All articles by Nic Paton – Page 4
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Article21% feel isolated working from home
A fifth of employees feel being isolated in a home office during the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing, according to new research.In a poll of 1,000 people by Gazprom Marketing and Trading (GM&T), 21% said working from home had affected their mental health, ...
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ArticleGolden Charter moves to hybrid working model
Funeral plan provider Golden Charter is moving to a hybrid working model for its employees this month (October) as a way to balanceemployee engagement, wellbeing, and flexibility.The shift means the majority of the organisation's 200 staff members will now be home-based most of the time, only working from Golden Charter’s ...
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ArticleScotRail workers poised to strike over pay
ScotRail train staff are poised to take strike action during the COP26 climate summit in Scotland next month (November), as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.The RMT union on Monday said it was rejecting the latest “pitiful” offer from the firm and delegates had voted to press ...
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ArticleRSA commits to becoming menopause friendly
RSA Insurance, owner of the More Than brand, has committed to becoming an accredited ‘menopause friendly’ employer.The move means the company, which employs more than 5,000 people, will work visibly to support menopause in the workplace and to create an environment where it can be talked about easily. It has ...
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AnalysisHow can employers strike the right balance between financial and non-financial rewards?
Need to know:With vacancies at record levels as the economy recovers, getting the right balance between financial and non-financial rewards is more important than ever to retain and attract employees.Non-financial benefits can improve employee satisfaction, self-confidence, security, engagement and productivity.Employers need to be proactively surveying and talking to employees to ...
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Case StudiesSir Robert McAlpine motivates staff with total reward approach
With construction sector vacancies currently running at a 20-year high, construction and civil engineering business Sir Robert McAlpine is all too keenly aware of the importance of getting the balance right when it comes to reward and recognition, argues executive director of people and infrastructure Karen Brookes.“It is something that, ...
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AnalysisCan volunteering days and CSR initiatives have a positive impact on employee wellbeing?
Need to know:Employers have recognised they need to be responding to the enhanced sense of community engagement that has come out of the pandemic, and so interest in implementing volunteering policies and supporting volunteering has been increasing.The mass shift to home working last year, however, meant many conventional face-to-face or ...
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Case StudiesNewcastle Building Society recognises the impact staff volunteering has on wellbeing
The mass transition to home working in March last year forced Newcastle Building Society completely to re-evaluate how its 1,300 employees volunteered and engaged with their local communities, explains strategic people partner Erin Mulligan.“Community is really central to us; it is a big part of our purpose. As a business ...
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Case StudiesBupa uses earned-wage access to support employees' financial wellbeing
At the end of 2019, just before the pandemic hit, Bupa rolled out earned-wage access - or flexible pay - to its 11,000 care home staff via Wagestream. The scheme has subsequently been extended to any employee within the UK and Ireland who wants to take it up as an ...
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AnalysisHow the changing shape of pay can support employees’ financial wellbeing
Need to know:The pandemic has spurred many employers to reassess not just what they can pay their employees but how pay can be delivered more flexibly, with growing interest in innovations such as affordable loans, salary advance and access to earned pay.There is recognition, however, this needs to be underpinned ...
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Case StudiesKinetic uses mental health resources to build resilience through the pandemic
For out-of-home advertising agency Kinetic, managing and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its 100 employees has been a priority throughout the pandemic, explains account manager and mental health ‘ally’, or first aider, Emily Smith.“Like a lot of [organisations], when Covid first hit our workload definitely dropped. Because everyone ...
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AnalysisProactive steps to help employees strengthen their mental wellbeing
Need to know:Mental health support is high on the agenda post pandemic, both for those still home working and those gradually coming back to physical workplaces.When assessing what’s going to work best, it is important first to review what you currently offer, as there may be effective tools or services ...
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AnalysisHow can employers build the business case for employee ownership?
Need to know:The experience of the pandemic is encouraging more organisations to take stock and think about how best to be structured in the future, including employee ownership.Employee ownership can bring tax breaks with it, but can also make an organisation more resilient, collaborative and better able to weather a ...
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Case StudiesGripple's employee ownership model boosts engagement and retention
Gripple, a Sheffield-based manufacturer of wire joiners and suspension systems with 700 staff, has been fully employee owned since 2011, although employees were first allowed to buy shares in the business back in 1994.The organisation uses a direct ownership rather than a trust model, with governance, management and oversight managed ...
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AnalysisWhat impact has the pandemic had on company car schemes?
Need to know:The experience of the pandemic, and a year of home and remote working, will probably reduce business mileage in the future.However, while this is unlikely to mean company car schemes will disappear altogether, they may become ever-more focused on the most tax-efficient electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.Cash allowances ...
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Case StudiesPanasonic considers the future shape of its company car scheme
The accelerated transition to home working over the past 12 months could mean a profound - and potentially permanent - rethinking of the company car market, argues Jason Plummer, senior general affairs manager at electronics manufacturer Panasonic Europe.“There always used to be a resistance in probably 90% of industries to ...
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Case StudiesGamesys increased engagement techniques in response to 2020 lockdowns
With 1,550 employees spread across 17 offices worldwide, 270 of them taken on since the first lockdown in 2020, online casino and gaming firm Gamesys was well-versed in the challenges of maintaining engagement across a dispersed workforce even before the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.As soon as the first lockdown hit, the ...
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AnalysisWhat employee engagement challenges do employers face in 2021 and beyond?
Need to know:The sudden transition to home working in 2020 meant employers had to focus on more frequent engagement and connection with employees, showing empathy and care, and working to create the right employee experience.This will continue into 2021 but as, hopefully, workplaces eventually open back up there may be ...
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Case StudiesCloud9 Insight uses employee recognition to improve social wellbeing
Every six weeks, Brighton-based software reseller Cloud9 Insight runs half-day 'Kick' meetings; standing for Knowledge, Innovation, Collaboration and Kudos. Here, the organisation brings together its 30 employees to share ideas, as well as to celebrate and recognise those who have gone the extra mile.Encouraging public recognition is not only an ...
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AnalysisHow can workplace recognition impact employee mental health and wellbeing?
Need to know:In addition to boosting productivity and engagement, reward and recognition can be a key element of supporting mental wellbeing, making employees feel valued and supported, and reducing stress.Top-down and face-to-face recognition has added weight and authority, but peer-to-peer thanks can develop social cohesion, while digital platforms can ensure ...