ADVOCATE Magazine - Spring 2021

ADVOCATE

the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

COVER STORY: advo-one relaunch Page 8.

Post Pandemic: Home or Office Page 24.

Hiding Mental ill-health Page 16.

Issue #37 spring 2021

advogroup.co.uk | who we are

who we are & what we do...

advocate magazine is produced by advo and published quarterly.

Established for over 20 years advo has grown rapidly as an organisation.

Starting life as an Employee Benefits intermediary, advo recognised the need for increased efficiency within essential employer support services. The addition of Payroll and HR has resulted in advo being able to offer one solution for all three services.

As an Investors-in-People Gold employer, we practice what we preach.

We are 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 by our highly qualified and experienced advisors.

For general information, and/or to join our online community, please follow http//issuu. com/advogroup.

Speak to us for: • •

•

Employee benefits: tailored to you and your business, designed with employee engagement in mind.

Human resources: all the advantages of an in-house HR team to ensure compliance with legislation, while supporting and advising to ensure best employment practice.

Payroll: helping you remain compliant and ensure your employees are paid correctly and efficiently.

t: 01622 769210 e: info@advogroup.co.uk w: advogroup.co.uk

advo supports

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk |02

advogroup.co.uk | what’s inside issue #37

what’s inside issue #37 ADVOCATE Welcome to our spring edition of advo’s quarterly magazine, advocate.

In advo news we update you on what’s new with us. You may have noticed something different as our whole look has changed.

In addition, we are excited to announce we have now launched advo-one, the UK’s first fully integrated platform comprising hr, payroll and employee benefits through a single log-on. We also give an update on our people moves including some new people and others moving to new roles within the group. Our other exciting update is the integration of Sagegreen HR into the advo group family.

This issue provides hr coverage on the government roadmap out of lockdown, how to continue to support your people through COVID-19 and managing your remote onboarding processes. In line with this, we include useful guidance on managing people during the processes of returning to the office after a challenging

time, and how to manage this process, including advice on vaccines and approaches if you intend to continue remote working.

the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

There is also an interesting article on the UK management crisis, lessons to be learned from the Asia-Pacific response to medical crises, and the latest updates in the zero hours contract court cases and how they are likely to impact on UK employers. We also look at how UK management can avoid crisis and look at employee attitudes towards the return to the workplace

Looking at employee benefit issues, we include an article on the moral and business case for employee financial wellbeing, and how employee benefits can help to boost productivity.

COVER STORY: advo-one relaunch Page 8.

Post Pandemic: Home or Office Page 24.

Remember that all past editions of our advocate magazine are free to read online at https://issuu.com/advogroup

Hiding Mental ill-health Page 16.

Issue #36 spring 2021

meet the advo team

For more information visit www.advogroup.co.uk

larry bulmer

gill mateo

kevin crew

lucy pearce

colin boxall

it director

commercial director executive director

Larry founded advo in 1997 and leads the group across all advo companies

Gill joined advo in 2006 becoming Operations Director in 2013 overseeing the smooth running of advo.

Kevin oversees our award winning online service and is further developing staff, HR and Payroll platforms.

Lucy oversees advo’s connected proposition bringing together payroll, hr and employee benefits.

Colin joined advo group’s board in 2008 and has over twenty five years sector business experience.

lbulmer @advogroup.co.uk

gmateo @advogroup.co.uk

kcrew @advogroup.co.uk

lpearce @advogroup.co.uk

cboxall @advogroup.co.uk

ceo

operations director

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 03

advogroup.co.uk | contents

contents

ISSUE #37 | spring 2021 advo news Page 06

| advo news roundup

Page 08

| advo-one launch

hr news & updates Page 12

|

roadmap out of lockdown

Page 14

|

supporting your people through COVID-19

Page 16

|

hiding mental ill health

Page 18

|

reviewing your remote induction

advo news roundup Page 6

Employee benefits Page 20

|

employee benefits can boost productivity, ABI finds

Page 22

|

the moral and business case for employee financial wellbeing

Health & other news Page 24

|

post pandemic: home or office?

Page 26

|

UK workers optimistic about returning to work as uk opens

Page 28

|

a UK management crisis: five key insights

Page 30

|

0-hours court rulings - how will they impact UK businesses

Page 32

|

crisis response lessons from the Asia-Pacific

page 35

|

advo-one in the press

advocate spring 2020 | advogroup.co.uk | 04

you may be right, but you will still lose Page 30

advogroup.co.uk | contents

ADVOCATE

the magazine from the UK’s leading business advisory

COVER STORY: advo-one relaunch Page 8.

cover story: hiding mental ill health Page 16

Post Pandemic: Home or Office

Page 8

Page 24.

Hiding Mental ill-health Page 16.

Issue #36 spring 2021

five key insights to the UK’s management crisis Page 28

post pandemic: home or office?

Page 24 advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 05

advogroup.co.uk | advo news

advo’s staff magazine

p

The week of the first lockdown advo launched it’s first staff newspaper. There had previously been regular staff updates but nothing that was specifically designed to bring people together now we were allworking apart.

When advo launched a newspaper with the aim of keeping all remote staff connected and highlight that there was some good news in the world in amongst all the doom and gloom and it was not imagined that nearly a year later it would still be a useful and popular benefit to staff. With the onset of a new lockdown, the 32nd issue relaunched as the ‘ADVONIAN’ magazine, a permanent fixture within the advo group of companies The magazine has expanded its remit to keep everyone informed about the group as a whole and not just focus on the good news, but all the news and advo business updates.

The latest edition featured advo staff recreating famous movie scenes.

advo integrates sagegreen hr into its employer solutions proposition advo has announced the integration of Sagegreen HR into its new branding, combining nation wide specialist HR advice and guidance with expert Employee Benefits advice and outsourced Payroll advice and support. advo’s HR Consultants will now be able to further enhance their client experience through the integration with advo-one, the revolutionary, new platform – which enables organisations to manage their employee benefits, absence management and payroll through a single, secure login.

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Jessic digita (abov Payro

advogroup.co.uk |advo news

people moves and new faces Despite the third lockdown, advo has continued to not only survive, but thrive.

Once again, advo has a number of new starters, which has allowed internal moves and promotions within the group. Since the last advocate magazine, advo has had five new starters; Nicki Young, Payroll Manager, Jessica Cairn, Digital Marketing Executive, and Victoria Barber, Sophie Dyer and Josie Milne who join our Account Services team.

ca Cairn, advo’s new al marketing executive ve) and Nicki Young, oll Manager

advo has the policy of recruiting from within wherever possible with the following positions all filled with advonians; • • • •

Ellie Sultana steps in as interim Employee Benefits Manager Nic Draycott is now Hub Admin manager Chloe Luff takes on a new role in the Finance department Lucy I steps up as the Account Support Manager

Colin Boxall, advo’s Executive Director, welcomed the new people and congratulated the people moving into their new roles, also commenting “the lockdown has had a knock-on effect and we have had to be adaptable moving to fully virtual learning, which has been challenging given the complexity of some of the new roles.”

advo embarks on a phased return to the office advo have reorganised the offices in line with government COVID-19 guidelines, with plexiglass partitions, re-organised seating, hand sanitising stations, visors, a one way system and non-touch entry points. advo are embarking on a phased return, with departments split into ‘working bubbles’, working from the office on a rotation basis.

Nadiya Gregory, Business Development Manager at advo comments “A gradual return to the office has raised feelings of both excitement and nerves for many staff at advo. As a growing business, there have been numerous new starters, change of roles and promotions in the last year. People are at the heart of what we do, so ensuring they receive the best training and exposure to the business was our primary driving factor when opening the office up to these staff members. It’s been great seeing people face to face!”

Nadiya Gregory, Business Development Manager

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advogroup.co.uk | advo-one is here

advo-one has arrived “ ”

advo-one is the culmination of over 20 year

experience with our clients to deliver a truly

connected solution for their HR management at an affordable cost Larry Bulmer, adv advo is delighted to announce the launch of advo-one, the

UK’s first fully integrated platform.

advo-one allows organisations to manage employee benefits, human resources and payroll through a single, secure login. Unlike many self service employer portals, every advo-one client journey is fully supported by advo people. advonians are experts dedicated to providing advice and guidance across the range of services, every single step of the way. advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 08

Employers can access detailed reporting recommendations; bespoke handbook; easy-to-use online holiday and sickness site visits; and essential news and legisl

advo-one can be accessed anytime from employers can have their own portal, co supported by access to advo experts.

advogroup.co.uk | advo-one is here advo-one features BACs approved payroll software compliant with HMRC, RTI and auto enrolment. It helps employers to manage furlough claims submissions; calculates pension contributions and auto enrolment; gives employee access to online payslips; and provides access to detailed payroll reporting.

advo-one is supported by dedicated payroll experts on hand to provide support and guidance.

There is also a huge choice of benefits on offer, including employee perks, health insurance and wellbeing, which make managing employees simple, connected and effective.

more than software advo-one is more than just software it’s a hire to retire people solution.

The platform features qualified advice built in, providing employers with support in areas that they need it. The platform also offers simplified access for employees – a single login to see HR docs, Payslips, P60’s, P11d’s, available benefits and staff discounts.

Over the years, advo has developed a reputation for cost control and customer service excellence, leading to the firm being recognised as the UK’s ‘best’ advisory firm by peers on numerous occasions.

Designed to increase efficiency and employee engagement, advo-one provides the expert support and software needed to manage each service individually, or together.

rs ,

vo CEO

g of HR usage and contract reviews; s reporting; regular lation updates.

Since 1997, advo has focused on quality of service and advice and has grown to be one of the UK’s largest independently owned advisory firms, providing all-encompassing services to support employers, throughout the employee lifecycle.

#WORKASONE

With Payroll and HR added to the firm’s expertise, advo can now deliver all essential employee support services.

Talk to us about advo-one

advo currently manages staff benefits, HR and payroll for just under m anywhere and ompany branded, 1,500 employers and their staff and the health insurance needs of countless individuals.

T: 01622 769210 E: info@advogroup.co.uk

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 09

advogroup.co.uk | advo-one is getting noticed

As part of the launch of advo-one, the advo site was re-launched in line with our exciting new ethos #WORKASONE. Below is what you can expect to see next time you visit us at www.advogroup.co.uk

advo’s ‘one’ brochure can be downloaded from the new website.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 10

— Dedicated expert advice — Health, Group Risk & Well-being — Employee engagement — Total Reward Statements

advogroup.co.uk | advo-one is getting noticed

— HR consultancy — Online absence management — Employee Relations – Compliance

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

HUMAN RESOURCES

PAYROLL

— Payroll processing — Auto enrolment — BACS management — Online Payslips Larry Bulmer, CEO of advo comments: “advo-one couples easy employee data administration with expert advice across the HR spectrum allowing for dynamic management of an organisation’s most critical resource. Various research in this area indicates a link between happier, more engaged people and higher levels of performance. LSE’s Centre for Economic

Unlike many self-service employer portals, every advo-one client journey is fully supported by advo people. advonians are experts dedicated to providing advice and guidance across the range of services, every single step of the way.

Performance demonstrated a link between employee wellbeing, employee productivity and business performance across all industries and regions in a 2019 study. The conclusion is simple – happier employees work better. Post Covid-19 this has never been more relevant, especially for underserved SME companies, where advo-one will add significant, but affordable, benefits.” advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 11

advogroup.co.uk | roadmap out of lockdown

roadmap out of lockdown

advo hr looks at the government’s roadmap out of lockdo In February 2021, the government unveiled their road map towards the lifting of lockdown restrictions in England.

predicted return to work date changes. Employers must make the workplace as safe as possible for all and must consider:

This roadmap has the caveat of caution but has the aim of a gradual and phased release of the lockdown restrictions by 21 June. The roadmap has a 4 phased approach to easing restrictions and giving indicative dates for each step, depending on the science.

Undertaking a risk assessment to identify what might cause harm and reasonable steps to prevent it, and Following the Government guidelines on working safely during coronavirus.

The government have created an overview of the roadmap which can be found here.

Making the workplace safe It is important that employers are talking to their employees about a potential return to work now, so employees can prepare and be ready to return to work at short notice, but also provide the flexibility if the

However, the most important aspect of returning is talking to your team and understanding their views about any plans to return to work.

This should involve a conversation about: • Travel to and from work • Health and safety management at the workplace • Any planned adjustments to the workplace

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 12

• How the retu will the retur some of the t others, or by days a week

• Any future wo consideration want to put in requests. You about how yo and meet the business

Remember, a ch also a change to and conditions o involves consult in writing. advo h you with this.

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advogroup.co.uk | roadmap out of lockdown

Other considerations could include: • Vaccinations and time-off for vaccinations.

• Employees who do not want the vaccine and considerations of how others may feel.

• Some businesses may wish to consider workplace testing and if so, ensure you adhere to HR and GDPR guidelines.

• The lack of social interaction could also have an impact on people and therefore on reintegrating staff back into the workplace, consideration should be given to who may struggle with this • Consider the needs of furloughed staff who may have not been working for some considerable length of time. They may need some refresher training or support to enable them to integrate quickly.

• Many employees may want to take annual leave over the summer period so ensuring a fair process for all will be paramount.

• Inevitably there will always be a handful of cases where circumstances have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Employers should listen to any concerns employees may have, and should take steps to be fair and consistent with all, where possible.

However, if you need further advice then advo’s HR professionals are always on hand to give you the support you need.

Updates to the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended across the UK until the end of September.

Furloughed workers will continue to receive 80% of their salary for hours not worked up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. Employer contributions raise to 10% in July and 20% in August and September.

For periods ending on or before 30 April 2021, you can claim for employees who were employed on 30 October 2020, as long as you have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. You do not need to have previously claimed for an employee before the 30 October 2020 to claim for periods from 1 November 2020.

For periods starting on or after 1 May 2021, you can claim for employees who were employed on 2 March 2021, as long as you have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 2 March 2021, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. You do not need to have previously claimed for an employee before the 2 March 2021 to claim for periods from starting on or after 1 May 2021. advo hr can help with CJRS advice, so talk to us today on info@advogroup.co.uk

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 13

advogroup.co.uk | supporting your people through COVID-19

supporting your people through

A quarter of staff have disclosed that their mental health has deteriorated during t with one in five struggling to cope with lockdown restrictions.

The new research undertaken on behalf of Group Risk Development (GRiD) in January 2021, confirms much of what was suspected in that that 20% of employees say they are struggling to cope with Covid-19 restrictions, with 26% disclosing that their mental health has deteriorated due to the pandemic.

In particular, mental health support in relation Covid-19 has been accelerated, remote/online consultations are more widely available, and ea interventions for Long Covid have been develop address both the fatigue and neurological side condition.

The research surveyed 1,216 employees and showed that:

In addition, there is greater rehabilitation supp aid employees returning to work, so it’s crucial employers make themselves aware of all of the developments.

• 76% of employees, to the best of their knowledge, had not had Covid-19 • 13% said they had contracted the virus • 11% were ‘not sure’.

• Of those who have had the virus, nearly half (46%), said they were struggling to recover.

According to GRiD, these results only stand to highlight the importance of ensuring swift access to health and wellbeing benefits to minimise the impact on the individual.

In fact, the mental repercussions of both the restrictions and the virus itself not only impact the individual but can have an impact others, from their partner, to their children and other dependants; and within a business context, immediate colleagues, their wider team and the business as a whole.

The health and wellbeing industry, and the group risk market in particular has responded to the pandemic by fast-tracking access to support for employees and also by creating entirely new programmes to provide help.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 14

Katharine Moxham added; “Group risk product employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness are continually developing and over recent years we’ve seen a marked increase in the capacity and diversity o embedded support.

However, it’s true to say that as in other areas o lives, the pandemic has hastened development well as providing comprehensive financial help employees when it’s most needed, the breadth depth of support within group risk products for mental health issues in general and those arisin the pandemic is now extensive.”

Notes: *The research was undertaken by Opinium during January 2021 among 1,126 employees in UK businesses.

advogroup.co.uk | supporting your people through COVID-19

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advo hr’s Alison Gill is not surprised by the findings.

“The way of working, personal interaction and even the routine of the work commute has disappeared and change is always challenging. Some people appear to be able to confront and deal with anything but we don’t know what they feeling on the inside and for others, you can see that this has been an outwardly traumatic time.

Everyone’s resilience levels are different. In a working environment, it may be easier to spot how an employee may be feeling, through their body language and demeanour.

This is much more difficult in the virtual world.”

But help is at hand as Alison Gill explains “At advo hr, we have received numerous enquiries from our clients about how to deal with an employee’s work performance which has deteriorated. They were previously a star employee!

My first question would be ‘How is that employee feeling?’

This often sparks a conversation when the employer may acknowledge that there have been some differences in their behaviour or they are struggling.

We talk about supporting an employee’s wellbeing in the first instance, together with the employer’s legal responsibility to care for the welfare of their employees. We discuss what supportive measures can be taken, this may be through more regular meetings or signposting them to an employee assistance programme or mental health charity or medical professional and only then how to help performance improvement. There has never been such a time when it has been so important to take care of the team and show empathy about how that employee may be feeling.”

If you need help in supporting your staff then advo is here to help. In the first instance email info@advogroup.co.uk to start a conversation.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 15

advogroup.co.uk | hiding mental ill health

hiding mental ill health One third of people who have experienced work related mental ill-health have told no one advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 16

advogroup.co.uk | hiding mental ill health

Employees are keeping silent about their mental health conditions at work during the global pandemic, despite the fact that work has been a contributing factor for many, new research from Bupa and Business in the Community (BITC) has found.

The study of 3,614 employees by Business in the Community in partnership with Bupa and the BITC Wellbeing Leadership Team found: • 41% of workers experienced work related mental health symptoms in the last year • Just 14% of workers disclosed to their manager that they were suffering from a mental health issue.

• A third (30%) of people who have experienced work related mental illhealth have told no one • Men are significantly more likely to keep their condition a secret (35%) compared with women (26%) • Even during a global pandemic, work related pressure was identified as the most common cause of mental health issues (51%) • 35% put symptoms down to workload, long hours, and not taking enough leave.

• A third (31%) of participants said that their mental ill-health was caused by not being supported in their role Mark Allan, Commercial Director at Bupa UK Insurance says: “Although mental health has come to the fore during the global pandemic, and addressing these issues is a priority for many businesses, the research shows that a good number of employees feel uncomfortable turning to their manager for help.”

Whilst businesses around the country are focused on creating cultures that are open

about mental health it can be difficult for workers, especially when working remotely, to have these kinds of complex conversations.

Encouragingly, two thirds of workers believe their employer recognised the challenges posed by COVID-19. Half (50%) feel that their organisation has good mental health support, so whilst COVID-19 has increased the amount of mental health issues experienced on the whole, only 9% of respondents felt that a lack of support during COVID-19 had caused mental health issues related to work.

In line with these findings BITC and Bupa are encouraging organisations to continue to prioritise employee wellbeing as workers face more uncertainty as the pandemic continues.

Louise Aston, Wellbeing Director at Business in the Community, said: “Businesses need to be aware that excessive workplace pressure and workload may be causing mental health issues.

When we are at work, we don’t expect to be physically injured and nor should our mental health be harmed. This inequality needs to be addressed by employers protecting mental health and safety and enhancing the wellbeing of everyone through better ways of working.

Now is the time to prioritise wellbeing for all by enshrining ways of working that tackle the systemic root causes of poor mental health, create cultures of trust and belonging, where everyone feels safe to speak up and be actively listened to.”

You can view the Bupa & Business in the Community research here.

If you need more support in looking after your employees then advo can help. Email info@advogroup.co.uk today to start a conversation.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 17

advogroup.co.uk | reviewing your remote induction

reviewing your remote in

During the pandemic and lockdown many organisations have recruited new employees.

Some could now be nearing the end of their probation and yet not have interacted fully with their colleagues or actually set foot on Company premises!

For one employee James, a 31 year old who joined a fintech organisation of around 250 people. Coming into a senior sales role and leading a new area of focus for the business his role involves working with multiple different stakeholders. His view of onboarding was:

“The first week of onboarding with the new organisation was back-to-back introductory video calls with the stakeholders within the organisation, supported by a checklist of self-led learning tasks. The teambuilding exercises that would normally happen naturally (i.e. a pint at the local with the team) were replaced with virtual lunches where the organisation sent takeaways and readymade cocktails for the team!” Whilst James felt included and integrated quickly, having had a good experience others may not have been so lucky.

On speaking to another new starter in a Financial organisation, she said “Although I had introductory calls with other staff and short team meetings, I was virtually thrown in to use the IT with no training. There were problems and I had many IT issues. My role was not clear and I was expected to find my way around and interact with others without so much as an organisation chart to know who was who and what they did, apart from my team – I’ve no idea what others do”.

So ask yourself, what kind of onboarding and induction experience have your staff had?

The impression a new recruit has is long lasting and can have a big impact. With the shift to remote onboarding during the pandemic and the return to work it is important that organisations consider their new recruits: • What kind of an induction has been carried out during remote working?

• What is different or missing from those plans that would normally have happened with your usual induction process?

• How can any aspects which have been missed – now be taken into account?

For the new recruits they will also have concerns and uncertainties such as: • Not knowing what their workplace is like inside, where things are and how things work, facilities and amenities available • Meeting other teams and understanding about how their work fits into the whole organisation, interfacing with other colleagues and departments • The practicalities of ways of working on Company premises as opposed to remote working • They may not have met other new recruits and where other staff have been furloughed, they may not have been in touch with them at all! advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 18

nduction

advogroup.co.uk | reviewing your remote induction

advo hr’s 10-point plan to support newrecruits 1. Ascertain what issues they have had, if any, especially with IT and take time to fix these.

2. Identify training needs to ensure they are clear on the best way to do something.

3. Make integration easier – who’s who, photos of others, so faces become familiar.

4. Maybe provide some gifts to new employees on the first day back in work, free lunch voucher, marketing gifts, welcome message from the CEO and senior team.

5. A tour of the premises etc so they feel on their first “on site” day and feel a part of the business, giving H&S guidance, facilities and amenities information – face to face meetings with senior staff even if still socially distancing.

6. Ensure progress is reviewed or has been fully reviewed and they are clear about their work objectives, role and standards and expectations required.

7. Interaction is the best and fastest way to embed Company culture. Buddy mentors or bringing the remote recruits together to support each other will help them integrate quicker and more effectively especially if they work in different areas – they all have a common experience in that they were all “remotely recruited and onboarded”.

8. Be clear about business ways of working on Company premises if different to ways of working at home.

9. Give them extra time to allow for all of the above in the same way that you would have done at the start of their employment had they been on site.

10. Finally, it’s better to act as though they are new than to assume they know everything!

As always, if you need any help and support advo hr are on hand to guide you. advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 19

advogroup.co.uk | employee benefits can boost productivity

employee benefits can boo

Research from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shows that 60% of SMEs acknowledge health and wellbeing benefits has a positive impact on productivity .

As lockdown in England begins to ease and companies begin to adapt to the ‘new normal’, employee health and wellbeing will become increasingly important for businesses. Three in five (60%) of SMEs acknowledge providing health and wellbeing benefits has a positive impact on supporting productivity – rising to 69% for medium size.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 20

22% of SMEs rated having health and wellbeing benefits as having not just a positive impact, bt critical for ensuring high productivity. Health and protection benefits can also result in reduced sickness and absence, as well as improving employee retention and recruitment, another benefit to both employees and employers.

advogroup.co.uk | employee benefits can boost productivity

ost productivity, abi finds Your legal obligations

Only one in five (20%) of SME’s are aware of a legal requirement to provide information to new employees by their first day of work in what’s known as a ‘Day One Statement’ (or contract).

Since April 2020, a contract has been a legal obligation; a set of written particulars which sets out details such as hours of work and holiday entitlement. While including other available benefits is not mandatory, 59% of SMEs said more information regarding this legal requirement would be helpful, and allow them to maximise the opportunity to promote the available health and wellbeing benefits to their staff.

Steps employers can take There are five simple steps which employers can follow to boost wellbeing and productivity across their business; • Identify workers who are entitled to a contract • Ensure your policies are up to date in order to communicate the correct information • Use the contract to promote your wellbeing policies and boost productivity • Provide statements to staff every year – helping them to stay engaged • Explore what other action you could take to support wellbeing

How advo can help Contracts are not just a legal requirement, when presented in the right manner they can be utilised as an opportunity to boost wellbeing and productivity. advo can assist in compiling

contracts and can create employee benefits brochures for our clients. Our brochures, which can be branded, summarise all of the information employees need for all benefits provided by us; from health and wellbeing benefits, gym memberships, life insurances and discounts with retailers.

All brochures are available on the advo-one system, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Nadiya Gregory, Business Development Manager at advo says: “Staff wellbeing is becoming an increasingly important topic for both our clients and their employees. SME’s are becoming more aware of the importance of providing benefits, however the next step is engaging your employees.

Employee engagement in benefits is key to a healthy and productive workforce.

The first step towards engagement is communication. advo work closely with our SME clients to help communicate and promote benefits whether via a day one statement, simple benefit handbook or total reward statements.”

If you would like more information on maximising your current health & wellbeing policies, email info@advogroup.co.uk to start a conversation.

Original article by ABI. Research conducted in October 2020 by Norstat on behalf of the ABI. Research conducted by Cigna UK.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 21

advogroup.co.uk | financal wellbeing - a moral and business case

Despite the financial hard wrought by COVID-19, ha employers (49%) don’t ha a financial wellbeing polic according to the latest Re Management Survey from CIPD, the professional bo for HR and people development.

The CIPD’s survey (whi 420 employers respond to) finds that:

• 12% of employers hav introduced, or plan to introduce, a financial wellbeing policy in dire response to the pande (29% already had one)

• 19% are planning or considering becoming accredited Living Wage Foundation employer ( further 18% of employ are already accredited and another 18% alrea pay the ‘Real Living Wa without being accredit

• 24% of employers hav explored how the pandemic has impacte their employees’ financial wellbeing, so they’re better able to identify the right kind o support. Another 18% plan to do so by the en March 2021

the moral & business case for employee financial wellbeing advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 22

• Nearly a third (30%) of employers say the pandemic and econom crisis has prompted th to consider how fair th pay and benefits are.

As well as affecting an individual’s health and wellbeing, money and debt worries can impact performance at work, which can have knock-on implications for productiv and the bottom line.

You can read the original CIPD pres

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advogroup.co.uk | financal wellbeing - a moral and business case However, the report suggests some employers don’t recognise the strong business case for having a financial wellbeing policy.

The most common reason given by employers for not having a financial wellbeing policy was that senior management don’t see it as a priority right now (49%).

Other reasons given were: • 27% said that senior management see the need for a financial wellbeing policy, but don’t have the time, money or expertise to create it • 21% said they weren’t sure employees would want such a policy (this decreases to 11% for those who’ve asked their employees what impact the pandemic has had on their financial wellbeing) • 20% aren’t sure it would contribute to employees’ wellbeing • 19% don’t trust a policy would improve organisational performance.

Charles Cotton, senior performance and reward adviser at the CIPD, said:

“And whilst we fully acknowledge how tough it is for businesses right now, with many just focusing on surviving, we think there’s a strong case for employers to be doing more to support their people’s financial wellbeing. Even light-touch steps, such as signposting to independent money and debt advice, can start to make a difference.

“It should also be said that every employee stands to benefit from having better access to financial wellbeing support, particularly at key life stages, such as when they are starting out, becoming a parent or retiring.”

Further findings from the report include: • A quarter of employers (25%) will have revised how much they have spent on employee pay by March 2021. Of these, 50% will reduce pay and 25% will increase it.

• Only 7% of organisations are changing pay to reflect home working or have plans to do so. A quarter do not intend to do so, while 16% are keeping the issue under review.

• A quarter (26%) of “The pandemic has, organisations intend to unfortunately, hit many change the amount spent people’s finances hard, with on employee benefits this many losing their jobs and year. Of these, 44% are others seeing their income increasing spend and 40% fall. This has no doubt focused are decreasing spend. many employers’ minds on fairness and in-work poverty – • 19% of organisations and it’s good to see a number are making changes to of them taking steps to their reward practices in protect people’s financial response to the Black Lives wellbeing during the Matters protests that took pandemic. place last summer. Those that are taking action are

ss release in full here.

concentrated in the public and voluntary sectors.

The CIPD recommends a financial wellbeing policy should include: • Signposting to financial wellbeing advice, such as the resources available from the Money and Pensions Service (which small employers can do easily).

• Targeted financial education support at key moments in working lives, for example ahead of maternity leave • Revising benefits packages to include finance friendly initiatives, like giving employees the option to choose how often they’re paid • Implementing flexible working policies so employees with caring responsibilities can balance working enough hours to comfortably pay their bills • Giving people security over their hours and helping them to progress into higher-paid roles • Committing, where possible, to paying at least the Real Living Wage.

If you feel your organisation needs help in supporting employees then advo hr is here to help, email advohr@ advogroup.co.uk to start a conversation.

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 23

advogroup.co.uk | home or office?

post pandemic: home or o

There is an expectation that post-pandemic that businesses will contin but many large businesses are urging a return back to office as soon as The CEO of a large investment bank has rejected remote working ‘as the new normal’ and instead branded it an “aberration” – the BBC reported.

Staley shared: “It will increasingly be a challenge to maintain the culture and collaboration that these large financial institutions seek to have and should have.”

David Solomon, who heads up Goldman Sachs, said that the bank had operated throughout 2020 with fewer than ten per cent of staff in the office.

He suggested that this way of working does not suit the culture at the banking giant in the long run.

While many bosses at banking firms have expressed an eagerness to return to a central office post-pandemic, not all have followed suit.

Speaking to a conference on Wednesday, Solomon said:

“I do think for a business like ours, which is an innovative, collaborative apprenticeship culture, this is not ideal for us. And it’s not a new normal. It’s an aberration that we’re going to correct as soon as possible.”

One particular area of concern for Goldman Sachs’ boss was about an incoming “class” of circa 3,000 new recruits who he said would be unable to receive the needed “direct mentorship”.

He added: “I am very focused on the fact that I don’t want another class of young people arriving at Goldman Sachs in the summer remotely.”

Solomon’s comments come shortly after Barclays boss Jes Staley said he did not believe that remote work was “sustainable” long-term.

In a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum last month, as was reported by City AM, Staley said: “It’s remarkable it’s working as well as it is, but I don’t think it’s sustainable.”

He too pointed towards the impact that remote work has had on collaboration and culture.

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 24

In March 2021, HSBC announced plans to almost halve its office space globally over the long-term as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

According to Reuters, the bank’s CEO, Noel Quinn, said that the reduction would come from axing office premises as their leases come to an end. This would not include branches or the bank’s headquarters building in Canary Wharf, London. Quinn explained that retained buildings will be used more flexibly. Quinn said: “We are focused on those offices with support functions and head office activities when we talk about the 40% reduction,” Quinn said.

“We believe we’ll achieve it via a very different style of working post-COVID with a more hybrid model,” the CEO added.

Yet, it is not just those in the banking industry that are looking to change working patterns more permanently.

Earlier this month, streaming firm Spotify announced that it is adopting a ‘Work from Anywhere’ model. Under this, staff can choose whether they want to be in an office full-time, work from home full-time or a combination of both.

The new initiative has been described as a “new way of collaborating that allows Spotifiers to work

This article is based on an article first publis You can read the BBC article on returning to

advogroup.co.uk | home or office?

office?

nue to embrace home-working, s is safely possible. from wherever they do their best thinking and creating,” according to the firm’s blog post.

Elsewhere, Salesforce has signalled a move away from in-person work, claiming that the “9-to-5 workday is dead”. The firm’s blog post explained that staff will be given flexibility over how, when and where they work with three ways of working. These include a ‘flex’ model, where staff can be in the office one to three days per week, fully remote for those who don’t live near an office, as well as office-based.

During the last year all advo staff have transferred to home working, which has been successful, says advo’s Executive Director, Colin Boxall, adding;

“There is however there is a belief that the reason why advo has not only survived, but thrived in lockdown is the advo culture of working closely together and supporting each other, something that was originally created in an office environment. We do however recognise that there has been a shift in expectations and approaches and so a more ‘blended’ approach is definitely the way forward.”

If you are unsure whether your employees will work from home or the office in future, or of your repsonsibilities as an employer for each scenario, contact advo today to start a conversation. Our team of experts can guide you from start to finish with everything from working practices to health and safety requirements.

shed in HR magazine. You can read the original article in full here. o the office here.

“Working from home is not a new normal. It’s an aberration that we’re going to correct as soon as possible.”

David Solomon, Goldman Sachs

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 25

advogroup.co.uk | uk workers optimistic

uk workers optimistic abou

“Our research found that 80% of employees who have been working or furl As pubs, shops and other workplaces re-open, the success of the vaccine rollout has helped workers feel much more optimistic about their return to work than they were following November’s lockdown, according to a new study.

Insurer, Aviva conducted research of more than 2,000 employed adults across the UK and have produced their third* Employee Back to Work Index1.

The research shows 71% of workers surveyed agreed that the rollout of the vaccine made them optimistic about returning to work, compared with 50% after November’s lockdown2 who said that news of a vaccine gave them optimism about returning to work. Two-thirds (64%) of employees surveyed said the vaccine will make them feel safer at work.

Another piece in the puzzle of opening up safely is regular testing of workers for Covid-19. Aviva’s research shows 75% of employees would feel comfortable to be tested for Covid-19 in order to work. Only 7% of employees said they would be uncomfortable with this requirement.

Aviva’s Employee Back to Work Index1 comes as the UK takes its next steps out of lockdown, and captures the attitudes of full-time or part-time employed adults working in a wide variety of industry sectors across the UK on their feelings about their health and safety in the workplace.

Returning to the workplace - safely Businesses have had to adapt at pace in the face of continually changing Covid restrictions. In some instances, this will mean that operations have fundamentally changed, including the role of employees in carrying out their duties. Aviva’s survey found that 23% of employees surveyed said their job had changed as a result of new business operations due to COVID, but that they were not offered training in their new role, compared to 11% who said their job had changed and they had been offered training.

Likewise, employees who have been absent from the workplace since the beginning of the January lockdown could benefit from refresher training.

Overall, 60% of employees surveyed who had been off during previous lockdowns said their employer had not offered them refresher training to ensure they are able to continue to do their job safely.

Homeworking Working from home looks set to stay for many employees. Of those surveyed that are currently working from home, 40% said that after lockdown restrictions have ended, they will split their time between home and their usual work place, while 30% said their employer has told staff that they should continue to work from home.

Just one-in-four (24%) said their employer expects all employees to

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 26

return to the office o basis after pandemi ease.

Only 52% of employ have been working their employer had ensure their home o safely to prevent inj However, 40% of em employer had not ta make their worksta potentially putting t sary risk of injury. E ask employees to co working assessmen ployee is likely to co at home into the lon more rigorous asses required.

Cyber risk not addressed

Working from home risk of a cyber attac businesses to work increasingly, digital increased, with 46% reporting a cyber br 2020. However, Aviv that just under half employees working their employer did n to reduce their cybe

What risks do y you come out o

In the study, Aviva a what risks they beli they come out of su lockdowns. Workers

advogroup.co.uk | uk workers optimistic

ut return to work

loughed feel confident their workplace is safe.”

on a permanent ic restrictions

yees surveyed who from home said taken steps to office is set up jury or strain. mployees said their aken any steps to ation safe, them at unnecesEmployers should omplete a homent and if the emontinue working nger term, then ssments might be

being

e has increased the ck. As Covid forced remotely and – lly – cyber attacks % of businesses reach or attack in va’s survey found (48%) of g from home said not take any steps er risk1.

you face as of lockdown?

asked workers ieve they face as uccessive s could choose

multiple responses. While it is positive to see the gradual increase in the proportion of workers saying ‘there is no biggest risk’ (now at 26%), there are still a number of workers who are concerned about Covid-19, and a significant and growing number of workers who say lockdown has impacted their mental health.

Chris Andrews, Director of Aviva Risk Management Solutions, commented:

“The vaccine rollout has had an enormous benefit to employee confidence in returning safely to the workplace.

Our research found that 80% of employees who have been working or furloughed feel confident their workplace is safe and that their employer has standards that they meet to keep employees and the public safe. This is a significant, positive step in our journey back to working normally.”

Notes 1 All data is taken from a survey of 2,021 full-time or part-time employed adults (aged 16+) across the UK, in a wide variety of industry sectors, conducted by Censuswide Research from 30 March – 1 April, 2021 on behalf of Aviva.

2 Research for the November Employee Back to Work Index was taken from a survey of 2,012 full-time or part-time employed adults (aged 16+) across the UK, conducted by Censuswide Research from 27 November – 1 December, 2020, on behalf of Aviva.

3 Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020, DCMS 4 Research for the June Employee Back to Work Index was taken from a survey of 2,024 full-time or part-time employed adults (aged 16+) across the UK, conducted by Censuswide Research from 26 – 30 June 2020, on behalf of Aviva. *This is the third Aviva Employee Back to Work Index. The November 2020 Index can be found here, the August 2020 Index can be found here.

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 27

advogroup.co.uk | uk management crisis

a UK management crisis: fi

The CMI and the Institute of Directors’ joint research report shows recovery with almost all managers and directors say that enhancin performance in the coming financial year.

So, what are the top-level findings of the CMI & IoD’s report?

1. The UK is lagging behind rivals when it comes to leadership

Good management and leadership are crucial to building back better – to deliver thriving and innovative companies, and good quality jobs. Yet the UK faces a management and leadership skills crisis: globally, the UK has been ranked well behind key competitors such as the US, Japan and Germany in terms of its leadership capabilities and this management and leadership crisis shows no signs of abating.

The UK has for many years lagged behind other G7 nations; at a firm level, the UK has a so-called ‘long-tail’ of low-productivity SMEs relative to other developed nations. This is partly due to a lack of government investment in higher level skills and the lack of a supportive policy framework to enable private investment.

Yet there is a way to turn this productivity deficit around: good management and leadership skills are a key enabler of firm level productivity by unlocking important drivers of growth such as capital investment, technology adoption, on-the-job learning, and efficiency improvements.

2. Delivering a sustainable plan for growth isn’t possible without closing the productivity gap

The Bank of England believes that a lack of management quality is an explanation for the UK’s poor productivity; research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) indicates businesses that improve their management practices from the lowest levels to the UK median can increase their productivity by 19%. The government recognised this in its 2019 Productivity Review noting: ‘Businesses that embrace leadership and

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 28

management best practice and ad profitable, productive and are bet businesses across the country to their own productivity’.

“Directors and the senior leaders they need workers with the mana companies forward,” says Jonath the IoD. “The leaders of the engin and we encourage the Chancellor

3. Good managers and leaders ar

With the Office for Budget Respon could be 2.6 million people unem government is about to embark on job creation. The government’s “P tens of thousands of new roles in and maintenance projects, among

Highly skilled, capable and empat essential to absorb, train, guide a new roles, particularly in new pro are only just being established. Th in large numbers, so consistent hi them is essential. For instance, th two million green jobs alone by 20 minimum of 130,000 new leaders

4. We need leaders to help build

Covid-19 has demonstrated that b cannot be complacent. Before the seen technological innovation but an unprecedented era of change a

advogroup.co.uk | uk management crisis

five key insights

s how management and leadership will bolster the UK’s economic ng management and leadership skills are critical to improving

dopt technology are more tter to work for. We need to get adopt these actions and boost

resilience has been hit hard: in January 2021 32% of businesses had three months’ or less cash reserves, while only 73% of businesses remained trading.

ship of organisations have told us agement skills necessary to drive han Geldart, director general of ne of the economy have spoken r to listen to their voice.”

Managers and leaders can help ensure organisations are resilient, by being quick to innovate, and to assess and mitigate risks. This CMI and IoD research demonstrates that 74% of managers and 63% of directors identify either managing uncertainty, managing risk or leading change and innovation as important management competencies for driving organisational performance in 2021.

re essential to reskill the nation

nsibility estimating that there mployed by mid 2021, the n a substantial programme of Plan for Jobs” aims to create infrastructure, decarbonisation g other areas.

thetic managers will be and develop recruits for these ofessions where ways of working hese managers will be needed igh standards of training for he government plans to create 030; this could require a s and managers.

organisations’ resilience

business leaders in the UK e pandemic we had already t the past year has ushered in and unpredictability. Business

5. The government must incentivise lifelong management learning

Co-investment between employers and government is an important principle as far as management training and education goes. But we know that in times of economic uncertainty businesses will underinvest in these skills. Yet now is the best time to act. To address this market failure we are calling on the government to: • Allocate additional funding to ensure that every course funded through the National Skills Fund also includes a ‘bolt on’ of high-quality core skills training, including digital, communication and management and leadership provision.

• Extend support for adult skills through the Lifetime Skills Guarantee up to Level 5, enabling adults who already have a Level 3 qualification to access critical training at higher levels.

• Introduce targeted support for all SMEs to boost their management and leadership capabilities with all SME business leaders given the opportunity to undertake a high quality management or leadership qualification.

You can read the CMI’s full report here

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 29

advogroup.co.uk | you may be right, but you will still lose

you may be right, but you will still lose A case of unfair dismissal made by the Employment Tribunal in December 2020 has highlighted how important this can be. SME’s may hold the belief that large companies would always take the correct approach but this tribunal ruling has illustrated that, whatever the size of the business, and in this case, Jaguar Land Rover, any deviation can be costly.

An employee, Mr Rumbold, had been absent for 808 shifts in his 20-year career at Jaguar Land Rover. It was estimated that during that time, he had received £95,850 in sick pay. The reasons for Mr. Rumbold’s absence were varied but up until 2018, Jaguar Land Rover had not followed any absence management protocols as detailed in their company procedures. Following a five month period of absence in 2018, a return to work interview was conducted and a number of alternative positions were offered to Mr. Rumbold but none of the roles were suitable.

In November 2018, an investigation was conducted into Mr Rumbold’s absence levels and a decision was made to terminate his employment.

Mr. Rumbold subsequently submitted a claim to the Employment Tribunal.

At the tribunal, there was overwhelming evidence suggesting Mr Rumbold was not a fit and proper person to work for Jaguar Land Rover.

Despite this, Mr Rumbold won his claim of unfair dismissal.

This was as a result of the company’s failure to follow its own absence management policy. The compensatory award that Mr. Rumbold will receive has yet to be confirmed.

This ruling will undoubtedly set a precedent and demonstrates how important it is for all companies, whatever their size, to follow internal policies.

This is even more important if policies are contractual as there may be a further claim for breach of contract.

It is therefore vital that before taking any action or making any decision to dismiss an employee, to ensure that all policies and procedures have been followed and all options considered.

We would remind you to record all absences on the advo absence management portal, which is provided free of charge as part of the HR service offered.

This tool enables accurate recording of sickness,

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 30

absence triggers and mechanisms and supports the reporting and management of both long-term and shortterm absence.

If you don’t currently use an absence management portal, please contact us to arrange a demo. advo hr always recommend reviewing company policies and procedures prior to taking any action with regards to any employee related matter. advo hr are here to help and support you. Please contact us for guidance and we will discuss and take you through the steps to take before making any employee related decision.

You can email advohr@advogroup.co.uk to start a conversation.

advogroup.co.uk | court rulings on 0 hours

court rulings on 0-hours In February 2021, the Supreme Court decided under UK employment law, Uber drivers were classified as ‘workers’ and entitled to work benefits such as paid holiday, pension contributions and minimum wage.

What is the gig economy?

The gig economy has arisen based on flexible, temporary, or freelance jobs, often involving connecting with customers through an online platform i.e., Deliveroo. Such workers enter into formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to the company’s clients. This model resulted in a ‘grey area’, as to whether these contractors were self employed, or employed. Uber had previously argued that the drivers were independent, third-party contractors.

Implications

This may impact your business if you have independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers or temporary workers as the ruling paves the way for such workers to receive basic employment protections. This will shape future cases concerning the gig economy. Businesses operating in a similar manner to Uber are likely to face a similar raft of claims from their contractors, and compensating workers for the benefits they should have received could be costly. It doesn’t mean, however, that all businesses using ‘gig’ workers will have to give them worker status.

In the Uber case, the Supreme Court noted that the tight control over drivers, who were effectively at Uber’s beck and call under contract terms dictated to them, meant that drivers could not be considered independent contractors. The only way for drivers to earn more money was to work longer hours. Uber, after months of resistance, conceded defeat and recently announced all its 70,000 contractors will now have ‘worker’ status, showing the shift in recognition towards ‘gig’ economy workers. This will shape the future for employment rights to be applied. Businesses need to consider how costs will be absorbed and how this will impact their service provision to their customers.

Five key questions for businesses

The Supreme Court considered five key areas of Uber’s relationship with its drivers. For businesses that recognise similarities in the way contractors or gig workers are used, consideration should be given as to if they can genuinely be classed as self-employed. If they cannot be classed as self-employed, they should be afforded the same rights as employees in respect to holiday, pension entitlement, and minimum wage. Think about and ask yourself: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

How much control over the contractors’ work do we exercise?

Do we give them the equipment for performing those services?

Do we allow contractors to delegate or sub-contract the service?

What degree of financial risk do the respective parties take?

Can the contractors manage the way they work or the volume of work they undertake for us?

6. Does your contractor have influence in these areas?

This is a complex area and if you believe the Uber judgement may impacts your business, please get in contact with us as we can offer further support and advice.

advocate spring 2021| advogroup.co.uk | 31

advogroup.co.uk | crisis response lessons

covid-19: crisis response le

Ann Francke OBE, the CMI’s regional chairs in Asia explains how the pandemic res “Singapore has had 60,000 cases of Covid-19 so far, with 29 deaths. In Hong Kong, there have been 11,000 cases and 202 deaths. Malaysia had 314,000 cases and 1,186 deaths, while Sri Lanka had 86,000 cases, 511 deaths. In the UK, we have had 4.2 million cases of Covid-19 and 125,000 deaths.”

Woon Teck. Perhaps if Western governments had also learned from that crisis, and seen how it was handled, they could have moved as swiftly and effectively as their Asia counterparts.

ha

Th A an Th “We must trust that the decisions that are taken re have to be based on science and not on the co The difference is staggering. wishes of the people. If the science says that cr you have to wear masks, we wear masks. If the science says that we have to make sure that we Asia-Pacific countries have much lower case have less interaction to prevent the risk of and death rates, even when population transmission, we follow that,” he says. differences are taken into account. The D economic impact has also been less severe.

H Countries that have been harder hit by Covid-19 Singapore went through a very difficult patch th in April 2020, as many of the transmissions have a lot to learn from them. im involved foreign workers living in Singapore. th Following the science would require a ap At a special edition of CMI’s Better Managers circuit-breaker lockdown to isolate the cases, q Briefing, we took a deep look at what we can and fast. The biggest benefit of experiencing ce learn from the way in which the pandemic was SARS was that Singapore was very prepared for managed in Asia-Pacific countries. My guests contact tracing, and used it efficiently to curb were the four chairs of our CMI branches in C infections. those regions: Dr Paulina Chan, chairperson vi of the CMI regional board in Hong Kong; Indra as Kaushal Rajapaksa, president of CMI Sri Lanka; Singapore went through a very difficult patch b Taranjeet Singh, chair of our CMI regional board in April 2020, as many of the transmissions at in Malaysia; and Tay Woon Teck, chairperson of involved foreign workers living in Singapore.

Following the science would require a our CMI Singapore branch.

“I circuitbreaker lockdown to isolate the cases, co I asked Woon Teck what countries outside Asia and fast. The biggest benefit of experiencing in should take away from Singapore’s experiences SARS was that Singapore was very prepared for P contact tracing, and used it efficiently to curb of the virus, and whether we’d see more ke international co-operation around similar crises infections. in future.

“You’ve got to be able to quickly isolate people Lessons from the SARS experience who can be a potential cluster to transmit, and W you actually isolate them very quickly. Now, this sm enforcement involves very detailed working,” la Most countries in Asia had to deal with the Woon Teck says. “Contact tracing has to be d impact of SARS in 2003, a disease which done so that you don’t kill the economic p predominantly affected adults aged between activity. You’re able to identify where the im 25 and 70. While it was less contagious than sources of infections are. Isolate them fast G Covid-19, its death rate was higher. That enough so that the rest of the population can cl experience with SARS taught valuable lessons ec on trusting the science around pandemics, says carry on life as usual. We learned this the very

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 32

You can view the original article, Managers briefing here.

advogroup.co.uk | crisis response lessons

essons from Asia-Pacific

sponse in their countries helped to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.

ard way during SARS.”

he management and leadership lessons from Asia’s handling of the SARS crisis are universal nd have been underlined by the pandemic. his is something our Management Transformed esearch emphasises: that trust in, ommunication from, and visibility of leaders is ritical when the stakes are so high.

Collaboration is critical

lives, thanks to a swiftly implemented lockdown in March 2020. Again, citizens of Malaysia made it clear that they were willing to make sacrifices to reduce the threat of the virus.

“By and large, everyone followed the personal hygiene requirements that were laid out.

Everyone followed the requirements that are laid out. We didn’t dispute that because it was the right thing to do,” Taranjeet says.

Post-pandemic management

Dr Paulina Chan echoed Woon Teck’s points.

Hong Kong also had a painful experience with he SARS outbreak. As a result, citizens mmediately started taking measures to reduce he spread of Coronavirus once the threat was pparent, and government departments were quick to collaborate to establish quarantine entres and fast diagnosis.

Taranjeet sees two things playing out in the future as a result of the pandemic: the first is stronger ties between national governments – not just economic, but around health and safety too. Vaccine passports, for example, will require international co-operation in order to be effective.

CMI Hong Kong was also early in addressing the irus, putting on awareness webinars as early s January last year and urging collaboration between other bodies. Collaboration was crucial t all levels, Paulina explained.

The second is a more common ‘hybrid working’ approach, with a mix of home and office working. How do we go out there to balance the two?

“Empathy, in my mind, is going to be absolutely crucial,” Taranjeet says.

Internationally, I think we’ll continue to ollaborate on diagnostic testing and the sharng of resources and also tips for our citizens,” Paulina says. This sounds like a great way to eep moving forward.

Greater employee-centricity, greater employee voice and empathetic leadership have become the norm in workplaces across the world. Rapid adoption of technology is making the humanity of how we manage and lead even more important – and is reflected in CMI’s research.

I asked the panelists: what are the greatest learnings for them personally as a leader? All agreed that technology and the digitalisation of the workplace will continue.

Tough decisions

While Singapore and Hong Kong are relatively mall and contained countries, Malaysia has a arger population that is more geographically dispersed. Taranjeet Singh told me that the pandemic certainly had a larger economic mpact on the nation, with a six per cent fall in GDP on the previous year and around 200,000 losed businesses. But while they have been conomically impacted, they managed to save

As leaders and managers, we have to be more purpose-driven than plan-driven, said Indra Kaushal Rajapaksa. “Let’s think positively, because this pandemic has brought about a lot of good things, as you can see from what was discussed here.”

, along with a full recording of the CMI’s special advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 33

advogroup.co.uk | advo-one in the press

advo-one in the press advo’s new ‘one’ system is getting increasing attention. advo-one, the employee solution which allows management across payroll, HR and employee benefits is proving to be flexible across different sectors and industries, appearing in HR News, Business Info and The Carer to name just a few!

Comments from advo’s Lucy Pearce, Commercial Director of advo included“To help organisations boost productivity, happiness and wellbeing, we have launched the UK’s first, fully integrated platform – advo-one – which enables organisations to control of their employee benefits, human resources and payroll through a single, secure login.”

“Employers can access detailed reporting of HR usage and recommendations; bespoke handbooks; contract reviews; easy-to-use online holiday and sickness reporting; regular site visits; and essential news and legislation updates. advo-one can be accessed anytime from anywhere and employers can have their own portal, company branded, supported by access to advo experts. There is also a huge choice of benefits on offer, including employee perks, health insurance and wellbeing, which make managing employees simple, connected and effective.

advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 34

advogroup.co.uk | thanks for reading

Find every copy of advocate magazine online at issuu.com/advogroup Don’t miss a copy, subscribe to our issuu channel... its 100% free!

issue #36 winter 2021 In this issue, we include a 2021 outlook highlighting some of the latest rules and responsbilities for employers. We discuss where there may be conflict between employees and the business due to the pandemic and how to manage the increasingly blurred work and home lives of employees working remotely. We also look at managing staff holidays, a lockdown knock-on challenge. Looking at recruitment issues, we include an article on the promotion of employee benefits and how these valuable recruitment tools are often forgotten in the hiring process.

We also focus on the value of an employee assistance programme. In advo news we update you on what’s new with us, including our new people and people moving to new roles within the group. We also highlight the expanded services and support offered by the advo hr team. In our annual ‘Oscars’ we recognise advo’s ‘best of the best’ by highlighting our advo staff award winners.

issue #35 autumn 2020 In this issue we take a look at alcohol dependency, risen since lockdown, the surge in tribunal cases and the need more than ever on accurate record keeping.

In addition, the importance of wellbeing support for homeworkers and employer commitments to retaining flexible working post pandemic. The feature also includes an update on the shifting job market, common redundancy mistakes, the do’s & do nots of dismissals & social media and the male/female wellness divide.

We have two guests contributing with features. Simon Miller of Aetna International on the COVID mental health challenges and the use of technology With articles on the surge in telemedicine we also interview with Ximena Besnier of Now Health International looking at the importance of telemedicine and remote treatment.

issue #34 summer 2020 In this issue we have a special COVID 19 ‘HR in Lockdown’ supplement. Articles cover maintaining good staff mental health, returning to the workplace, the pros and cons of home working with practical information on contractual issues. We cover advo bringing national HR consultancy firm, Sagegreen HR into the group.

We include an HR blog from one of advo’s regional HR’s area Directors. We have two interviews, one with Vitality UK’s CEO who outlines his thinking on the health of the nation and that there needs to be a change of mindset. The second interviews the founding Partner of Salus, a specialist risk protection adviser giving additional options to high-risk clients.

our ‘new look’ ADVOCATE magazine, coming soon. advocate spring 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 35

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