Stress awareness during staff shortages
April is Stress Awareness Month, and although stress can occur at any time throughout the year, it’s a good opportunity to pause and check-in on your own stress levels as well as your employees.
How might you go about this? You wouldn’t want to ask every employee if they are stressed, it wouldn’t be practical, nor would it give you real insight; some people may hide that they are struggling through fear of seeming incapable.
A much more effective method would be to identify and reduce the risk of negative work-related stress in your business.
Believe it or not, some stress can be positive. It can allow people to thrive and reach their potential. It’s important, though, that limits are observed and respected, as pushing a person over the limit is a one-way street to burnout. Every employee will have their own limit, so how do you know when someone is close to theirs?
Regular reviews or 121s with employees are essential to keep communication flowing and for receiving progress updates on work. For example, if a deadline was missed, this is an opportunity to find out why, and if there is a need for clearer communication, training or support.
Work-related stress can be the result of different causes. An HR review can help to identify these, but a major one to be aware of at present is that of an increasing workload. Following the Great Resignation, and at a time when COVID related absences are still impacting teams, low staffing is a problem for many employers, their employees, and subsequently clients.
Those who are in work and covering for others may have an increasing workload. Without the right support, they are at risk of stress, which can impact health, well-being and lead to more absences.
If you’re one of many employers currently dealing with staffing issues, show appreciation for those working hard to keep the business operational. Remind them of the importance of taking a break and if you have any other health benefits in place, such as an Employee Assistance Programme, make sure that staff are aware of the support available to them. Beyond this, remember that we are here to help.
Lessons from P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries has been making waves in the shipping industry for more than 180 years. Just last month however, it made headlines for causing a different kind of wave: by parting ways with 800 of its crew members via a short, pre-recorded video clip.
As news of the mass redundancies spread, so too did details revealing that this was a surprise move, leaving employees, onlookers, and the government dumbfounded.
P&O Ferries has received widespread criticism for the way that it conducted business. Many loyal and long-serving employees were informed of their redundancy on what transpired to be their last day. Some were reportedly escorted from the ships in complete and utter shock.
When a business needs to make essential changes, redundancies should be a last resort. There is a process that must be followed to reduce the risk of legal action from unfair dismissal.
Chief Executive, Peter Hebblethwaite, admitted that their decision to waive the consultation process almost certainly breached UK employment law, but that they felt there was no other financially viable option. The reputational damage that P&O Ferries has and will suffer from this is enormous, particularly after the problems for clients over the bank holiday weekend.
What can employers do to learn from this?
It’s important to seek professional advice so that you can consider all reasonable options before pursuing redundancies. If redundancy is the only option, consultation with affected employees or their representatives must begin in good time. If 20 or more employees are affected, then there must be 30 days of consultation before the first dismissal takes place. There will likely be questions and concerns. It’s important to listen and communicate all information before any dismissal occurs.
It doesn’t have to end there. Redundancy aftercare outplacement can help see that those departing your business receive crucial advice on their next career move. It shows compassion for all staff during what can be a very difficult time.
How to approach poor hygiene in the workplace
As the weather gets warmer and the number of days we spend in the office increase, a new season of HR dilemmas await.
Something you certainly wouldn’t have had to deal with during lockdown is now in the office and causing a stink, one that you simply cannot ignore.
Broaching the subject of body odour or poor hygiene with an employee is no doubt up there on your list of conversations you never wanted to have. Think twice about passing this off on someone else though, a female French tutor won a sex discrimination claim for exactly that. An assumption that women are better at handling such conversations ended up with a £5,000 award at tribunal.
Don’t ignore the issue either. For one, it won’t resolve itself, and the person in question could start to feel victimised if people act differently towards them.
A private, and considerate word to suggest that their current hygiene ritual isn’t working too well is a good opener. If a medical condition is revealed, ask how they plan to manage this.
Adding a requirement for hygiene to your dress code is also a good idea, as you can refer to this if a problem persists and further action is needed. Of course, if the idea alone of having this chat is turning your stomach, remember that our experienced HR advisers can help to prepare you.
Why employees not using their holiday can be a problem
Whether a result of increased homeworking, an increasing cost of living, or staff shortages, employees not using their annual holiday allowance can be a problem for employers.
It may seem like a good thing to not be balancing leave requests, especially if you are short-staffed and need all hands on deck. However, other issues can arise if holiday is not taken, or if it is not spread evenly throughout the year.
Encouraging an even distribution of leave, for example by alerting those with a lot of holiday left two thirds into the year, can avoid situations where everybody wants to be off at the same time.
Committed workers are in demand but should also be reminded to use their leave for some respite, even if it means a staycation. Holiday entitlement is a health and safety requirement, and employees must take their statutory allowance. They cannot be paid in lieu except when they leave.
Having time off makes people more productive. The alternative, wherein employees feel the need to be seen working, can result in burnout and absences due to ill health, which could happen when you need them the most.
Supporting employees through Ramadan
This year the end of Ramadan is expected to fall on May 1st. It is celebrated with a three-day festival known as Eid ul Fitr, the Festival of Breaking Fast.
Until then, Muslim employees observing Ramadan will be following practices that involve fasting between sunrise and sunset, extra prayers which can last up to three hours, and exercising increased patience and virtue.
Although Ramadan is nearing its end, it’s not too late to show your support for employees; especially as you may receive a request for holiday or increased flexibility for early May.
Follow your usual procedure for such requests but be sensitive to those observing religious holidays. Other ways in which you can show your support during Ramadan can include permitting unusual lunch hours or break times and remembering that no one is quite themselves when hunger strikes.
Surprise! How did a birthday party at work cost 450k?
You know how some people say they hate surprises, but then secretly love it when you remember their birthday? Well, that’s not what happened here.
Kevin Berling may not hate surprises, but he absolutely didn’t want a birthday celebration at work, which is something of a tradition for employees of Gravity Diagnostics in Kentucky. In fact he had even asked for them not to celebrate his birthday, and had a good reason too. Mr Berling feared it may trigger a panic attack, which it did. Not only at the party, but at subsequent conversations where he was confronted for “stealing his co-workers joy”.
A lawsuit ensued, following his dismissal, which awarded him $450,000. The lesson here? Appreciation of birthday parties is subjective and there are other, less-expensive ways to show you care.