Blogs

As we continue to reopen workplaces, there are many considerations and adjustments that need to be made. Being prepared for the various and ever changing measures to re-opening safely is vital. Our last Supporters Network Webinar was on this topic; speakers offered guidance and answered questions using their various areas of expertise in environmental health, transport, workers’ rights and implementation of the measures.

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.

To build back better on an organisational level, we will need to take a collaborative approach and recognise the importance of employee engagement and voice. Including employees in planning and decision-making processes, especially when reopening the workplace, is undoubtedly the best way forward. Our recent Supporters Network Webinar spoke on these topics, where we discussed how employers can harness the power of people within their organisation to overcome the challenges faced during this time.

Disabled people face many barriers, both in recruitment and in the workplace. Especially amid the current pandemic, there is significant risk that employers intensify this through lack of consideration and proactive policy when reopening. We ran our second Equality Issues Supporters Network Webinar on this topic, where we equipped Supporters with the knowledge to properly support disabled people in their workforce during this time and moving forward. 

Excellent people management has been vital to organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with challenges arising as our workplaces have changed form. In partnership with CIPD, the professional body for experts of people in work, we ran a Supporters’ Network Webinar exploring People Management in different and continually changing circumstances. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequalities, both in and outside of the workplace. Employers need to create plans to tackle this, ensuring that their approaches do not disproportionately affect people, or undo progress made in these areas prior to the pandemic. Our latest Supporters’ Network Webinar focused specifically on the BAME community, key workers and the real living wage, and pay equity among leaders and their workforce.

Home working has now become the norm for many, with social distancing and lockdown restrictions turning into longer-term measures than initially expected. Active support for flexible ways of working, now and into the future, have never been more important. Recently, we ran our first ever Supporters Network Workshops in partnership with Timewise - an organisation helping businesses to shape working policy and as a result, offer valuable, flexible job opportunities. 

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.

Many organisations adopted home working as a rapid response to the crisis, but it is becoming clear that this is now a longer-term situation. Speakers in our recent Supporters’ Network Webinar offered advice on home working, both in terms of employees coping from an ergonomic and mental health perspective, and in terms of effective remote management.