Blogs

Guest Contributor Lee Jefcott, Partner at Brabners: The dramatically changed working environment during the pandemic has led many to consider whether in fact they wish to go back to the bad old days of pre-pandemic working, with long commutes, pointless meetings, juggling childcare and the stress of long working hours. A few weeks ago supermarket giant Morrisons announced it would be switching staff at its head office to a four day working week, with overall weekly hours reducing to 37.5 from 40 but maintaining the same salary level.

Guest contributor Daniel Howard, Programme Manager at the Living Wage Foundation: During the Covid-19 pandemic the country’s ‘key workers’ - delivery drivers, care workers, supermarket staff - have been tirelessly working on the front line to keep our country safe, looking after our loved ones and getting food to our tables. Despite the huge contribution these workers make to society, we know that over 1 million key workers are not receiving a real Living Wage.

Guest contributor Jennifer Atkins, People Director at Bruntwood: Bruntwood had huge plans for 2020 after another successful year. Then Coronavirus hit… something we’d heard snippets about and that a few of us initially dismissed as flu... But in just four weeks we completely changed our way of working, re-shaped colleagues’ lives, and got used to business as “unusual”.

Guest contributor Alun Francis, Principal and CEO of Oldham College: For all the dramas and challenges we have had in the past, nothing could have prepared us for the Covid-19 crisis. We are signed up to the Good Employment Charter, and we take it very seriously. Our priorities as a good employer have been to keep staff and learners safe, keep delivering our service, and help to protect the NHS.

Guest contributor Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, Director at Making you Content: As an agency that has always embraced flexible working, we were quick to adapt to the 'new normal' even before the official lockdown. The past month hasn’t come without its challenges (and inevitable impact of a huge strain on the economy), but Making You Content has managed to ride the storm so far by keeping true to our values as agile, curious, genuine and capable grafters.

Guest contributor Rachael Parr, HR Director at Electricity North West: Electricity North West employees have officially been named as key workers and we pride ourselves on being able to keep the power flowing throughout the region, no matter what. We have two priorities: 1. Keeping our colleagues and customers safe. 2 Keeping power flowing for the North West.

Guest Contributor Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive: Figures from the ONS show that the number of people working from home doubled between 2008-2018, to 1.5 million. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we could see numbers soar to unprecedented levels as more people switch to temporary homeworking. Some businesses will be well adapted to homeworking, with the technology and tools in place to easily facilitate it. But there will be many who are, for the first time, navigating around this new way of working. 

Guest contributor Donald Moore from Rowlinson Knitwear, Member of the Charter: We thought we would share our issues and also some positive messages from our colleagues in these most difficult times. At Rowlinson, and as an employee owned company, we are guided by our values of trust and care and by doing the best right thing. That makes some decisions easier to make for the good of everyone we work with; our colleagues, suppliers and our customers, mainly hundreds of independent retailers.

Coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, appears to be closing in. Each day, and from every news outlet, we learn more and more about its spread towards becoming the latest pandemic. And whilst the numbers of confirmed cases in the UK remain low, good employers across Greater Manchester will be making plans to respond to the threat, supporting their employees’ health and safety through good hygiene disciplines and work design to limit potential spread, particularly for those returning from travel overseas.