IS YOUR BUSINESS POST-COVID READY?

With the nation fast approaching the heralded end of lockdown, the mood is optimistic. But as we have learned all too well over the last 18 months, any large-scale change can bring with it new challenges. In order to help you get ready for the impending ‘opening up’, today TIL brings you a checklist of key issues to consider in the coming weeks.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing has been a workplace watchword in recent years, and with good reason: HSE figures show that stress, depression and anxiety account for 51% of all work-related ill health and 55% of working days lost.

While for many the chance to reconnect with colleagues and friends face-to-face will be something of a wellbeing boon, it is worth paying more than lip service to the potential difficulties to mental health another big change might pose.

With uncertainty in the air, and the recent shock of lockdown, The Mental Health Foundation predicts fear and anxiety may be common responses to the onset of another change, especially among those who have developed coping strategies over the last 12 months they will now have to abandon. Tips on easing the transition include making any changes gradual to build up tolerance to the new way of working. It may also be necessary to offer flexible working to employees to allow them to manage their own wellbeing effectively. Which takes us to our next item to consider.

Flexible Working

Work from home has been crash-tested over lockdown and the news seems promising. More than 80% of employer respondents to a BBC poll said hybrid working was likely to be part of their plans post-lockdown, with many heralding big changes to the workplace and the working day. And that may be a bus you don’t want to miss, because a recent report by the consultancy Barnett Waddingham indicates a third of young workers would look for a new job if their organisation did not offer sufficient flexibility.

Tech

Naturally, with flexible and hybrid working touted, tech is going to play a big role in keeping businesses connected. The Zoom boom was brought a spotlight on the tools we use for verbal communication, and the need to organise teams without direct supervision has accelerated the rise of project management tools. Selecting the correct technology to suit your purposes and assessing how it, and your working processes, are implemented, can make all the difference to utilising your resources effectively.

Training and Development

Another critical effect of the lockdown has been a training crunch. The tightening of budgets was, perhaps, inevitable as a cost saving measure under lockdown, but employees are feeling the impact. According to recent research published by AI-driven learning platform Soffos, only 22% of employees feel their development has been invested over the course of the pandemic. Concerns are especially prevalent (once again) among younger workers.

Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 is still with us, and for as long as it is, it remains crucial that we are vigilant. Vaccinations will go a long way towards safeguarding the workforce, so it is in every organisation’s best interests to assist staff as much as possible in getting inoculated. ACAS recommends employers consider offering paid time off for vaccination appointments, paying staff at their usual rate if they are off ill due to the side-effects of a vaccine, and not counting vaccine-related absences towards absence records and ‘trigger’ systems.

They also recommend opening the lines of communication with staff about vaccine policy; advice that works for all the key areas we have covered in today’s blog. Opening the lines of communication and collecting your own data might be the best way to ensure you’re as prepared as you can be for the coming change.

IR35 REFORM: WHAT LOGISTICS FIRMS NEED TO KNOW

This week’s rollout of reforms to the tax rules on off-payroll working (known as IR35) will have a significant impact on the way many logistics firms employ contractors. In today’s article, we break down the essential information you need to know about the changes: why they are happening, what they mean, who they affect, and what to do next.

Why the reforms are taking place

The growth of the gig economy has seen a rise in the number of contractors utilised by private and public sector clients as a flexible temporary workforce. When dealing with contractors, many client organisations prefer hiring companies rather than sole traders. Historically, this has helped the client organisations to avoid liability for costly employment benefits.

In response, many contractors have established personal service companies (PSCs), which act as an intermediary for tax purposes. This makes the contractor more attractive to clients (indeed, it may be the only way to do business in some cases). It can also lower the rate at which earnings are taxed.

The government has decided to clamp down on this practice. HMRC feels that many contractors are, in essence, employees, and should be taxed as such, estimating the tax shortfall due to the practice to stand at £1.3bn a year by 2023-24. The changes were originally due to begin in 2020, but were pushed back until this year due to the COVID crisis.

What the reforms mean

The changes are designed to address this shortfall by shifting the responsibility for deciding the IR35 status of contractors to the client organisation. The government offers a number of tools to assist organisations in making this determination, as well as guidance on the changes: see the weblinks below for details.

In summary, organisations need to review the employment status of every contractor supplying services through a PSC on an individual basis and determine whether that person would be considered an employee if there were no PSC to act as intermediary.

If the answer is yes, the organisation needs to inform the PSC and individual in writing. Responsibility for operation of the contractor’s PAYE will then fall to the client or an outside agency.

These changes have several knock-on effects on the way companies do business. Alongside re-examining and potentially amending existing contracts, client organisations also need to put processes in place to ensure future hiring meets the legal requirements. This includes establishing a procedure to deal with disagreements. According to an article for peoplemanagement.co.uk, clients also need to consider training for those responsible for compliance, as well as examining the way they do business with agencies.

Who is affected

Medium to large companies across all sectors of the economy, including logistics. Accountancy and advisory firm Macintyre Hudson predicts that ‘the new rules will have a significant impact on the engagement of drivers and warehouse workers where these are supplied through intermediaries’.

Whether your organisation counts as a small, medium or large company is determined by your status under the Companies Act 2006.

What to do next

Follow the links to find government guidance on what your next steps should be. It is important to bear in mind that the new rules are designed to prevent a one-size-fits-all approach to deciding who in your employ falls under IR35. Failing to assess contractors on an individual basis could be a costly mistake, as HMRC have shown they are willing to pursue organisations making what it sees as bad faith assessments.

But issuing a blanket ban on the hiring of contractors—as some organisations have done in the run up to the reforms—may prove costly, too, with IR35 experts predicting those companies who follow a strategy of compliance will gain a significant advantage over those following a strategy of avoidance.

A PLAN FOR WELLNESS

Today, Talent in Logistics shines a spotlight on wellness, with the TIL Wellness Action Plan. But what is a wellness action plan, and how can it help? Read on to find out.

Wellness is something of a workplace buzzword these days, but before you scratch it off your bingo card and move on, you would do well to give wellness some deeper thought. Too often, wellness is either left by the wayside as a nice idea that, in practice, we don’t have the time to pursue; or worse still, dismissed as an HR gimmick.

Even if we acknowledge the mountain of evidence that wellbeing is crucial to both productivity and job satisfaction, it takes a shift in habits and perspective to put that knowledge into effective practice. On an individual level this often requires a step change in the way we see not only work but ourselves.

Wellness action plans are a means of doing just that. They offer a simple, structured approach to addressing wellness that focuses firmly on practical action. And no, you don’t need an extant mental health condition to benefit. All you need is an open mind, and to put aside a little time to consider your habits and circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

In the TIL Wellness Action Plan, we ask you to start by thinking about these questions:

  • What are the key pressures and obstacles you find yourself dealing with right now?
  • How are they affecting your sense of wellbeing/mental health?

Don’t worry about writing anything down just yet; simply mull these questions over in your mind and see what you come up with. Answers to the first question might include issues with work from home, for instance, whether that means a sense of isolation, difficulty with self-management, or a hectic home environment you find it hard to work out of.

Answers to the second question might be more nebulous, but try to take into account not only how you feel right now, but the general trend over the past weeks and months.

Now we’ve considered obstacles to wellness in general, lets do a more thorough analysis. Our objective here is to identify both specific problems and the practical steps that can be followed to solve them.

Grab a piece of paper or pad and write out detailed answers to the following questions. Aim for more than a few lines: anything up to about half a page is good; more if the situation demands it.

  1. How would you describe your sense of wellbeing/mental health right now, over the past few months, and in general?

If it is difficult to answer this question, try keeping a journal for a week or two in which you jot down thoughts and feeling a few times a day. This can be an eye-opener, revealing patterns or changes you might not otherwise be aware of.

  1. How would a period of poor mental health/wellbeing negatively affect your life at home and at work?

You know yourself better than anyone, so the best placed person to predict the kinds of obstacles, symptoms and repercussions of poor mental health is you. Remember, everyone experiences difficulty differently. There are no right or wrong answers.

  1. Are there any early warning signs you or your colleagues/managers could use to identify when a period of poor wellness is approaching?

Think about both behavioural changes others can look out for, and thought processes/patterns you can spot yourself.

  1. What are the key issues which cause you stress and difficulty? Consider both present moment obstacles and general triggers which can cause you to feel pressure.

Again, journaling can help to track and monitor this, too, so consider looking into the question on a rolling basis over time.

  1. How might you adapt your habits and working environment to alleviate specific problems?

The key here is to focus on the more diagnostic questions above and what you learned from answering them. Pick specific problems, especially ones which cause your pressure levels to spike, and consider practical, SMART targeted solutions.

These might include changes to the layout of your workstation, creating a ‘quiet period’ in your household at a certain time of day, taking a healthy walk over lunchbreak, or setting an alarm to remind you to eat a nutritious breakfast, for example.

  1. What can your employer do to help minimise triggers and provide support when things are tough?

Prevention is often better than cure, so try to consider how problems can be headed off before they arise. Nevertheless, it’s important to recogise that this is not always possible, and that there is no shame in asking for or receiving additional support should the need arise.

Now you’ve analysed the potential problems and solutions, the final stage is to communicate. Consider using this wellness action plan as the basis for a conversation with your employer, or even providing them with your written responses. Above all, check back in regularly with yourself and your plan. A wellness action plan can be a powerful weapon when you are struggling, but it is not a fire-and-forget solution. Revise your plan, answers and approach as and when things change.

FUTURE WORK: 5 TRENDS THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE BUSINESS UNIVERSE (PART 2)

Talent in Logistics delves into the future of our industry by imagining how present trends might reconfigure the workplace by 2030. Part 2 continues where we left off last week. Recap on part 1.

3. Employment Relationships

External drivers like Brexit, the economic environment, consumer demands and more recently COVID-19 have fundamentally shifted the idea of the ‘typical employment relationship’. The traditional career model could change in the future: it may be more likely people won’t have a

‘career for life’ like in the past, but that an individual’s working life will feature a range of cross-sector and cross-functional experiences, requiring the attendant skills.

This increased flexibility offers benefits for workers, and the potential to negotiate harder where their skills are in demand. But there are also potential costs; the gig economy and zero-hours contracts, both recent innovations, have come under stern criticism not only due to their poor security but also the perceived erosion of employee benefits and the mercurial nature of the gig market. Meanwhile, young people entering work may find it hard to gain the experience and skills needed to progress and access good quality jobs.

There may be some benefits to the logistics industry, nonetheless. With more workers than ever pushing for work from home, an evolution in motivation and engagement and health and wellbeing strategies may be coming. That can only be good news in an industry whose backbone—the drivers—have long been working remotely.

4. Demographics, Diversity and Inclusion

Life expectancy and retirement age continue to trend up, meaning we now have and will continue to have more generations in our workforce than ever before. Simultaneously, the younger generations joining the workforce are challenging the status quo, with a greater understanding of and insistence on workers’ rights and the flexibility and willingness to move elsewhere if their needs aren’t being met. How will we ensure that the invaluable skills held by our ageing workforce are passed onto younger workers? Will phased retirements and job-sharing become more standard and accepted?

The Millennial cohort and their Gen Z counterparts are rising to become both the dominant consumer bloc both externally and as ‘internal consumers’: employee stakeholders. Clare advises that these ‘consumers’ are increasingly political, with support for social movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter significant, along with endemic environmental pessimism. Young people are less loyal to brands, more critical of corporate ethics, and are liable to think with their feet.

This is likely to force businesses to behave less as commercial entities and more as communities of shared interest. Traditional workplace policies and processes designed for treating people fairly by treating everybody the same might need to give way to more nuanced approaches. This would include recognising that absolute equality of treatment tends to accentuate existing inequalities rather than addressing them. Will D&I move away from outdated policies designed to safeguard ‘equality’ and toward the principle of supporting individual needs?

 

 

 

 

 

5. Responsible Business

The pressure for better people policies comes from outside, too. What evolved D&I practices are to employee morale, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are to consumer goodwill. Additionally, there is a rise in demand for sustainable, ethical and responsible business practices coming from regulators and investors, as well as dire warnings from the science community regarding sustainability.

The common theme in many of the threads examined in this article is the need to reimagine work as a force for good. Shallow commitment to shareholder value is unlikely to make good financial sense in the coming years, even leaving the social ramifications alone. Commercial pressures must be balanced with the need for ethical practices, since the two are becoming increasingly synonymous.

The dangers of failing to heed the call to change may be stark: with the environmental doomsday clock ticking, the rise of cancel culture and the growing number of citizens and intellectual leaders questioning whether contemporary capitalism is capable of dealing with proliferating crises, the threat might not merely be financial ruin but seismic changes to our way of life. The future of the world of work may be unclear, but one thing is certain: in ten years’ time, things will be different. They will have to be.

Based on findings from CIPD’s People Profession 2030 report.

FUTURE WORK: 5 TRENDS THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE BUSINESS UNIVERSE (PART 1)

Talent in Logistics delves into the future of our industry by imagining how present trends might reconfigure the workplace by 2030.

The hammer of the future descends. To paraphrase the spuriously attributed ‘ancient Chinese curse’, we are living in interesting times. Covid-19 in particular has presented a challenge to business unprecedented in the last half century, but the pandemic is only one of multiple impactors beating the business world out of its current shape: Brexit, the home delivery boom, increasing focus on social inequalities, the tectonic creaking of global economies as they shift against each other. The degree of success logistics firms will enjoy in 10 years’ time depends on whether the force of change shatters them open along old fault lines or is harnessed to shape them into something stronger and tougher.

In order to help readers get a head start in the notoriously tricky business of augury, TIL will be looking carefully into present day trends. These trends were established in a November 2020 paper by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), so all credit goes to CIPD for identifying and developing these. The paper in question is available in the link at the top of the page. TIL also got in touch with customer experience expert Clare Muscutt, founder and director of CMX Ltd., for some additional insight into the nature of the challenges ahead.

1. Internal Change

In the short term, Covid-19 has necessitated bold changes in the way organisations operate and make decisions. But the long-term consequences of this culture shock are yet to become clear. What can be said is that traditional ways of working are being challenged—not least the role of the ‘workplace’. With the viability of work-from-home proven, potential cost savings and the flexibility work-from-home solutions offers employees may redefine our concept of the workplace from a physical space to a social and technological network.

The need to manage operations at a distance is increasing the relevance both of technological communications platforms such as Zoom and workflow management solutions such as Monday.com. The proliferation of these and growing concern about information overload may force organisations to rethink both how they communicate and what, perhaps leading to more stringent policing of internal communication (fewer emails? Yes, please.)

Businesses on high alert, in aiming to react dynamically, may even dissolve traditional organisational leader/team structures in favour of mobilising possies to confront specific projects before disbanding and reassigning them once their objectives are complete.

Here, Clare issued us this word of warning: excessive, ill-considered or mismanaged change could atomise unwary businesses. Getting transformation right is a delicate process requiring clear objectives, unwavering customer focus, and the right methodology and tools.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Technological and Digital Transformation

Tech has a habit of bowling googlies to the business world. Impossible to augur innovations force large scale changes on an increasingly regular basis (the internet, mobile tech, data). The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (2019) suggests more than one in ten jobs will cease to exist within the coming 15–20 years and a further 32% will be significantly different due to automation possibilities. This in turn could mean significant restructuring of the workforce, with reskilling and the development of new roles—not to mention the obvious social and ethical ramifications of removing so many jobs from the market. And this is the predicted impact of just one sphere of technological advancement: automation.

Much as with internally motivated change, the drive to adopt sexy new tech can also be dangerous. For Clare, any change is dangerous where top-down decisions are made without input from frontline staff, as their on-the-ground expertise can be used to identify potentially devastating pitfalls before they become costly mistakes.

Anecdotally, the author of this article saw the evidence for this first-hand, working in education: the school that replaced all its whiteboards with glitzy, unreliable computer tech without asking the teachers; the school that installed an advanced multimedia classroom suite for foreign languages without realising the department lacked the skills necessary even to send an email with an attachment.

In light of risks such as these, the appetite in the logistics industry may be to ‘defend traditional ways of working’, making businesses slower to transition. But if the growth of home delivery shows anything it is that logistics will likely be profoundly affected by changes—whether it chooses to engage with them or not.

Our analysis of the five trends that may change the business universe continues next week, when we look at what the future holds for employment relationships, diversity and inclusion and responsible business.

Based on findings from CIPD’s People Profession 2030 report.

IN TIMES OF CHANGE, IT’S PEOPLE THAT MATTER

While every industry has been affected by the global health emergency that we are all living through, the logistics industry has endured a particularly difficult time. Some sectors have faced unprecedented spike in demand, with online shopping and consumer stockpiling causing challenges for the retail and groceries sectors. On the other hand, firms transporting goods for the construction, hospitality and events industries saw varied demands making the daily management of its fleet operations and staff levels problematic.

Many transport and logistics workers became ‘key workers’ during the pandemic, allowing them to continue doing their jobs even as everything else shut down. For months, they have worked tirelessly to ensure the country has what it needs during one of the most challenging periods in recent memory.

Mike Hayward of Woodfines Solicitors explains further. 

Protecting your workforce

Those working in high-demand sectors, such as warehousing and distribution, have been under huge pressure to perform during lockdown. All the while knowing that the nature of their jobs means they may be more exposed to contracting the virus. They have maintained the supply chain admirably and deserve gratitude, like the many other key workers who have supported people throughout the first lockdown.  Compounding these difficulties is the known driver shortage and aging workforce (particularly among haulage drivers).

There are many varied roles in logistics, but those behind the wheel of their delivery vans or HGV will often be working alone and sometimes for long periods of time. Couple this with restrictions imposed by Covid-19, they may face longer periods alone compared to others who may be in a team environment. These periods of isolation could add to anxiety and potentially impact on mental health. Drivers should not be overlooked accordingly, and their mental health monitored as far as possible.

In difficult times, looking after your people has never been more important.

Placing increased emphasis on communication and supporting employees’ mental and physical wellbeing will do wonders for logistic workers’ morale, productivity and health. Retention in the workplace can be problematic so checking on your workers can increase a feeling of belonging and inclusion.  Businesses are working hard to navigate through the financial pressures caused through the pandemic restrictions and the constantly evolving situation, but compliance with health and safety measures and taking steps to maximise the wellbeing of their workforce is essential.

This can be achieved by:

·       Effectively communicating and enforcing new policies and procedures, such as social distancing within warehouses and contactless deliveries for haulage drivers.

·       Supporting employees’ physical health by ensuring they take adequate breaks and providing them with suitable PPE and hand sanitizer.

·       Incentivising employees to take sick leave if they develop symptoms by providing them with information about government sick pay entitlement and the firm’s own sickness absence policy.

·        Placing emphasis on mental health and wellbeing and ensuring that staff are aware of the support available to them.

The Government, through the HSE, are issuing guidance in respect of various workplaces including in vehicles and business premises. Business mangers should keep up to date with that guidance accordingly.

This should not just be a tick box exercise, but to include measures that are of benefit to their staff and will promote a positive working environment and hopefully reduce staff turnover and build business repute.

A wealth of opportunities for new talent

While the pandemic has led to thousands of job losses, logistics looks set to become a major driver of employment going forward. In April 2020, the British Chamber of Commerce revealed that logistics was seeing the biggest demand for staff; Amazon alone stated its intention to hire an additional 100,000 warehouse staff at the height of lockdown. Now, as the country teeters on the brink of a second wave and Christmas rapidly approaches, a well-staffed logistics industry is set to be more important than ever. With the government currently pushing its ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.’ drive, there is greater potential than ever before to attract talent from other industries, with transferrable skills that could help drive positive change.

Speaking as I do regularly to educational establishments, I seek to encourage people into the sector by explaining the diverse range of opportunities available and the imposition of supply chain working. The industry is well regulated and requires a high degree of professionalism at all levels.

In these times it is the perfect time to reach out to younger generations to teach them just how rewarding a career in logistics can be. Just last year, a Talent in Logistics report revealed that only 8% of young people consider the sector to be an attractive career option, while 42% do not have a clue what logistics means. The pandemic has made the logistics industry more visible as we receive more goods and deliveries to our homes, and this has led to a new found appreciation of the vital role of the logistics sector. Now could be the perfect moment to appeal to younger generations, many of whom have seen their career prospects damaged by the pandemic and may now be more receptive to a wider variety of employment opportunities.

What’s more, the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, which directly pays employers who create jobs for 16 to 25-year-olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, provides a massive incentive for logistics firms to start taking on younger staff. It also rewards employers who take on trainees and apprentices under the age of 25. With just 9% of the current logistics workforce under the age of 25, there is no better opportunity to rectify the historic lack of new talent entering the field.

A new era

The industry is currently standing on a precipice between the old world and the new. Ahead lies a wealth of opportunities for logistics firms to thrive in a post-COVID world. Much is still uncertain, but ensuring you look after the people you have and being proactive in attracting new talent is an excellent way to start planning for a prosperous future. In the words of Walt Disney himself: “You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world… but it requires people to make the dream a reality.”

LEARNING AS A BENEFIT

During my career in education and skills development the focus has always been around working with organisations to identify skills gaps within their networks and to support them in providing their staff with the necessary training and education to get them where the business needs to be done.

However, what if the end goal of education wasn’t just to equip staff with training relating to their role? This may seem radical and rash, especially when I always hear how Learning & Development budgets are being cut, but here is why this might be worthwhile you reading on…

Any new learning can stimulate brain changes which in turn improves performance. The more we stimulate our brain the denser the myelin in our brains becomes, which helps the brain to take on even more!  Learning new skills also stimulate the neurons in our brains which assist in learning more things quicker over time.  This stimulation creates more neural pathways enabling electrical impulses to travel faster across them. The more pathways that are formed, the faster impulses can travel enabling the brain to take on more information quicker.

That’s the science, but it’s well-known that a bored, unstimulated person is far less productive than an engaged person. From a mental health standpoint, this helps keep the brain agile and able to take on new tasks.  I remember when I first became a mother, my mid-wife said, ‘a happy mother makes for a happy baby’. I feel this is the same in the workplace too: ‘A happy workforce makes for a happy and productive business.’

So, for a moment let’s reflect on this: ‘what is it that my workforce really need to enable them to be the most effective team?’ or from an employee’s perspective ‘what is it that makes my job feel unfulfilled and monotonous?’ Could new activities and education support this rather than just specific job training?

The Open University has been working with various organisations to support ‘learning as a benefit in a variety of different ways. These range from attracting people to areas that have struggled with staff retention either by rewarding staff for their service and loyalty to a company or by acknowledging that their organisation is a stepping stone for them moving into another career. I recently worked with one large organisation who actually saw social mobility and job retention as part of their CSR so they are funding staff to study law, engineering and nursing courses whilst continuing to work in their logistics organisation. The return on investment for them is greater staff retention and savings in recruitment and training but also knowing they have supported the UK economy with a skills shortage in key areas.

Most recently, the Open University has been working in partnership with Uber. The Uber team views education as a benefit, not only for the drivers who use the app, but also the wider community; for example, a driver’s family. Thanks to this initiative, over 750 drivers have enjoyed the opportunity to convert their international qualifications into ones recognised in the UK, train in a new career, or support a family member studying for a degree. As the majority of drivers are from lower income households or have English as their second language, this programme is a pioneering example of the OU’s mission to make education accessible to all via flexible learning at work.

I have also had conversations with retailers on how education could be passed on to VIP customers as a benefit as well. Imagine if you could, as a customer, earn enough reward points towards a qualification or you knew using one retailer would gain you a sponsored place on a programme if you were loyal to them for many years?

My argument is that organisations shouldn’t just see education as sitting within their HR department confined to a decreasing L&D budget. It shouldn’t just be focused on workforce skills development. It can mean so much more. It can mean a more agile workforce that is more mentally resilient, a happy and productive workforce that is more eager to take on new projects and opportunities, it can support staff loyalty – and potentially customer loyalty too, but fundamentally it would also truly mark that organisation out as an aspirational place to work at or as a customer, to buy from.

If you would like to watch the Uber case study video click here or contact me at Elizabeth.hanway@open.ac.uk

INFORMATION, INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION AT THE TALENT IN LOGISTICS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Talent in Logistics Annual Conference

The Talent in Logistics Annual Conference 2020 took place on 23rd September, and although it could not bring us together in person, the online event still proved an informative, inspiring and motivating day for all involved.

After a welcome from our Talent in Logistics Business Development Director Ruth Edwards, the online conference kicked off with a topic front of mind for many in our sector – The Road to Recovery.

Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer of System Group, the Conference Sponsor, discussed the evolving needs or learners and employers, and how innovation and creativity in learning can play a role.  Attendees went away with ideas for how to develop practical, inspiring and value-added solutions for learners, that cater to company’s differing needs, despite all the changes to the people development space due to Covid-19.

RESPONDING TO THE DIGITAL SKILLS GAP

Next, Jane Dickinson and Liz Hanway from the Open University looked at how a demand for software engineering, AI and automation skills are increasing in the logistics sector, as the digital landscape has evolved increasingly quickly since the pandemic. Findings from the Open University’s recent Bridging the Digital Divide and Leading in a Digital Age were shared providing helpful insights on how business can be ready for digital transformation and change.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING CONFERENCE KEYNOTE

International consultant Liggy Webb led our conference keynote presentation, “How to lead a culture of wellbeing and resilience”.  This motivating session taught us as employers how to support mental health and overall wellbeing and manage emotions through change, volatility and uncertainty, as well as be aware of rising stress levels and avoid potential burnout. The importance of open communication, leading with compassion and empathy and being a role model in providing wellbeing guidance and support were some of the standout takeaways.

PREPARATION FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD

The next two sessions equipped attendees with knowledge and tools to navigate the tricky times ahead for the logistics sector and the economy. In “Business transformation – engaging people in change”, independent change consultant Calley Martin looked at why we this is important and how we can overcome the obstacles to engaging people in this process. Then Gwen Powell, International Manager at Investors in People, looked at “How to thrive and build organisational resilience in challenging times”, and discussed the role of how businesses engage with the community and the ways that this can help organisations thrive in a post COVID-19 landscape.

HGV DRIVER ENGAGEMENT – RESEARCH RESULTS REVEALED!

Then it was our turn to take the (virtual) stage! Ruth Edwards, Business Development Director for Talent in Logistics explored the findings of our recent research project on HGV driver engagement and how understanding the key challenges around engaging, attracting and retaining talent is the first step in helping the transport and logistics sector tackle its skills shortage. Ruth then went into more detail on employee engagement and how this can positively impact employee retention in the workplace.

Download the ‘Driving Engagement in Logistics’ White Paper to read the full research results.

LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE YOU RARELY SEE – IF AT ALL

Kate Cooper, Head of Research, Policy & Standards, Institute of Leadership & Management rounded off the day with a session looking at the challenges managers face when leading dispersed teams – never more relevant than during these times of home working (and attending virtual conference!)

Kate shared some interested institute research around this topic as well as the key considerations for leaders and managers -existing and aspirational – who want to ensure that out of sight is definitely not out of mind, even when working remotely.

THANK YOU!

Yesterday’s Talent in Logistics Annual Conference proved very positive, with lots of practical advice as well as knowledge sharing to help our sector improve its people strategies and attract and retain the best talent. Thank you to all the speakers for your insightful sessions and your part in making this a worthwhile event, and thanks again to our Conference Sponsor System Group.

MISS IT?

If you didn’t make it to the conference, there is no need to miss out. Contact us to register to receive videos of the sessions.

And remember! Our calendar of events is not over for the year yet! The Talent in Logistics Awards takes place on 1st October online. Register now for free so that you can watch the streamed event and celebrate the amazing people in our logistics community.

GO IN OR STAY HOME?

Working from Home

The government is once again asking British people to ‘work from home if you can’ amid fears a second lockdown may be approaching. The request comes amid a surge in coronavirus infections which has built steadily throughout the month.

The message represents a rapid retreat from the government’s 1st September  campaign to get people back into the workplace. But cases have been rising across Europe since mid-July, with Spain and Greece suffering serious resurgences and the UK following close behind.

In light of this, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the following comment in his speech to Parliament outlining the new restrictions; ‘unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will last perhaps six months.’ The Prime Minister later noted that workers should keep going in if it is important for their job, mental health, or wellbeing.

Advice on the GOV.UK website singles out office workers particularly, stating that those ‘who can work effectively from home should do so over the winter’, adding, ‘where an employer, in consultation with their employee, judges an employee can carry out their normal duties from home they should do so.’

The leeway this offers presents those working in logistics with a decision about how to proceed that will need to be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis. One of the key concerns is likely to be balancing the risk of infection with other physical and mental health concerns.

This risk becomes particularly significant when we consider the dramatic increase in health issues that follows in the wake of financial crisis. An report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies in April, citing a paper by Janke et al. (2020), stated, ‘if employment were to fall by the same amount as it fell in the 12 months after the 2008 crisis, around 900,000 more people of working age would be predicted to suffer from a chronic health condition’, with mental health issues accounting for the largest share.

Speaking to HR Magazine, Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD advised that employers ‘ensure managers are regularly checking in with their teams, are asking about their wellbeing and signposting to support services where necessary.’

But while sensitive conversations will play a part in safeguarding mental health, it is important to recognise that it is economic hardship and uncertainty causing these outcomes, and even the frankest conversations and best resources can only do so much to mitigate these.

More than anything, employees will need clear information on how the situation is progressing and how their lives may be affected. Also speaking to HR, Shakeel Dad, employment partner at the law firm Addleshaw Goddard, noted, ‘more will become clearer in the coming days, but one thing that remains clear is that transparency and open communication with employees remains key.’

The decision of who comes in and who stays home is not one to be taken lightly, and with the GOV.UK website offering advice to employees who feel they are being pressured to return to an unsafe environment, a rise in work disputes may be another of the unfortunate side effects of the pandemic.

This makes ensuring our workplaces follow Covid-secure guidelines all the more essential in the coming weeks. Those who must return to the workplace need to be able to do so with the risk of infection mitigated as much as possible.

Sources

COVID-19: THE MENTAL HEALTH COST

Covid-19: The Mental Health Cost

As the Covid-19 crisis has developed, we have learned a great deal about the physical impact of this new illness. But the threat to mental health may also be very significant. Recent reports from Public Health England and the Health Foundation have identified a number of repercussions both for sufferers and the wider population.

For sufferers, the mental and physical toll of contracting and recovering from such a distressing illness can result in a variety of negative outcomes. According to an Italian study published in August, 55% of the 402 patients participating were observed to be suffering a mental health condition, with PTSD, anxiety, depression and even symptoms of OCD scoring highly. The causes of these effects could be both social and physiological, according to the study’s authors, who cited physical inflammation as well as isolation, fear of infecting others, social stigma and mental trauma as potential contributing factors.

In more extreme cases, Covid-19 sufferers have even reported experiencing hallucinations and panic attacks. In light of these lingering effects and the pressures associated with lockdown, calls are being made for employers to respond with care when dealing with employee sufferers, with one researcher calling on employers ‘to show flexibility in helping Covid survivors return to work,’ according to a report in the Guardian.

The mental health costs of the illness are not limited to those incurred by sufferers, however. Fears regarding the illness, grief over lost loved ones and anxiety stemming from the economic crisis are also contributing to an increase in the rate of psychiatric disorders. Public Health England’s September 8 report states that ‘mental distress… was 8.1% higher in April 2020 than it was between 2017 and 2019’, and that ‘over 30% of adults reported levels of mental distress indicative that treatment may be needed, compared to around 20% between 2017 and 2019.’

The report goes on to stress that the pandemic ‘has had a larger adverse impact on the mental health and wellbeing of some groups than others’, identifying young people and women as particularly vulnerable.

This supports the findings of the Health Foundation’s August 30 publication ‘Generation COVID-19’, which reported ‘young people aged 12–24 years are one of the worst-affected groups, particularly in terms of the labour market and mental health outcomes.’ A significantly higher number of young people reported struggling to concentrate, not being able to enjoy day-to-day activities, feeling unhappy and depressed and not feeling useful in comparison to 2017/18 figures.

Taking these phenomena into account, it is more important than ever that the logistics sector pays heed to the mental health needs of all colleagues. In 2019, logistics was identified by Dr Sheena Johnson, occupational psychologist at Alliance Manchester Business School as ‘one of the sectors exposed to the effects of poor mental health.’ The potential for exposure is only increasing under the prolonged stress of the pandemic. Possible suggestions for addressing this stress may come from the 2019 Alliance MBS guidelines for managing the health of logistics sector workers, which include monitoring health, offering access to healthy food and increasing flexibility over work hours.

Sources

FURLOUGH: INEQUALITY & GETTING BACK TO WORK

Message on a label that reads ‘job retention scheme’ and carried in a miniature trolley

Remember 23rd March? It was the day that many businesses saw activity quickly come to a halt as the Government fought to contain the spread of Covid-19 through lockdown.

Soon enough in April, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was put in place to provide stability and security for those who were unable to continue working, whether this was due to lack of workload or temporary business closure. Since then, according to statistics by HMRC, over 9 million jobs have been furloughed and more than £35 billion has been claimed through PAYE schemes.

What those figures don’t show is that women were significantly more likely to be furloughed. A study by Cambridge-INET Institute found that inequality in care responsibilities played a large role in this, as mothers were more likely than fathers to initiate furlough talks, as opposed to their employers raising the issue.

The study also found that not all employees were furloughed equally, with some employers topping up employee’s salaries beyond the 80% provided by the government, while others didn’t. For those that weren’t put on furlough, many continued to work as they found they could still carry out their roles from the comfort of their own homes, putting in almost as many working hours as back in February 2020.

So, as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme comes to an end in a few months’ time, many workers are still unsure of what lies ahead for their position.

Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said recently, “Our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has protected millions of jobs and businesses across the UK during the outbreak – and I’ve been clear that I want to avoid a cliff edge and get people back to work in a measured way.”

From the beginning of August, furloughed workers were able to return to work part-time with employers asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff. Boris Johnson himself called for employees to return to work to boost a declining economy.

However, some of the country’s biggest businesses are defying this push by the government, with many businesses opting to continue to work remotely or delaying a partial return until September 2020 at the earliest. Some companies such as Google and NatWest are instead allowing their staff to work from home until 2021, showing a somewhat more permanent sign of a shift in the working culture.

With talks of a second wave of the virus looming, the government’s initial plans for a ‘significant normality’ by Christmas may be up in the air for now.

Coronavirus has not only heavily impacted the economy and working lives, but also shifted opinions on what is safe. For example, day-to-day activities such as bowling, going to the cinema or sitting next to a colleague in the office – where you wouldn’t have necessarily questioned safety and would have been a normality – now feel anything but ‘normal’.

It could be a very long time before people truly feel comfortable getting back to their routines of just earlier this year and begs the question of whether the working world will ever be the same again?

Sources

HOW TO BOOST LGV DRIVER MORALE

LGV Drivers

By Ruth Edwards, Business Development Director for Talent in Logistics explains.

According to recent research by Talent in Logistics and Pertemps Driving Division, just 30% of LGV drivers in the UK feel valued and less than half of drivers feel motivated to work hard for their employers. Following recent months of uncertainty, it’s arguably more important than ever for drivers to feel secure and happy in their role and with their employer. So, what action can Local Authorities take to help boost LGV driver morale?

IT STARTS WITH ENGAGEMENT

Employee engagement represents the levels of enthusiasm and connection employees have with their organisation. Highly engaged employees tend to be loyal, committed and highly productive. On the flip side, there are actively disengaged employees, who can be toxic to your organisation. But which is which? The only way to really know is to ask. This is where employee engagement surveys come to the fore.

Surveys are great for getting feedback, but time has to be spent understanding why you are doing them and what you want to achieve. Consideration needs to be applied when designing the questions and you need to make sure they are followed up, or there is no point doing them!

Employee engagement is mostly driven by leaders and managers. So as a leader, you should demonstrate active listening, responsiveness and decisive action taking and ensure your people know what your company objectives are and how they can contribute towards them. A culture of transparency can help build trust and engagement and is very important – 52% of respondents stated that they’d rather have a trustworthy manager than a 5% pay rise. Yet our research highlighted that just 35% of drivers felt their leaders were open and honest.

THE COST OF MORALE

Money isn’t the only thing keeps people working hard, motivated, and happy in their job, but it is a factor. Our survey showed that 44% of drivers believed that a more attractive pay package would attract new drivers into the profession, yet only 33% feel they are paid well for the job that they do.

If drivers are doing a good job, they deserve to be rewarded for it. A higher salary tends to lead to a culture of high performance and productivity and drivers don’t tend to have unreasonable salary demands. They just want to be paid fairly for the job they do.

Rather than a pay rise, perhaps promotion to a different role or extra responsibilities would demonstrate you value a driver? Only 29% of the drivers we polled felt that career opportunities were clearly communicated so investing in an individual’s career shows that you recognise their value and is vital for morale.

RECOGNISE A JOB WELL DONE

Recognition helps create happier, more motivated, and more loyal staff.  However, things that have been considered perks in years gone by are now an expectation, so, you may need to think differently about your recognition initiatives.

Something as simple as introducing an ‘employee of the month’ can make a big difference to morale. Or why not implement a “thank you” board or jar where peers and managers can recognise a job well done? There is also various HR software where this can be done digitally. Some even enable employees to accrue ‘points’ which can later be exchanged for a tangible reward.

However, often the simplest way to demonstrate recognition and boost morale is to say thank you!  People want to work for managers who appreciate them so make saying “thank you” part of your culture and, where it warrants it, put it in writing.

Similarly, showing that you care is key, so get your corporate and social responsibility (CSR) strategy right. Show you care about others and give back to your local community and support charities, have clear environmental and sustainability strategies, and have good policies in place around employee wellbeing.

BALANCE AND WELLBEING

Our recent research found that providing flexible working arrangements would make a driving career a more attractive option, and 73% said they would like the option to work more flexibly.  Yet, only a third of drivers in our survey said that their companies support balance between personal life and work, and more than half said they had been stressed at work in the past 12 months.

Just 32% of drivers surveyed felt that their employer cares about their mental health and our survey showed that 4 in 10 drivers would not trust their manager if they spoke to them about a mental health concern. This highlights a growing need for the provision of mental health first aiders within the workplace. These individuals, who may be well placed as peers rather than managers, can be trained to help alleviate stress and anxiety and in turn increase positivity, confidence, and morale.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Our survey showed that drivers love their profession for many reasons, like meeting new people, independence, freedom and seeing the open road. Although driver engagement and morale are ongoing challenges, they also present a great opportunity to celebrate talented drivers and build a motivated workforce for the future.

To download the ‘Driving Engagement in Logistics whitepaper’, visit www.talentinlogistics.co.uk/download/whitepaper-driving-engagement-in-logistics

More information: www.talentinlogistics.co.uk