Employees, cyber-attacks and data protection
As working from home becomes the norm, email has become an even more important method of communication for many UK employees. Email volumes have increased by 34% this year and, inevitably, cybercriminals have smelled an opportunity.
More than a fifth of UK employees have received a COVID-themed phishing email, and that is only the percentage who recognised and reported it. Although you have probably given your employees a good grounding in email security, you need to be extra vigilant at the moment.
Employees working remotely may not have as easy access to IT support to cast an eye over suspicious emails, and the extra distractions that come with home working can lead to carelessness. Scammers will also take advantage of the sense of panic surrounding the pandemic to trick employees into giving up sensitive information. (It’s an emergency, after all).
Teaching your employees to spot the tell-tale signs of phishing could prevent significant damage to your company, and will also spare the employee the stress and embarrassment of falling for a scam. It could also help them avoid damaging and distracting scams in their personal life which affect their performance at work.
Remote working also raises issues of data protection. GDPR laws can be unforgiving and they apply to your employees wherever they are working. You should make it clear to your remote staff that they must handle personal data with the same care as they would in the office. This month H&M was fined 35 million euros for breaching GDPR, demonstrating just how harsh the punishments can be.
GDPR also applies to any data you collect for NHS Test and Trace. You are allowed to ask employees if they are experiencing symptoms, but you should only store this information if strictly necessary. You should tell employees exactly what information you have, and delete it as soon as it has served its specified purpose.
If you have any questions about data protection laws, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Love is not in the air
With half the UK workforce now working from home, have we seen the end of the office romance?
The office has always played a prominent role in dating, with 10% of married couples in the UK meeting at work. In a competitive job market there is more pressure than ever to put in extra hours at the office, meaning the workplace relationships are the most realistic option for many. While online dating has grown in popularity, many people prefer the security of getting to know someone slowly in a neutral environment.
This has all changed with the COVID-19 outbreak. Although it’s easy enough for employees to stay in touch, nobody wants to flirt on a Zoom call. This comes at a time when anxieties about office romances are already high. The #MeToo movement raised many questions about workplace relationships, especially between employers and their staff.
With differing opinions on what is appropriate, many companies are erring on the side of caution. Last year, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook was sacked for not disclosing workplace relationships. Prominent New York investment firm BlackRock recently extended its office romance policy to include “external partners” as well as immediate colleagues. This means that employees must now disclose relationships with anyone linked to the company – potentially hundreds of thousands of people if you include suppliers and clients.
A clear policy on workplace relationships is important for preventing harassment, but take care not to go too far. Policing consensual office romances will only force staff to live in secrecy, creating resentment and damaging morale.
For advice on striking the right balance, give us a call.
A recap on government support schemes
The furlough scheme has been winding down since August, and this month it comes to an end. While this will mean a significant loss of support for many, the government has introduced several new schemes.
Starting on 1 November, the Job Support Scheme will run for six months. It is designed to protect viable jobs over the winter and will pay a third of hours not worked. A minimum of 33% of hours must still be worked and paid normally. You and the employee split the rest. From next February, you may also be able to claim a Job Retention Bonus of £1,000 for every furloughed employee that you kept continuously employed until January 2021.
Then there is the Kickstart Scheme, which will provide funding to create new jobs for 16-24-year olds. The HR Dept can help you set this up, so get in touch for more details.
Rise in tribunal claims due to COVID-19
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to disrupt the working world, employment tribunal claims have risen sharply. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has reported an 18% increase in claims between April and June, and the outstanding caseload has risen by 31%. The MoJ has been quick to tie this increase to the outbreak, in particular unemployment and changes to working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many employees losing their jobs unexpectedly and being unable to secure new work, it is unsurprising that unfair dismissal claims have shot up. With the end of the job retention scheme rapidly approaching, claims are likely to increase further.
As an employer, you may have some tough decisions ahead. While redundancies might be unpalatable, they may become unavoidable. But it is vital that you follow fair redundancy procedures to the letter in order to avoid becoming another tribunal statistic yourself.
The HR Dept can support you with these procedures, find out more about our monthly advice line offering.
Understanding mental health
A recent report by the Centre for Mental Health estimates that an additional 500,000 people will experience poor mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These odds suggest that one or more of your employees may be among their number. We’re sure that you’ll want to be there for your staff.
Take the time to understand what poor mental health means and how it can manifest itself. Be mindful that there may be extra triggers caused by the pandemic, including bereavement, the trauma of serious illness and financial worries to name just three.
Encouraging staff to take their breaks for a breath of fresh air and training up a mental health first aider for the team can help. Speak to our Health and Safety team for advice.
It is also important that mental health doesn’t become a barrier to career progression. A recent poll showed that a quarter of staff with mental health problems found it to be a professional hindrance. Even if you wouldn’t actively discriminate against these employees, be wary of any unconscious bias when making career decisions.
If you’re happy and you know it, please apply
People are often too quick to complain about “political correctness gone mad”, but in this case they might have a point. The owner of a Gloucestershire hair salon was recently contacted by the DWP after she advertised for a “happy” hairdresser.
The DWP told her to remove the adjective as it could be seen as discriminatory towards unhappy people. Although clearly ridiculous and the DWP later apologised, it highlights the care needed when advertising for staff. It’s always a good idea to have your adverts checked by a professional to avoid any genuine accusations of discrimination as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
