Month: November 2019

We are constantly being asked the question, what does great HR look like? To be honest when put on the spot, it’s a tricky question to answer however in our minds it’s really obvious. Sometimes it’s easier to explain what it isn’t!  Our profession has been hampered by having a reputation for being “fluffy”, “not at all commercial”, “the welfare department” etc…

In truth HR people don’t help themselves as we still have a few old grey suits out there from the Personnel days and we have plenty of HR bods out there that are not at all commercial and spend their time sitting on various fences.

We also have the HR police officers who can regularly be heard quoting “well legally we have to do this” whilst blindly leading businesses through a process for process sake just in case the employee raises a tribunal claim (which inevitably they do because they’ve lead them down that path).

In many organisations HR is seen as a necessary cost or the “PC” department.   Anybody ever heard a senior leader say, “that’s not very HR!”? To compound this there are also big HR outsource companies who offer an insured HR product.  i.e. if you follow our advised process to the letter, we will insure you against tribunal claims!   This is another self-fulfilling prophecy as you end up creating tribunals by forcing your employees to drag people through processes.

This is the opposite of great HR!

So what is great HR? Well firstly, great HR professionals are commercial. They understand the business and how it operates. They understand what needles need to move to ensure that the Company is performing well. They are a credible sounding board for their fellow senior leaders / colleagues and are consulted on all manner of business related challenges and not just “HR stuff”. Their credibility and influence ensures that the Company is proactively planning to stay competitive through the effective recruitment, management and retention of its diverse population of employees. This is far from woolly HR stuff! This is the key to being a market leader or even surviving in the next decade.

A great HR professional takes time to understand their employees / clients and provides proactive, relevant and effective advice to the business rather than simply quoting the latest employment legislation. What’s right for one company or individual may not be right for yours.

Whilst managers always have the fear of an employment tribunal in the back of their mind a great HR professional makes tribunals a thing of the past through proactive involvement and addressing issues assertively and professionally ensuring that most issues are resolved internally. When you can’t resolve them internally the company’s defence is solid enough ensure that a commercially beneficial resolution can be found swiftly without the need for lengthy and expensive employment litigation.

Great HR proactively advises on the best route for an individual business or an individual in a business, interpreting and guiding a company on how to abide by the relevant employment legislation or advising on the lowest risk and swiftest resolution to address that issue in your business that is impacting on your time, your employees motivation and your customer service (i.e. your financial performance).

As you may already know, I am passionate about creating workplaces where all people can thrive. That opportunity is created by great leadership. Here I ask you to consider what you understand by gender equality. It has become more than just a question of equal pay and opportunities. We are becoming increasingly aware of gender identity, which is not as simple as male or female.

Yesterday I worked with a client who was incredibly anxious about disclosing that he is transgender, born into a man’s body but identifying more with being female. He texted me afterwards to thank me and comment that,

It’s been bubbling in the background for more than 20 years… a feeling that has been semi-destructive. There has been nothing more difficult than embracing being trans.

How aware are you about which gender your colleagues identify with? We may think it’s obvious but my client has been great at masking his identity and to this date, only 3 people know – none of them from work.

Transgender describes people who have a gender identity or gender expression that differs to their sex assigned at birth. Acas head of equality, Julie Dennis, said: “Trans people are better supported in UK workplaces now compared to 20 years ago but we still have a long way to go to create a positive environment for those who identify as the ‘T’ in LGBT.” Despite the UK providing one of the highest degrees of liberty in the world for its LGBT communities (ILGA-Europe),

• More than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for fear of discrimination.
• Almost one in five LGBT staff (18 per cent) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues in the last year because they’re LGBT.
• One in eight trans people (12 per cent) have been physically attacked by customers or colleagues inthe last year because of being trans.

Issues faced by trans employees at work include a lack of understanding, prejudice, confidentiality issues and access to facilities and dress codes but to name a few. Acas and Stonewall make numerous suggestions and have great resources to manage gender identity issues and support diversity in the workplace.

Like any good inclusive practice, to support an employee with specific needs, it’s crucial to agree an individual and flexible plan with them. This should include who is told and under what circumstances, when and how records will be updated and changes to working arrangements. Recommendations for best practice from Acas included:

• Do not disclose an employee’s gender identity without their consent apart from in exception set out in law.
• Ensure there are clear protocols for data management to avoid any non-consensual disclosure.
• Provide managers with good quality diversity and inclusion training.
• All trans employees should be treated fairly irrespective of whether their gender identity is protected by the Equality Act 2010.
• Employers should consider how to raise awareness of trans issues and encourage the use of LGBT champions.

Workplace openness and discussions are essential to answer the questions that some employees may have about gender diversity and what they can do to be more inclusive. It’s about creating a culture where everyone feels safe to share issues as well as any possible solutions.

How does your workplace support inclusion for trans employees? Do you have a policy that is reflected in practice? A failure to protect such employees from bullying and harassment in the workplace may lead to constructive unfair dismissal claims. But importantly, it’s about your company doing the right thing to create a team environment that is safe, where each employee has their physical and emotional needs met to create a culture of inclusivity. When you establish an atmosphere where employees of all genders are comfortable and able to thrive, you also maintain a competitive edge.

I urge you not to dismiss this article as possibly irrelevant to your organisation. Do you really know? How do you know? Unless you get the culture right, you can’t expect employees to trust you enough to be open. Get people right, get business right.

My client has recently changed job and now works as part of the University of Oxford where already he has noticed posters for LGBT events. His excitement was tangible yesterday as he moves closer towards being able to express himself as he chooses. I’m excited to be part of his journey!

Get in touch for more information.

Written by Lisa Lloyd

Transcript to video

Do I need HR in my business?

Do you employ people? If so, the answer is yes

People are your biggest asset but also your biggest risk.

HR policies and procedures help to manage the risk.

They provide structure, direction and consistency.  Once you have the policies and procedures in place you need to manage, interpret and adhere to them, this can be the tricky part unless you have expert advice and council from an HR professional.

Fairness and consistency is essential to managing a motivated workforce.  Why is this important?

The key to business performance is having an aligned, effective and engaged team all working towards a common goal.

It is crucial to Resolve employee issues before they escalate. Avoiding any unnecessary litigation and generating an open culture where employees feel that they can discuss issues before they turn into bigger problems.

Whether its employee number 1 or 100 you need to think about HR in your business.

We can help you to grow your business through your people.

Give us a call to receive your free consultation.

 

 

Transcript to video

This is one of the biggest issues that we have to resolve for our clients!  Recent stats suggest that sickness absence costs UK businesses on average 5.6 days per year per employee.

Many Small medium size businesses have a real struggle when one of their team is continually off work sick and this can cause significant problems for your business.

Business owners often believe that it is impossible to do anything and that the law is on the employees’ side, leaving them with the problem being ignored and putting them off recruiting staff to expand their business.

The belief that you can’t manage sickness absence is simply not true.  Although it isn’t that straight forward and good HR advice is critical to manage it effectively.

Prevention is the most important 1^st step to removing this issue.  A safe working environment, a positive, open and supportive culture and effective communication are all methods to help you do this.  In addition, clear sickness absence policies and procedures consistently followed by the company helps to manage expectation and reduce overall absence.

Unfortunately, people do genuinely get sick! And we need to accept that as an employer this will happen from time to time and it is your duty to support the individual to the best of your ability in order to facilitate a return to work as soon as it is practical.

You do however have people that will take advantage.  For that reason it is important to be clear on what your approach to managing absence is.  Managed through effectively you can reduce the level of sickness absence and fairly terminate the employment of those individuals who regularly take advantage whilst supporting those individuals that genuinely need it.

It is not impossible; you just need help to manage the issue.  If you want our help please give us a call  for your free consultation.