Hr Network Volume 19 Issue 1

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.

COVER STORY

In-Work Poverty: The pursuit of happiness

What steps can employers and HR practitioners take to address the current cost of living crisis on employees? Faced with escalating living costs, in-work poverty is hitting the pockets of more workforces than ever across Scotland. Andy Moore finds out how HR can help…

Euan Smith Navigator Employment Law

Employment Law Update: Changes to UK ‘Right to Work’ Checks p. 14

Lucy MacLennan Scottish Water Insight: Cancer in the Workplace p. 42

Julie McIntosh

Kura

Insight: Three key benefits of having a diverse workforce p. 43

Chely Wright Unispace

Insight: The pandemic has seen men find a better work-life balance p. 44

Dean Sadler Tribepad

Insight: Job vacancy boom pushing recruiters to breaking point p. 45

Claire McLean Realise HR MyLinkedIn p. 46

Founder and Publisher: Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Senior Associate Editor: Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Deputy-Editor: Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Editor-At-large: Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk Editor’s Assistant/Admin: 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 Twitter: www.twitter.com/ HrNETWORKNews YouTube: www.youtube.com/ user/hrnetworkscotland

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November 2022

Welcome to our November issue of Hr NETWORK magazine. We’re so excited ahead of this month’s Hr NETWORK National Awards Gala Dinner 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute. I want to say a huge thank you to Roffey Park’s CEO, Dr. Arlene Egan and all her wonderful colleagues for their hugely valuable and continued support.

Hr NETWORK Team are putting the finishing touches to what promises to be the biggest and the best HR industry event for 2022, taking place in Glasgow on Thursday 10th November. We have a wonderful evening of celebration planned, with no COVID restrictions and the prospect of hosting around 700 guests this year with the chance to recognise, acknowledge and reward the stars of the HR and people management & development industry in Scotland, who have shone brightly during two very difficult years of the pandemic.

Awards Gala Dinner 2022

We are very grateful to all our sponsors for their support this year and thanks also to the many organisations that have secured a Table of 10 at the forthcoming Gala Dinner.

This Issue

In this online edition of the magazine, Andy Moore takes a lot at the ongoing issues of In-Work Poverty and the implications for employers to ensure that their employees are supported financially during the current standard of living crisis that has gripped the UK and impacted many families and households.

We also have a full preview of all the finalists and sponsors in this years Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022, the following issue in January 2023 will feature the winners from the Gala Dinner on Thursday 10th November in Glasgow.

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: Euan Smith, Lucy MacLennan, Julie McIntosh, Chely Wright, Dean Sadler, Claire McLean.

Managers lack confidence when talking to employees about informal issues

Recent research reveals that HR leaders are less confident in managers’ ability to hold effective conversations around informal issues compared with more formal topics such as objective-setting and development. Overall, HR respondents indicated a ‘medium’ level of confidence in managers’ ability to talk about formal issues, however for more informal matters such as employee wellbeing and flexible working, confidence levels were significantly lower.

The research study, which involved 20 in-depth interviews with senior HR leaders between January and April 2022, was commissioned by OpenBlend – the platform for effective conversations at work – and suggests managers need more guidance on how to broach and discuss the informal issues that have an increasing impact on employee performance in the new world of work.

Most notably, the research revealed a key correlation between high manager confidence and high organisational performance. Findings showed that the more confident a business is in its managers’ ability to have those grassroots conversations, the more likely it is to exhibit high organisational performance.

Study reveals 2 in 5 employees lack confidence that their employer will prioritise staff mental health

A new survey from Aetna International has asked global workers to rate their employer’s response to mental and physical health challenges in the workplace, to understand if corporate commitments to employee health and well- being have been put into practice over the last 12 months.

Employees in four global markets (UAE, UK, US, Singapore) were asked about what their employer said, versus what they actually did, to support workplace health and well-being over the last year. The survey of 3,520 office workers suggests that business promises to tackle health and well-being issues have largely been backed up by concrete actions – but a noticeable shortfall still remains when it comes to mental health support.

Commenting on the research study, Anna Rasmussen, Founder & CEO at OpenBlend, said: “Inevitably, managers will feel more comfortable talking about certain topics over others but if we neglect the human side, the data clearly shows that business performance will suffer. If the business can communicate the importance of enabling broad conversations that focus not just on objectivesetting, but on wellbeing and the employee’s relationship with work, managers will become instrumental in helping to create the associated performance gains.”

Overall, 40% of global employees feel that health benefits at their organisation have improved in the last 12 months and results suggest that businesses are walking the talk when it comes to support for physical health conditions. More than two in five (43%) respondents rated the communication from their employer on physical health as ‘good’ and the same number (42%) said the action their employer had taken to support employees’ physical health was also ‘good’.

Additionally, more than a third (35%) believe their employer has done a good job of communicating about work-related postural problems; while a similar number (38%) rated the action their employer had taken to address this issue as ‘good’.

When it comes to mental health, however, responses suggest there is still a gap between what employers say and what they do. For example, over a third (36%) of global respondents believe their employer’s communication around mental health issues has been ‘good’ over the last year, but only a quarter (25%) say the same about the steps their employer has taken to support mental health and well-being days. This suggests that employees may appreciate a better work-life balance over salary increases.

A third of UK construction companies have lost employees as a result of fraud over the last year

A quarter of construction companies fell victim to fraud in the last year, a new report has revealed. Half of the larger construction companies surveyed (with more than 100 employees) have lost employees due to fraud, whilst a quarter of medium-to-large companies said their industry reputation was tarnished by this illegal activity.

With a quarter of construction companies experiencing fraud in the last year, two in five didn’t report it, suggesting that fraud is far more widespread than the authorities believe.

The study also found that larger construction companies were twice as likely to experience fraudulent activity, in comparison to only one in five small companies or sole traders. However, the impact on smaller companies can be much greater as three in five were close to bankruptcy following fraudulent activity.

The report, collated by Herts Tools, specialist providers of plant hire in London surveyed 39 construction companies about their experience of fraud in the industry. With fraud costing construction businesses upwards of £10bn a year, the report exposes the shortfalls in fraud protection.

The need for employee support systems at construction firms is clear. Once hit by fraud, companies often struggle to keep employees on board, which further impacts the industry as a whole.

Stefano Lobban from Herts Tools said: “We, along with many businesses in our industry have been the victims of fraud in different forms over the years. We have noticed a significant rise in attempted fraudulent hires over the last two years, which may have some relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fraud negatively impacts our business, our customers and our staff, as well as potentially damaging our reputation. In order to tackle this growing issue and protect our business and assets and support our team we have taken steps to enhance our checks and implement staff training across all departments.

We believe fraud prevention training is an essential tool for any business in the current climate.

Cancer Support UK introduces new workplace course to train businesses to support employees affected by cancer

If a work colleague told you they had cancer how would you respond? This scenario is fast becoming a reality, as by 2030 it is estimated that 1.5million people of working age will be living with cancer. The impact that a cancer diagnosis can have on an individual’s mental health is significant, yet 85% of employees with a cancer diagnosis want to carry on working. Knowing how to conduct a difficult conversation about cancer, and support those with cancer in the workplace, is at the heart of a new training programme – the Cancer Support Ambassador course – introduced by cancer wellbeing experts Cancer Support UK.

Developed by Cancer Support UK specifically to give individuals in an organisation the confidence and skills to support colleagues facing cancer, the Cancer Support Ambassador training provides a high-level introduction to cancer and cancer treatments. The half day course covers the physical and emotional side effects of both cancer and cancer treatments.

Most importantly, it contains tools and strategies that equip workplace cancer support ambassadors with the necessary skills and principles to have supportive conversations with individuals experiencing emotional turmoil due to or caused by the effects of cancer.

Marie Gardner, who works as a Cancer Coach volunteer for Cancer Support UK, has been key in developing the Ambassador training. She says: “When you are supporting someone going through cancer, it’s vital that

you work with the other person’s agenda. You need to recognise that for many, having a conversation in the workplace about their illness can be challenging. The ability to listen is absolutely key and understanding where the person is in their thought process allows you to work out how best to help them. As a Cancer UK Ambassador, you don’t need to have the answers. The best support you can give is to listen deeply, question sensitively and show empathy.”

Mark Guymer, Cancer Support UK’s CEO, said: “With at least 85% of employees saying how important it is for them to keep working after a cancer diagnosis, there is an urgent requirement for employers to understand the needs of colleagues affected by cancer and to support them appropriately.”

Are Employers Still Liable For Home Worker Accidents?

For those minimal employers who had already embraced remote working prior to the pandemic, the transition was no doubt less bumpy. Two years later, however, there are still far too many employers oblivious to various aspects of home working.

One of the most important ones being their level of responsibility when it comes to employee health and safety.

At the beginning of the pandemic especially, countless employers neglected to carry out risk assessments for home working, as all their focus was directed towards

simply keeping their business afloat. This inevitably led to further issues for many companies, however, with CIPD reporting that a shocking 8% of homeworkers reported being injured after using an ironing board as a desk, with far more complaining about back pain and strain injury due to a lack of proper equipment.

Kevin Ashley, CEO and founder of the healthcareoriented learning management system, My Ako has recently developed an accident and incident reporting system, catered to both employers and employees in remote working situations. As the mastermind behind this programme, Kevin is well versed in every aspect of employer liability for home worker accidents.

British women suffer from 180 ‘OFF DAYS’ a year, according to new research

A new report reveals modern women have more off days than good ones, feeling tired or uncomfortable in their skin, on average 15 days a month (a staggering 180 days a year). Six in ten say these days affect their sex life and relationships, while a fifth cancel social plans if they are not feeling their best. Yet, according to the poll by Symprove, women only feel genuinely good about themselves eight days a month (96 a year on average).

As many as 71 percent cite feeling tired as the main contributor to a lack of body confidence, with clothes not fitting properly (62 percent), and feeling bloated (60 percent) following closely behind.

Bad hair days (43 percent), bad skin days (40 percent) and making comparisons to other people on social media (30 percent) also knock confidence on a daily basis, according to the report.

As many as three quarters (74 percent) said their stomach was the physical feature they felt least confident about.

Shockingly, just 6 percent of women described themselves as body confident on a day-to-day basis, while half (50 percent) said they were not body confident at all.

The research, conducted by gut health brand Symprove, found that two thirds (62 percent) of women suffer ‘off days’ on a weekly basis, with the percentage rising significantly to 73 percent for women who live with IBS.

While over a third (37 percent) of all women surveyed admitted to experiencing days where they feel bloated and their clothes do not fit properly, resulting in an average of four outfit changes before leaving the house.

Beyond physical insecurities, women are experiencing a host of gut-related issues including fatigue (66 percent), regular bloating (65 percent), cramping (40 percent), and constipation (39 percent).

Despite this, more than a third (37 percent) are not comfortable talking to a partner, friends, or family about gut health, with 55 percent saying talking about bloating or general gut health in front of their partner would be ‘embarrassing’.

Nine in ten British females (89 percent) believe there needs to be more information about taking care of your gut available.

Ranking employees hinders creativity

Forced rankings do not improve employee performance, according to new research by Tilburg University and Vienna University of Economics and Business. The study, conducted by Eddy Cardinaels and Christoph Feichter, looked at the effect of rating employee performance and analysed forced and free rating systems on both employee reactions and supervisor rating behaviour.

Cardinaels and Feichter found that forced ratings are unlikely to improve employee performance over free performance ratings, and instead increases their stress levels – this then negatively affects employee creativity. This is especially the case in jobs where performance is difficult to capture via objective measures such as consulting, auditing, and communications. But even in jobs in which objective criteria do exist (e.g., sales), performance evaluation ratings still heavily rely on the subjective judgment of superiors. In all these situations, forced ratings might lead to problems for employees and superiors.

The study revealed the lack of creativity stems from people ‘choking under pressure’ as a result of the forced ratings.

“It is really important that firms are aware of potential costs and side effects, such as higher stress and supervisors not assigning appropriate ratings.

Hybrid working has almost tripled, but staff want more flexibility in the office

A study has revealed that despite the rise of hybrid working preferences, the office still has a valuable role to play, but flexibility around hours is crucial in the modern world of work. That’s according to The future of flexible working, published by global leader in creating bespoke workplaces, Unispace..

In its report – which surveyed 3,000 office workers – Unispace found that hybrid working has almost tripled since the pandemic, with 63% of those surveyed now

Especially as these can lead to other long-time side effects, such as higher turnover rates, health problems, and lack of motivation,” says Professor Christoph Feichter.

On the other hand, forced rankings also negatively impact employees because supervisors’ game the system, and focus on other aspects other than the true performance when evaluating employees.

“In our study, supervisors with forced rankings tend to incorporate aspects in their ratings that have no relation to the real performance of employees, but seem easier to justify towards employees. Moreover, supervisors strategically switch ranks of employees across periods, to assure each employee receives the highest rank at some point in time (although this cannot be explained by their real performance). Supervisors feel uncomfortable with the rankings and want to appear fairer towards the employees. Therefore, they start to game the system,” says Professor Feichter. The study was published in the Journal of Accounting Research.

working in a hybrid way. The report also revealed that over three quarters (77%) said that flexible start times would encourage them back to the workplace, indicating that employees seek not only flexibility in where they work, but also when they work.

Flexible working demand is higher among certain demographics, with the report revealing that 86% of those with caring responsibilities desired flexible start times, compared to 71% of those with no caring responsibilities.

When analysed by life stage, the data revealed that 80% of individuals living as part of a couple with dependent children and 76% of single parents wanted flexi-hours. Similarly, those with housemates were most likely to be attracted by flexi-working, with 90% of this group admitting that the freedom to choose their own hours would entice them back to the office. This is compared to 70% of those living alone and 76% of those living with parents.

NatWest Group recognised World Mental Health Day with the launch of a digital wellbeing product for employees

NatWest Group recently announced a collaboration with Just Ask a Question (JAAQ), an innovative online mental health and wellbeing tool which will benefit employees across the organisation.

JAAQ is a platform, powered by AI, which allows employees across the organisation to ask leading mental health professionals questions about their own mental wellbeing. When a question is asked, employees are then presented with video responses from over 40 expert consultants, including David Veale, Professor in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies at Kings College and Consultant Psychiatrist, and Dr Erin Brown, Consultant Psychiatrist in Early Intervention in Psychosis

Jen Tippin, Group Chief People and Transformation Officer said: “I was proud to launch this collaboration on world mental health day back on 10th October.

The wellbeing of our employees is of fundamental importance at any time, but particularly when faced with concerns around cost of living, and the challenges presented by the aftermath of COVID-19.

My team is focused on ensuring that employees have access to the right resources and support and I know that many will find this tool invaluable. I am delighted to be working with the JAAQ team to be able to include this as part of the physical and mental wellbeing support that we offer at NatWest Group.”

NatWest Group is among the first corporate organisations to partner with JAAQ. NatWest Group has decided to embed JAAQ within their Wellbeing hub, where employees already have access to a number of tools to help them with their physical and mental wellbeing, including a free, confidential, independent Employee Assistance Programme – available 24/7, a Virtual GP service and the Bank Workers Charity.

CHANGES TO UK RIGHT TO WORK CHECKS

By Euan Smith Navigator Employment Law

As from 1 October 2022, changes were made around right to work checks meaning that temporary (covid related) adjustments have been disapplied. As such, businesses can no longer have employees share a scanned copy document, or photo, and then confirm worker identity over a video call.

Arecent survey suggested that more than half of the businesses contacted were not ready for the recent changes. While this has been, on one analysis, a reversion back to what was in place previously, there are one or two other important changes (including technological) for businesses to consider.

These being that employers can now use one of three methods to check an individual’s right to work. Namely (i) an on-line check (ii) a traditional manual check or (iii) using an Identity Service Provider (IDSP). Crucially, which one is used will depend on the immigration status of the relevant individual/applicant (see table).

Immigration Status

Biometric residence permit, biometric residence card and frontier worker permit holders

Those with e-visas e.g; EU settled status, EU pre-settled status, or those who have applied for UK immigration permission using the UK immigration: ID check app

Those not eligible for on-line checks e.g; valid UK and Ireland passport holders

Checking Method

Online

Online

Manual or with an IDSP

In terms of online checks, these will need to be done using the Home Office’s right to work check service and those looking to go down the digital verification route, instead of manual checks (for UK/Ireland passport holders), must use an IDSP to verify the right to work.

Needless to say, it is more important than ever to get your right to work checks correct (given these recent changes). This mainly because employing an illegal worker can still result in; civil penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker, the loss of the right to sponsor work visa applications (for foreign nationals) and criminal convictions (in cases of serious breaches).

However, as was the case previously, if your business performs the relevant checks correctly then it should avail itself of the statutory defence (to civil liability), if it later turns out any worker did not have the right to live and work in the UK.

While every business is different, and well resourced businesses/HR departments will likely have put their mind to compliance already, questions to consider might be;

• The percentage/number of employees, or prospective employees, who hold various immigration documents (to help decide whether it is worth the business using an IDSP).

• Determine (or re-determine) how your business/HR department will conduct manual checks, as from 1 October.

• Create guides (based closely on the relevant guidance) for those conducting right to work checks, to ensure staff understand what methods to use and what is involved with each one.

Retained EU Law Bill

While the political environment remains somewhat febrile, certain recent developments/ announcements (made shortly prior to Jeremy Hunt’s appointment, as Chancellor) don’t appear to have come under immediate scrutiny!

The existence now of a Retained EU Law Bill, albeit not law yet (as still to be debated before parliament), effectively mandates that employment laws derived from the EU will soon likely be subject to change or removal. The construction of the Bill means that any EU laws not to be formally retained will automatically expire, on 31 December 2023 (albeit this date could be deferred until 2026). This being a change from the previous position of continuity, in terms of such EU laws.

While much may yet stay the same, either through specified retention or the Bill not (ultimately) becoming law, this doesn’t seems the intention of the cabinet/ government. It’s also clear that we are talking about an extensive range of law, to include; working time regulations, transfer of undertakings (protection of employment), and part time/fixed term/agency worker regulations.

At this stage, we therefore simply don’t know whether or not such EU law will largely be retained, and so HR professionals (and other working in this field) will need to monitor developments closely.

IR-35 Reforms?

Another announcement made, in and around the recent “minibudget”, was that prior reforms to off-payroll working restrictions (“IR-35”) were to be phased out from April 2023.

This would have meant that, as from 6 April 2023, contractors-working for a business through an intermediary-would be responsible for verifying their own employment status and paying the necessary tax and national insurance contributions accordingly.

As such, end user businesses would no longer be potentially liable for any unpaid PAYE or NICS, relative to any incorrect job status assessment (by the contractor/their intermediary).

However, in an illustration of just how febrile the recent political environment has been, this announcement was promptly reversed by Jeremy Hunt (even though it did not appear to have had too many detractors). The Chancellor though, likely being concerned about the admitted loss of revenues any change would have brought.

At this stage, therefore, IR-35 (as it currently stands) looks likely to remain!

In-Work Poverty In-Work Poverty

THE PURSUIT OF

What steps can employers and HR practitioners take to address the current cost of living crisis on employees? Faced with escalating living costs, in-work poverty is hitting the pockets of more workforces than ever across Scotland. Andy Moore finds out how HR can help…

The 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness, portrays a struggling salesman, played by Will Smith, who’s lost his home and bouncing from one homeless refuge to another, trying to make ends meet while bringing up his young son, Smith’s own son Jaden, in real life. It’s a story of the struggle of an impoverished father who has to work excessively long hours to survive in a tough financial situation.

Fast-forward 16 years, and the current cost of living crisis is impacting more working people than ever under a punitive state of in-work poverty. The Poverty and Inequality Commission reveals that 61% of Scottish working age adults are in poverty, and 68% of children in poverty live in a household where someone is in employment.

Katie Schmuecker, Principal Policy Adviser at Joseph Rowntree Foundation, says:

“Our research illustrates the frightening year of financial fear low-income families are living through. Families up and down the country face options that are simple but grim. They fall behind on bills, go without essentials like enough food, or take on expensive debt at high interest. In some cases they have to do all three.”

So what can HR do to help address the burden of in-work poverty? While most employers are already bearing the brunt of higher operating costs, practitioners can consider a range of options. These include fostering a culture of empathy, open communication, financial wellbeing support, supporting in-work progress and paying a fair and liveable wage.

According to The Poverty Alliance, there are over 57,000 people working for over 2,800 real Living Wage employers throughout Scotland, as the new UK-wide Living Wage rate rises from £9.90 to £10.90.

“Ensuring staff are paid at least the real Living Wage is the single most important thing employers can do to support their people with rising living costs,” believes Gail Irvine, Living Wage Scotland Manager. “Despite the economic challenges, more employers are paying a wage that covers everyday needs. This is a necessary and vital investment in their workforce. Businesses who pay the real Living Wage reap the benefits in terms of better recruitment and retention, less sickness absence and a more motivated workforce.”

HR can play a crucial role in helping working people to survive poverty in several other ways. But financial wellbeing depends on more than how much people are paid. For many, it’s about feeling secure and in control, knowing they can pay the bills today, deal with the unexpected, and being on track towards a healthy financial future.

By offering employee benefits that help incomes go further, sign-posting financial advice and guidance, plus creating a safe place to talk about money worries, employers can make a big difference to people’s lives.

For an employee living in poverty, a route to progress out of a low-paying job can offer a sense of empowerment. Whether it’s developing skills, providing pathways free of barriers or challenging perceptions, HR can perform a pivotal part in helping employees progress in the workplace.

Further steps may include providing subsidies for utilities, travel, childcare or food and leisure if possible. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) can give employees the ability to increase their income with access to instant discounts at retailers. Providing employees with sick pay or crisis loans can help to protect them and give them the time off without risk to their livelihood / a rise in absenteeism.

The Institute of Public Policy and Research found the chances of being pulled into poverty have doubled for households, even with two people in full-time work.

Meanwhile, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation discovered that while work can and should help people escape poverty and it often does not. Its UK Poverty 2022 report found that work is becoming less effective at warding off poverty.

In-work poverty isn’t limited to those in the lowest-paid roles; the risks of being trapped in poverty are not equal. Factors depend on the sector people work in, their hourly pay and number of hours worked, where they live, and their age, gender, ethnicity and disability. Barriers like access to childcare and transport can also determine whether people are able to escape poverty through work. Those most vulnerable include children, people in families without full-time workers, singleparent families, those with a disabled person, families with three or more children and those in rented accommodation.

“Work is a huge part of our lives, and employers have the power to make the difference between staff being on the edge financially and offering them a firm foundation to build a better life for themselves and their families. Where employers can help their staff through the current pressures on their cost of living, they are likely to reap the benefits in terms of loyalty, retention and a healthier, more content workforce.”

HR must be in pursuit of tackling in-work poverty.

Putting a lid on in-work poverty

• Sign-posting financial advice and guidance

• Create a safe place to talk about money worries

• A route to progress from low-paying jobs can offer a sense of empowerment

• Develop skills, provide pathways free of barriers or challenge perceptions

• Offer subsidies for utilities, travel, childcare or food and leisure

• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

• Give employees the ability to increase their income with access to discounts at retailers

• Provide employees with sick pay or crisis loans

Louise Woodruff, Policy and Research Manager at the Foundation, sums up:

Four in five looking to change jobs demand green pensions

People are choosing to work for employers that provide ‘green pensions’, according to new research from Scottish Widows.

Data from the pension, investment and life insurance provider’s first Green Pensions Report, released recently, reveals the views of employees and employers relating to sustainable workplace policies and individual practices. Across the UK workforce, eight out of ten employees (83%) view climate change as an important issue –expecting their employer to take an active stance on ESG issues and implement sustainable workplace practices.

One quarter (24%) of employees cited support for more sustainable personal finances – including green pensions – as one of the top four benefits that they expect from a new employer, alongside flexible working (48%), cost-of-living support (39%) and an attractive holiday package (34%).

72% of workers said that it was important their employer invests their savings sustainably, as part of their organisation’s overall stance on critical environmental and social issues.

With a third (32%) of workers currently seeking new employment – and a further quarter (24%) planning to apply to new jobs in the next year – the data suggests that the provision of more sustainable pensions may provide a new way for employers to attract and retain talent.

Despite this sizeable employee demand, only a quarter (25%) of employers claim to be knowledgeable about green pensions. More than a third (37%) of employers claim to not know anything about them or have never heard of them.

In fact, nearly half of employers (43%) identified a green pension as a fund that avoids investments in highly polluting industries, such as oil or thermal coal projects. But only a fifth of employers (22%) acknowledged the social and governance outcomes, such as the equitable treatment of workers or promotion of gender and racial diversity on corporate boards (17%).

With over a third (34%) of employers admitting they don’t currently offer a sustainable pension scheme to their employees, there is a significant commitment gap on implementing workplace policies that positively impact ESG issues.

Maria Nazarova-Doyle, Head of Responsible Investments at Scottish Widows, said: “Today’s workers expect employers to show true leadership and offer pensions which are invested responsibly.

Demonstrating a genuine commitment to ESG priorities is not only the right thing to do for the planet, it could also be a game changer for attracting and retaining the best talent. Business leaders have a real opportunity to show staff that they are serious about doing the right thing.”

Many companies remain unaware of how their current employee pension schemes can undermine the progress they are making to develop more sustainable operations, primarily due to sizeable investments in high ESG-risk sectors such as coal, oil sands, and tobacco.

Hr NETWORK NATIONAL AWARDS 2022 VICTORY FOR THE WINNERS IN 2022

By Teresa Flannigan

The list of Finalists for this years Hr NETWORK’s National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute has been announced and the victorious recipients will be announced at the 15th annual Gala Dinner taking place at the hugely impressive Hilton Glasgow on Thursday 10th November 2022.

Following last years hugely successful Gala Dinner which, despite COVID restrictions, still managed to attract over 600+ guests, this years Dinner is expected to take place with well over 700+ guests for this hugely anticipated gathering of HR & people industry professionals.

On the night, there will be the announcement of 15 awards winners in a range of people, project and organisational categories for award winning work carried out over the past 12 months.

The Awards, which will once again be hosted by broadcaster and presenter Stephen Jardine, have been recognising, acknowledging and rewarding the stars of the Scottish HR profession since they were launched in 2007.

Awards Finalists and Category Sponsors:

Learning & Development Award

of the Year

sponsored by:

Search is a multi-discipline recruitment consultancy, supporting more than 20 industries across the UK. For the past 35 years they have built trusted partnerships with national corporates delivering resource solutions and large scale transformation projects. Their recruiters are specialists in their field having worked in the industry they are recruiting for or due to their years of experience and success. They were one of the first recruitment agencies to receive the ‘Investors in People’ platinum award for their commitment to employee engagement. Diversity and Inclusion is also a key priority, having been awarded with Clear Assured Bronze status.

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

The Aegon Aspiring Manager Pathway helps their colleagues to take their first steps into management. A key part of their talent development plans, it focuses on developing their future leaders and building skills, knowledge and behaviours needed in management roles. The pathway itself has been designed around the principles of education, exposure and experience, which includes webinars, projects,

mentoring and self-directed learning, with themes such as leadership styles, brilliant conversations, feedback, coaching and I&D. With more than 60000 employees, spread globally across 46 nations and hailing from 156 nationalities, Tata Consultancy Services is one of the world’s largest IT consulting companies. Headquartered in India, our mission is to help customers achieve their business objectives by providing innovative, best-in-class consulting, IT solutions and services. TCS combines tech expertise and business intelligence to catalyze change and deliver results, making it a joy for all stakeholders to work with them. TCS’ Talent Development (TD) top priorities, over the last year have been: ‘Fueling customer and business growth through internally upskilled talent’, ‘Transforming Mid and Senior levels to become Specialists and G&T (Growth & Transformation) leaders’, ‘Innovating TD ecosystem to be the best in the industry’, ‘Making global freshers more project-ready’ and ‘Using data as the key driver of talent decisions with emotional understanding linked to human intervention’.

of this focuses on the important Team Manager population. As well as transforming learning delivery through digital and virtual methods, Webhelp has created an internal and external accreditation programme to recognise learners. The framework also extends to future Team Managers and their learning journey.

HR Project of the Year

As a People First organisation with ambitious growth aspirations, Webhelp’s vision is to develop individual and organisational capability through an engaging development framework. A key part

CCL Logistics & Technology helps customers reduce costs and grow sustainably. Their purpose is delivering happiness. Their OD project began in 2021, when they adapted their organisational structure, attracted additional talent and launched their L&D strategy. They developed their team-leaders, delivered Prince 2 training and upskilled software engineers. This resulted in CCL’s Microsoft Silver Accreditation, as well as more capable and collaborative teams. Despite the pandemic, they galvanised team spirit through homeworking, back to office and hybrid.

This project’s objective is to support a growth business to reach its full potential by aligning employee expectations and performance with business strategy. Multrees Investor Services established parameters for success to improve on a current

process that wasn’t working, building a flexible and engaging digital solution to communicate with their people in a hybrid world, and giving them the tools for personal input that is visible and recognised. Analytics demonstrate it’s proving a success.

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

industry and ensuring a great candidate experience, as well as implementing creative attraction strategies.

In 2021, one of the most significant acquisitions ever in the technology space (Arm by Nvidia) set Pelion on course to legally separate from Arm and subsequently deliver a staggering $40m+ global restructuring programme. This demanding, time sensitive challenge for HR was executed seamlessly across the UK, Europe, USA, and multiple APAC regions. Despite having only one remaining HR employee, Pelion landed $8m+ under budget, on time and with zero litigation cases. They even found a new investor for the remaining Connectivity business and successfully navigated the due diligence process.

HR Graduate of the Year

sponsored by:

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

Sarah Lawson, Strathclyde Business School

Sarah pursued two HR-related degrees at Strathclyde Business School, graduating with Distinction from MSc Human Resource Management and First-Class Honours from BA International Business with HRM. She was delighted to receive the John Gennard Award for her Dissertation exploring voluntary turnover in the social care sector. Sarah is now working at Scottish Water on their HR & People Development Graduate Programme, completing placements such as Reward Transformation, EX Insights & Measurement and Strategic Resourcing.

Hannah graduated with a Masters degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Strathclyde in 2021. She won first prize for her dissertation, which researched wellbeing initiatives within Scottish Policing. She is now working as a Specialist People Graduate at Scottish Water. During her first year at Scottish Water Hannah has worked in several specialist placements within the HR field including Employee Wellbeing, Learning and Development and Policy and Reward.

Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year

Rona MacKenzie, Strathclyde Business School

Rona graduated with an MSc in HRM in 2021 from Strathclyde University, a year after achieving her Honours degree in HRM and Hospitality Management. She worked in the Hospitality industry part-time throughout her studies and now a talent advisor for one of the largest worldwide hotel groups - hiring the next generation of hospitality talent! Her passion lies with HR in the Hotel

sponsored by: Be-IT are the leaders in IT Recruitment, from IT and digital to change management and executive leadership – we’re here to shape careers and support employers. Theirs is a team built to help both tech professionals and tech businesses be all they can be. Whether you’re looking to take the next step in your career or you’re looking for the next member of your team, you can put your trust in them. They know tech and they are the people that work with tech. After all, they’ve played their part in thousands of career moves and they’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the sector.

Hannah Yule, Strathclyde Business School

They are experts at permanent & contract hiring, and can even deploy entire teams of IT experts to fit with programme deliverables through their consultancy business Be-IT Projects. They have the team, the tools and the culture that others don’t. They’re ready to work with you.

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

In direct response to the hospitality recruitment crisis caused by Covid, Brexit and ‘the Great Resignation’, Gleneagles developed a bold talent attraction strategy, ‘Project Pipeline’, to support business continuity and the realisation of strategic organisational goals. From gaining an international sponsorship license and launching early careers programmes to creating staff accommodation and employer branding, Project Pipeline took huge strides in challenging the status quo of the industry and successfully enhancing the candidate journey at Gleneagles.

Scotland’s leading social care developer and provider. Pioneering through partnership to transform lives and aspirations. TPS supports people to build community and be active citizens within it. Recruitment and retention in social-care is in crisis. TPS seeks to stand apart from other providers through its values, mission and everyday practices. Via its people-centred ethos, ‘BecausePeople-Matter,’ it has introduced a range of innovative approaches that puts its ‘Values’ at the heart of its successful Attraction and Resourcing initiatives.

Corporate Responsibility Award of the Year

its people, the environment and local communities. It has since launched over 25 new initiatives to help bring its vision to life, including reducing its carbon footprint by 25%; providing mental health first aiders; launching its volunteering programme and Charity Panel; and establishing a water saving programme for primary schools.

Making a positive social impact and serving the community have been the focus for companies in the Tata group, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) since their inception. Within the TCS CSR function they have three key pillars: Education and Skilling, which is predominantly focused on promoting STEM, Employee & Client Engagement and Community Outreach & Partnerships. Across the work they do, they involve the business and their clients as they believe social impact is best achieved when all stakeholders come together to address societal issues.

Autumn 2021, with ‘clap for carers’ evaporating and turnover increasing, keyworker applications were waning. Scottish Autism, like others in the social care sector, had an issue. Through a holistic recruitment review by a cross-functional working group, a strategy and plan was set. This created internal change and new messaging focusing on our autism practice approach. The 2022 #Peoplevaluepeople recruitment campaign, focussed on the power of relationships. Outcomes included improvements in morale, joiner feedback and employer brand as well as applicants keen to discuss relationships.

Barclays’ Glasgow campus represents a significant inward investment for Scotland. The vision was to stay true to the Firm’s commitments to sustainability and citizenship, as well as respecting Scotland’s rich heritage, and the opportunity to bring Barclays colleagues together in the one campus. Designed with collaboration and the future of work in mind, the workspace has been built to fully support their colleagues through hybrid working. A fundamental aspect of the design was ensuring that the campus was inclusive to all, with a specific focus on neurodiversity.

Diversity & Inclusion Award of the Year

sponsored by:

Business Stream is one of the UK’s largest water retailers. Driven by colleague feedback, the company launched its vision to make a positive difference to its customers,

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 more information, please visit: www.three.co.uk

community impact. We established an initiative - Networks of Networks, which brings together 11 Employee Networks. At the heart of the initiative is the idea of combining several networks to help different groups integrate, providing a wider audience for messages to be heard.

HR Business Partner of the Year

business acumen and comprehensive background in HR has resulted in trusting relationships with her stakeholders.

Scottish Water’s purpose is to support a flourishing Scotland through being trusted to care for the water on which Scotland depends. Their commitment to mainstreaming equality is an important part of this purpose. Recently they started on a businesswide Transformation journey in support of our strategic ambitions, underpinned by their SW Character: Bold, Responsible, Caring, Inspiring. Diversity and inclusion is core to their character. They want all their people to feel a sense of belonging.

sponsored by:

Skyscanner has a long-standing dedication to DEI. From education and allyship to policies and processes, ‘Belonging’ is at the core of Skyscanner’s strategy. Commitments to DEI are embedded in the organisation across every level and department. The DEI strategy goes beyond just employee experiences and is also woven through how we speak to and represent the travellers that we serve. We are a company of many cultures and identities, built by travellers for travellers.

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 more information, please visit: www.rightmanagement.co.uk

Hannah Smith, Scottish Autism

Hannah has been with Scottish Autism for 6 years entering as an HR Assistant before progressing to HR Business Partner and a temporary recruitment lead role. In her HR Business Partner role Hannah works closely with 3 regions and over 12 services for autistic people. The nature and range of the services pose challenges for HR professionals to address, and Hannah rises to that challenge. She’s always hungry for development, energetic and compassionate. Her contribution and impact are outstanding.

TCS UK&I DE&I priorities are on enabling diverse people segments including Gender, Age, Race, Ethnicity & Culture, Disability & Neurodiversity, Mental Health, Working Parents and LGBTQ+ and focusing on a culture of inclusion, enabling ecosystem and creating

Alison Robertson, Capricorn Energy

Alison is passionate about building strategies and initiatives, which are focused on solving business and people challenges. She has demonstrated success in working across multiple countries in a global organisation at all levels, developing trust and building effective partnerships to help individuals and teams achieve strategic and operational goals, while mitigating risk. This combined with her strong

Rachael Tochel, Webhelp UK

With a strong background in generalist HR across a number of sectors, Rachael joined Webhelp seven years ago and played a key part in setting up a transformative HR Business Partner model. Working with senior stakeholders to connect business priorities with impactful people plans and advocating an engaging employee experience, Rachael also recently led the regional people workstream on the Future Ways of Working programme post-COVID, and has been instrumental in managing people change.

Employee Engagement Award

of the Year

Antibody Analytics is at the forefront of biologics drug development. They were founded in 2016, and like many start-ups, their key focus was to secure clients and win business. In 2020, their motivation shifted, and they realigned their attention to employee engagement. Operating with a people-first approach, they’ve transformed their company culture. Employee feedback tells them that their people are happy, empowered and that Antibody Analytics is a fantastic place to work.

Zero Waste Scotland’s purpose is to lead Scotland to use products and resources responsibly and set an example for the world. To do this effectively they need to attract, retain and nurture our talent. Part of their People Plan, Cheers for Peers is an engaging values-based, peer-to-peer initiative recognising not just what their colleagues do, but how they do it. Presented monthly by their CEO and shared with managers to include recognition in colleague 1:1’s.

Organisational Development Award of the Year

sponsored by:

Project Magpie was MDDUS’ ‘shiny and new’ working environment project. To embed their values, and support colleagues in the transition to hybrid working, they designed their new office on St Vincent Street. Colleagues were involved throughout the process; voting on room names, providing ideas on collaboration space, being trained on the new technology, and sharing their thoughts through their Employee and Management Forum groups. It’s been great to see everyone enjoy the new working environment.

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.

For more information, please visit: www.roffeypark.com

CCL Logistics & Technology helps customers reduce costs and grow sustainably. Their purpose is delivering happiness. Their OD project began in 2021, when they adapted their organisational structure, attracted additional talent and launched their L&D strategy. They developed their team-leaders, delivered Prince 2 training and upskilled software engineers.

This resulted in CCL’s Microsoft Silver Accreditation, as well as more capable and collaborative teams. Despite the pandemic, they galvanised team spirit through homeworking, back to office and hybrid.

Barclays Scotland has been on an incredible journey over the last two years; building a state of the art campus during a pandemic whilst ensuring it centred around their colleagues, clients, customers and community. Through 7 colleague led “Pillars”, colleagues are involved in everything from their food outlet menus to how their friends and family can utilise the campus. They are fully committed to continuing to develop the organisation whilst listening to their colleagues’ voice.

With the ongoing challenges faced in the aviation industry, Menzies Aviation have prioritised their focus on the human need to support their colleagues and their families who continue to navigate through this challenging period, through no fault of their own. Working with their teams across the globe, Menzies quickly deployed bespoke portals and wellbeing hubs to provide support to their employees, in their native language, with local guidance, opportunities and information.

Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year

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

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

Edrington implemented a new wellbeing framework, Mind Body Lifestyle, around which wellbeing activities are aligned, not just in Scotland, but across its’ global locations. A wellbeing theme launches annually to provide focus and direction for activities, and for 2021 the theme was resilience. Using the wellbeing framework, a suite of activities to support the resilience of their employees was delivered. The positive impact of this was clearly demonstrated in their recent employee engagement survey results.

Best Employer/ Workplace of the Year

Business Stream is one of the UK’s largest water retailers. To support its vision to make a positive difference to its customers, its people, the environment and local communities, the company has launched a wide range of initiatives to support its colleagues’ health and wellbeing. This has included investing in an Employee Assistance Programme; providing mental health first aiders; installing health machines in the office; and putting in place measures to support their colleagues’ financial wellbeing.

Scottish Water’s Wellbeing and Resilience Programme has been in place since 2013, focussing on four core aspects of Mind, Body, Connection and Purpose. Through education, support and a range of proactive offerings, we encourage our people to make positive decisions for their own wellbeing. Health and wellness are entwined in our culture and have a firm place in our business transformation activities as we embrace significant changes to the ways we work and deliver service.

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 more information, please visit: www.jobtrain.co.uk Barclays Scotland is a people business with broad responsibility to the community and a clear purpose, values and mindset, which empowers people to always put customers, clients and colleagues at the heart of everything they do. They support the holistic wellbeing of their colleagues and have a range of personal development activities to reflect the diversity of talent within the organisation, with 90% saying they are “proud to work for the company”.

range of topics that can be tailored to your needs.

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

Connect Three is a Certified B-Corp with a clear purpose to make this planet a better place to live and work. They change the way people run businesses and use business as a force for good. They work with public, private and third sector organisations helping them explore their future, develop their team and create sustainable change through better cultures and fairer work for all.

Optiseller is an e-commerce data company who understand the value of their people. Over the last two years the company has continued to drive forward their culture of teamwork through the development of their employee benefits and wellness initiatives, promoting open communication, collaboration and investing in tailored learning and development opportunities. Optiseller are focused on creating a friendly, open and trusting place of work whilst supporting hybrid working, providing flexibility, promoting autonomy and individual ownership.

HR Team 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

The Edrington HR team have set out a clear vision in the past year, partnering with the business to create an inclusive and highperforming culture where employees can reach their full potential. Their progressive people agenda is shaped by a newly developed DE&I strategy, continued focus on building skills and capabilities, and the launch of their global employer brand campaign. Their new global recognition platform provides an opportunity for colleagues to offer praise and gratitude.

limits, the team introduced a new people strategy, implemented organisational change, managed recovery fund resource planning, and helped set up a new subsidiary company, the Cycling World Championships 2023.

Chief Executive of the Year

Through our people-centred ethos – ‘Because-People-Matter’ - TPS aim to ensure that their employees are engaged and committed to the delivery of caring and compassionate services. Their values – Inclusion, Respect, Integrity and Compassion – clearly outline the key focus areas for the organisation. The HR-team is a key driver of these, having notched up a number of exceptional successes in recent months through a combination of creativity, innovation, best practice and collaboration with individuals and teams across the organisation.

Gail Burden, Capella

Gail is the CEO of Capella, an Edinburgh based charity delivering lasting change through learning. The charity runs Sleep Scotland and Teens+, both highly respected services that enable children, young people and adults to thrive. Gail took up the role of CEO in January 2021 and has turned the charity’s vision, culture and finances around. Gail is also the Vice Chair of ACOSVO, Chair of Stirling University Student’s Union and a Fellow with the RSA.

The HR team at Scotland’s national tourism agency are a small, passionate, and innovative group who rallied to support the business and transform its service during the turbulent impact of the COVID pandemic. At a time when the tourism industry was pushed to its

Iain McFarlane, Blue Triangle

Iain joined Blue Triangle as CEO in September 2020 having worked in financial services, the public sector, and in business consulting for over 25 years. He is passionate about empowering people to thrive, bringing innovation and collaboration to offer creative solutions to tackle the ever-growing service pressures head-on. He is humbled to have been nominated for this award by his Board and Staff Teams and is proud to fly the flag for social care.

Jim Gillespie, Kibble Education & Care Centre

Jim Gillespie became CEO of Kibble in 2016 and has actively led the growth and success of Kibble. He has extensive senior leadership experience, and comprehensive skills in innovation and entrepreneurship. He is committed to shaping services based around the needs of the young people. He has a wealth of experience in providing consultancy on policy development and implementation to governments, both in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. In 2006, Jim was awarded a Butler Trust Award by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne and has an MBA. In 2021, Jim was awarded IoD (Industry of Directors) Scotland Regional Director of the Year (Glasgow & the West). Jim is a Board member in Engage and CCPS (Coalition and Care Support Providers) Scotland.

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 industryleading 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 more information, please visit: www.lhh.com/uk

Loretta Perry, Pelion IOT

Carole Lamond, Multrees Investor Services

Carole brings a fresh, agile and pragmatic perspective based on 30 years’ experience in the HR community. She believes in the power of HR to directly contribute to a company’s success through aligning the power of their people to business values and objectives. Carole has extensive business transformation experience in the financial services sector leading specialist teams in HR functions, is a Non Executive Director, a qualified Executive Coach, FCIPD, and coaches and mentors HR professionals.

Loretta has dedicated over 20 years to her career in HR and graduated from Strathclyde University with an MSc in 2014. She is passionate about creating meaningful employee experiences and strives to develop workplaces with a people-first approach. Over the past 9 years, Loretta has worked at executive level on an international scale supporting some of the biggest names in technology, successfully delivering transformational people strategies and helping them navigate some of the most challenging landscapes of our time.

Kevin has proved to be a tremendous asset to Turning-PointScotland since joining in 2016 and even more so since his appointment as Head of HR in 2020. As a result of Kevin’s leadership and tenure, the profile of the HR-function has been enhanced both internally and externally. It is now seen as a trusted, credible, professional and innovative partner. His proactive, enthusiastic, professional and values-based-leadership of the HR service has led to a 180-degree change in direction. Its profile has been improved and raised as a collaborative-function, which supports, guides and enables colleagues in what can be challenging circumstances.

Kevin Staunton, Turning Point Scotland

Outstanding Contribution to

Scottish HR

The Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR Award is Scottish HR’s most prestigious award made to an individual or organisation, which has demonstrated a distinguished service to the HR profession. The winner of this most prestigious award will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Thursday 10th November 2022.

Nominees Lunch sponsor

Supporting Sponsors

WorkNest is a powerhouse of Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety support services, weaving pragmatic advice with powerful technology platforms. They exist to help employers proactively overcome their employment, safety and wellbeing challenges, working alongside internal teams or providing a fully outsourced solution. Their proactive and personalised services are delivered by highly accomplished, commercially minded people, with set-price subscription models for cost certainty and peace of mind. Ultimately, they understand that when organisations are compliant, confident and risk-aware — and their employees are safe, supported and encouraged — they have the peace of mind to concentrate on innovating and growing. Their services take care of you andyour business so you can do exactly that.

For more information, please visit: www.worknest.com

Additional sponsors

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

the LINES

A Heart Full of Headstones

By Ian Rankin

John Rebus stands accused: On trial for a crime that could put him behind bars for the rest of his life. Although it’s not the first time the legendary detective has taken the law into his own hands, it might be the last. What drove a good man to cross the line? Or have times changed, and the rules with them?

Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke faces Edinburgh’s most explosive case in years, as a corrupt cop goes missing after claiming to harbour secrets that could sink the city’s police force. But in this investigation, it seems all roads lead to Rebus - and Clarke’s twin loyalties to the public and the police will be tested to their limit. A reckoning is coming - and John Rebus may be hearing the call for last orders...

Parenting Hell

By Rob Beckett & Josh Widdicombe

What’s it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sheer mindbending, world-altering, sleep-depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, bore-inspiring, 4amrelationship-straining brutality of it all? And if they did, why can’t they remember it (or remember anything else, for that matter)? And just when they thought it couldn’t get any harder, why didn’t anyone warn them about the slices of unmatched euphoric joy and pride that occasionally come piercing through, drenching you in unbridled happiness in much the same way a badly burped baby drenches you in milk-sick? Join Josh and Rob as they share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs. Filled with all the things they never tell you at antenatal classes, Parenting Hell is a beguiling mixture of humour, rumination and conversation for prospective parents, new parents, old parents and never-to-be parents alike.

The Twelve Dels of Christmas

By David Jason

Amazingly, there are eighteen ‘Only Fools and Horses’ Christmas specials. It is at Christmas that Raquel moves in with Del, that Peckham Spring mineral water is first marketed, that the world’s least likely Batman and Robin duo emerge on a foggy street. Think of this memoir, then, as a Christmas special in book form, from someone who has been involved in a few of those and understands a bit about the concept. But a Christmas special very much like Only Fools and Horses, in the sense that the stories will be always heading outwards, ranging far and wide and well beyond the traditional festive gags involving giblets left in turkeys.

As I sift through various festive-related episodes in my career, loosening the ribbons, parting the wrapping paper, I’ll be doing my best to reach any relevant conclusions about life, work and the meaning of it all that I can usefully pass on to you - baubles of wisdom if you like. Or certainly baubles. You’ll learn why I have the perfect face to play Scrooge. And if you’re lucky I’ll also share what it’s like to fly in the helicopter of my old mucker Tom Cruise. Merry Christmas, you plonkers.’

Domestic Domestic

Domestic AbuseDomestic Abuse

HOW IMPACTS THE Workplace Workplace

There are many topics not discussed in the workplace and domestic abuse ranks high on that list, but perhaps this needs to change. Domestic abuse could be having an impact on your staff and performance. Whilst something that happens at home, behind closed doors, domestic abuse can be affecting more than just a victim’s home life.

We know the consequences have a heavy impact on a victim’s physical and mental health but there are also further reaching implications, and one of these can be how they are impacted in the workplace.

Victims of domestic abuse may experience changes in behaviour at work, a decline in performance and/or productivity, high levels of absenteeism, or persistent lateness. In line with trends from previous years, the number of domestic abuse crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in the year ending March 2021 rose by 6% according to the Office for National Statistics. This reflects the upward trend that has been seen over previous years.

What legislation is relevant?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provides that an employer has a “duty to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all of his employees”. ACAS is clear that an employer has a duty of care to their employees and should:

• Look out for signs of domestic abuse;

• Respond appropriately;

• Support someone who is experiencing domestic abuse; and

• Keep a record of incidents at work and when employees report domestic abuse, and any actions taken

Employers should be mindful that employees who could be affected are not just those who are presently experiencing abuse, but support may also be needed for people who were previously victims of domestic violence and abuse, and secondary victims of domestic violence and abuse.

Best practice of employers to support employees could include the following:

Employers should create an environment in which mangers are alert to signs of domestic abuse and be responsive to any disclosures made by employees. Employees should be encouraged to report the abuse and there should be systems in place to allow this to occur. Employees who make a disclosure should be treated in a supportive manner. ACAS recommends that employers consider having a domestic abuse policy.

• Create a policy setting out the support that will be provided by an employer;

• Managers and HR should have appropriate training, be available and approachable, and respond to the employee who has made the disclosure in a sensitive and non-judgemental manner;

• Managers and HR should be trained to be able to signpost the employee to relevant domestic abuse helplines;

What can an employer do to support an employee who discloses that they are a victim of domestic abuse?

• Consider whether a risk assessment (for the health and safety of the staff member) should be carried out;

• Consider any issues in relation to confidentiality and information sharing (in general the employee should have a right to privacy, however, in some unusual circumstances the employer may not be able to guarantee complete confidentiality e.g. where there is a health and safety issue and it is absolutely necessary to share information);

• Take into account the employee’s situation in the context of performance management;

• Allow special paid or unpaid leave for court appearances, residence move, or other relevant events;

• Allow an advance on pay to help an employee with an unforeseen situation related to the domestic abuse;

• Allow the employee where possible to change working patterns, workload and location when needed;

• Duly consider any flexible working requests made by the employee;

• Provide a private space for the employee to make phone calls to lawyers, police or helplines;

• Check that the employee has arrangements for getting safely to and from home;

• Signpost the employee to sources of support and any Employee Assistance Programme

With current hybrid working arrangements seeing more employees working from home, employers should be particularly alert to signs of domestic abuse and respond appropriately. Where victims of domestic abuse are working from home, they may have lost a ‘safe space’ i.e. their workplace, that was previously

available to them. Further, the perpetrator of the abuse may also be able to listen in to their work calls. Where employees are working from home, employers should consider other measures including:

• Agreeing on a safe mode of communication which the employee can use if needed (e.g. text message);

• Ensuring that there are daily ‘check-ins’ with the employee; and

• Measures that will assist employees to communicate working from home, e.g. hand signals or code words.

The circumstances for each employee will be different, so it is important that measures are discussed and developed in consultation with the affected employee.

Nominees Lunch 2022 WorkNest IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The Annual ‘Nominees

this year by

took place on Wednesday 19th October at the

in Edinburgh’s

Around 60 guests from this years awards shortlist, as well as members of the judging panel and some specially invited HR guests joined Hr NETWORK’s Lee Turner and his team along with the head of WorkNest in Scotland, Daniel Gorry and his colleagues, for the annual lunchtime gathering.

The lunch forms part of the build up and excitement to the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute, with the winners being announced at the Awards Gala Dinner and which takes place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November.

During the Lunch, founder & publisher of Hr NETWORK Magazine Lee Turner thanked WorkNest for

their support of the lunch commenting: “The support that we have received from WorkNest is wonderful and the Lunch wouldn’t be possible without their support.

Lee continued: “The Lunch is an excellent opportunity for us to recognise the contribution made by all the finalists ahead of the annual Gala Dinner and we would simply not be able to host the Lunch or the Gala Dinner without the support of all our sponsors.”

Daniel Gorry welcomed all the guests and offered all the finalists a good luck message on behalf of all his colleagues at WorkNest.

The lunch offered guests, particularly the shortlisted finalists the chance to meet with other finalists in their categories and to

‘weigh up the opposition’ before the winners are announced at the Gala Dinner taking place in November at the Glasgow Hilton.

On behalf of WorkNest and all our sponsors, Hr NETWORK would like to wish all the finalists the very best of luck for the Awards Gala Dinner.

About WorkNest

WorkNest is a powerhouse of Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety support services, weaving pragmatic advice with powerful technology platforms. They exist to help employers proactively overcome their employment, safety and wellbeing challenges, working alongside internal teams or providing a fully outsourced solution. Their proactive and personalised services are delivered by highly accomplished, commercially-minded people, with set-price subscription models for cost certainty and peace of mind. Ultimately, they understand that when organisations are compliant, confident and risk-aware — and their employees are safe, supported and encouraged — they have the peace of mind to concentrate on innovating and growing. Their services take care of you and your business so you can do exactly that.

For more information on WorkNest, please visit: www.worknest.com

Cancer in the Workplace

As part of Hr NETWORK’s continued support of Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, our latest insight showcases Scottish Water’s holistic approach to supporting their people – looking at the four quadrants of mind, body, purpose and connection. Within this remit, Scottish Water aims to shine a spotlight on a variety of health conditions to raise awareness and support their colleagues who may be experiencing them. Here Lucy MacLennan, Scottish Water’s Specialist People Consultant for Wellbeing & Resilience describes their relationship with Maggie’s.

Having previously shared communications for national campaigns relating to various types of cancer, we were delighted to expand our offering by teaming up with Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh to deliver a Cancer in the Workplace online workshop in October of this year.

The session was open to anyone within our business who wanted to know more about the impact of cancer at work, as well as how to support others. We had attendees join the call for a range of reasons – from those with personal experiences of cancer, people caring for loved ones, and line leaders who wanted to know how to help their team members through a difficult diagnosis.

Throughout the workshop, Maggie’s gave a fantastic insight into the considerations that we should take into account when supporting someone with cancer. We learned that not only is there a significant physical impact, but often cognitive function and emotional wellbeing can be affected too which is sometimes felt long after treatment has finished. In addition, we discussed how some people can find it hard to juggle the practicalities that come with receiving treatment, with examples including financial implications, arranging travel, organising childcare, and maintaining relationships with friends, family and work.

Maggie’s were brilliant at helping our people feel

comfortable to open up and share what was on their mind, enabling lots of peer learning during the workshop too. With the affects of cancer being so broad, it was important to us that the workshop gave a full picture of what people can expect on their journey, as well as helping people understand where they can access help.

Many of the delegates expressed that they were grateful for the opportunity to access this information through work, with one employee sharing “It gave me a lot to think about and was also very emotive with people sharing their stories”. Upon attending the workshop myself, I was reassured to learn of the positive advancements that have been made in cancer care in recent years, meaning that many cancers are much more treatable now than they were in the past. Survival rates are improving, and there is a lot of support available through the NHS as well as from specialist organisations and charities such as Maggie’s.

Following the session, we have been able to summarise the learning’s from the workshop in our monthly allemployee bulletin to further raise awareness, particularly among those who were unable to join on the day. We also took the opportunity to signpost to our Employee Assistance Programme and network of Mental Health First Aiders, as well as of course the Maggies website for people who might be looking for someone to talk to.

We are looking forward to working with Maggie’s again soon to support our Carers Network in hosting a drop in session for our people who are caring for a family member or friend who is going through cancer diagnosis, treatment or recovery.

Three key benefits of having a diverse workforce

Following Pride Month and the criticism of businesses that changed their logo to the Pride flag without any meaningful action or diversity-led policies, it’s time for organisations to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices. But if your business has never really focused on equality and diversity, what are those benefits? Here, Julie McIntosh, Chief Culture Officer at Kura delves into the benefits a diverse workforce brings to businesses.

A lack of diversity can impact your clients and the output of your business in many ways. For example, hair companies may produce products for afro hair without really understanding the specific needs of that type of hair. Or, across many sectors, accessibility provisions may take into account physical disabilities but not mental ones.

When people from diverse backgrounds come together, they can offer viewpoints that may not be considered by a more homogenous group. We know from current political events in the USA that when these voices aren’t heard, decisions are made without considering their needs. This applies to businesses, their employees, and customers too. An IT consultancy firm or UK call centre will stand a better chance of attracting and delivering an excellent service to customers with a diverse workforce.

Boards and senior management teams in the UK are still overwhelmingly male and white. As we go down the ranks, diversity increases, but many businesses are still seas of uniform faces.

Predominantly white businesses may struggle to attract BAME workers, while research has shown that 40% of women qualified in engineering will leave their roles because of “unwelcoming social barriers” that include being perceived as incompetent, being sexualised, and being excluded from social events.

Inclusive measures are also important for those with both visible and invisible disabilities. We’re aware that people who require mobility aids will require ramps and lifts to access certain parts of our buildings, but what about those with arthritis or chronic pain? Are your offices designed with developmental disabilities like autism in mind, or are they potentially overwhelming? Factoring in the needs of people from diverse backgrounds will show that your business cares about diversity and equality and can help you attract and retain so much more talent.

Employees who are surrounded and managed by people who share similar characteristics to them are likely to feel more welcomed and included. If a company is dominated by straight white men, it can sometimes contribute to a ‘laddish’ culture that can exclude women, LGBTQIA+ people, and those from different ethnicities.

A happy workforce is already a major benefit to businesses, but it also brings with it plenty of additional advantages. Businesses with a diverse set of happy people have a lower turnover and higher productivity and can even be more profitable. It pays to be diverse.

Diversity should always be a priority for businesses. Offering opportunities for people from different backgrounds is important for societal change and social mobility, but it’s also critical to business success. So if your organisation doesn’t yet have an equality and diversity policy in place, consider these three points and make them a priority.

Sources:

www.marketingweek.com/ritson-transforming-logosrainbow-washing/

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boardrooms-still-too-maleand-white-v2zzs32hb

www.alsico.co.uk/male-dominated-industries-breakingthe-gender-imbalance

www.shponline.co.uk/culture-and-behaviours/womenswellbeing-in-male-dominated-industries/ https://perelson.com/the-importance-of-diversity-inthe-workplace/

The pandemic has seen men find a better work-life balance

A study by global workplace leader Unispace has found that the pandemic and associated work-from-home guidance saw more men than women find a better balance between the office and home. This underscores the need for companies today to create spaces and flexible working approaches that drive equity across all genders. Here, Chely Wright, Chief Diversity Officer at Unispace discusses the outcomes of the study.

According to the our study of 3,000 employees working across Europe, male office workers found a better work-life balance when working from home during lockdown than women (71% vs. 68%). When participants were asked if they feel they can prioritise family and loved ones more after the pandemic exactly the same proportion - 87% - of both groups said yes. That’s according to the new paper, Shifting the Gender Discussion.

When looking at those who were hesitant to go back to the office, the top concern expressed by male respondents was a preference to be at home to work around child and carer arrangements, with almost a third (32%) citing this explanation. Fewer women (29%) indicated the same sentiment.

Levelling the playing field - The research also revealed that before the pandemic, female employees were more likely than their male counterparts to be completely office based (73% vs. 69%). Men were more likely to be working in a predominantly office-based hybrid way (25% vs. 18%), suggesting a pre-pandemic inequality in flexible working approaches among genders.

Interestingly, when participants were asked about where they are likely to work in the future, exactly 31% of both groups foresaw themselves working from the office full-time, suggesting that there is an immediate opportunity for employers to create spaces and flexible working approaches that drive equity across all genders.

While the Covid pandemic had catastrophic consequences for communities across the globe, it has also been a chance to press reset and shift the norm on many aspects of society – the conversation on work-life balance included.

When we know better, we do better. Our data shows that we have an opportunity to advance the discussion about equity in the office environment and flexible working policies from a gender-based lens.

The employers and companies today that are able to attract and retain the best and most diverse talent will be those that ensure their workforce strategies, working policies and office spaces provide the flexibility and equity needs of all genders. This is a chance for employers to reframe how people of all genders are encouraged back to work and experience their office environments.

Job vacancy boom pushing recruiters to breaking point

A quarter of people working in recruitment are struggling to cope with their stress levels. A study conducted by specialist talent acquisition software provider Tribepad shows the impact that the global talent crisis is having on those tasked with filling roles in a market where candidates are in control, vacancies have reached record highs, and one-click applications are overwhelming. Here Tribepad’s CEO, Dean Sadler review’s some of the report’s outcomes.

Alongside those who are struggling to cope with stress levels, the survey of more than 500 recruitment and HR professionals found that 39% of respondents admit to having stressful days. Perhaps more worrying, however, is the fact that just 6% of those questioned admitted that their work-life is currently manageable.

We’re living in a candidate driven market, which has its benefits for job seekers. But the other side of this is an area rarely explored - the impact it has on those people tasked with filling those role.

Our survey reveals the impact that the talent crisis is taking on those working on the frontlines of recruitment. Burnout, a lack of recognition, and mounting pressures are placing a toll on those on the frontline. Companies need to invest in their HR teams, providing them with the support and tools they need to meet the exceptional demands that are currently being placed upon them.

The changing job landscape isn’t just adding to recruiters’ workloads however, it’s also taking its toll on their teams. When asked, the biggest cause of workrelated stress among respondents was staffing issues within their own teams (25%). That was followed by tight deadlines (10%) and pressure to recruit the right people (12%).

A lack of suitable talent applying for roles (13%) also featured among the reasons for increased stress among HR professionals. Indeed, more than half (59%) of those questioned revealed that they had seen a noticeable decrease in the quality of applications within the past year.

Those numbers were even more pronounced in regions such as the East of England (74%) North West (70%), Scotland (69%) and Yorkshire and Humberside (67%)suggesting that the UK is experiencing a clear regional divide when it comes to application quality in the current market.

Whilst one-click applications are convenient for candidates, they can overwhelm hiring managers. Application spam as it’s called is a growing issue that slows down recruitment, due to the sheer volume of CVs being received, many of which are coming from people who are either unsuitable or unqualified for the role they’re applying for.

But those in the profession want to do the right thing, with over half (55%) saying that addressing bias is something they are personally passionate about. However, despite clearly playing a business critical role, and essential not only to recruiting talented people, but creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, only one third (35%) believe they are highly valued and seen as critical for business success.

Companies simply must recognise how important HR and talent acquisition teams are, and act now to ease their workload. Business and society needs recruiters who are top of their game, and there is a real risk of this generation burning out as a result of the strain that’s being put on them. Without good people being recruited, businesses will simply collapse. So we need good people to bring those candidates in - and we need to look after them with good support and good tools.

MyLinked

Claire McLean

CEO

About:

Claire founded and leads Realise HR, a multi-disciplinary HR consultancy operating across the UK. With over 23 years in HR, Claire is an experienced People director, consultant, transformation and change expert. Claire has multi-sector background including omni channel retail, pharmaceutical, FMCG and financial services and worked with big brands such as AO.com, McVities, Specsavers and Royal Bank of Scotland. Claire has led organisational development and transformation projects for over 20 years. She has expertise in:

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At the weekend you’ll find Claire either up a fell walking, enjoying lunch with family or booking her next trip abroad on her quest to visit as many countries as she can while on the planet!!

Experience:

Realise HR Ltd

Nov 2016 – present

Helping companies deliver their goals with amazing people who are engaged and performing at their best, by offering commercial, straightforward and no nonsense HR solutions. We partner with some great companies and we’re proud to help them achieve their goals and grow their business by focusing on people.

Strategic HR Business Partner United Biscuits Nov 2013 – Jan 2015

Senior HR Generalist - HR Manager Plexus Oct 2009 – Oct 2013

Redeployment Manager Booker Group Aug 2009 – Sept 2009

HR Manager Farne Salmon & Trout Ltd Aug 2005 – May 2009

Recruitment Consultant Change Recruitment Group Feb 2004 – Aug 2005

Talent Acquisition Manager Royal Bank of Scotland Group Aug 2000 – Feb 2004

Recommendation:

“Claire McLean - dedicated and committed to drive forward the People Agenda for organisations, I can honestly say she’s one of a kind. Creates energy, momentum and commitment behind every programme she leads. She’s a wonderful balance of strategic and pragmatic thinker. Not afraid to simply roll her sleeves up and get stuff done yet capable of vision. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Claire within a fast growth tech and products business and I know they are richer from her involvement. And frankly I would search out any future project that has her name against it.”

Kirstie Kelly

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