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Divorce Day: Supporting employees when they are dealing with a divorce
Divorce Day: Supporting employees when they are dealing with a divorce
Divorce Day, on the 3rd January, may be the day when traditionally lawyers see their biggest surge in divorce enquiries. However, the sad fact is that divorces do occur all year round and employers need to ensure they have adequate support available all year round to help make things easier when needed.
The first working Monday of the year after the Christmas break, Divorce Day, is traditionally when lawyers see their biggest surge in divorce enquiries. Whilst they increase at this time of year, the sad fact is that divorces do occur all year round. Employers therefore need to ensure they have adequate support available all year round to help make things easier when needed. Divorces are not only stressful – both emotionally and financially, but can also take many months to complete, meaning it can take quite a toll on those involved for an indefinite period of time.
Divorce is life-changing and while it is a very personal matter, there are a range of ways that employers can help minimise some of the impact. Many employee assistance programmes offer 24/7 access to a range of services including mental wellbeing, legal concerns, financial support and guidance, so it is vital that these are clearly signposted and easy to access. It is worthwhile to understand what your group protection providers offer as standard and how these can be leveraged to support affected individuals.
When an individual is going through a divorce, it is important to try to minimise other day to day stresses. Regularly reviewing their workload and regular 121s can help identify any concerns early on. Signposting ways to support their physical wellbeing can also be helpful to help to boost energy.
Encouraging individuals to take care of their own health is important too. Many employee benefits programmes include access to medical professionals. MetLife UK, for example, has recently partnered with HealthHero to ensure employees with MetLife group protection, and their families, can access a virtual GP service 24/7 with unlimited consultations.
With so much change, it can be easy to forget vital admin and changes to future plans, such as wills and even funeral plans. While many will avoid talking about death at all costs, it is key that estate plans and affairs are up to date and in order. MetLife has exclusively partnered with Everest Funeral Concierge in the UK to offer 24/7 support and assistance for funeral planning, along with a suite of online planning tools and a free will writing service. Wills and trust documentation can often be overlooked, so helping to update these is key to ensure wishes are met.
Divorces are difficult for all parties involved and while employees may not wish to discuss what they are going through openly, employees must ensure that there are clear policies in place to ensure support is clearly and regularly signposted so it can be accessed when it’s needed.
OUT TODAY! – JANUARY 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine: ‘Review of 2022’
OUT TODAY! – JANUARY 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Review of 2022: A tumultuous year!
Scottish HR faced some incredible new challenges in 2022. Post-Covid recovery, world events, skills shortages, a cost of living crisis and a stormy UK political scene ensured practitioners’ work was cut out. Andy Moore looks back at the key topics Hr NETWORK Magazine featured during a tumultuous year.
Also in the latest issue:
- The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, EXTRA and The Bookshop
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Health & Wellbeing; Working with Cancer; HR Trends for 2023; and Learning Culture
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR from Hr NETWORK!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR from Hr NETWORK!
On behalf of everyone at Hr NETWORK Magazine, we would like to wish all our readers, advertisers, sponsors and partners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2023.
2022 has been an incredible year for Hr NETWORK and we’re extremely grateful to everyone who has engaged with us and supported us throughout the past 12 months.
We are very excited for what 2023 promises for the Hr NETWORK community and we are looking forward to providing you with a wide range of exciting opportunities to share knowledge, grow your network and have a great time at one of our many Hr NETWORK events, planned for the New Year.
New Year events include:
19th December 2022 – DELEGATE BOOKING FORM OPENS for the Hr NETWORK Conference & Exhibition 2023 – BOOK NOW!
1st March 2023 – NOMINATIONS OPEN for the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
10th May 2023 – Hr NETWORK Annual Leaders Dinner, EDINBURGH
11th May 2023 – Hr NETWORK ‘HYBRID’ Conference & Exhibition, EDINBURGH
September 2023 – Interviews for Finalists in the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
October 2023 – Nominees Lunch – EDINBURGH
9th November 2023 – Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 Gala Dinner, GLASGOW
Please note that the Hr NETWORK office will be closed from Thursday 22nd December 2022 and will re-open on Monday 9th January 2023. If you have any enquiries regarding any of our events or online products during this time, please email: subscriptions@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Learning & Development can increase top line revenue by 218%
Learning & Development can increase top line revenue by 218%
ILX’s Group’s new research reveals that up-skilling through learning and development could be the answer to business’ concerns around diminishing revenue and stagflation.
The evidence is clear, companies that align learning with the organisation’s objectives and invest in relevant skills will see improved productivity. We have seen this before, following the Dot Com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis – as the economy slows, businesses cut costs, and often there are job losses. But for the employees that remain, improved productivity is the goal; and investing in learning programmes that support the organisation’s strategy is often the key to unlocking employee productivity.
Even business that over expanded during the boom times are likely to invest in training for staff that they retain – says ILX Managing Director Russell Kenrick.
Fund managers and investors are Bearish as the market navigates its way through stagflation, with the ONS reporting a 9.6% increase in inflation on the all-item CPIH annual rate. Macroeconomic and geopolitical factors have put an end to a 127-month Bull Run, with the tech sector being hit particularly hard.
Experts at ILX argue that developing the skillsets of existing workforces is the best way to safeguard businesses in this challenging macroeconomic environment. At a time when cost-saving innovations are necessary, skilled workers are required to implement them. And rather than absorbing the costs of a new hire, investing in existing workforces can both enable businesses to be agile in response to a turbulent financial environment, and help improve employee retention.
Our analysis shows a strong correlation between L&D and company profitability. On average, the investment into L&D is £42bn each year in the U.K. alone, with an average spend of £1530. Companies that invest in L&D have a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training, according to the Association of Talent Development, and those with comprehensive training programs also have a 218% higher income per employee.
The Great Resignation is hitting companies harder than expected with the average cost of replacing an individual employee ranging from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. ILX’s independent research reveals a cost of £31,375 for leadership replacement and £14,117 employees at management level. These numbers do not factor in training and on-boarding, nor do they reflect the time spent learning company processes, tools, and protocols.
Being off work sick or injured linked to higher risk of suicide
Being off work sick or injured linked to higher risk of suicide
People who are off work due to injury or illness are at higher risk of later suicide and intentional self-harm, a new international study by Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine researchers has found. They collated findings from 47 studies published over 20 years from 16 different countries, to closely examine the relationship between a disabling work injury or illness, and later suicide or self-harm.
Published in PLOS Global Public Health, the review found that the risk of suicide was elevated in people with workers’ compensation claims, on long-term sick leave and receiving disability pensions. Lead researcher Professor Alex Collie said this suggested a need for governments and employers to focus on identifying workers at greatest risk of suicide, and put more effort into suicide prevention.
“We found consistent evidence of a link between being off work sick or injured and later suicide,” Professor Collie said. “We see this link in many countries and in people with different types of health conditions.”
Of the 47 studies included in the review, 44 found that people with work injury or illness were at greater risk of suicide or self-harm. Only one study showed a protective relationship and two showed no relationship.
“Looking across all of this evidence, we also found a number of things that increase the risk of suicide, such as being off work for a long time, younger age, living alone, having a history of poor health or a mental health condition,” Professor Collie said.
People who had very long periods off work were at much higher risk. Being out of work with injury or illness for weeks, months or years was linked with a significantly increased risk of suicide and self-harm.
“But time away from work doesn’t necessarily reflect the severity of injury or illness,” Professor Collie said. “It may also indicate that the person has received poor quality medical treatment, has delayed seeking help, or has other behaviours that can affect recovery such as substance misuse.”
The review’s authors suggest that programs and services designed to reduce the duration of time off work may also reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm.
“When it comes to reducing time off work, we know what good interventions look like,” Professor Collie said. “This review adds another dimension, and suggests by supporting sick and injured workers to return to work, we may also be able to reduce the risk of suicide.”
“Suicide prevention should not be left just to the healthcare system. We have opportunities through systems that support sick and injured workers, like workers’ compensation and social security, to identify people who are at higher risk and to provide supports and services that reduce those risks.”
The researchers also identified some large gaps in the research literature. Only two Australian studies were identified, and there were no studies of suicide prevention interventions.
New research shows HR teams need to focus on retention more than recruitment
New research shows HR teams need to focus on retention more than recruitment
A new research report commissioned by global HR technology and employee engagement company, Reward Gateway calls for HR managers to include practical, human-centred solutions in their core strategy for 2023 to boost engagement. The past few years of prolonged uncertainty and disruption has had a significant impact on employees and HR leaders today. The report findings reflect this change and reveal a significant disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to engagement. A minority of employees rate the physical (32%), mental (39%) and financial (28%) wellbeing support from their employers as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
However, the majority of employers believe they are excelling in this area. With over 2 in 5 employees frequently experiencing burnout, the report highlights science-based, practical strategies to boost overall wellbeing and increase employee engagement, in turn mitigating employee burnout.
The research findings of 1,015 employees and 250 HR managers in the UK show that wellbeing benefits are imperative to re-engage staff today, given that 24% of UK employees state they are no longer going above and beyond at work. Moreover, 72% of employees say that their workplace wellbeing would improve if they were simply thanked and recognised more frequently for their hard work, as a lack of recognition can trigger a sense of pointlessness at work.
Almost half of UK employees say that they frequently experience feelings of overwhelm, driven by the current ‘war for talent,’ constant adjustments to life post-pandemic, and ever-increasing inflationary pressures. With 72% of employees stating that they have felt a lasting negative effect from the last few years of constant upheaval and uncertainty, there is a clear gap in expectations for improvement when it comes to wellbeing support.
Reward Gateway’s report brings to light specific, practical ways HR managers and senior executives can re-engage their workforce in 2023, citing the four R’s: Revive, Remind, Recharge and Recognise. This framework encourages employees to think about why they decided to accept their job in the first place, and to remind them of all the benefits and support available to them beyond the paycheque.
Rob Boland, COO at Reward Gateway, says: “The findings from the report confirm that a subtle societal evolution has taken place where physical, mental and financial wellbeing in the workplace is now expected at the core of every company’s HR strategy. Our new research further suggests that employers and employees need to be connected on all fronts now more than ever, with 93% of UK employees saying that feeling heard is an important contributor to their wellbeing at work. Clearly defining the support available to all employees and ensuring that employees feel recognised and valued in the workplace is key for both financial and career wellbeing.”
This research was commissioned by Reward Gateway, whose platform enables organisations to improve employee engagement to build better, stronger and more resilient organisations.