CIPD NORTH: REGIONAL INSIGHTS
Autumn 2021
Welcome
Welcome to the Autumn issue of Regional Insights. I’m delighted to announce that over 30 of the North’s most inspirational organisations, people teams and projects have made it on to the shortlist for this year’s CIPD People Management magazine Awards , which place on 28 September. This is wonderful news; especially given the challenges of the pandemic for employers and the people profession. Congratulations to all of you - I wish you all the very best of luck. In this issue of Regional Insights, we’ll explore how leading businesses such as ARLA Foods, Deloitte and the University of Sunderland have adapted to such challenges and are now benefitting from more remote, flexible and inclusive ways of working. It’s fantastic to hear about organisations in our region that are putting into practice the opportunities or lessons they’ve learned from the pandemic. But more employers must prioritise the wellbeing of their workers as the unprecedented rise in remote and digital working has led to rising cases of social isolation, large workloads, long working hours and an ‘always-on’ culture. The impact of this was seen in our annual Health & Wellbeing Survey which found that more than three quarters (77%) of employers have observed ‘presenteeism’ – people working when unwell – in employees who are working from home. Our recent Mental wellbeing and digital work: an evidence review explores how work-related factors – such as digital work - can affect our mental wellbeing in more depth and what organisations can do to help safeguard their workers wellbeing.
Daphne Doody-Green, Head of CIPD Northern England
CONTENTS 1 Welcome 2 News
4 Volunteer Hotseat 6 Holistic wellbeing: Creating ‘Stronger People’ at ARLA
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Deloitte: Trusting its people to choose when, where and how they want to work
10 S potlight on End. Best North East HR&D team 12 Flex Select 14 E vents and Networks
New Co-Chair announced for Northern Branch Network
We are delighted to announce Lynn Delaney FCIPD, HR Lecturer at Liverpool John Moors University has been appointed as the new Co-Chair of the Northern CIPD Branch Network, alongside Ema Perks MCIPD, Acting Head of HR at BAE Systems. The Northern CIPD Branch Network is made-up of ten Branch Chairs who each represent one of the ten Northern CIPD Branches, responsible for working collaboratively with CIPD North to shape regional events and member engagement activities for local members. Lynn was previously the chair of CIPD Merseyside & Cheshire Branch, and she succeeds Peter McLinn of the Tees Valley Branch, as Co-Chair of the Northern Branch Network. Peter has been an invaluable member of the CIPD, both at Branch and regional level for over 30 years and we would like to thank him for all he has contributed.
NEWS around
Kellogg’s to launch cereal boxes for the visually impaired Newworld-first technology is being added to Kellogg’s cereal boxes - from January 2022 - to help those who are blind and partially sighted find important information on the back of the boxes. Kellogg’s were inspired to make the change after speaking with children at a sensory impairment school in Liverpool. Chris Jones, HR Director at Kellogg’s in Manchester said: “The pupils at St. Vincent’s School told us that our packaging and the information on the box wasn’t accessible to them, and we listened. The new technology will allow smartphone users to scan a unique code on the box – from up to 3 meters distance – which will playback labelling and allergen information to the user.”
the REGION
NHS workers given flexible working rights NHS staff have been given the right to request flexible working arrangements from the first day of their employment, following an agreement by health unions and NHS employers.
This move echoes the CIPD’s #Flexfrom1st campaign which calls for all organisations to explore flexible work options for workers. This is particularly important for the northern region, as official data used to rank the UK’s Flexible Working uptake identified areas of the North as ‘flexible not-spots’, with workers in Yorkshire and Humber the least likely to have flexible work options.
One Million Chances for young people
The CIPD’s new skills campaign – ‘One Million Chances’ aims to help create one million opportunities for young people (aged 18-24). As part of the campaign we are encouraging and supporting employers to invest more in young talent, through quality jobs, internships, work experience, apprenticeships and government initiative’s such as Kickstart. Find out more & support the campaign here.
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I’d prefer the Government to simplify the tax system, focusing on key areas of business activity and income
VOLUNTEER HOTSEAT News and views from volunteers of the CIPD Northern Branch Network
HMRC has stated that employees who work from home part or all of the time can claim tax relief on the current level of Working From Home (WFH) allowance (£26 per month) at their marginal rate of tax (whatever the highest rate of tax they pay is). Therefore, a ‘basic rater’ would be able to claim 20% of £26 back (£5.20) from HMRC per month (or £62.40 per annum) with no need to provide receipts. We are working with HMRC to address how the WFH tax relief mechanism could be applied to future years, to account for myriad hybrid working arrangements, because it is not a certainty that the tax relief will be extended to future years at present. What additional support would you like to see the government implement to help employer businesses? Generally, I am not a fan of tax reliefs – they complicate the tax system and give money away, rather than bringing it in to fund things like pensions, local authorities and essential services. I’d prefer the Government to simplify the tax system, focusing on key areas of business activity and income (such as income tax, VAT and online trading). Some of the tax system is very archaic and is letting a lot of employer businesses down due to the ever- increasing admin burden. But there is currently an exercise ongoing to try to tackle this – let’s hope it makes the system much more fit for future purpose.
Justine Riccomini MCIPD is a volunteer member of the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch, which is split into three geographical groups (Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds) and responsible for organising a programme of events and seminars for members on a variety of topics. As a tax specialist, Justine co-chairs three high- level strategic policy meetings with HMRC, covering employment and payroll, construction industry taxation and share schemes. In the Volunteer Hotseat, Justine explains more about tax compliance in the wake of the pandemic, for both employers and employees, and what support she’d most like to see the government introduce to help employer businesses thrive. What tax and HR compliance issues should employers currently be considering? HMRC is focusing on compliance of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and is carrying out thousands of investigations to identify any fraudulent claims.
Therefore, it’s vitally important that employers are clear on what they claimed and that their claims were correct, so I would recommend they audit their claims in line with their RTI returns. A number of high-profile arrests have been made for organised CJRS fraud. HR must play an important role in making sure their employer gets it right. Remember that compliance of the National Minimum Wage hasn’t gone away either. HMRC reviews have been continuing to take place during covid, and employers cannot afford to take their eyes off the ball, especially with the advent of a Single Enforcement Body. Can employees who work from home claim tax relief? Some employees will be receiving a tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs)-free payment from their employer of £26 per month if they work from home, as a contractual entitlement.
Justine Riccomini MCIPD of the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch is Head of Taxation at ICAS, where she heads up all matters relating to employment and devolved taxes policy. She is also a Policy Lead for the CIPD Northern Policy Forum.
Find out more about the CIPD West Yorkshire Branch and its upcoming events here
However, in respect of those employees who are not in receipt of this allowance, for 20/21 and 21/22 tax years,
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80% of our people said they expect to work from a Deloitte office two days or fewer per week
DELOITTE Trusting its people to choose when, where and how they want to work
Carolyn Hicks MCIPD, Director at Deloitte in the North of England
We have listened to this feedback, and we are adapting our ways of working in response, which includes utilising our office buildings principally for team collaboration, training and client meetings. There aren’t any set number of days that colleagues must be in the office or in specific locations. Instead, teams are being encouraged to make the most of our agile working policy. We trust our people to make the right choice on when and where they work, whether that’s at a client site, in an office or at home.
In addition, our long-term future of work plans will be closely linked to our wider sustainability goals, and will ultimately help us achieve our World Climate commitments.
Download the CIPD Planning for Hybrid Working Guide to plan and manage a move to hybrid working
Leading professional services firm, Deloitte hit the headlines earlier this year when it announced that its 20,000-strong workforce will be able to choose when, where and how they work in the future. Carolyn Hicks MCIPD, a Director in Deloitte’s Consulting practice in the North of England, tells us more about the firm’s plans to ensure the future of work is inclusive and collaborative for all its people. At Deloitte, we have been a champion of agile working, but back in February 2020, more than half of our colleagues had never worked from home. Now, most of us have adapted to a life of virtual meetings and coffees. Moving forward, we have a real opportunity to benefit from the rewards of flexible working, for instance to ensure we are attracting the best talent in the increasingly global and highly competitive marketplace. The wellbeing of our colleagues is paramount, and Deloitte research has told us that our staff are more productive and less stressed working remotely, with
40% of employees – across the UK – telling us they work best from home, compared to in a workplace (21%). More than two in five (42%) say they like not having to commute, with 40% finding it more efficient and 34% feeling more relaxed. However, the research demonstrates that many are craving some face-to-face interactions which is why we have given our people the freedom to choose when, where and how they work in the future. As part of this, we have designed a Hybrid working model to ensure we keep the flexibility of remote working, without losing the connections and opportunities for collaboration that we need to make a difference for our clients, for our people and for society. Transforming workplaces In our recent Future of Work Survey, over 80% of our people said they expect to work from a Deloitte office two days or fewer per week, and over 90% told us that ‘choice’ and ‘flexibility’ should be at the heart of how we work in the future.
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HOLISTIC WELLBEING Creating ‘Stronger People’ at ARLA
What makes us stronger We take a broad view when it comes to the wellbeing agenda – we talk about what makes us ‘stronger people.’ This comprises of four elements, #movestronger, #eatstronger, #workstronger and #feelstronger. As part of this movement, our colleagues have got involved in a range of activities including online healthy recipe cook-alongs with our resident foodservice team-chef and inter-site team ‘Arlympic’ competitions, including the Cravendale Challenge. Staff have also enjoyed laughing yoga and learning around how nutrition impacts mental health. We’re incredibly proud to say that our approach to wellbeing and flexible working has been delivered by truly democratising the agenda. We have empowered our leaders and colleagues with a clear framework and given people the licence to bring our wellbeing agenda to life through internal social tools like Yammer.
Pauline Hogg MCIPD, Senior Director UK HR at Arla Foods
As a leading global dairy company, Arla Foods had to move quickly during the pandemic, and as restrictions have lifted to safeguard its people and operations. Pauline Hogg MCIPD, Senior Director UK HR at Arla Foods Head Office, in Leeds, tells us more about creating stronger people at ARLA with a holistic approach to wellbeing. From the start, our priority has been the safety and wellbeing of our people, and this has enabled us to continue feeding the nation during some of the most challenging times of our lifetime. Truth be told, we were already on our journey towards holistic wellbeing for our colleagues long before Coronavirus, but this agenda was accelerated to ensure we keep our people safe, and that they feel valued and engaged. As part of our wellbeing activities, we have kept up engagement and energy for our colleagues working from home with our #campaignforreallunchbreaks, walking meetings and Olympics-style team competitions.
We take a broad view when it comes to the wellbeing agenda
team too, with staff encouraged to bring their true selves to work – albeit virtually. We haven’t always got it right, but we have made staff feel comfortable enough to talk about wellbeing, on the good days and the bad. The future of how we work We are evolving our ways of working as we recognise the engagement of our colleagues is dependent on three things which are intrinsically linked; wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and the future of how we work. Our central functions (non-production/office based/ management functions) have adopted a hybrid model of working. But we are open about entering a phase of ‘test and learn’ as our relationships with our customers are crucial and we need to work in collaboration with them.
Many of our colleagues talk about the ‘Arla family’ and those colleagues can’t wait to get back to seeing their teams more regularly, and the buzz of social interaction. Our culture and values are so much easier to ‘feel’ with a degree of physical presence. But whatever the future looks like, keeping hold of the positives of what we’ve learned during the pandemic will be at the forefront of our actions.
Explore how your organisation can implement an effective wellbeing programme here
The importance of wellbeing and agile working has been consistently role modelled by the leadership
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Whilst it was the most challenging time we’d all experienced, we made sure we looked after our own and each other’s wellbeing, and had a little fun on the way.
Lynn Perry, People Director at END. tells us more about the impactful activities her team led to ensure the company - known for its highly regarded collection of trainers and streetwear - continued to thrive as arguably one of the North East’s hottest businesses. What made your HR&D team stand out to the Judges? The safety and wellbeing of our people is a top priority for us, and during the pandemic we supported all of our people whilst still managing to grow and evolve. During this time, we launched womenswear and the People team delivered everything we’d planned as part of our People Plan. We have a global following and customer base, and around 90% of our business was already online. During the pandemic we hired critical talent to ensure we delivered an exceptional service to our global customers. We also built a great, safe place to work for everyone, and implemented new HR systems to digitalise the employee offering. Whilst it was the most challenging time we’d all experienced, we made sure we looked after our own and each other’s wellbeing, and had a little fun on the way. What have been the biggest challenges for the HR&D team at END. over the last 18-months and how have you adapted? The biggest challenges for us has been delivering all of our strategic people priorities to support business growth and enhance our people proposition, along with the employee experience, all whilst responding to the uncertainty the pandemic kept throwing at us.
Working closely with our leaders and managers to ensure people are listened to and heard, has been critical in delivering the success we’ve achieved over the last 18 months. In particular, it was really important that we listen to our people who’d been furloughed to understand any reservations they had about returning to work in our stores. Supporting our people to navigate and adapt to uncertainty, maintaining employee morale and making sure we recognise people’s commitment and achievements has been imperative in helping our people adjust to new ways of working. What activity or work are you most proud of over the last 18-months and why? There’s been some real gamechangers for us over the last 18 months. We took the opportunity to digitalise many of our people processes and most of these changes will continue into the future. Implementing our new Human Resource Information System (HRIS) significantly improved how people are onboarded and enabled simple and interactive communications. It also supported effective and regular conversations between team members and their managers. We’ve also delivered a valued based management development programme which focuses on reframing the role of manager, building emotional intelligence and compassionate leadership. I’m also really proud that END. decided to repay the furlough payments! It’s great to work for an ethical business.
Lynn Perry, People Director at End. (front), part of the award-winning people team at End.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE BEST NORTH EAST HR&D TEAM Fashion retailer, End. thrives during pandemic
Retail was one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic. Shrinking footfall, months of being closed under national restrictions and furloughed staff are just some of the challenges the sector had to endure, leading to many big-name chains going bust including Debenhams, Topshop and Mothercare.
This makes it even more admirable that the people team behind Newcastle’s trendy clothing retailer, END., scooped the ‘Best HR&D Team’ accolade at this year’s CIPD North East HR&D Awards.
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A video case study from a line manager talking honestly about the challenges and successes of flexible working in his team, also features on the website. Line manager support We identified early-on that line manager support would be a vital component to the success of the scheme, so we designed and ran a series of webinars for managers about how to support flexible working. We also supported managers on a one-to-one basis and followed up on every Flex Select enquiry to ensure there were no blockers to approval that could be removed. Results In line with research on the impact of the pandemic on females, we saw 80% of enquiries from women, with 42% of them moving to a confirmed flexible working arrangement.
No applications were turned down, indicating the success of our ‘start with yes’ approach to line manager training. In response to a survey about the scheme, 100%of respondents said they would recommend Flex Select to colleagues. The qualitative data was also overwhelmingly positive about the impact on work-life balance, wellbeing and the ability to carry out caring responsibilities. Encouragingly, 100% of respondents also felt their manager had been supportive during and after the application. Furthermore, we tracked the staff costs savings and exceeded the annual target set, within three months of the launch of the scheme. Support and explore flexible working options in your organisation via our #Flexfrom1st campaign.
FLEX SELECT University of Sunderland relaunches ‘Flex Select’
Victoria Casey FCIPD, Head of HR Business Partnering at the University of Sunderland
What we did We sought feedback from key stakeholder groups to get a range of views from those in different life situations, including parents and carers, staff with disabilities, LGBTQI, those living alone, or with health issues. We worked closely with our campus trade unions too, and based on all of this feedback, we decided to take a new and innovative approach to promoting our flexible work opportunities. A webpage was designed to encourage people to find out more about ‘Flex Select’ and explore their flexible work options for a better work-life-balance. Video case studies are promoted on the website featuring staff who are benefitting from flexible working; not just working parents. These include a member of staff setting up their own business who had moved into a job share, a father who wanted to spend more time with his children, and a staff member who bought additional holiday to pursue their hobbies and travel.
The University of Sunderland is relaunching its ‘Flex Select’ scheme as a permanent benefit this month after overwhelming positive feedback from its staff. Earlier this year, the innovative scheme was shortlisted for the Universities HR Awards and the CIPD North East Awards, in response to its bespoke approach to helping employees a better work-life-balance.
We also recognised
the impact of lockdown on our staff and the increasing need for more flexible ways of working, during and beyond the pandemic
The university’s Head of HR Business Partnering, Victoria Casey FCIPD tells us more.
Flex Select was initially introduced as a one-year cost saving initiative - in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – by encouraging staff to work less hours to help mitigate any reduction in income, due to a predicted drop in student numbers. But we also recognised the impact of lockdown on our staff and the increasing need for more flexible ways of working, during and beyond the pandemic, to better support the wellbeing of our employees.
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EVENTS AND NETWORKS
Developing Line Managers Conference – 12 October 2021, London and online Discover how to provide your line managers with the best tools and framework to enhance their teams’ wellbeing and transition from remote to hybrid work. CIPD Annual Conference – 3-4 November 2021, Manchester Central and online This flagship event is your opportunity to reconnect with a global community of people professionals and rebuild a better future for people in the workplace. Speakers include Caitlyn Moran (journalist, author and broadcaster), David Lammy (Labour MP and Shadow Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary) and Lynda Gratton (Leader of the Future of Work Research Consortium). Inclusion and Diversity Conference – 23 November 2021, London and online Connect and learn from senior leaders and inclusion and diversity experts on how to create a working environment that is truly inclusive and fully welcomes diversity.
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COMING SOON
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CIPD North Induction for new students starting their studies – October 2021
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Applied Research Conference - 26-27 January 2022, Manchester and online
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Northern Annual Conference - 2 March 2022, Manchester
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CIPD Students Conference – 2 April 2022, Online
LOCAL CIPD BRANCH EVENTS
The northern region is made up of ten CIPD Branches which we work with to shape regional events and development opportunities for members. NETWORKS Our range of regional networks and forums include the HR Leaders Network, CIPD Northern Policy Forum and our new Senior Professional Network . They exist to engage the profession, shape conversation, and help shape positive change in the world of work.
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