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.

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.

COVID-19 has affected work in all sectors and industries; adjusting the way many people work and highlighting practice that may not translate to a post-lockdown world. Our recent Supporters’ Network Event explored how we can ‘Build Back Better’ following lockdown, using this as an opportunity to ensure that the Good Employment Charter can be used to deliver stronger, fairer working standards for all. 

Our first Supporters’ Network Webinar was on the topic of Health and Wellbeing in the workplace, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that this has brought to light. Maintaining a healthy and productive workplace is more complex than before, but prioritising the health and wellbeing of staff still needs to be key in Good Employment practice.   

Our February Supporters’ Network Event had the theme ‘Recruitment Through the Ages’, focusing specifically on the barriers that people face when entering employment due to their age. To discuss the challenges faced by young workers we invited speakers from Greater Manchester’s Hidden Talent, a voluntary youth employment programme which provides support for young people aged 18-25 who are struggling to get into employment, education or training. Then, to explore the difficulties faced by an ageing workforce, speakers from The Centre for Ageing Better and The Greater Manchester Ageing Hub came to speak about providing opportunities for people to excel in employment in later life.