Advocate - Issue 41

ADVOCATE

the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

COVER STORY: EMBRACING EQUALITY

Page 11.

Gender discrimination & dress code Page 15.

Benefit evolution advancements in wellbeing Page 19.

who we are & what we do...

advo is an award-winning advisory providing centralised management and advice with our own technology platforms for HR, Payroll, and Employee Benefit & wellbeing solutions.

Designed and priced with SME’s in mind, linked or standalone, our technology platforms and services are delivered and managed by our highly qualified and experienced advisors.

advo provides an outsourced payroll & HR service, with fully qualified consultants who protect & guide employers through employment law and HMRC regulations. We provide FCA regulated reviews, advice and recommendations across a suite of employee benefits including health, risk, well-being and lifestyle benefits.

advo-one, our unique online portal, underpins and connects all three services - providing access to employee and employer 24/7 from any device. advo-one includes benefits information, company documentation, perks & total reward statements, online payslips, absence management reporting and the ability for employees to book and track holiday.

advo-one is great employee engagement tool whilst centralising employer data, saving time and increasing efficiency with employee administration.

t: 01622 769210

e: info@advogroup.co.uk

w: advogroup.co.uk

What’s in

What’s new at advo

Page 3.

Your Payroll; Are you year-end ready?

Page 10.

Cover story: Embracing equity

Page 11.

Woman’s Health in the Workplace

Page 14.

Gender discrimination & dress codes

Page 15.

Swearing at work: is it ok?

Page 17.

WHATS NEW AT ADVO

PRIVATE CLIENT CHANGES

NEW FACES, NEW MANAGER & NEW DIRECTION

The way we deliver support to our private clients is undergoing considerable change. The department, run from our Oxford office and overseen by Sue Smith has started the gradual process of moving to our Maidstone office under a new manager, Simon Friday. Sue is planning to retire later this year and this has prompted a review of how we manage individual client policies.

The new team being assembled includes both new and existing talent and will expand the scope of products currently offered to include wider risk policies. The transition is a gradual one overseen by both Simon and Sue.

Simon commented “It’s full steam ahead in our new Private Clients department, a considerable amount of training has already been undertaken with much more to come. The gradual transition

of policy renewals into the Maidstone office has already started and the team are reportedly enjoying it immensely!

The short-term aim is to continue to expand the knowledge within the team through the ongoing training sessions both from insurers and internal sources. The longer-term aim is to be in a position where we can pick up all group leavers fully and offer our current Private Clients solutions on all things health, wellness.

The team have been fantastic in their adaptability and desire to learn in our quest to align the Employee Benefits department.”

Much of the team already have considerable insurance and account management experience having worked in other parts of advo in different departments and portfolios.

L to R: Ce Herring, Account Manager, Joseph Foord, Account Manager, Anabelle Hennon, Account Manager, Simon Friday Private Clients Manager, Sue Smith, current Head of Private Clients, Lucy Irvine, Head of Employee Benefits

OUR MANY OPTIONS

CHOICES TO BE MADE FOR ADVO’S NEW HEAD OFFICE

OUR NEW HOME

advo has a new Head Office. Cobdown House, in Alesford, Kent, is an old Country House nestled behind Kent FA’s training grounds in a large area of its own land. It was chosen because it is spacious and so can serve as advo’s head office for the many years ahead. Adjoining, at the rear, are further modern office blocks. This is a big investment by advo and it’s owners who wish to ensure Maidstone staff have a better working environment, with lots of room to grow over the years ahead.

‘ONE’ FOR ALL

At advo we recognise that our people are our greatest asset. Without their knowledge, commitment, empathy and professionalism all else fails. We try to recognise this with competitive salaries and a far-reaching health and benefits package. We are now adding to this by relaunching our intranet portal for staff and moving all across onto our staff’s own version of the advo-one portal.

This will allow each employee their own portal including Total Reward Statements, their personal documentation, access to all their bespoke benefits, control over absence and holiday and online payslips. Similar portals are available, as standard, to all advo clients.

Cobdown House, advo Estates, Kent

New stratigic partnership allows access to commercial insurance

advo has entered into a new strategic partnership with Spencer Hayes Group allowing clients access to independent specialist advice in sourcing all their commercial insurance needs. On the Spencer Hayes side, the partnership will be run by Jeff Dunn, their Client Director.

Colin Boxall, advo’s Executive Director commented “Jeff is like us, knowledgeable, affective, client centric and personable. He has already proven himself saving advo thousands on our commercial insurances and is already supporting others of our clients, improving their costs and cover. I am delighted we can offer advo clients access to this new specialist service” More information will follow shortly on how organisations can access savings and policy improvements on their current commercial insurances.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS advo partnership with Syrona Health

advo are delighted to announce our new partnership with the innovative and dynamic Syrona Health. who deliver virtual health support navigating health-transitions in the workplace, with a focus on female health.

advo are always looking for the next innovative employee benefit offering therefore we are excited to work with Syrona Health. As a business with a high demographic of female employees across various ages, we understand the impact women’s health has throughout all life stages and the importance of bringing these conversations to the forefront.

Syrona Health is on a mission to “democratise healthcare and the workplace”. They bring evidence-based research to the hands of people through various life stages. be it tracking, telemedicine, diagnostics and selfmanagement.

As a multiservice provider of HR, Payroll and Employee Benefits, at advo we have a unique insight into a variety of workplace challenges. Addressing inclusivity, whether related to

gender, age, sexuality, race etc is high up the agenda of many employers.

The partnership with Syrona Health will provide clients the opportunity to offer access to expert care from specialist medical professionals, tackling a number of key issues such as menopause, PCOS, endometriosis, fertility, men’s health and much more. Providing 24/7 access to medical support, Syronas services are a huge step towards bridging the health inequality gap.

Look out for more to come with our new partnership, including a webinar in June, or contact us now to discover how advo can assist with the implementation of Syrona Health benefits in your workplace.

Women in Protection Award finalist

advo’s Sue Smith has been announced as a finalist in the 2023 Women in Protection Awards as the ‘Adviser of the Year’.

These are long established awards that aim to ‘celebrate the leading women within the life, protection and health insurance industry’.

Sue is advo’s current Head of Private Clients managing a profitable part of the organisation.

Throughout Sue’s long career she has been committed to raising industry standards and has been active for many years with industry trade association AMII (Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries) as a founding member, committee member and Vice Chair helping to support and create today’s compliance structures. This is Sue’s final year at advo as she aims to retire later in the year. Sue is currently working closely with the new Private Clients team, led by Simon Friday, as the team moves from the Oxford to the Maidstone office.

Sue commenting on hearing she is a finalist for ‘Adviser of the Year’ commented “I am delighted to be singled out as a worthy finalist. I like to think I lead by example, demonstrating that a ‘lady of a certain age’ still keeps pace with any member of the younger generation. It may be my 35th year as an adviser, but my passion for doing the very best for my clients remains as strong as ever.”

advo’s Executive Director, Colin Boxall, said of Sue “She is a true force of nature. I have never worked with anyone with the same levels of commitment and care for ensuring the clients she is responsible for receive everything they are due.

Her polite but persistent approach invariably obtain the best results whether overcoming a claims problem or obtaining a best price and is an inspiration to our newer advo advisers.”

Colin added “ I believe advo is a beacon for diversity in our industry. We are a mixed gaggle of ages, personalities, cultures and backgrounds, but gelled together over our passion about doing the best for our clients and colleagues.”

advo’s Commercial Director, Lucy Pearce, our Head of Employee Benefits, Lucy Irvine and Ellie Sultana, Employee Benefits Account Team Manager were also award nominees.

You can find out more about the Women in Protection Awards by visiting:

https://event.covermagazine.co.uk/ womeninprotectionandhealthawards2023/en/ page/home

“

” I like to think I lead by example, demonstrating that a ‘lady of a certain age’ still keeps pace with any member of the younger generation

SUE SMITH

REACREDITED ISO-27001

We believed the IS O27001 five day site visit and audit was successful, and this has been now been proven correct as our re-certification has since been confirmed by the BSI.

Gill Mateo, Operations Director comments on advo’s continuing success with maintaining the highest standards of data security.

Some Health

“We are very pleased to announce that advo has gained re-certification for ISO 27001 Information Security Management System. This is an international standard recognised all over the world, proving to our customers that we know how to look after and protect their valuable data.

The re-certification included a vigorous five day audit on evidencing processes demonstrating they are embedded into our culture. We are also really pleased to confirm that the auditor found no major or minor non-conformities with our policies with only a couple of very minor opportunities for improvement, a very satisfying result.

Moving forward we are planning to transition to the new ISO 27001 standard which has been updated from the original 2013 version and so advo will be again audited in November of this year.”

advo are again to Corporate Adviser finalists recently fertility and wider secured a finalist Category. advo’s securing advo as

“I am absolutely this award, especially

predecessors who received similar nominations, wonderful learning experience working on the fertility benefit, and one of many I have been since joining advo. Thank you to everyone who

Employee Benefits team visits

Benedon Health

Our Employee recently visiting learning all with upcoming Millie Rayson visits as an first hand Benenden has its own medical insurance

L to R: Lucy Pearce, Commercial Director, Nic Draycott, Manager, Jenny Durling, Account Support Manager, (Clients), Sonia Quinn, Payroll Manager, Simon Friday, Manager, Nadiya Gregory, Business Developement Employee Benefits Manager, Lucy Irvine, Head of

Multi-service Strategy day

The business world is forever changing, the advo of today bears little resemblance to when we started 25 years ago. Being able to adapt to change is why we have grown to be one of the UK’s biggest privately owned advisories. We believe the reason we continue to be independent and strong is twofold, our people and forward thinking. The resilience, dedication and creativity of our people and the ability to look ahead and to amend our business to meet the market needs has often allowed us to remain ahead of competitors. advo managers recently met together at the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce offices (picture left). Off site manager meetings are a common occurrence and an important part of any ongoing strategy. These regular meetings tackle the ongoing challenges that the modern business world continually throws up and focusses in on any specific changes that need to be made. This meeting was the first looking at how advo can best manage multi-service clients into the future as the spread of clients taking more than one advo service continues apace.

Health recognition

to be recognised at the prestigious Adviser Awards with the list of their 2023 recently revealed. advo’s work in bringing a new wider health and wellbeing support to clients finalist place in the Best Wellbeing Solution advo’s Chris Lock whose work was instrument in as a finalist, commented.

absolutely thrilled and honoured to be recognised for especially when I consider my advo

nominations, some big shoes to fill! It was a the makeup and implementation of the new fortunate to learn from and experience who has supported me.”

Employee Benefits team had a fantastic day visiting the Kent Benenden Health hospital, all about the history of the hospital along upcoming proposition updates from hosts Rayson and Duncan Hardie. We see these an essential part of ongoing training seeing hand the service delivered to clients.

Benenden Health is an unusual provider in that it own hospitals and delivers lower cost private insurance solutions.

Did you know...

Did you know advo now has our own YouTube Channel? It’s very new and needs support to get the traffic through the site moving, so please reach out for your phone or tablet, & search for advo group. There are a few advo’s around the world, but you should find the link, then it would be great if you can then ‘click’ and even perhaps subscribe?

Draycott, Client Services Manager, Alison Gill, HR Manager Friday, Private Clients Developement Manager, Ellie Sultana, of Employee Benefits

advo employee benefit account management team with Benedon’s Duncan Hardie and Millie Rayson

Webinar Programmes

ARE YOU

advo are hosting a series of client webinars. In the most recent we partnered with Octopus electric vehicles, which generated considerable interest. This webinar took a ‘deep dive’ into how salary sacrifice, with a focus of moving to electric cars, can make wages go further while helping employers meet net zero goals. Email us if you want to know more.

Also, look out for details on our next Webinar, to take place on 7th June, with Syrona Health. Employment disputes relating to alleged discrimination against transgender employees have move then doubled in the last year. The webinar, hosted by advo’s Alison Gill and Syrona Health’s co-founder, Chantelle Bell aims to help businesses by ensuring their HR practices, culture and benefits are gender inclusive.

Solid gold resilience

At a recent event hosted by insurer, Cigna, Sally Gunnell OBE spoke about mental resilience and overcoming life’s obstacles. advo Employee Benefit’s Manager, Ellie Sultana, was fortunate to meet Sally and later commented. “I attended a Cigna Global event last night and met Sally Gunnell, who attended the ‘Table Talks’ event providing a great presentation on mental resilience and overcoming setbacks. Sally even brought her gold medal along! It was a great evening, thank you Sally, you are truly inspirational”

The 31st March, end and payroll teams are financial year as well

advo specialise in working experience of managing smaller businesses, the is carried out alongside

With this in mind we have to be aware of around this will vary from business

P11D submissions – you (P11D) for each employee expenses or benefits. Whilst businesses start collating potential financial penalties. need further help with understating the HMRC.

Changes to statutory pay

It’s important to ensure April 23 pay run:

Gender pay gap reporting

YOU YEAR-END READY?

end of financial year, is a key date in the payroll and finance industry. Many accounts are particularly busy ensuring everything is in order and correct for the current well as having all the correct information ready to start the new financial year.

working with SME’s and from our managing clients we know that often, in responsibility for payroll and finances many other functions.

have provided a check list of key things this time. This list is not exhaustive and to business.

you must send HMRC a separate report employee you’ve provided with taxable Whilst the deadline is 6th July many collating this sooner to avoid delays and penalties. Please call us for advice if you understating what needs to be sent to

pay – we have included rates below.

or more workers are required to annually publish a report with data relating to their gender pay gap. This has been the case since 2018 and the usual deadline was the 30th of March. However, the pandemic and its resultant pressures did lead to a temporary extension of the reporting deadline to the 4th of April. But recently, the deadline reverted to its original date, this was for 2022, and will be the same for 2023.

Check insurances – from our experienced many insurances are set up in line with the financial year and renew on the 1st April. Its good practice to check your insurance premiums and cover at this time.

Pay and salary reviews – many companies choose the 1st of April as the time for bonus payments and salary review increases. This is often due to wanting this to align to the accounting year. This alignment enables easier review of profit and overheads.

Start preparing your end of year accounts – The HMRC provide an overview on why, how and where to do this https://www.gov.uk/prepare-file-annual-accounts-forlimited-company. Once prepared and filed you can also use these to calculate how much corporation tax to pay.

ensure these new rates are reflected in your reporting – Organisations that employ 250

Due to our specialisms in HR, Benefits and Payroll advo can advise and assist you with a wide range of tasks relating your end of year duties. As always please reach out if you need assistance.

Once again this is not an exhaustive list of tasks and its key to consult your dedicated account and tax advisors.

EMBRACING EQUITY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

IWD is regarded as one of the most important days to celebrate women’s achievements and to raise awareness about women’s equality. It’s a day to focus on lobbying for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.

The theme for this year’s IWD was #embraceequity, but what does this mean? Well, according to IWD the words equity and equality are often used interchangeably.

“Etymologically, the root word they share is aequus, meaning “even” or “fair” or “equal” – which led to equity being from the Latin aequitas, and equality from aequalitas. Yet, despite these similarities, equity and equality are inherently different concepts, and the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to help forge worldwide conversation about this important issue and its impact.

So, what’s the difference between equity and equality – and why is it important to understand, acknowledge and value this? Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.

Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcom.

The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to get the world talking about why “equal opportunities are no longer enough” – and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.” https://www. internationalwomensday.com/EquityEquality

On the surface it’s easy to believe that by giving different individuals the same opportunity is being fair and promoting equality however those individuals’ circumstances are unlikely to be the same. For example, a business runs an employee reward program and the prize for their good performance is a

bottle of champagne. From the business’s perspective, they are being equal as every employee has an opportunity to win a bottle of champagne. However, what the business has not considered is if this is a feasible reward for every employee. What if an employee can’t drink due to religious or health reasons? The reward is therefore not equitable and could be considered discriminatory against the employees who can’t drink alcohol. There are several ways a business can celebrate equity in the workplace. CIPD have provided some handy pointers however if you are looking to change policy or understand ways in which to change your business culture please reach out for advice;

Provide equitable opportunities: ensure that all employees, regardless of sex, race, age, or any other protected characteristic, are treated equitably and are given tailored support to access opportunities for career advancement, training, and professional development.

Establish inclusive policies: develop policies and procedures that promote inclusivity, such as diversity and inclusion training, flexible work arrangements, and accommodations for employees with disabilities.

Implement fair pay practices: conduct regular pay equity analyses, including gender pay gap reporting, to ensure employees are paid fairly for their work, regardless of their sex or other characteristics.

Foster a supportive culture: create a culture of support and inclusivity, where employees feel comfortable sharing their experiences and challenges, and where everyone is encouraged to contribute their ideas and perspectives.

Amplify diverse voices: encourage employees from underrepresented groups to speak up and share their perspectives and ensure that diverse voices are heard and valued in decision-making processes.

It was International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March. IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, honoured the first time back in 1911.

Continued from Page 12.

Provide resources for work-life balance: offer resources and support for employees to achieve work-life balance, such as subsidised childcare, enhanced family-related leave, and mental health support.”

https://www.cipd.co.uk/#gref

This may also be a good opportunity to set up a focus group and a safe environment where your female employees may openly express any issues that they may be facing in the workplace. This could result in a review of any policies and working practices to consider whether they may have a negative impact on women.

Having great working relationships with our clients, we are aware that you value the contribution made by all of your employees to your business. International Women’s Day is a wonderful time to celebrate female employees’ achievements and to heighten awareness. However, please always involve your colleagues of all genders in any activity.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect and for us all to work towards greater gender parity in all aspects of life.

WOMEN’S IN THE WORKPLACE CREATING

A FEMALE FRIENDLY

Women’s health in the work place has historically been considered a taboo topic. Whilst society is becoming more open and understanding a recent study commission by SimplyHealth highlights that from a poll of 2000 females, 60% would still not feel comfortable discussing topics such as menstrual cramps, smear tests, breast examinations or menopause with a manager. You may be thinking, why does this pose a problem for us as a business or on a wider scale the economy? Well, a house of commons briefing paper; Women and the UK economy states in the UK, 15.52 million women aged 16+ were in employment in October to December 2021, according to the ONS UK Labour Market bulletin. This equates to almost 50% of the entire employed population.

This means potentially 30% of the entire UK employed population do not feel comfortable speaking to their employer regarding their health issues. The knock-on effect is likely an increased risk of absenteeism and presenteeism, both of which can and do negatively impact the business performance.

With all of the advo management team and 40% of the director team being female we hope, and strive to ensure we are promoting an open and comfortable environment where everyone regardless of gender feels comfortable discussing health topics with their line manager.

Nadiya Gregory, who heads up advo’s Business Development team, commented “Being a member of, and also managing a 100% female based team, means I am regularly navigating matters of women’s health in the work place. The most important tool for me

HEALTH WORKPLACE

WORKING ENVIRONMENTS

is understanding how women’s health can impact performance in different ways and learning how to create an accommodating environment where people of all genders can flourish whilst also keeping focus on our commercial goals.”

L to R: Alison Gill, Client HR Manager, Lucy Irvine, Head of Employee Benefits, Lucy Pearce, Commercial Director, Ellie Sultana, Employee Benefits Manager, Jenny Durling, Account Support manager, Nadiya Gregory, Business Developement Manager, Sonia Quinn, Souther payroll Manager, Lisa Wichlacz, Northern Payroll Manager

There are a range of things employers can do to help female staff feel comfortable discussing their health.

• Educate yourself – there is a vast range of information available online covering different women’s health topics. Following on from their study Simplyhealth have provided a great online guide; simplyhealth. co.uk/healthy-living/womens-health

• Health screenings – In general females require more health screenings than males. These also start at a much younger age. Did you know you can set up a free health screening account for your business giving your employees access to discounted rate private health screens?

• Practical support – providing sanitary goods in the female toilets is a great way to help women feel reassured that their employer is comfortable with discussing women’s health topics. This will also remove the potential scenario of someone using an excuse to leave the office or take time out if they have forgot to bring their own products.

• Be menopause aware – According to acas “Managing the effects of the menopause at work is important for both employers and their staff. For those experiencing symptoms it can be a difficult and stressful time. Everyone will experience the menopause differently and for some, symptoms can be quite severe and can

• affect people both physically and mentally” https://www.acas.org.uk/ menopause-at-work . It is therefore so important for employers and managers to consider how to approach employees going through the menopause. Due to the variation in how people experience this a case-by-case approach is often the best fit.

• Communicate – an employer who is open, understanding and confident in discussing these topics will create a more comfortable environment for employees. Not only will this allow for more open conversations it will also assist with potential absenteeism and presenteeism issues.

Speak to advo today to see how our HR and Employee Benefits team can help you establish a female friendly company culture.

GENDER DISCRIMINATION & DRESS CODES

advo’s HR Manager, Alison Gill outlines the issue of dress codes and in particular ensuring they are gender neutral. How can businesses ensure employees are representing the company in a positive way whilst addressing the individuality of how people dress?

Pre-COVID, it appears that for those working in an office environment, there was a written or unwritten role regarding smarter standards of dress. However, since working from home, employees may have got used to a more casual style of dress and this change has translated into the office working environment.

This cultural shift has led to a number of queries that has left employers pondering

what dressing appropriately for work means. At advo, we frequently get asked questions about dress code and the appearance of employees at work. If an employee attends work and the perception is that they are scruffy, poorly groomed or dressed ‘inappropriately’, this can lead to a difficult conversation. An employee’s appearance can be subjective and addressing such subject can be awkward for managers.

Dress code can be a written or unwritten code of practice that companies adopt as a type of workplace etiquette. The strict adherence to dress code rules often varies from company to company and there are advantages and disadvantages to setting these rules.

For example, dress codes clarify the expectations of the employer and helps the employee to adhere to the company dress culture, promoting professionalism, team spirit and uniformity. Think about McDonalds and apple, its easy to see there is clearly a dress code within these organisations.

Some companies may want employees to retain their office dress code whilst working from home – where they either deal with clients who are used to a certain type of decorum, or have internal virtual meetings where making a good impression is key. However, a well-reported incident from 2015 comes to mind as a major disadvantage to some company dress code requirements.

The incident involved a temporary receptionist who was sent home without pay from PWC after she refused to wear two-tofour-inch high heeled shoes and complained that such requests were not being made of her male colleagues. She argued that she would not have been able to work a ninehour shift in heels and the result was the publication of specific Government guidance, released in May 2018, which sets out the rules for dress codes.

This guidance explains that whilst dress code policies for men and women can differ, an equivalent level of smartness for workers of all sexes must be imposed. However, despite this guidance that was introduced some five years ago, recent reports have shown that 34% of women workers have been told to wear more make-up on virtual calls.

This comment would clearly not be made to men so this would immediately be an incident of direct sex discrimination.

If you are thinking about revisiting a dress code for your team, it is advisable to avoid

gender specific prescriptive requirements, e.g. the requirement to wear make-up, have manicured nails, wear hair in certain styles or to wear specific types of hosiery or skirts is likely to be unlawful, assuming there is no equivalent requirement for men.

A dress code that requires all employees to ‘dress smartly’ would be lawful, provided the definition of ‘smart’ is reasonable. For example, a two-piece suit in a similar colour for both men and women, with low-heeled shoes for both sexes.

There is also the need to think of other protected characteristics when you make a dress code, e.g. religion and belief etc. It would be extremely difficult to stop any employee from wearing religious clothing, certain headpieces or wearing an article that lets them express their faith.

A lot of businesses adopt a loose ‘casual’ dress code policy or say that everyone should dress appropriately. They may adopt a clause that states that they trust employees to make the right decision about what they wear, ensuring that they are comfortable but also that they represent the company in the right way at the right time.

If you are considering adopting this type of approach, it may be helpful to provide employees with some broad guidance. This would then avoid subjective decisions and managers having to have difficult conversations about the term appropriateness.

If you are thinking about setting or revising a dress code, please consider the reasoning behind your dress code and avoiding any discriminatory elements. advo would recommend consulting with employees as this may help ownership and to ensure that through agreement, any dress code is acceptable to both the company and its employees.

Please reach out if you require any assistance, our experienced HR team are to here to help.

This related to a recent case when a manager and an employee were discussing a deal when he dropped the ‘F-bomb’.

This is not the first case that highlights swearing! Back in 2003, an employee took legal action against his employer, claiming that the conduct of the CEO, in particular his abusive and foul language, constituted a breach to the implied duty of trust and confidence.

As with some Employment Tribunal cases and newspaper reports, there is more to these cases than headlined but this is an area that opens up discussions about language at work can be a minefield.

If someone stubs their toe on the edge of their desk or drops hot coffee down them, you may hear the odd profanity and most people will just shrug it off and in some working environments, swearing may be commonplace and culturally accepted as part of everyday communication between colleagues. However, in other workplaces, swearing may be considered unprofessional, offensive and grounds for disciplinary action.

There is no law that swearing in the workplace is an act of gross misconduct but whatever the culture, advo would recommend that employers should always be conscious that not everyone likes or feels comfortable in an environment when swearing is common place.

We would recommend that employers take the lead and set out a clear policy on the use of offensive and inappropriate language in the workplace. It is always good to provide examples of what would be considered unacceptable and to be effective, the stance has to be managed consistently and managers should immediately address issues relating to swearing and offensive language.

It is also really important that managers lead by example and don’t use foul language themselves and if they are frustrated by an employee’s performance, they should be encouraged to take

time to calm down before speaking with the employee. Being subject to offensive language may lead to grievances against the manager, and if the language used is so offensive and serious as to result in an employee resigning from their job, they may be able to bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal for constructive dismissal.

If an employee directs abusive or offensive language towards a manager, or any employee, facts of the incident should always be considered before any decision is made to take disciplinary action. In one tribunal case, where an employee used abusive language towards a colleague in a sudden explosion of temper and under the influence of drink, it was held to be unfair to dismiss that employee without first giving him the opportunity to apologise.

Please remember that even if an organisation opts to take a more relaxed approach to swearing at work, employers must be aware of their duty to take steps to prevent bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation in the workplace.

The law protects workers from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation relating to protected characteristics, including age, sex, race and maternity. If someone is subject to profanities or foul language because of a protected characteristic, which they feel is inappropriate, derogatory or offensive, this may be considered unlawful discrimination, even where the person swearing claims it to be ‘banter’.

Employers can be held legally responsible for the actions of its workforce during the course of employment. However, an employer may not be held responsible if an Employment Tribunal decides they took all reasonable steps to try to prevent harassment, discrimination, and victimisation by members of staff.

This means it is in the employer’s interest to ensure workers are aware of and trained on the organisation’s policy and standards of conduct, that any complaints are acted on quickly to reduce the risk of any costly claims.

Articles headlined by national newspapers in January 2023 headlined with Dropping the ‘F-bomb’ at work is no longer shocking and according to the judge swearing no longer provides any “shock value” at work.

SWEARING AT WORK IS

IT OK?

Are attitudes changing? Are we no longer shocked? What is acceptable in today’s workplace? – advo’s, Alison Gill, who mheads up the HR team, takes a closer look.

BENEFIT EVOLUTION ADVANCEMENTS IN WELLBEING

The world of employee benefits is a constantly evolving proposition and the days of employers simply providing a Healthcare benefit and calling it their Wellbeing Strategy are becoming a thing of the past.

As the world of work continues to progress and grow in the aftermath of the pandemic we are seeing an increasingly diverse approach to companies Wellbeing Strategies, and one area in particular that is becoming a focal point for 2023 is gender specific health cover.

One of the main topics for this benefit area is women’s health, particularly the Menopause, and this is definitely a very important demographic to focus on, with 1 in 10 women leaving their job due to this life event*.

However, did you know that the gender specific health cover is a very broad ranging subject matter which focusses on a very wide variety of areas beyond the Menopause? Over the past 18 months we have worked alongside, and begun new partnerships with, providers who have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of this growing field of expertise, and have shared information with us at advo that has really opened our understanding around so many factors for gender specific healthcare. Whilst this is very detailed, with a wide variety of subject matter for consideration, some of the key areas we have obtained information and understanding on are as follows:

Fertility treatment

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) around 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK will struggle with infertility+, and with access to fertility

treatment being very expensive (one course of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) can cost up to £5,000 or more~) it is often beyond the reach of many employees. Through one of our partners, Fertifa, we learnt that 88% of employees who feel unsupported during IVF treatment at work think of leaving their jobs, or do end up leaving. However, it need not be this way. Through supportive benefits, employers can offer support in various ways, either financially by providing support for courses of IVF for example, or alternatively through enabling access to information such as clinical advice and wellbeing support throughout an employee’s fertility journey.

Endometriosis

We were recently given an overview by another of our partners, Syrona Health, who gave a really passionate presentation on this condition. For those not familiar, Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and it can effect woman of any age including teenagers.

Unbelievably, Endometriosis is as common as Diabetes, but an average diagnosis can take beyond 6-10 years! It is therefore no great surprise that 1 in 6 employees quit their jobs due to this condition and yet, despite all of this, the condition itself is not spoken about in great detail and therefore the knowledge and understanding, and support offered through the workplace environment, can be limited. Shining a light on this condition, and providing an understanding, safe and caring environment for employees, not just for women, but for fathers, brothers, partners and even sons, to learn more about this debilitating condition, can only be positive for those concerned.

advo’s Chris Lock takes a closer look at some new employee benefits enhancements that are making an impression in wellbeing strategies.

Men’s Health

I am one of those generations that comes from a parenting background of “manly-men” who never spoke about their mental health. Thankfully this trend is changing by each generation, however, unfortunately it is still commonplace to hear people say someone needs to “man-up” which essentially means to bottle your emotions. That, simply put, is unhealthy and unfortunately is a key factor in statistics such as men being 4 times less likely to report ill health being commonplace.

Only by supporting men in the workplace will they feel comfortable to open up and reverse this trend. Referring to some of the subject matters already touched on within this article, and again through working with Syrona Health, it was enlightening to learn that 40% of infertility cases are male, the most affected age demographic to be affected by testicular cancer is 15-49, and 50% of people over 50 suffer with an enlarged prostate. In addition to these, and something until recently I was completely unaware of, is a condition called Andropause, where men in their late 40’s to early 50’s can suffer with a number of conditions such as depression, loss of sex drive, mood swings, insomnia and a general lack of enthusiasm or energy. Sometimes referred to as the “male Menopause”, these symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness and it is therefore important to be able to support employees to understand the cause of the problems and what can be done to support this.

When you think about it, we all work with colleagues who contribute to those statistics and categories shared throughout this article. I, for one, am very fortunate that I work for an employer who provides access to the support

and information I need to learn more about each of those, and also offer an environment where I am comfortable to discuss by own health. This in turn helps set a precedent in that others will see me, or a colleague, open up and discuss their health which will encourage them to do the same. By doing this we will gradually see a reverse in those statistics and “normalise” gender specific health.

These examples are only a sample of the types of gender specific health cover subject matter that we are seeing as a growing focus within the employee benefits market, and through working with our fantastic partners, two of which I have mentioned in this article, we will continue to learn and understand how important it is to be able to provide access to employees going through these Life events.

Sources:

+ https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156/chapter/ context#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20 infertility,seeking%20help%20for%20such%20 problems.

* https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/ menopauseandtheworkplace

~ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/

By doing this we will gradually see a reverse in those statistics and “normalise” gender specific health

Chris Lock, advo

Chris Lock advo employee benefit account manager

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EVERYDAY HEALTHCARE COSTS

There is help for employees with raising healthcare costs. A low cost, and popular benefit for staff is a cash plan. This not only helps in combatting costs of necessary healthcare but allows access to wider wellbeing support.

With the cost-of-living pressures continuing to bite many people are having to make sacrifices in relation to how and where they use disposable income. According to the Office for National Statistics around 9 in 10 (87%) adults reported an increase in their cost of living over the previous month in March 2022 (16 to 27 March 2022), an increase of 25 percentage points compared with around 6 in 10 (62%) adults in November 2021 (3 to 14 November 2021).

A knock on effect of inflation is the impact to both physical and mental wellbeing. This creates an effect to businesses who will subsequently experience higher absenteeism within their work force due to poorer health.

Whilst we appreciate inflation is both an issue for businesses and employees, a low cost solution to help minimise some of these issues is a Cash Plan.

Low cost and simple to use Cash Plans are immediately accessible and perfect for reimbursing the cost of everyday healthcare appointments which can be pricey such as optical and dental care.

Cash Plans could be used for the following:

Cost of eye tests, new frames and lenses; this will also cover your company’s requirement to provide optical tests for employees regularly using VDU’s;

Routine dental check-ups and restorative treatment;

Physiotherapy / chiropractic treatment; this benefit is particularly useful for minimising claims on other insurances as well as long term absenteeism for employees with back issues etc;

Alternative therapies such as reflexology and acupuncture; a great way to increase employee wellbeing;

Discounted health assessments / gym memberships.

Most Cash Plans also include Employee Assistance Programmes which provide advice and support on relationship issues, debt, bereavement etc with counselling sessions also available. With mental health issues ever-present and seemingly on the rise, ensuring employees have all the support and resources available to help manage any issues they have is a highly valued benefit.

As an employer paid benefit with a low P11D cost, a Cash Plan is an affordable healthcare solution for both the employee and employer. The reimbursement of the above treatments / appointments will also alleviate the financial pressure associated with these costs, which will be hugely valued in the current climate.

Want to know more? just reach out to advo.

UK GP SHORTAGE & SELF REFERRAL

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR BENEFITS

We take a closer look at the GP shortage that is affecting the UK and how your Employee Benefits can help to access healthcare quickly. It’s worthwhile contacting your dedicated advo consultant to find out if your benefit package already includes some of the following services.

So, what does the UK GP shortage look like?

Well, according to the British Medical Association ‘in February 2020, the Government announced a drive to recruit an additional 6,000 GPs by 2024. However, over the last year, the NHS has lost 323 GP partners and 335 salaried, locum and retainer GPs. This has created a net loss of 658 individual GPs since November 2021.’

The BMA go on to confirm ‘the decline in GPs coincides with a rise in patients. Whilst there are 1,973 fewer fully qualified FTE GPs today than there were in September 2015, each practice has on average 2,206 more patients than in 2015.’

How can employee benefits aid this issue?

Considering these stats, the use of employee benefits can serve to alleviate the pressure on the NHS and ensure that patients are seeking advice as quickly as possible.

Virtual GP services, available as part of health and risk policies as well as stand-alone benefits, are a popular choice for users who can arrange appointments at a time that is convenient to them, usually within 24 – 28 hours. Prescriptions can be arranged for collected from a local pharmacy within the hour.

Whilst a virtual GP is beneficial for the individual using the service and to the Practitioner who is able to carry out appointments at a greater pace, it is not without its difficulties.

According to sources, some GP’s do have reservations that the removal of face-to-face interaction may reduce the quality of care.

This coupled with the need for robust technology can present issues for GP surgeries that are not well enough equipped.

Whilst some conditions will require face-toface consultation, the larger UK health insurers do not always require you to visit your GP first. This is known as ‘self-referral’ and is a highly valued solution considering the current UK GP shortage.

What is Self-Referral?

Self-referral allows you to utilise Specialist care directly through the insurer without the need for referral from your GP.

The large majority of UK health insurers offer this service, to varying degrees, with the most common direct access paths being for the following conditions:

Cancer care

Some insurers offer direct access to Specialist oncology teams who can advise and guide even before the point of claim. There may be instances where GP referral is still required to determine whether a condition is pre-existing

or not however members would be advised at the point the query becomes a claim.

Musculoskeletal conditions

For injuries, aches and pains that are easily identifiable, insurers are able to refer to Physiotherapists / Chiropractors etc for faceto-face appointments and as well as issuing home exercise plans. Musculoskeletal claims are one of the most popular and wait times can be avoided when utilising a direct pathway.

Mental Health

If a member is struggling with their mental health there is direct access available to speak with someone who can refer to the most appropriate treatment which could be telephone, virtual or face-to-face counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or psychiatry. Some people may not be comfortable discussing with their GP or even over the phone with an adviser to assess the individual therefore app-based services are also available

THE MOST OF YOUR BENEFITS

UK GP SHORTAGE & SELF REFERRAL MAKING

Continued from page 22.

which can offer support and guidance on the best course of treatment.

Other direct services are also be available such as skin assessment services for lesions or moles. These services can also be accessed via some Cash Plan providers as well as private medical insurance, without the need for an initial GP referral.

The Healthcare market has seen an increase post-Covid in virtual and direct referral services through app-based technology.

The type of care available is broadening with accessibility for home testing and screening kits for and access to specialist care for women’s health.

Promoting Direct Access to Employees

Many providers market the direct access available to members at policy inception and beyond through email campaigns, however advo work closely with our clients to ensure

the additional services are well promoted which we are able to do through educational Webinars and seminars. Where confidential non-identifiable usage reports are available, this can be used to tailor the promotion of benefits and increase engagement.

Benefit to Employees

The ability to be able to utilise employee benefits via technology through apps and direct pathways at a time that suits employees is a key feature of any employee benefit. This will result in quicker access to care, reduced absence and can help towards retention of staff due to use of a valued employee benefit.

advo’s team of employee benefit advisers, can help to identify and promote these benefits as part of our scope of services.

EMPLOYEE FINANCIAL WELLBEING

advo have got together with Duncan Hardie and Millie Rayson from Benenden Health to get their thoughts on how employers can help their employees financial wellbeing.

shoulder, those feelings can quickly spiral and severely impact your working life.

Millie (M): Employers can make a real tangible difference to the confidence employees have in their finances and the decisions they make around money.

How might poor financial wellbeing affect a business?

The cost-of-living crisis continues to throw up fresh challenges and the average person still faces immense pressure on their wellbeing as a result. We know employers are wellplaced to support the financial wellbeing of employees, but where do they start?

Our partners at Benenden Health have an approach that could help, Duncan Hardie and Millie Rayson tell us more…

Why does employee financial wellbeing matter?

Duncan (D): Feeling in control of your finances is central to how you respond to the rising cost of living. If your perception of your financial security is one of never having enough funds available and always looking over your

M: We found that over a fifth UK workers associate stress with their financial situation [source: Financial Conduct Authority], which inevitably impacts negatively on their productivity at work.

That can in turn lead to lost work days due to absences. In the last year, an estimated 13 million workdays have been lost due to absences through poor financial wellbeing [Source: corporate-adviser.com].

What can employers do to positively support employees?

D: Improving your employees’ financial wellbeing is good for them and good for your business. We recommend that employers explore and adopt a financial wellbeing strategy.

By building a tailored approach, you’ll be

better placed to provide the best support. Examples we have suggested in our Financial Wellbeing Guide (see link below) include offering resources to build financial resilience, creating a culture of support, and providing assistance in sensitive situations.

How can Benenden Health support employees?

M: Benenden Health has several services that can assist with financial wellbeing. For example, we offer a Mental Health Helpline that can provide emotional support and signpost advice for problems including legal issues and debt support.

We also offer our Care Planning and Social Care Advice service, which can support your employees with the challenges of long-term care.

Members also have access to discounts in our Rewards scheme and a wellbeing hub on our Benenden Health App.

You can read Benenden Health’s Financial Wellbeing Guide at: https://forbusiness. benenden.co.uk/l/482581/2023-0222/3f4z58. You can also find out more about Benenden Healthcare at Benenden.co.uk of your advo account contact.

Benenden Hospital, Kent

OUTSOURCING HR, PAYROLL & REWARD

When you first establish a business and attempt to run it as smoothly as possible, it quickly becomes apparent that you’ve ended up with a lot more responsibility than you bargained for. Certain considerations don’t initially make it into the equation of your overall strategic oversight. However, the efficiency & effectiveness attached to how a particular set of functions are carried out within an organisation is visibly reflected in the quality of what it offers.

These specific functions are collectively known as human resources (HR), payroll, and employee benefits. They each comprise a range of singularly essential duties and, as such, their importance cannot be understated. Having said this, they all individually contain inherent complexities which commonly cause them to be neglected. It’s understandable, what’s on the surface of a business is demanding enough, let alone its internal operations.

Despite this fact, there is a solution, one that is represented by the outsourcing of such services. That is, hiring an external entity to meet the vital managerial obligations of a business. We’ve collaborated with Lucy Pearce. HR, Payroll and Employee Benefits specialist at advo to illustrate the comprehensive benefits that come with outsourcing HR, payroll, and employee benefits.

TALENT ATTRACTION & RETENTION

Employees are the principal asset of any given business. Consequently, the degree to which your workforce consists of individuals

who exhibit a specialised level of talent singlehandedly determines your potential as a business. By the same token, if you’re ever to continuously expand – which should be your primary aim – then a prerequisite is an incessant influx of skilled employees. However, the landscape of talent attraction is exponentially competitive. Today’s workers demand more from their employers than ever, as signalled by the ‘Great Resignation’. In order to make your organisation’s terms more desirable, you have to respond to influential social factors, such as cost of living increases and the growing need for flexibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The sole way to do this is by implementing a coherent approach to HR, as typified by those which offer incentives like a wide array of employee benefits. It’s virtually impossible to address this matter internally, making top talent a luxury exclusive to teams of HR professionals.

advo’s commercial Director, Lucy Pearce’s article, published in Business Case Studies, takes a closer look into the pros and cons of outsourcing an SME’s business essentials.

Lucy Pearce advo commercial director

INCREASED EMPLOYEE WELLBEING

Another societal change experienced in recent years has been the prevalent shift towards a focus on the importance of one’s overall wellbeing. Specifically, the inextricable relationship between physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and financial wellbeing. This is an area which has keenly affected the employment industry, chiefly arising during the Covid-19 pandemic. And, although the pandemic appears to be quite behind us, the resultant attitudes firmly remain. Justifiably, workers no longer want to exchange aspects of their wellbeing for monetary gain in the form of career advancements, as has often been the accepted standard. These conditions lead to dissatisfaction, and subsequently, a phenomenon termed ‘quiet quitting’, i.e., fulfilling the minimum amount of what is expected within their role.

If your business is to thrive, it cannot be devoid of enthusiasm. This implies that you must foster a positive working environment, one where an individual’s achievements are celebrated & rewarded. In turn, your employees will be happier, healthier, and so more productive. Organisational growth fundamentally lies in personal development, a facet in which outsourced HR departments are designed to actualise performance management alongside tailored employee benefits packages.

MAXIMISED COMPLIANCE

Owning a business and hiring employees brings with it an implicit mandatory responsibility. Namely, ensuring that your organisation complies with the applicable laws

and regulations which are in place. If your organisation fails to regulate its processes accordingly, then fines, various penalties, and irrevocable reputational damage will follow. Foremostly, this concerns payroll and employee benefits.

For instance, the UK Government stipulates that you must run payroll for all the workers you employ, and abide by the Pay-As-YouEarn (PAYE) system so that wage deductions for National Insurance, tax, and student loan contributions are paid accurately. This includes reporting to HMRC with Full Payment Submissions (FPS) in a timely manner. Likewise, there are compulsory employee benefits which you must offer, such as holiday entitlement & pay, statutory sick pay, maternity and paternity leave & pay, all while automatically enrolling each of your employees onto a workplace pension scheme if they are eligible. For this latter point, you must also guarantee that re-enrollment occurs once every three years.

Of course, this is a lot to grasp and be proactively informed on, especially if you employ internationally and so have workers who are subject to different laws and regulations. Not to mention, the associated tasks become more infeasible the larger the scale of your organisation.

This is why the majority of successful businesses outsource human resources, payroll and employee benefits because such related teams already possess the required knowledge & software which allows them to reliably carry out these meticulous, yet crucial tasks seamlessly.

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...the landscape of talent attraction is exponentially competitive. Today’s workers demand more from their employers than ever Lucy Pearce, advo

OUTSOURCING HR, PAYROLL & REWARD

Continued from page 28.

SAVED TIME & MONEY

Time & money are the most significant resources a business has, and one generally takes into account the other. Unfortunately, however, the two are relatively limited, particularly in the case of startup organisations. Meaning, that shrewd management is key in this context. The crux is that substantial time consumption and expenditure are intrinsic within all we have discussed so far if it is operated internally.

The reason for this is that there is so much distinct administration involved. Even for payroll alone, there is the obligation to handle payslips and the numerous deductions therein, maintain records precisely, as well as regularly provide HMRC with relevant data in order to comply with ever-changing laws and regulations. For this latter point, you must also guarantee that re-enrollment occurs once every three years.

Of course, this is a lot to grasp and be proactively informed on, especially if you employ internationally and so have workers who are subject to different laws and regulations. Not to mention, the associated tasks become more infeasible the larger the scale of your organisation. This is why the majority of successful businesses outsource human resources, payroll and employee benefits because such related teams already possess the required knowledge & software which allows them to reliably carry out these meticulous, yet crucial tasks seamlessly.

SAVED TIME & MONEY

Time & money are the most significant resources a business has, and one generally takes into account the other. Unfortunately, however, the two are relatively limited, particularly in the case of startup organisations. Meaning, that shrewd management is key in

this context. The crux is that substantial time consumption and expenditure are intrinsic within all we have discussed so far if it is operated internally.

The reason for this is that there is so much distinct administration involved. Even for payroll alone, there is the obligation to handle payslips and the numerous deductions therein, maintain records precisely, as well as regularly provide HMRC with relevant data in order to comply with ever-changing laws and regulations.

On top of this, you’d be expected to arrange a well-thought-out hiring process made up of cogent marketing, interviewing, and onboarding alongside administering a clearly defined employee benefits plan so that you can effectively attract and retain new hires. Further still, you would have to attend to the needs and cares of those individual employees on a daily basis, thereby certifying their overall well-being within the business, if you were to consistently meet your lucrative objectives.

It is simply not practical to deal with such elements internally because you would have very little time to properly govern your organisation, nor any money for all the independent staff you would have to take on. Outsourcing an integrated HR, payroll, and employee benefits service works to categorically lift this formidable burden from your shoulders, affording you with more time and money, in the long run, to concentrate on efforts which are a leading priority. In a similar vein, outsourcing means that you are permitted to access innovative HR technology, technology that is purpose-built to streamline each and every process. As a result, both your organisation and its employees prosper simultaneously.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we hope that it has shown you the wealth of opportunity that comes with outsourcing services like HR, payroll, and employee benefits. Moreover, we wish you luck in selecting a product which entails you reaping all the benefits that we’ve covered here.

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