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OUT TODAY! – SEPTEMBER Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
OUT TODAY! – SEPTEMBER 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.
Hr NETWORK Magazine Issue: September 2022
In the latest issue: Moving Mountains Through the Power of HR Influence
HR can move mountains when it influences well. The new world of work is transforming how practitioners influence colleagues, peers, leadership and industry. Andy Moore discovers how HR is in a powerful position to be a leading light in organisations…
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: Holiday Pay & Entitlement; Health & Wellbeing; Retirement Planning; Employee Engagement
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
NatWest Group launches menopause app to support employees
NatWest Group launches menopause app support to employees
NatWest Group has launched menopause support via health app Peppy to their employees, and their partners, in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland. And, they have plans to launch Peppy globally in the near future. NatWest Group has over 39,000 employees working in the UK and Ireland who will be able to access the service, which includes approximately 6,400 females between the ages of 45-55 – making up a significant proportion of their workforce.
The organisation is offering menopause support as part of their commitment to championing the potential of all their colleagues, empowering them through every life stage, offering the support they need to reach their goals, whatever they are.
As part of the Peppy service, NatWest Group employees will have access to expert, human-led support from specialist menopause practitioners. This includes consultations, one-to-one chat and group chat, along with access to articles, video and audio content, events and webinars.
The support includes impartial, empathetic help in understanding menopause and managing symptoms through treatment and lifestyle. It also covers support for wider health and wellbeing, including nutrition, fitness and mental health.
Sharon Midwinter, Benefits & Wellbeing Lead, NatWest Group said, ‘Offering access to specialist menopause support to our colleagues at this important life stage is going to make a real and tangible difference to them. This support is perfectly aligned with our approach to give our workforce the most relevant and appropriate support that they need.’
Mridula Pore, from Peppy said: ‘It’s great to see an organisation such as NatWest Group take menopause support seriously. Looking after people during this life stage helps companies recruit and retain this important demographic, and that’s great for business, the economy and, most of all, those at the receiving end of the support.’
Virgin Money cost of living payment to staff
Virgin Money cost of living payment to staff
The increase in the cost of living is on everyone’s minds, whether in political circles, in the media, or in the local supermarket. It’s also been part of many conversations among the leaders that many employees are experiencing additional pressure on their finances.
Virgin Money has introduced a number of ways to help colleagues through this year, including the new ‘My Money’ webinars. These complement the financial wellbeing guidance and the additional benefits already available to colleagues, such as the discounts on high street and supermarket brands on offer through Virgin Tribe.
Earlier this year, they also acted to provide an average uplift of 5% in base salary for colleagues and to launch A Life More Virgin (ALMV). As well as giving colleagues five new wellbeing days, ALMV also provides more flexibility, which includes how often you make use of our hubs, and greater choice in how to take the Flex Allowance for colleagues who receive that.
However, Virgin Money have continued to monitor the situation closely and, driven by their Purpose, concluded that they would make a special one-off payment. For all eligible colleagues, an additional £1,000 was paid with their August pay on Friday 19 August.
Syreeta Brown, Chief People and Communications Officer: “The past few years have highlighted the importance of being flexible and supportive, as well as listening colleagues to identify their needs.
“We know that the increase in the cost of living has become a real concern for many so, driven by our Purpose of ‘making you happier about money’, we wanted to make a meaningful difference to those most affected. It was also important to us to keep this payment apart from the annual pay review, so a one-off payment was our preferred approach.
“Together with the 5% pay increase at the start of the year and our new flexible working package, we’re keen to make sure our colleagues feel valued and supported in the work they do.”
Employers must consider the risk of kidnap and ransom for worldwide staff
Employers must consider the risk of kidnap and ransom for worldwide staff
Poverty, under-resourced law enforcement, and a resurgence of travel since the pandemic together make for an expected spike in kidnap and ransom cases worldwide, according to expert predictions revealed by Towergate Health & Protection. Employers must be aware of the risks to be able to mitigate against them and provide support to overseas (and UK) employees.
Kidnap and ransom are not necessarily about the worst-case scenario of being taken hostage. It could be the threat of extortion, being forcibly taken to a cash machine to withdraw money, or virtual kidnap, where perpetrators falsely claim they have taken an international traveller hostage to coerce others into paying a ransom.
Sarah Dennis, head of international, Towergate Health & Protection, says: “There are many forms of kidnap and ransom, and it probably happens more often than many employers would think. Companies with overseas employees must make sure their staff are supported.”
There is the risk of exposure to kidnap and ransom in every country, including the UK, but for employees working abroad, it becomes a greater risk. While there is no set age or gender that is more at risk, there are areas of the world where the probability of kidnap and ransom is much higher, including Africa, Asia and South America.
Prior knowledge and planning are both vital in mitigating the risk of kidnap and ransom.
Experts in international travel safety are able to provide reports relating to the risk levels of political situations, crime levels and conflicts within a region. They are also able to give guidance on good and bad transport options for an area. Cultural do’s and don’ts are an important part of local knowledge, which can help to avoid situations escalating. There are now mobile apps with on-the-ground, to-the-minute security information, which update more quickly than the Home Office website. These can have a built-in feature where evacuation is automatically advised if the risks become too high.
Widening career paths with the MSc Work & Organisational Psychology
Widening career paths with the MSc Work & Organisational Psychology
The last three years have been a prime example of the changing nature of work, and as occupational psychologists, our knowledge and skills have been brought to the forefront as a profession that offers value to individuals, organisations and society.
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of wellbeing at work, accelerated technological adaptation, and the adoption of flexible and remote working. Emerging from the pandemic, understanding the psychology of people at work is crucial for any professional who recruits, manages, counsels and develops people in the context of a ‘new normal’ (whatever that may mean in practice!). Organisations will need to motivate, engage, and retain employees, ensure their health and wellbeing, help individuals develop their skills, adapt to new digital technologies at work, and cope with unemployment or re-employment.
One of Strathclyde Business School’s newest Masters courses, the MSc Work & Organisational Psychology has been accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), making it the only BPS-accredited occupational psychology programme in Scotland.
Whether you are interested in a career change or gaining a new specialism, learning more about the psychology of work, or seeking a Stage 1 qualification en route to Chartership, check out the course information below for more details:
Course Information: https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/postgraduatetaught/workorganisationalpsychology/
Postgraduate Study
Interested in gaining an MSc/Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management while you work?
Strathclyde University offers a two-year, part-time programme intended for human resource professionals, or line managers with people management or devolved HR responsibilities as part of their role.
Part-time study allows you to learn new skills while continuing to stay in employment and earn a salary. The knowledge and skills gained through your studies can be implemented immediately into the workplace, providing benefits to both you and your employer.
Before completion of the programme current students are recognising the value-add of studying part-time as the knowledge and skills gained can be implemented immediately into the workplace.
Apply now study for the MSc/Post Graduate Diploma Human Resource Management at Strathclyde Business School’s Department of Work, Employment and Organisation, a CIPD accredited programme provider.
Our teaching staff are experts in their field. Please get in touch find out how their research and professional activities influences class content or to chat about the programme.
Course information is available from: Karen Morrison, Programme and External Links Manager: karen.morrison@strath.ac.uk
https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/postgraduatetaught/humanresourcemanagement-part-time/
Give employees more free time to increase work performance, suggests new research
Give employees more free time to increase work performance, suggests new research
Managers seeking to reduce problems caused by employees using too much on-the-job leisure time should offer bonuses that provide more off-the-job leisure time, finds new research from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Employees spend a considerable amount of their working time enjoying on-the-job leisure, the most significant being private use of the internet, which can cost companies billions of dollars due to reduction in effective working time.
Professor Timo Vogelsang, Assistant Professor from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, investigated the impact of cash or free time bonuses on work performance and leisure time. Participants were asked to complete a task on a computer with internet access which involved moving sliders to randomly predetermined positions.
At the beginning of each task, participants could click the time-out button to access the internet. Subjects were free to choose how to spend their time on the internet and could minimise the internet browser at any time to continue working. In the main experiment, participants were involved in two working periods lasting 30 minutes each.
This study used three groups: one group received €4 for each period, the cash bonus group received €4 for each period and an extra €6 for period one, and the free time bonus group received €4 for each period with an extra 25 minutes to use the internet in period one.
Those given an extra 25 minutes leisure time as a bonus exhibited 60% less on-the-job internet consumption compared to those given extra cash. Also, those given extra leisure time showed increased work performance in terms of completed tasks. This suggests that a cash bonus doesn’t affect employees’ on-the-job leisure time nor their work performance. However, gifting employees more off-the-job leisure time does reduce on-the-job leisure time of employees and increases their performance while working.
Prof Vogelsang says: “This study shows that ‘time is not money’ when using a gift of more off-the-job leisure as a form of management control. Compared to money, time has certain favourable characteristics and affects employees’ behaviour at work. Leisure time is a noteworthy alternative to cash bonuses and the various forms of non-cash bonuses currently in use.”
Off-the-job leisure as a bonus can be implemented by informing employees in advance that they can leave early on certain days or that they will be gifted extra holiday days. This suggests that employees may appreciate a better work-life balance over salary increases.