business, according to new research by Family Friendly Working Scotland to mark the launch of National Work Life Week last month.
Nikki Slowey, co-director at Family Friendly Working Scotland, which is part of the UK work life balance charity Working Families, said: “Flexible working is good for business. The fact we’re hearing this from business leaders themselves proves flexibility is not a favour to employees in special circumstances –it genuinely makes good business sense.
The figures from a YouGov poll of more than 250 Scottish senior business decision makers demonstrate clear business benefits from offering flexibility – putting paid to the myth that flexible working is only a ‘favour’ to help employees in special circumstances. Half (50%) of business leaders said offering flexible working has had a ‘very positive’ impact on the business overall and 38 per cent said it had a ‘fairly positive’ impact. Only two per cent felt it had any negative effect. Senior Scottish business leaders surveyed who offer flexibility to employees said it had led business benefits including, increased productivity among employees (37%), reduced business costs, such as office space or recruitment and training (26%) and increased profit (17%).
Emotionally intelligent managers are less popular and ineffective, according to a study Managers with a high level of emotional intelligence are more likely to be unpopular and ineffective when compared with their peers, according to a new study. The research, from Manchester Metropolitan University and the EMLyon Business School in France, challenges a common assumption that increased emotional intelligence is always a good trait for managers. Working with the NHS, researchers asked staff to assess their managers’ level of empathy as well as awareness of their own and others’ emotions. As a result, the study concludes that beyond a certain point, high levels of emotional intelligence may not necessarily lead to enhanced outcomes.
Dr Sumona Mukhuty, Principal Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “In the last two decades, emotional intelligence has often been identified as a key factor in effective leadership. However, our work within the NHS suggests there could be a saturation point. “During a time of fundamental reorganisation within the health service, we found that managers who were rated beyond a particular threshold of emotional intelligence were not necessarily highly effective.” As part of the study, over 300 NHS managers reported on the extra effort they put into the job along with staff satisfaction with them and how well
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they implemented change within the organisation. Too much emotional intelligence is associated with too much empathy, which in turn may make a manager hesitant to apply measures that he or she feels will impose excessive burden or discomfort to subordinates. “Simply considering that the more emotional intelligence the manager has, the better it is may be an erroneous way of thinking. As well as implications for emotional intelligence and leadership theory, these findings have the potential to change future approaches to leadership training.”
NEWS
Costain appoints Catherine Warbrick as Group HR Director
New IES research highlights a benefit system failing to support homeless young people in precarious employment A new report by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) reveals that some young people in supported accommodation and in precarious employment (i.e. zero-hour contracts, agency and temporary work), experience financial difficulties caused by fluctuating benefit payments that are affected by varying hours of work. The report, entitled Experiences of Homeless Young People in Precarious Employment, is commissioned by Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity. The study highlights the social and financial risks that young people can encounter in this form of ‘non-standard’ work, due to a lack of guaranteed and regular hours that can also restrict their access to key benefits if income fluctuates from month to month.
Costain, the smart infrastructure solutions company, has appointed Catherine Warbrick as Group HR director and a member of its Executive Board. Catherine joined Costain in 2006 and has performed a number of senior leadership roles, most recently as director of learning and development and corporate responsibility and prior to that as investor relations director. Highlights of her career with Costain include developing and implementing the Group’s first Corporate Responsibility (CR) strategy, achieving Platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index in 2013 and driving change to achieve the Group’s recognition in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2018 and 2019, and being cited as a game changer in 2019 for our work on gender parity in early careers recruitment. Alex Vaughan, CEO said, “Catherine has made a real difference to the performance and reputation of Costain in the roles she has performed, particularly in raising our responsible business standards, supporting the development and delivery of our inclusion strategy, driving programmes to ensure we unlock the great potential of our people and in developing our people’s capabilities to provide leading edge solutions for our clients. I wish her every success in her new role.”
The research conducted between December 2018 and March 2019 consisted of in-depth interviews of young people with experience of homelessness, and staff working in third sector organisations supporting homeless young people with issues related to employment, housing and the benefits system. An online survey was also completed by 50 young people with recent experiences of engaging in non-standard employment and who are currently living in Centrepoint supported accommodation or receiving support from partner organisations. The research found that unpredictable working patterns and earnings can affect a young person’s ability to meet housing and basic living costs, with 35% of respondents reporting that their income was not enough to cover their basic needs of food, bills and travel, while 38% said their income was not enough to cover their rent. Furthermore, the benefits and employment system are not seen to be working well in tandem, with reports of young peoples’ welfare payments being cut, in spite of their employment only being temporary or their income fluctuating month-to-month. The issues surrounding the interaction of non-standard employment and welfare payments had led many young people to accrue debts, mostly in terms of rent payments owed to their housing provider. Principal report author Jonathan Buzzeo said, “Our research highlights that young people with experience or who are at risk of homelessness can find it difficult to compete for more stable employment opportunities.” Centrepoint Senior Policy & Research Manager Abi Gill said, “Young people who have experienced homelessness are often entering adulthood without the family support networks most of us benefit from, so they need to earn money to support themselves financially. Temporary or zero-hours employment can be an attractive option in this scenario, especially for those who lack formal qualifications or experience. “Centrepoint is calling on the Government to review Universal Credit to make sure young people are not pushed into rent arrears, or deterred from working for fear of ending up in debt.”
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NEWS
“Working from Home” – 28% say it’s negative to their mental health One in six of us deals with a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression at any time. Those with flexible job roles, such as home workers seem to suffer more than the average with nearly 1/3rd reporting stress from working from home. Half of the 2,400 home workers surveyed by Offices.co.uk missed routine. Jonathan Ratcliffe of Offices.co.uk explains: “We all think we want flexible working, but what if it’s actually routine that’s good for us as human beings. Personally, I need routine, it’s the keystone to my positive mental health”.
standard human emotions when we are excluded from interaction. 83% told how they felt obliged to carry out house chores and that often go given jobs to do while “working from home”. Polly from Leeds backs says:” I am a mum of 2 boys, my hubby works 9-5 and I work a flexible role in marketing from home. If one of the kids is poorly, I must do my job, look after my son and try and do conference calls around all that going on, it’s hard”.
opinions. There are social opportunities: lunches, office events, after work drinks, in-office jokes, Friday donuts – even bring your dog to work day – all making for a great working culture, wellbeing improvements and a sense of belonging. Jonathan Ratcliffe from Offices.co.uk says: “Speaking from experience of working from home and having no routine, it’s tough. Social interaction helps fight the feeling of loneliness and anxiety. At the end of the day you must work out what’s right for you, and make it happen.
Nearly 30% of those surveyed cited loneliness and anxiety and 7 out of 10 said they felt they missed out on opportunities. These are
A shared workplace is a social hub and people are social beings. Being part of a team, interacting throughout the day helps relationships flourish and provides networking opportunities. It gives employees comfort. Employees can bounce ideas around and ask for
C-suite involvement in business continuity planning is growing, but progress is still too slow
is a consideration for leaders across the entire business, not just the IT department. It’s fine for IT to be involved, but the overall direction should come from management in the wider business. This is the best way to ensure that BC plans are effectively implemented and embedded throughout the business.
plans. But we’re still not seeing enough buy-in from the C-suite. The largest companies generally have a BC manager (or even team) in place, but SMEs won’t normally have a dedicated member of staff for BC. For those that don’t, BC tends to be pushed to IT, rather than being handled by senior management.”
New research from Databarracks has found that senior leadership (CEO, CFO, MD or FD) are in charge of Business Continuity (BC) plans at 25 per cent of UK organisations, up from 21 per cent in 2015. IT is in charge of Business Continuity Plans at 42% of organisations.
“We’re seeing signs that more C-suite executives and other business leaders are taking control, but the pace of change remains slow.”
CEO involvement is fairly strong at 25 per cent, but only 10 per cent said the CFO is involved.
“IT is actually a very good department to be involved in Business Continuity Planning. Technology is now central to all aspects of operations so IT understands the impact of interruption better than most. If IT is provided with sufficient resource, budget and support from the top levels of the business it will do a great job. In practice, it tends not to be a deliberate, considered choice. It’s handed-off to IT to do as an addition to IT resilience and recovery, without an appreciation of the additional workload and without the support to embed BC across the business.
Groucutt added: “It’s important that a wide range of people – including IT leaders – are involved in writing BC
“Like cyber security, risk and governance, business resilience is an issue that must be addressed at the board level.”
The findings were taken from Databarracks’ annual Data Health Check survey, which questioned over 400 IT decision-makers in the UK on a series of critical issues relating to IT, security, disaster recovery and business continuity practices. Peter Groucutt, Managing Director at Databarracks, said: “Business continuity
If we look beyond just who is ultimately in charge of the plan to which roles are involved in BC planning, the heavy bias of IT department remains. 40 per cent said IT managers are involved in this process, and 37 per cent said the same for IT directors.
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NEWS
Employers and agencies face onerous tasks under latest IR35 proposals iLaw, is concerned that the latest proposals and guidance for IR35 will leave many employers with a considerable amount of additional work and responsibility.
Within this statement they must give their reasoning for reaching their decision, which can be challenged. If this is not provided then the company will be classed as the fee-payer and responsible for deducting the appropriate tax and NIC from the contractor before it is paid to HMRC.
The draft bill, released earlier this year and the guidance provided last month, has confirmed a lot of things, such as the small business exemption, and added new tasks and checks for employers.
Reflecting on the change, Julian Cox, Head of Employment at iLaw, said: “This seems to be an attempt by HMRC to prevent the use of blanket determinations, which I am sure most contractors will welcome.
However, two changes in particular could be extremely burdensome for employers, according to iLaw. The first of these is the introduction of the status determination statement. This will require end-clients, i.e. those using the services of contractors, to provide a statement which says whether or not it believes IR35 applies to both the contractor and the party directly engaging the workers.
“It will, however, place a lot of pressure on companies to make these difficult determinations, which is going to be harder in large organisation that uses a lot of agency workers and consultants.”
Those who didn’t pursue their childhood dreams are twice as likely to be unhappy in their job as those who did New research from Perkbox has found that the majority of adults never really get over their dream jobs. Whilst 96% of adults were not successful in making their childhood dream job a reality, a whopping 64% of adults still wish that they were working in their childhood dream job now.
being a lawyer or teacher were the dreams most likely to come true – with 14% of those who dreamt of becoming a lawyer now working in the Law, Law Enforcement or Security sector, and the same amount who dreamt of becoming a Teacher now working in Education.
The study also revealed the most popular childhood dream jobs to be Vet, in which 1 in 10 dreamt of becoming, and Teacher with 9% dreaming of pursuing this career. This was followed by Pilot (6%), Actor (6%) and Police Officer/ Detective (5%).
Other dreams, such as becoming an Actor or Athlete were much less likely to come true, with the most common jobs for these dreams to turn into being in the Hospitality/Events Management and Accountancy sectors respectively.
With only 4% making their childhood dream job a reality, it begs the question of if childhood dreams play any part in shaping the future or if dreams and reality are actually light years apart? The study found that the dream of
Despite the majority of adults wishing that they were doing their childhood dream job now – 32% of people got into their current role because they are interested or passionate about the industry, and a huge 99% of these people are happy in their jobs – so it isn’t all bad.
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But not all routes lead to equal levels of happiness. Of the 9% of Brits who pursued their career because it’s well paid, 18% are unhappy in their jobs –almost 20x higher than those who followed their interests or passions. Could this be proof that money can’t always buy happiness? Lastly (and sadly), the reason to pursue a job least likely to lead to happiness, are those who got into their job because it’s local (10%), with over 1 in 5 (21%) people who got into their job this way unhappy at work – showing that settling close to home may not be the answer.
NEWS
New guidance published to help increase employment rates of autistic people in the UK DMA Talent, part of the Data & Marketing Association, has published new guidance, ‘DMA Talent: Autism Employer Guide’, created using insights from NHS autism specialists, brands/ employers, and autistic employees employed across creative, data and marketing roles – the UK’s first.
According to the National Autistic Society, there are around 700,000 people on the autism spectrum in the UK and just 16% of autistic adults are in full-time, paid employment. Over three quarters (77%) of those who are unemployed say they want to work.
Using expert insights by NHS autism specialists, business case studies and best practice, this new guide will help employers to understand autism and its potential to diversify and expand the pool of talent available to them. “Autistic people have been misunderstood and socially excluded for far too long. We must change the way we think about autism, have a lot more respect for the significant role autistic people have in society, and recognise the skills, strengths, honesty, and integrity that this exceptional group of people bring to the workplace and our community,” said: Matthew Trerise, Co-author of ‘DMA Talent: Autism Employer Guide’ It features comprehensive guidance and recommendations on reasonable adjustments that employers can make to recruitment processes, the workplace environment, support networks and, most importantly, how to treat employees as individuals.
Stagecoach backs National Inclusion Week with diversity pledge Stagecoach has backed National Inclusion Week, which took place between the 23rd and 29th September with a diversity pledge to transform its workforce. Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator wants to build an inclusive workforce that represents all the customers and communities it serves. A new diversity and inclusive pledge was signed by Martin Griffiths, Chief Executive; Mark Threapleton, Chief Operating Officer and Clare Burles, People Director and supported by a diverse range of Stagecoach employees. The pledge commits to celebrate people’s differences, work together to unlock individuals’ talent and build a culture that delivers safe and high quality services for customers and local communities. Stagecoach, which employs
around 24,000 people around the UK, has already taken some significant steps in building a more gender diverse workforce with more women in senior positions and more female representation in the Graduate Scheme. The company is also targeting how it can improve the way it recruits employees from a range of diverse backgrounds and will be tracking data to measure performance. Clare Burles, People Director for Stagecoach, said: “Our transport services are vital for connecting people with jobs, skills and training and helping towns and cities thrive. It’s fundamental that we have a diverse and inclusive workforce to make that happen. “We celebrate and encourage diversity across our company, and we’ve taken
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some big steps forward already in improving gender balance. The pledge as part of National Inclusion Week is a commitment right from the top of our business to make this a priority.” National Inclusion Week is an annual campaign run by Inclusive Employers to raise awareness of the importance of inclusion in the workplace and of the business benefits to having a diverse and representative workforce. Richard McKenna, founder and director of Inclusive Employers says “National Inclusion Week is about open sourcing inclusion, inspiring businesses across the UK to make inclusion an everyday reality. We’re delighted to see Stagecoach taking part in the week again, they have been working behind the scenes across their businesses to build a more inclusive culture, so it’s great to see them raising awareness and celebrating the great work going on in their businesses”.
FEATURE
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STATS
Parents feel stuck in jobs with no career progression Over three quarters of working mums [80%] feel stuck in the job they are in because they don’t think they will be able to find a new one with the same degree of flexibility they now have, while 57% say their career has not progressed since they have had children, according to annual survey. The Working Mums survey of over 2,000 parents shows 59% of mums say flexible working is the one thing that would most help them to progress their careers. Yet, outside part-time jobs,
to one day be made a right and for all new jobs to be advertised as being open to flexibility where possible. Currently, employees have to be in their job for 26 weeks before they can make a request to work flexibly. For the first time, the annual survey has taken a life cycle approach to flexible working. It polled hundreds of Under 21s and over 50s in addition to mums and dads. The results show that demand for flexible working is significant across all age groups with
before accepting a job while 28% asked about flexible working at interview and 31% say they would not have accepted their current job if there was no flexible working. The figures are similar for over 50s with 32% saying they had researched flexible working before applying for their last role and 46% having done so before accepting a new job. Twenty seven per cent asked at interview about flexible working and 22% would not have taken the job without flexible working. For under 21s, however, the figures are significantly higher. Forty one per cent had researched flexible working before applying for their last job; 54% before accepting it; and 41% asked about flexible working at interview. Thirty four per cent would not have taken the job if there was no flexibility. The survey shows that 29% of working mums have had a formal flexible working request turned down, with 26% saying they were turned down for a reason not allowed under the legislation, showing the weakness of the current legislation. Forty two per cent had left their job as a result of flexible working being turned down. The survey also shows: • 43% of mums say they don’t have enough flex in their job
few have access to it. Some 22% of mums work full time with no flexibility at all. Only eight per cent work from home occasionally and 3% work fully from home. Just 1% work term time hours or compressed hours. This compares to 46% of dads who say they work full time with no flexibility. Just four per cent of dads work part time. The survey comes amid pressure in parliament for flexible working
the young most likely to research flexible working before applying for a job and most likely to leave a job if it wasn’t flexible enough. The survey shows that, in a labour market marked by growing skills shortages, flexible working is becoming increasingly important to candidates seeking new jobs. Thirty four per cent of working mums researched flexible working before applying for a job and 36%
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• Only 7% of parents who work full time are not in favour of a four-day week • 33% feel discriminated against for working flexibly • Of those parents on parental leave, 62% say they would consider another job if flexible working was turned down
NATIONAL AWARDS 2019 in partnership with
NATIONAL AWARDS 2019 in partnership with
SATURDAY 14TH MAY 2019