advogroup.co.uk |the forgotten
Articles written about the future of work are commonly from an employee perspective, but what about the employers, senior managers & HR professionals? Alison Gill, who heads up the advo hr and Sagegreen HR teams looks at how senior management have been at the forefront of the lockdown and fight against COVID
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There is often very little, or no consideration afforded to those senior managers of HR professionals sitting across the table, delivering the unwelcome news about redundancy to their teams
“We have said goodbye to 2020 and have lived through a tidal wave of change. Businesses have navigated their way through the challenges of home working, making the workplace COVID secure, understanding and communicating everchanging government guidance and the implementation of the newly learn, and now familiar furlough scheme.
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Business leaders and HR professionals are commercial and appreciate business decisions but the effects of the challenges off 2020 and the blurring of the work / home life balance, the pressure of heavy workload and weight of responsibility may already be taking its toll on mental health. Some may also believe that, by the very nature of their senior role, they have to be seen as invincible and any indication that they are upset or struggling, may be perceived as a sign of weakness.
2021 is undoubtedly going to bring more unexpected changes, that may hurtle across the horizon. During this year, businesses will still be figuring out how to hold on until the time, when the earth Senior managers may live alone or there pivots back onto a more straightened axis. may be concerns within their home or personal life and they may not wish to add Articles written about the future of to these by discussing with loved ones, the work are commonly from an employee way they feel about issues at work. perspective and the value that employees place upon employers to show strong There is release valve may therefore be leadership skills in a crisis. Businesses care limited! about their employees and guidance is widely available to signpost employees Discussing problematic issues or bouncing towards mental health support. ideas around with colleagues and saying how one feels over Teams may However, little is commented on about the not feel easy. Certainly, the opportunity wellbeing of employers. The senior leaders of expressing feelings in the less formal who have the onus keeping businesses environment of a casual chat over a afloat during these troubled waters and coffee or over a drink in the pub after work the heavy responsibility on their shoulders are a distant memory. of retaining all of their staff.
advocate winter 2021 | advogroup.co.uk | 16
Looking forward into the fo uncertain future, there may difficult and potentially em punishing challenges ahea navigated.
A study published by ACAS 2020 stated that 37% of bus planning on making redund coming three months.
Such decisions may have n into abeyance as a result o of the furlough scheme and loans and initiatives, but so may have no choice other redundancies.
The impact on those made is widely published and it is acknowledged redundanc desperate. Most business w they can to support those r employees with range of p interventions such as outpla mechanisms, referrals to ot additional financial help an assistance programmes .
However, there is often very consideration afforded to t managers of HR professiona
