Month: February 2019

If you had an extra 17 hours per month, what would you want to do with them?

For most of you, the last thing you will be thinking is, “sitting at my desk catching up on emails”, and yet from a report released by Maxis Global Benefits Network (GBN) today, that is exactly what we are doing.

According to the study, 79% of us in the UK are working in an office environment where the expectation is that we are glued to our desks all day and lunch breaks are a thing of the past. Because of this, we are working on average 17 hours overtime each month.

So, why are we giving our time away for free?

Culture.

Getting the culture right in your organisation is key and as this study reports, 80% of people take into account the culture of a workplace when applying for jobs. This could mean that if you have a poor culture, you are losing potential talent before it even comes through the door!

If your office culture is for employees to be seen at their desks, take note! It may not make them more productive. There is a misconception that more office hours = more work, this however may not be the case. ‘Desk-time culture’ may be making your employees ‘spread’ their work to fit the hours they are in the office which means they are not utilising time efficiently. It can also increase stress, anxiety, and the amount of sick-days staff take which will impact overall productivity.

The Maxis GBN research shows that 50% of employees look for a new job if the workplace culture is poor. ‘Desk-time culture’ ostracises employees who may not be able to work overtime, even if they are completing their assigned tasks and excelling in their work. A common, misguided, perception of these employees is that they are less dedicated and less productive, this is often not the case. Whilst these employees may have talent, the culture of the organisation may lead them to take this talent elsewhere by seeking alternative employment.

If you need any organisational culture advice or help with your overtime policies, get in touch with us.

If you are interested in this study, read more about it here!

https://www.maxis-gbn.com/getdoc/610a783e-a23d-4e67-8682-8a20c6b6ad16/press-release-desk-time-culture-new-norm-for-of/

A traditional approach to managing your team may consist of ensuring everyone is “clocking in and out” of the office every day. For some businesses to function, there may be a requirement for all staff to be working in a centralised office. However, if your business allows for remote working, it could be an option to consider.

Due to the rise of awareness regarding flexible-working, many employees are increasingly eager to work remotely and feel able to put the requests in to their employer. There can be many benefits depending on your business model for having a remote workforce; saving on office costs, retaining talent and saving on travel time. Remote working does not have to mean that you are disconnected from your team and thanks to skype, internal intranet business forums, and ease of access to conference calls keeping in touch with your team is easier than ever.

So, you’ve decided your business model can support remote working and you see the benefits? How can you make this work for your business and your team?

The most important factor is trust. A trusting relationship between you and your employees is essential for a remote workforce.

If there is a question of productivity, does being glued to your desk all day really ensure high-levels of productivity? For some, this is a definite yes, but others it is a case of work ethic and commitment. If your team have the autonomy to ensure their working hours are completed, it can actually make them more productive.

Here are a few things to consider if you have remote working in your business;

• Carry out a lone worker assessment; It is essential to establish a safe working environment for lone workers even if they are working from their own home. It will often be safe to work alone but before an employee is allowed to work alone, the risks must be assessed which include but are not limited to; ensuring the working environment is safe, how the individual will deal with a health and safety issue whilst working and how remote the location is that they will be working from.
• Involve home-workers in face-to-face meetings; as I suggested earlier, the ease of conference calling may encourage you to overlook the importance of having face-to-face meetings, but don’t let it! Remote workers should be as involved with team meetings and PDR’s as office workers are, this creates autonomy in the workplace and ensures you can treat all staff equally and fairly.

If you need any help with ensuring you are complying with remote-working regulations or if you need assistance with the transition of an employee’s work conditions, get in touch on 020 3936 9171 or alternatively email, info@harwoodhrsolutions.co.uk

Early for a client visit one September morning, I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks while I waited. Whilst sat enjoying my coffee and a danish, I flicked through my Facebook feed, spotting an ad from Helen & Douglas House asking for applicants to run the London Marathon for their charity – and in a moment of madness I had completed the application and hit submit!

I didn’t give it another thought until I received a call late November, from a lovely lady at the hospice telling me that they would love to offer me a place! I put down the phone in shock…. only £2,500 to raise oh, and 26.2 miles to run!!!!

I am by no means a runner and have never ran a marathon before, yet I am really enjoying the challenge so far – even getting up for an 8am, 10 mile run on a Sunday when it’s -7 (!) outside.

So… why did I decide to do this again…?? Oh yes; because Helen & Douglas House are a truly deserving charity who daily change lives and because without the support of us all, they would not be able to afford the £3 million per year that it costs to run the hospice.

At Harwood, we understand the importance of giving something back to our local communities and will strive to help make a difference. It’s not just the charity that benefit from the partnership we have with them; our employees do too. Taking part in an event or holding a fundraiser is a real morale booster and a great way to enjoy some team building.

The training is not easy and it is taking more commitment than I ever imagined; but all I need to do is focus on is the children and families that I will be helping and it will get me across the finish line I’m sure!!

If you would like to know more about Helen & Douglas House, please visit their website – https://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

Or, if you would like to sponsor me, and help make a difference, you can do so via my Just Giving page – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/zoe-lidster82Thank you in advance.

Author: Zoe Lidster