Insights

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.