CEOs and MDs need to be kinder to themselves
There’s been no shortage of articles online and in the press about ‘how to be a better leader’ during the COVID-19 crisis. Of course, leaders are having to do things differently and think about their business and their employees in a different way, but being inundated with articles and thought pieces telling you just how badly you could be doing doesn’t help.
In fact, our experience is that leaders are working harder than ever, whilst also making sure that their employees are taking time out, flexing work around caring responsibilities and looking after their mental and physical wellbeing.
Anecdotally, we’re hearing that bosses are working longer hours from home and keeping devices on so that they can respond to business and employee concerns at any time. They’re trying to keep track of the support on offer and preparing for a return to work, all whilst keeping the business operational in difficult times.
If you’re a leader whose business is still operating during this period, you’re likely to be busier than ever. You may have to re-structure your business completely – something that you usually have the luxury of doing over a significant period of time. Or you may have to change your operations to account for the restrictions in opening or social distancing. You may have re-focused your business into designing, developing or producing equipment and supplies to help support the health service, or you might have re-directed your drivers to help charities with food deliveries.
You may just be one of the fortunate businesses who have seen demand for certain products rise and are trying to meet that demand safely and with a sympathetic customer service experience.
Whatever the circumstances, it seems that leaders aren’t practicing what they preach to their staff. This means that when you do return to work you could be tired, mentally low and not really able to motivate and support your staff in what will be a tricky transition.
So, if you’ve been working 12-14 hour days for the past three months, from an office that you’ve put together at home, being in contact 24/7 and not taking any extra time off, perhaps now is the time to re-assess the way you work.
Take some days off. Put some boundaries around your working hours. Shut your office down in the evening and either put your laptop away or shut the door to the room it’s in so that you’re not tempted to check emails. Set specific times when you’ll be available for calls and stick to them.
Your people will respect that you’re taking some time for yourself – and taking the advice that you’re giving to them. And you’ll be in a better physical and mental place to take on the next challenge.
Back to Business – Part Three
Facing the possibility of reducing your workforce
Sadly, some companies are going to have to reduce their workforce. There could be several reasons for this – most commonly, it will be because of the straightforward impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown period on business trading.
For some businesses, however, reducing the workforce may be a strategic decision: the lockdown period may have uncovered areas of the business that are over-staffed or unproductive, or the implementation of remote working may have highlighted that fewer people will be needed to carry out the same tasks. Whilst no business – and no business owner – wants to make people redundant, it’s likely to be a very real consequence of the inability to trade properly since March.
That’s why we’re holding a special Chatinar to discuss the processes, procedures and frequently asked questions about how to reduce your workforce legally and with dignity for those who are impacted.
Held from 10.00 – 11.30am on Monday June 1st, the Chatinar is an informal opportunity for employers and HR managers to learn more about how to approach the redundancy process from both a legislative and internal communications point of view. Topics will include:
• The legal framework
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and how it may impact your decision making
• Timelines for redundancy
• Practicalities – including guidelines on communication
• Your questions answered
However, we know that some businesses are looking for 1-1 support right now, helping them to make key decisions and put practical elements in place.
We have complete packs to help employers and HR managers, including timelines, sample letters And FAQs, and we can tailor these to any industry and sector, giving you all the information you need to take the next steps. And we also help with outplacement – helping those employees who are facing redundancy to prepare CVs, get some interview training and give them advice about securing a new position.
If redundancy is on your list of potential scenarios either now or in the future, depending on the ongoing effect of COVID-19 on your business, contact us today. It could be that there are ways you can avoid making people redundant, and we can talk through all the issues with you to make sure you are comfortable with your decisions in the long term.
Back to Business – Part Two
Conducting a risk assessment before re-opening your business
Whatever encouragement you’re getting from the UK Government to get back to work, you shouldn’t re-open until you’ve conducted a full risk-assessment. In fact, the expectation is that all employers with 50 or more employees should publish their COVID-19 risk assessments, and it’s something that you can expect employees to ask to see before they return.
In addition to ensuring that all your standard risk assessment and Health and Safety processes are still in place and that the workplace is safe in general, you need to conduct a COVID-19 specific risk assessment to make sure that your people are going to be confident about their personal safety.
Government guidance
The government has recently published a set of guidance on its website, to help businesses of all types get ready for a safe return to work. The guidance covers eight separate types of working environment:
• Construction and other outdoor work
• Factories, plants and warehouses
• Labs and research facilities
• Offices and contact centres
• Other people’s homes
• Restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
• Shops and branches
• Vehicles
Guidance includes things like assessing social distancing risks and requirements. So employers should be thinking about how staff arrive and leave, how they move around buildings, how to keep workspaces and workstations safe, how to manage in-person meetings, how to adjust to new rules for common areas such as kitchens or break-out spaces, and how to process accidents or security issues.
It also suggests that employers should think about the need for PPE, and when it should be used, how to clean workspaces so that they are as hygienic as possible and how to manage potential visitors to the building.
Protecting vulnerable workers
It’s also crucial that employers consider who should return to work – not just when and how. Workplaces are all likely to have employees who are self-isolating, who are shielding because they are vulnerable, who currently have COVID-19, and who are just nervous about having more contact with others. This may involve individual conversations rather than a blanket policy, and employers should be clear about this before they encourage a return to work.
Employers also need to start thinking about how they are communicating return to work to employees, and demonstrating that they have undertaken a full and comprehensive risk assessment, and the results of that assessment in terms of new ways of working. Employers may also want to consider putting up posters or notices that explain and remind of new measures, demonstrating that they have assessed current risks.
Finally, risk assessment in this situation is likely to be on-going, as more people return to work, or the situation changes, so be prepared to conduct regular reviews for the time-being.
Give employers a break – they’re not all bad
I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments in recent days about how unscrupulous employers are going to be taking advantage of employees, forcing them to go to work in unsafe conditions and putting profits before health.
There’s no doubt that some employers might take advantage of the easing of the lockdown, but most employers are putting huge efforts into making sure that they can go back to business safely. From deep-cleaning their premises to buying PPE; encouraging working from home where possible and taking caring responsibilities into consideration, they are doing everything they can to ensure that people feel safe if they can, or have to return.
Here are just some of the things that we’re helping our clients plan for:
- Managing childcare – the suggestion that we return to work has come ahead of re-opening schools. That means that many parents still have childcare responsibilities and there are no safe alternatives, because we are discouraged from visiting other households. If childcare prevents people from returning to work immediately, employers need to make suitable arrangements, such as continued working from home, if possible.
- Encouraging flexible working – most employers know that working practices are not going to immediately return to pre-COVID levels. Social distancing measures mean that office and working set-ups are going to be different for some time. This means that there will be some flexible working required – either retaining some people as home workers, or splitting staff into teams so that fewer people are in the office at any one time.
- Listening to employees’ concerns – employers are aware that there’s a difference between someone just not wanting to return and being seen as being obstinate, versus someone who just wants reassurance and time before they come back to work – and that they will have to be able to manage both situations.
- Helping vulnerable staff – many employers will have staff members who are considered as vulnerable, either because of their age or because of pre-existing conditions. These staff are likely to either be shielding for a longer period, or may be extremely anxious about coming back to work. Again, employers need to talk to each person who is considered vulnerable to work out a way of working or managing the employment until that person feels it is safe to return.
- Understanding COVID-19 recovery – staff members who have had the virus could still be in a period of recovery. They could not be well enough to return to work, and may struggle when they do, particularly if they are involved in physical work. Employers need to think about how to manage sick leave and a phased return.
- Reconsider productivity – employers should be thinking about reviewing their existing processes and ways of working to see if they can maintain or even improve productivity with new ways of working. Businesses who see this period as an opportunity to change things for the better can streamline their business, benefit from more engaged employees and boost both their internal productivity and their customer service to put themselves in the best position to succeed.
- Think about recruitment – this period may have a knock-on effect on staffing and recruitment. Some staff members may choose to retire early; some may have used this period to reflect on their positions and decide they want to re-train, change careers or spend more time with their family. So employers may be facing the need to recruit new people or move existing staff members around to ensure that all functions are covered. Maybe this is a good time to take a temperature check survey, to see how your staff are feeling now, compared to when the lockdown first started, and what their concerns are for the future.
Employers all over the UK are working hard to keep their businesses running, keep their staff safe and healthy and do their best for the local and national economies where they operate. We’re here to support employers as they plan how to return to work and how to manage the many and varied staff issues that are involved. Just email us at hello@objectivehr.com.
Back to business – Part One
We’re going to be issuing a series of articles to support businesses as they start to plan a return to work.
Whether you have furloughed your employees and closed your business during this period, or have been operating remotely, with all your people working from home, you’ll need to put careful thought and consideration into ways of returning that protect your people and help to keep your business running.
These short guides are for guidance only – if you’d like us to support you with individual practical help and advice, please contact us on hello@objectivehr.com.
How could you do things differently?
If there’s one thing that most business owners agree on, it’s that things will not return to pre-COVID ‘normal’ for a long time.
So that means thinking more widely about ways you can keep your business running as changes to our ability to move around and work together are phased in. Our top things to consider include:
• What has worked well during lockdown? Could some of those practices become more permanent for your workforce?
• Have you had to diversify your business to stay afloat and will your new services continue? How will you train and communicate this to your staff so that business processes are seamless?
• Does all your work have to be done during standard opening hours? Perhaps there’s an opportunity now for some of the less customer-facing work to be done in evenings and weekends, giving you access to a wider pool of talent.
• Have you revised your opinion of remote working? Could that lead to more flexible workforce planning, meaning fewer people need to be in your offices at any one time?
• Has this experience actually proven that you’re overstaffed – how can you leverage talent and productivity without reducing service?
• Are there options to reduce hours, encourage sabbaticals or unpaid leave in order to reduce your workforce and payroll bill?
• What re-training might you need to do to ensure that your workforce is more multi-skilled, bringing more flexibility to your business?
• How will you social distance back in the work place? It is possible with the space you have?
• How will you interact with clients – from meetings to networking; lunches to corporate entertainment – will you have to re-think this?
• How will you communicate with and re-orient your workforce when we start to get back to work?
These are just some of the considerations in your new business planning. You are probably already some way down the line with many of these – particularly the practical ones – but it will pay to take all these things into account so that you are as prepared as you can be for the next stage in your business’s life.
Returning to BAU
I’ve been talking to lots of clients this week about their plans and thoughts for business as usual and we’ve all agreed that it will look very different to pre COVID-19.
The concerns that many businesses previously had about trusting staff to work from home have been disproven, in the main, and this has also highlighted that for many sectors, flexible working is not only possible, but better for the business and for productivity overall.
I’m interested in how your business is thinking about returning to work. Some may be returning imminently, whilst others are likely to have a slower return.
I’m encouraging my clients to think about:
• Resource planning
• Recruitment and selection
• Onboarding and L&D generally
• Performance Management
• Engagement and celebrating success
• Equipment – Health and Safety and Ergonomics
• Risk Assessments
We’ll be writing and sharing some posts on these in the next couple of weeks – let me know in the comments if there are any other areas that would be useful for us to cover as you plan your own return to business.
Furloughed? Novelty worn off? Here are some ideas for your time…
We’ve never experienced a mass-furlough like this before. In fact, until a few weeks ago, most of us didn’t even know what it was! But now, hundreds of thousands of people across the UK are at home, not working and not able to do anything that promotes or sustains their business.
So what can you do with your time? Here’s our list of work and personal things you could do:
- Join some free webinars – they can help you stay fresh in terms of work ideas and skills.
- Relax – now’s a good time to really relax if you can. It’s good for your physical and mental health. Check out the National Gallery’s virtual tours.
- Volunteer – if you’d like to get out and about more, why not volunteer to drive or help with a local charity? The NCVO has lots of advice.
- Spend time with family and friends – in your house or over the internet, keeping in touch helps boost your spirits.
- Spruce up your CV – you might not be thinking of moving jobs, but now is still a good time to update your experience, results and training.
- Think about career moves – where would you like to be this time next year? How can you get there? Read this advice from Indeed.com about preparing for a promotion interview.
- Be active – exercise, brain games, X-boxing with the kids, new skills or just clearing out the loft, staying active helps the days to pass.
There’s lots to add to this list. If you’re furloughed, what are you doing to pass the time, or to prepare for getting back to work?
Resilience
We’re into the fourth week of lockdown. How are you feeling?
It wouldn’t be surprising if you’re tired of seeing the same four walls, or missing the spontaneity of lunch with your work colleagues or a cheeky mid-week meal out.
In fact, we’ll all need a fair bit of resilience to keep us going over the next few weeks. Fortunately, resilience isn’t a talent that you either have or don’t have – it’s a way of helping yourself through difficult or stressful times, and we can all do it.
Your body – eat as healthily as you can, get some exercise and make sure you sleep.
Your mind – take a break from your tasks and get some fresh air, listen to your favourite playlist, read a book, engage with your family and friends.
Your attitude – try not to be too hard on yourself or others. Give yourself a break and don’t expect too much in these tricky circumstances. And appreciate that others may be struggling too.
Your communication – share your worries and problems with others. You’ll find they are often shared, and that you feel better for having spoken them out loud.
How are you approaching the Easter break?
Easter’s going to be a bit surreal this year – no holidays, no travelling to family, no sunny days out, no Easter Egg hunts in the park.
But it’s still a four-day break and we should treat it as such – even if we’re furloughed or not working at the moment.
Traditionally, it’s a long weekend that we all look forward to. So let’s try not to make an exception this year. If you can, you should still have a celebratory meal or barbecue or hot cross bun fest. If you can, you should do an Easter Egg hunt indoors or in your garden if you have one. Why not dress up, put on some music and have a party? Why not do those little DIY jobs and garden work that a bank holiday weekend is made for?
Why not make the most of your community? Alongside your rainbows and teddy bears, why not put an Easter Egg or Easter Bunny drawing in your window so people can spot them on their daily exercise? Why not catch up with your neighbours from the safety of your doorstep? Why not watch a film marathon?
Just because our lives – for most of us – are spent at home at the moment, it doesn’t follow that this weekend stops being a holiday or a time to relax and reflect. For your mental and physical wellbeing, try to do at least one thing that feels special.
And for those amazing people who are working all their Easter weekends to keep us safe, to look after our needs, to deliver our food and to keep the country running, may you have an absolutely fantastic late Easter-and-all-the-holidays break when your time comes.
The A-Z of Positivity!
A is for Attitude – even if you’re having a low day, count five positive things in your life. Write them down, tell them to someone or just list them in your head. You don’t need to be dancing round the kitchen every day to have a positive attitude.
B is for Boosting – try giving some positive feedback to the people around you: your family, your work colleagues, the postman, the guy delivering your online shopping. It’s amazing how much difference ‘thank you’ or ‘I think you’re doing a great job’ can make.
C is for Calm – this is a uniquely stressful time. Just 5 minutes of sitting still with your eyes closed, slow breathing and relaxing your body can refresh your thinking and get you through the next stage of the day.
D is for Doing – whether you’re struggling to motivate yourself to work or just to get off the sofa, break your tasks down into small chunks. This helps you to get through things a bit at a time, so you feel you’ve made progress without being overwhelmed.
E is for Exercise – you might be limited to going out once a day, but make the most of that time to get in some much-needed exercise. A walk is fine; enjoy the fresh air and the quieter places around you. And if you can, perhaps do some additional exercise at home. There are plenty of people offering free online classes for you to join.
F is for Feelings – it’s perfectly fine to let yourself feel a range of emotions. We are all going through a lot of changes in a short time. There’s plenty to be concerned about, and lots of pressure. Acknowledging that you feel scared, worried, stressed or upset is an important step. Use our Attitude tip to remind you of the good things around you.
G is for Genuine – both you and your business need to be authentic during this period. Of course, that’s something you should strive for all the time, but it’s particularly important now. People are remembering which businesses have behaved well and which have not. Be transparent and honest about what you are doing and why – to your customers, to your teams and to your suppliers.
H is for Healthy – it’s obvious, but important! Eating well, drinking water, cutting back on alcohol and getting good exercise and rest will help to keep both your body and mind healthy during this period.
I is for Inquisitive – is this a good time to learn something new? Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? You have the benefit now of having some time to develop a new skill or hone a talent that’s been set aside while you get on with life.
J is for Juggling – not circus tricks (although see ‘Inquisitive’ above!) but your time. If you are working alongside care responsibilities for children or parents; or are trying to manage teams remotely, you can feel like you have too many balls in the air. A simple list and dividing your time during the day can help you to keep on top of things.
K is for Kids – managing holidays is often a challenge for parents, never mind school time, lessons and a lockdown. But you can learn a lot from your kids if you just ask. They’ll tell you how things are run at school, they’ll teach you new technology tricks and they’ll make you laugh.
L is for Laughter – it’s important to laugh, whether you’re with people or on your own. Families and friends are getting together for games nights and quizzes over video calls; comedians are live-streaming their sets; colleagues are getting together for lunchtime quizzes or Friday night catch-ups. Stay sociable and stay happy.
M is for Meetings – you’ll be having lots of conference calls and video meetings right now. Being on camera all the time is much more stressful than being in a face-to-face meeting, so try, if you can, to limit the number of video meetings you have each day – or limit the time spent at each meeting. Have an agenda and someone running the meeting, so that they are productive, and only invite the people who really need to be there.
N is for Neighbour – staying at home means getting to know your street a bit better, even if it’s from a safe distance. Across the UK, neighbours have been shopping for each other, calling people in isolation to give them some company, putting rainbows and teddy bears in the window and even joining in with singing, dance and exercise. This is when you discover what a great community you are part of.
O is for Outside – if you have a back yard, a garden, a patio, get out every hour or so for 5 minutes, unless the weather really doesn’t allow it. Take in the peace and quiet, get some big lungfuls of fresh air, stretch your neck, arms and shoulders. If you don’t have an outside space, make use of your daily outdoor time to do the same. Look for new growth on the trees, listen out for the birds – it’s surprising how much is going on in the natural world around you.
P is for Pomodoro – this is a great technique to help manage your productivity during the day. It’s named after a kitchen timer that’s shaped like a tomato (‘pomodoro’ in Italian). Simply list the tasks you have to do during the day, and then set your timer to 25 minutes and start your task. After the time is up, either cross your task off your list if you’ve completed it, or just take a 2-3 minute break. Then re-set the timer and get back to your task or start a new one. Taking a break every 25 minutes helps to keep you focused and makes the day fly by!
Q is for Questions – working remotely means that you can’t just ask questions of colleagues in the same way you do in an office. To make everyone’s lives easier, either schedule a daily call or video chat where everyone can catch up and ask or answer questions, or make a list so that you can email questions in one go rather than going backwards and forwards on email.
R is for Relaxing – it’s important to build some relaxation into your day. This means different things for different people. For some, it’s gardening; for others, it’s reading. Others may be happiest watching a box set or doing some exercise or catching up with friends. Do whatever works for you.
S is for Structure – if you’re working from home, it’s important to still have some structure to your day. Set a start and finish time for your day, and work out a routine that matches your household needs and circumstances. Try and find somewhere quiet to work, or set up a workstation that’s clearly your ‘zone’. It’s surprising how much we rely on the structure of a normal working day, and keeping to it will help you to manage your time and stay productive.
T is for Thinking – give yourself some time to think. If you’re a business owner or manager, you’ll need to be thinking about how to manage this situation for your business and your staff. If you’re a team member, you need to think about what you can learn from this experience that might change the way you work in the future. One of the struggles with remote working is that we feel we have to be ‘working’ the whole time. But, if your organisation trusts you to get your work done, you can also spend time on the parts of your business that need a little thought, but that you rarely get the time to think about.
U is for Understanding – giving and receiving understanding is a powerful thing. You and your team are dealing with a completely new set of circumstances, and a little understanding goes a long way. If you’re a leader, now is the time to share your own concerns and situation so that your people can see what you’re dealing with, and let them do the same. It will build better relationships for the point where you are back in your ‘normal’ environment.
V is for Vision – is now the time to think about how your business could change its ways of working? To learn something about the potential benefits of working remotely, or not travelling to the office every day? Perhaps it’s given you the opportunity to think about the bits of your business that you could develop more or change to make more effective?
W is for Working – if you’re working, either at home or for an essential service, look after yourself. If you’re furloughed and you can, why not consider volunteering for the NHS or for a local charity that needs your help? If you unable to work, check your rights to benefits or grants, and look for jobs with those companies that still need workers.
X is always too difficult and results in a random entry in an A-Z list that either doesn’t make sense or isn’t very funny. So our ‘X’ is to say thank you for reading this far!
Y is for Yes! Now may be the time when an unexpected opportunity comes your way. It may be to help out people in your local community who are struggling. It may be to repurpose your business to help the overall effort to defeat the virus. It may be that you get back in touch with people you haven’t spoken to for ages. Saying ‘yes’ to a new opportunity could be the best thing you do.
Z is for Zest – even in the most challenging times, we can find a passion for something. Having a zest for life doesn’t mean you’re always the happiest person in the room; it means you can find something to love, something to enjoy, something to keep you going. It doesn’t matter what that is, although we’d love you to share it with us if you feel like it!