Nationwide Group Staff Union Rapport Magazine Issue number 96

rapport The Nationwide Group Staff Union magazine

Issue 96 February 2021

BLACK LIVES MATTER

COVID-19 AND WORK How the pandemic is changing the way we work

Raising our voices

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MEET YOUR ICOs PARIS WILLS JAMES McCROSSAN

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E C I R P E PAYING TGHet help with problem gambling

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Helping everyone adapt to change One of the things I’ve really missed during the pandemic is meeting members at NGSU roadshows around the country. We haven’t done one since the beginning of last March and we won’t be doing any until the middle of the year at least, I would have thought.

So I’m really happy that we’re now looking into how we can start running virtual roadshows – how we set them up online, how we involve third parties, and how people can ask questions. Our organiser Charlotte Fackerell is working through all the details at the moment. So keep an eye out for more developments!

We’re also looking into how our conference is going to be run in the autumn. Even though my term of office will be coming to an end in March, I’ve been tasked with looking at how we do it until my successor is elected. It could be faceto-face. It could be all virtual. It could be

rapport February 2021

NGSU Middleton Farmhouse, 37 Main Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxon OX17 2QT Tel: 01295 710767 Fax: 01295 712580 ngsu@ngsu.org.uk www.ngsu.org.uk NGSU We use bitly URLs to convert long web addresses into shorter ones throughout the magazine.

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a mix of face-to-face and virtual. I’ve been using our contacts with other unions to see how they’ve been running their conferences during the pandemic.

And although I’ve missed meeting members at roadshows, we’ve all been getting involved supporting members going through Change programmes. It’s been a really difficult time for a lot of our members – a large number have been impacted by change. As members of NGSU, they can call on us to support them through this change. I’ve been involved in a couple of programmes and it’s been nice to be able to support our members.

Some people are ready to go: they might have been looking at retirement in a year’s time or they might be looking for a new challenge. But other people just aren’t ready so it’s really hard. I have to remember we’re not the ones making the decision to make these people redundant.

Our role is to make sure they are treated fairly and the process is followed.

As I said, my presidency ends on 31 March. Now that Nic Sellars has been announced as the next President, I’ll start working with her on the handover before she takes over in April and I imagine that will take up a lot of my time in the latter part of my term. When I became President in 2019, no-one could have imagined how we’d be living and working by the end of my two years. I’ve known Nic for a long time through work and the NEC and wish her the best of luck.

@PresidentNgsu @ngsupresident

Bev Cubbon President

ER BETT PAY DEAL FOR PROMOTIONS The first phase of the Reward review has delivered good news for staff who are promoted or seconded into higher-level roles.

Staff who make internal job moves now have their skills and experience taken into account when their pay is set in exactly the same way as new starters, as part of the first stage of the joint Reward review by Nationwide and NGSU that’s currently underway.

Union members have long expressed concern over the way that promotions, secondments and sideways moves were treated at Nationwide.

The previous promotions policy allowed for a pay increase of up to 5 per cent or a move to the minimum of the salary range.

That was in marked contrast with the way that people joining Nationwide were treated, where a full evaluation of the skills they were bringing to the team was undertaken.

All that has changed since NGSU and the Society issued their joint statement on 7 October 2020.

“From today, pay decisions for employees who are moving roles will be made taking a number of factors into account, e.g. the salary range for the role they are moving to, the skills and experience they have and the salary of others doing similar work,” the statement said.

The union is particularly pleased that this was the area that was addressed by this first set of changes, and that the resolution

“Members can feel more reassured that a proper consideration of their particular situation has taken place”

identified met the aspirations of NGSU members as expressed in Conference debates over a number of years.

“Of course, the changes do not mean that there will suddenly be huge pay rises every time someone is promoted: the recruiting manager should look at the whole situation, and in many cases the result may well be little different from what would have happened before,” says Assistant General Secretary Rob Goldspink.

“But in those cases, members can feel more reassured that a proper consideration of their particular situation has taken place.”

Moving away from a very clear-cut approach does create the scope for inconsistent approaches to be adopted in different parts of the business.

That’s why NGSU has agreed with the Society to monitor what happens over the coming months, and to develop the support available to managers making these decisions to ensure they reach appropriate outcomes.

The two sides will continue to work in phases on the future aspects of the Reward review, which was originally promised in the July 2019 Joint Statement announcing that year’s Pay Review (the urgency of having to deal with the ever-shifting demands of the pandemic inevitably slowed progress over the courses of 2020).

Rob promises the union will continue to share information about progress whenever it is in a position to do so.

“There are many different elements to reward, and the effect of changes to one element will have on the other elements need to be considered to make sure that each change supports the overall objective of the reward strategy,” Rob says.

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HELPING THE HARDEST HIT NGSU President Bev Cubbon and Individual Cases Officer (ICO) Patrick Herring presenting a cheque to the Swindon Food Collective

NGSU President Bev Cubbon and Individual Cases Officer (ICO) Patrick Herring presented a cheque for £5,000 to the Swindon Food Collective in November to help them provide food for the thousands of people that rely on them to feed themselves, their families and their dependants.

The donation came from the charitable arm of Trade Union Fund Managers, which helps unions including NGSU invest their money in funds that are run in line with the values and ethics of the union movement.

NGSU presented the cheque because it was us who helped the food bank put together the grant application to the Trust in the first place.

“It’s really gratifying because we know it’s going to make a real difference to them,” Patrick commented.

Swindon Food Collective currently feeds more than 6,000 people in the local area every year – 2,000 of whom are children.

As with many food banks across the country, demand for the its services has soared since the pandemic, while the volunteers who are key to the operation have had

To help the Swindon Food Collective, go to: https://bit. ly/37zhm0B

to face challenges of their own.

“Although they have had their own struggles with volunteers shielding and have been unable to have more than six volunteers helping, they have worked throughout this to provide this service for so many families,” Bev explains.

People in need who are referred to the collective can get three days’ worth of supplies. It also provides Home from Hospital Bags containing two days’ food to discharged patients; Emergency Assistance Bags to support people experiencing homelessness in temporary shelters; and Bobby Van Bags for victims of crimes such as burglaries.

To find your nearest food bank where you can donate food, go to: https://www.trusselltrust.org/ get-help/find-a-foodbank/

MORE INFO You can make a one-off or a regular donation to The Trussell Trust, which supports around 900 food banks in the UK, go to: https://bit.ly/2LP8xYj

KEEPING UP TO DATE ON COVID We’re helping members keep up to date on Nationwide’s response to coronavirus by uploading the Society’s regularly updated Q&A document on our own website.

We aim to ensure that we always upload the latest revision as soon as we can after the Society updates the version available on the staff intranet.

In addition, members may find it easier to access many of our Covid-related posts through our Facebook page, where we also regularly post reminders about the monthly draw and benefits like NGSU Extras. www.ngsu.org.uk www.facebook.com/NationwideGroupStaffUnion/

IT’S YOUR

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NGSU General Secretary Tim Rose looks back at the impact of Covid-19, reflects on how Nationwide and NGSU responded to the pandemic and considers the longer-term impacts for the future of work.

Covid-19 and the future of work at Nationwide

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he impact of Covid-19 has been devastating in so many ways and has had a profound effect on our personal and working lives.

The greatest toll is the tragic death of so many people around the world, with over 100,000 deaths here in the UK – each one a distressing loss to their families and friends. We hope the rollout of the vaccines will help control the virus but life isn’t likely to get back to normal soon – and the ‘new normal’ is potentially going to be very different. This is likely to be true for our personal lives and certainly true for our working lives.

HOW NATIONWIDE AND NGSU RESPONDED We have worked closely with Nationwide in all aspects of the response the pandemic. I believe that overall Nationwide has taken all the measures we could have reasonably expected. It has been a significant challenge to try to keep everyone safe while continuing to run the business and provide essential financial services to Nationwide members.

Through our affiliation to the TUC and contact with other unions, we know that not all employers

Above: Tim Rose, NGSU general secretary

have acted as quickly and responsibly as Nationwide.

However, members are obviously experiencing heightened levels of anxiety with the new, more transmissible, variant and the latest lockdown measures. I can assure everyone that we continue to work with NBS to ensure that the measures they take remain appropriate in light of changing circumstances.

In fact, through our regular dialogue with the Society we have been able to highlight issues; encourage action; and agree changes to employment policies to ensure appropriate support and time-off is available. And as you’d expect, we have supported many individual members who have needed help and access to information.

We were able to agree an extension to time-off provisions to support families and those feeling vulnerable and worried about return-towork environments. The sick pay arrangements agreed between Nationwide and NGSU are good – in stark contrast to statutory sick pay that has left many vulnerable

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people struggling if they’ve had to self-isolate and cannot work.

Of course, it has been, and continues to be, a very difficult time. There have been significant challenges throughout the period and we know that these persist and anxiety levels remain very high, particularly for the branch teams.

We will continue to work closely with Nationwide and in seeking to meet the needs of NGSU members.

OUTSTANDING RESPONSE FROM EMPLOYEES The response from Nationwide employees has been truly outstanding. Our colleagues in the frontline customer-facing roles have been amazing. It has taken courage to continue to travel into normal workplaces and risk exposure to the virus in working environments and, for the branch teams, dealing face-to-face with the public.

This has been a tremendous effort, particularly when too many of our colleagues have had to face unacceptable behaviour from customers, sometimes in shocking and abhorrent ways.

Our wellbeing and mental health have been tested, which has highlighted how important good working conditions and support are to the welfare of individuals and the organisation.

Alongside all of this, many communities across Nationwide have been working through change programmes – more than 300 employees left by redundancy at the end of last year. We wish everyone well in their future lives away from the Society.

FACING THE CHALLENGES AHEAD So, what does this mean for the future of work?

Working practices have changed in response to the pandemic and they will continue to evolve over the coming months, bringing a range of opportunities and consequences.

HOMEWORKING We do not yet know what the long-term implications are for homeworking but it seems certain to become a feature of many working patterns. There is a general feeling that a blend of homeworking and working in an office will offer the best of both worlds – opportunities to benefit from a better work-life balance but also the chance to meet with colleagues and enjoy the social interaction that we’ve missed during lockdown and subsequent restrictions.

One clear benefit of remote working is that ‘location’ is no longer a barrier to pursuing new career options and development opportunities. Jobs that were once only available in certain locations are now potentially open to all employees. This is important because the skills and roles required by the Society are going to change – opening up opportunities to all employees will enable people to develop new skills and retain jobs.

Homeworking also presents a

“We do not yet know what the long-term implications are for homeworking but it seems certain to become a feature of many working patterns”

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number of issues and we’ll need to understand these and work through solutions with the business. Not everyone has a suitable workspace at home. In the current circumstances, many people are dealing with this as best they can but working from long-term will bring a range of health and safety and wellbeing issues.

There are contractual issues too – can employers require employees to work from home unless this is explicitly agreed; what equipment should be provided; who pays for broadband and increased utility costs?

There are now employees in customer-facing roles working from home, including some from contact centres; mortgage distribution; and financial planning. For most, home is a safe sanctuary but dealing with customers directly from home raises the prospect of verbal and aggressive behaviour disrupting our safe space.

For all homeworkers, there’s less opportunity to separate work from home life. We have already seen that presenteeism can be an issue when working from home as much as in the branch / office, with employees working considerably more than their contractual hours.

BRANCHES We are very pleased that the Society has extended the ‘branch promise’ until January 2023 and continues to value the role branches play in delivering excellent customer service and helping to differentiate Nationwide from its competitors.

The Society has been clear that this doesn’t mean that no branches will close. There will be closures where there are opportunities to integrate or re-site branches but, overall, the commitment to the branch network

This is an edited version of Tim’s reflections on Covid-19. You can download the full version from https://bit. ly/37G6XAq

is strong and NGSU supports and commends this position.

However, we do need a reality check. The number of customers switching to mobile banking and the general decline of our high streets means customer footfall will continue to reduce.

One solution could be to diversify the type of work undertaken in branches and we’ve seen the first step in this direction, with branches taking on contact centre calls and digital services work. We know this has caused some additional pressure on branch resources and it takes a lot of effort to switch between actively managing customers in a Covid-secure way and focussing on taking calls.

The two roles can feel very different too. There is a natural ebb and flow of activity in a branch and face-to-face interactions with customers; in a contact centre the work is a continuous flow of calls.

The different roles will suit different people and, if this is to be a way forward, we’ll need to understand all the implications and work with the Society to make it work.

We’ll also need to understand and wider implications that will arise from greater use of digital services and the impact of automation across all business areas.

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER Whatever the future holds, it is important that we all work together to develop the best solutions. We’ll continue to use a number of ways to engage with NGSU reps and members to help us in the conversations we’ll be having with Nationwide.

One thing is certain: it’s going to be another challenging year.

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Conquering Covid, one dog-walk at a time NGSU members have been reaping the physical and mental health benefits of bringing a new puppy into their lives during the pandemic.

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ogs have always loomed large in branch manager Samantha Larman’s life. Before the spring national lockdown, on the days she stayed with her dad, Steve, in Hillingdon, she would share the care of his two, Lottie and Lexi. And on the days when she was at her own place in Amersham, Lexi would stay with her.

“The reason we have dogs is because they just make your life better. They are the nicest thing in world to come home to: whether you’ve had a good day, whether you’ve had a bad day, no matter what your day’s been like,” says Sam, who has been managing the Nationwide branch in the market town of Walton-on-Thames for the past year.

But Lottie and Lexi weren’t the only canines in Sam’s life. Her aunt Ann is a championship dog breeder, and Sam would usually muck in to help whenever a new litter of Golden Retrievers arrived – until Covid-19.

When the spring lockdown began, both Sam’s dad and her aunt were on the high-risk list, so Sam changed her routines and only got to see them when she dropped off their shopping.

And then within a week of the Prime Minister’s announcement, a litter of eight arrived at her aunt’s. It was a

Top: Samantha Larman and Leah. Above: Leah the puppy, Lottie and Lexi.

bitter-sweet moment, as her aunt had decided she was going to stop breeding. But it led to Sam putting her own name down for one of the pups.

“My aunt said it would be her last litter but I’ve always wanted one of her dogs and my dad also immediately showed interest in a puppy,” she says.

With visits from potential owners not possible during lockdown, Sam’s aunt had to make all the matches herself – including Sam’s.

Leah’s arrival has helped her dad overcome the challenges of enforced isolation, Sam says. “It’s been really good for him as he was on his own during lockdown and I was only able to drop off his shopping to him until some of the restrictions were lifted,” she says.

“To have something to focus on really helped him: what meals she’d had, when she’d gone out, practising taking the food away so she doesn’t

get territorial – doing all that helps pass the time.”

Sam and Steve both enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of raising dogs. “It gives you more of a structured routine,” she says. “You can’t be lazy with them, they have to have their exercise, they have to have their play time, and Leah also needs her training.”

Facilities consultant James Puffitt and his partner Louise Watkins have both been reaping similar physical and mental benefits since they brought miniature dachshund Stan into their lives this summer.

James, who has been looking after Nationwide’s Pegasus, Optimus and Wakefield House sites in Swindon for the past two years, had already been looking into getting a dog before the arrival of Covid-19.

But with him and Louise both working long hours away from home at the time, they weren’t really sure they would be able to make it work.

“Going into lockdown changed things: we knew we were going to be around the house a lot more between us and on the back of that we felt it was maybe time to introduce a furry member of the family, so we got little Stan – and he’s been everything we wanted and more.”

Since James has children and Louise’s niece and nephew often stay over, they were looking for a dog that would be good with family and keen on human company in general – which Stan has proved to be.

And as Louise lives with arthritis, the couple knew that the best dog for them would be one that didn’t need hours and hours of exercise. “If it’s a good day, we can take him out

Top: James Puffitt and Stan. Above: Stan relaxing.

for a really good long walk and he’ll go as long as he wants,” she says.

“But if it’s a bad day and I can only manage two 20-minute walks, then he’s comfortable with that, which is good because I can always manage that, even on a bad day. And we do exercise more: we were walking anyway but now it’s part of our daily schedule.”

Stan provides a lot of positivity in the midst of challenging times.

“The whole working landscape is just changing before our eyes because of Covid,” James says.

“But Stan doesn’t know there’s a pandemic on: when you get home, he’s the old Stan with the same multiple licks of the face and the same cuddles and it just clicks you out of that mindset – he’s such a tonic,” James says.

It’s all worked out so well that they’ve introduced another one to the family called Wilf, and they are now exploring parts of Bristol they never knew with both of them.

“It’s amazing that you can live somewhere for so long and not know your local area that well but with our walks, we’ve found some really beautiful rolling fields and parks and a whole array of old railways lines and bridleways,” James says.

And interacting with other dogowners and walkers is another positive since Stan’s arrival in June.

“For several months, standing on the doorstep clapping for the NHS and seeing all the people up the street was as much social interaction as we had,” James says. “But meeting other dog-walkers – and talking about topics other than the pandemic – that’s really good for your mental health.”

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Here to help when you need it When she started work for Nationwide, Paris Wills was helping Nationwide members who’d lost control of their finances. Now she’s working for NGSU, she’s supporting union members facing troubled times at work.

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aris Wills did not take a standard route into her current role as an Individual Cases Officer (ICO).

Unlike many of her predecessors over the years, she hadn’t been active as an NGSU rep before she secured the job just over a year ago.

She was already a member, of course: she’d joined after starting work at the Northampton Administration Centre on her 20th birthday in 2014.

Her first role was as a negotiator in lending control (now collections and recoveries), helping people get back on track if they’d fallen into arrears on their mortgage or were spending beyond their overdraft limit.

After a couple of years on the phone lines, Paris then moved to People and Culture, first as a training services administrator and then in resourcing, setting up job adverts, interviews and pre-interview tests.

That was when Paris started studying as well. She enrolled on her Level 3 Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) in 2016, attending college one evening a week for a year and a half. And then after a 12-month break, she started a Level 5 course online.

As someone in a junior role at the

To speak to an ICO, please call us on 01295 710767 or send us an email at ico@ngsu.org.uk

time, Paris was able to learn more about the business while she was studying, as her managers encouraged her to research assignments by picking the brains of more senior specialists within the business.

“Because I was in an admin role, I didn’t have exposure to things like change programmes but they would say, ‘This person deals with change, so why don’t you go and have a chat with them and then hopefully it will help you with your assignment?’,” she says.

But the further Paris progressed with her learning, the more she wondered how she was going to put it to use until she saw the NGSU advert for the ICO role. “I felt that Nationwide was a little bit more restrictive in terms of the roles in Northampton that I could do with my qualifications,” she explains.

“When the union role came up, it seemed to be a bit broader, a bit more

“I always tell people that I’m available on all channels if they have any questions – text, email, phone, Teams”

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generalist, and I thought the learning I’ve done over the past couple of years would help me in this role.”

When Paris started working for the union in late 2019, her predecessor, Angie Needham, was still working in the Administration Centre.

“I was lucky enough to have Angie there still for a couple of months before she went off for retirement,” she recalls.

“But then in January, I was on my own, which was a bit daunting without her to answer any questions!”

For the first few months in the office, Paris was able to offer support and advice to members on the phone and face-to-face and represent them in meetings or hearings, as well as delivering presentations about the NGSU in new starter induction sessions.

And then the pandemic hit.

While her own transition to homeworking was fairly smooth, Paris admits that representing members virtually via Microsoft Teams took a bit of getting used to.

“When you sit in a room with someone, you see the body language and you see how people are but it’s harder to read on that screen,” she says.

“So I always tell people that I’m available on all channels if they have any questions – text, email, phone, Teams. That way they know that even though you’re not there physically, you are still there for them.”

Whether it’s face-to-face or through a digital screen, what Paris most enjoys about being an ICO is helping people. “Some people come really angry, some people come upset, some people are shy and timid – you don’t know what’s going to come your way until you get the person on the phone or on Teams,” she says.

“Then you can start to unpick their situation, understand what’s

happening and hopefully try and find a way forward for them with a little bit of problem-solving – what have you done, what have they done, what needs to be done, what hasn’t been done and what should be done.”

And once the problem has been solved – as it can be most of the time – she enjoys seeing the difference that can make to members, who can become more like themselves again once the immediate distress has been resolved.

“When you’re helping people, the person you get to know is the person who has been worn down by a situation, not who they really are, so when you see them a couple of months after a hearing, they’re totally different because things have improved for them – that’s very rewarding,” she says.

WHAT IS AN ?

INDIVIDUAL CASES OFFICER Paris is one of eight Individual Cases Officers (ICOs), who confidentially advise, support and represent members on all aspects of their employment.

They provide general employment advice (telephone helpline and webchat) and formally represent members at disciplinary (capability and conduct) hearings, grievances, change consultation and appeal meetings.

They also work with and support union reps to help them represent their members’ views to Nationwide’s leadership teams; are active in the recruitment of new members; and work to raise the profile of NGSU and demonstrate the value of a strong union.

To speak to an ICO, please call us on 01295 710767 or send us an email at ico@ngsu.org.uk.

If you have been invited to a hearing or formal HR meeting, please fill in the form on our website at: ngsu.org.uk/request-support-at-a-hearing/

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Helping problem gamblers Your mobile phone is a mini-casino, bingo hall and bookie’s office in your pocket.

Does that make it too easy to get addicted to placing bets and racking up debts?

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t’s never been easier to rack up massive gambling debts, when you’re only ever a couple of clicks away from an online casino, slot machine or bingo game on your phone and online betting means you can have a flutter any time of the day or night.

And the mental health challenges of enforced isolation as a result of the national lockdowns and tiered restrictions we’ve been living with since last March have only intensified the problem for some people.

The Gordon Moody Association, which helps problem gamblers, scrambled to deal with an eightfold increase in the numbers of people referring themselves for support in the first few months of the pandemic.

For counter staff in building societies and bank, the stakes are particularly high. The speed and ease with which you amass serious debt through gambling combined with ready access to members’ money can prove disastrous.

Only a year ago, a 20-something cashier in one of Nationwide’s Northern Ireland branches stole more than £6,000 to fund their gambling habit, dreaming that the one big win they were chasing would enable them to

AFFECTED BY SOMEONE ELSE’S GAMBLING? Gamcare offers support and information for partners, friends and family of people who gamble compulsively. www.gamcare.org.uk 0808 8020 133 (free)

return the money before it was missed.

But the win never materialised. The missing money was clocked. And the person only narrowly avoided jail by paying back what they’d taken and seeking help for their gambling addiction before the case came to court.

Problem gamblers come from all walks of life. Most are men, although the number of women reporting they have a problem has been rising twice as fast as the number of men for the past five years. And while gambling is less prevalent overall in Black and Asian communities, problem gambling is three to five times more likely to affect members of Black and Asian communities than their white counterparts.

The Gambling Commission defines problem gambling as “behaviour related to gambling which causes harm to the gambler and those around them.”

According to the government’s own figures, around 340,000 people in the UK are now problem gamblers, although a YouGov survey for GambleAware this spring suggested the figure could be much higher, up to 1.4 million people.

And that covers just the individual gamblers themselves. But that’s

just the tip of the iceberg, according to the House of Lords 2020 report Gambling Harm – Time for Action.

“For every problem gambler, six other people are adversely affected by gambling-related harm: a total of some 2 million people,” the report says. (And that’s just using the lower government estimate: if the GambleAware numbers are closer to the truth, that would mean more than 8 million people could be suffering the ill-effects of problem gambling.)

“This can lead to the breakup of families, the loss of employment, loss of homes, crime, financial ruin and, in the worst cases, suicide,” the report continues. “There is also a cost to society: lost tax receipts, benefit claims, welfare, and the cost to the NHS and the criminal justice system.”

The big problem is that it’s all just so easy nowadays. The evolution of smartphone technology has made it possible to gamble 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And without anyone else knowing. At least when someone’s paying suspiciously frequent trips to a bricks-and-mortar bookies, family members have the chance to ask them what they’re up to.

Of course, the easy access is very good news for UK gambling operators.

They have enjoyed a 60 per cent rise in their takings over the past decade, and are clearing more than £14bn every year even after they have paid out to their winners.

The big issues, of course, is the losers. As the House of Lords report points out, 60 per cent of UK operators’ profits come from the 5 per cent who are already problem gamblers or at risk of becoming so. In other words, take away the problem gamblers and the UK industry would look a lot less buoyant.

HAVE I GOT A PROBLEM? Check your relationship to gambling by answering these 10 quick questions.

1 Do you spend a lot of time thinking about gambling? YES / NO 2 Are you spending more money on gambling as time goes on? YES / NO 3 Have you ever tried to stop gambling, or cut down on or control your gambling, and not been able to? YES / NO 4 Do you get restless or irritable if you try to cut down on gambling? YES / NO 5 Do you gamble to escape from difficulties in your life, or to cheer yourself up? YES / NO 6 Do you keep playing after losing money to try to win it back – often called ‘chasing losses’? YES / NO 7 Have you lied to other people about how much time or money you’ve spent gambling, or how much you’ve lost? YES / NO 8 Have you ever stolen money to fund gambling? YES / NO 9 Has gambling affected your job, relationships, or home life? YES / NO 10 Do you ask other people to lend you money when you’ve lost money through gambling? YES / NO IF YOU’VE ANSWERED YES TO: l one question – you might have a problem, and it would be a good idea to seek help. l three questions – gambling probably feels like it’s a problem, and you should seek help. l five or more questions – it’s likely gambling feels like it’s affecting every part of your life. You should get help as soon as possible.

Source: NHS Inform (Scotland)

Too many problem gamblers don’t ask for help because of the shame and stigma associated with gambling addiction – stigma that the NGSU, in common with many unions, is committing to combatting.

“Trade unions, working with enlightened employers, can play an important part in tackling problem gambling in the workplace and … reducing the stigma around problem gambling,” says a recent TUC briefing.

“We can also try to understand the impacts that gambling-related harm can have on the individual, their families and colleagues. We can be there to support them through their journey.”

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FOUR FACTS

about your tax code You can get help claiming a tax refund from a team of top experts, thanks to the NGSU. Fact 1 It is your personal responsibility to ensure you have been given the right tax code. It’s not your employer’s and definitely not HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC’s).

However, most taxpayers with a job assume their employer checks their tax code and automatically takes the right amount of tax off their pay.

Fact 2 Your employer mu st use the tax code sent to them by HMRC to work out how much tax to tak e off your pay. If your cod e is wrong, you will pay the wro ng amount of tax. Unless you have filled out HMRC’s 40-page Tax Return every year for the last four years, you could easily be one of the estimated 7 million taxpayers who have paid too much tax in the last four yea rs after being given the wrong code.

wer your Fact 3 The lo ore likely you income, the m ed a refund. are to be ow myth that tax It is a common for the highly refunds are just those who earn paid. In reality, ely pa. are most lik under £45,000 o much tax. to have paid to

The sooner you check your tax code, the sooner you get back any money you are owed. If you want your tax checked by the experts at The Tax Refund Company, go to www. checkmycode. co.uk/nationwide

Fact 4 If you pay too mu ch tax, you have four years to claim it back. The challen ge comes in knowing you’ve pai d too much and being able to find all the errors or omissions that me ant you paid too much tax in the first place!

That’s where The Tax Refund Company can help. The NGSU has made the services of the UK’s leading PAYE tax code experts available to members since 2007. And over the past 13 years, more than 5,650 have turned to them to find out if they are due a tax refund. Their professional tax code review will detect any errors, no matter how small, taking the appropriate steps with HMRC to correct them and recover your money.

To ensure that checking your tax code won’t leave you out of pocket, you only pay a fee if and when you receive a tax refund. As a guide, the average refund for NGSU members is £178, although some members have received over £960 this year!

For complete peace of mind, the service is actually guaranteed: if you have paid too much tax, you will receive the largest refund possible. If you discover you could have got even more money back within 12 months of completing their review, they will pay you double the difference (T&Cs apply).

In return for having your tax carefully checked by their team of tax code experts, you pay them 38p from every £1 you get back, subject to a minimum fee of £38. But you will not have to pay anything unless they help you get your money back from HMRC.

Standing up against racism NGSU’s leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to pursue positive change with its statement, reproduced right.

NEC STATEMENT: CHALLENGING THE STATUS QU O NGS

U stands by its commitment to acti vely oppose racism in any form and our Equality Statement is still integral to our etho s.

There have been calls in the pas t for change but atrocities continue to happen bas ed purely on people’s race and ethnicity. It is high time for action to eradicate the inequality that still exists in our society today and sustain positive change into the future.

NGSU supports Nationwide for thei r statement ne of the union’s key aims on Black Lives Matter and applaud s them is to promote equality for the strength of their commitm ent. and to actively oppose We will continue to challenge the status quo. Over all forms of prejudice and unfair the years, we have been respons ible for challenging discrimination (Rule 3(d)).

Nationwide on inclusion and dive rsity (I&D) issues.

The summer of 2020 brought This led to the creation of the Dive rsity and Equality matters of equality and diversity to of Opportunity Committee (DEO C), the Society’s first the fore of public attention in the body of senior managers focused on these issues, UK, the United States and, indeed, and the launch of a number of Adv isory Committees, across the world. The distressing including one focusing on ethnicity , while we continue incidents we have all seen have to actively seek out and stand up for positive, resonated strongly with many of our progressive change within Nationw ide and the NGSU. members. They have shared their We will seek to break down the barriers experiences of micro-aggressions, that currently enable the inherent racism snide comments and ‘jokes’ through that too many of our colleagues face. to aggressive and violent behaviour Recognising that a lot of bias disp layed can be based purely on someone’s skin colour. inadvertent, we will be prepared to have difficult We recognise that changing minds conversations and encourage peo ple in our and hearts will not be achieved in workplaces to challenge their own beliefs and be just a few weeks or months. NGSU open to learning. We won’t be pas sive bystanders. will seek to stand by the values We will focus on the workplace, employment, set out in its Rules and Equality recruitment, progression and reco gnition Statement, and to address inequalities of performance of ethnic minoriti es. raised with or witnessed by us.

We will stand by these values with in our own NGSU structure by encouraging our ethnically diverse members to become mor e involved HINK? T U O Y as reps, as well as challenging our O D own WHAT ments recruitment and employment prac ghts and com u to be ou th tice ur s. yo e We welcom ould ask yo We will ensure that I&D criteria, fairness Forum. We w particularly as on the NGSU g mindful of our belief in regards ethnicity, are actively con in sidered in all our respectful, be our whole membership. for y lit negotiations and consultations with ua eq d an the Society.

O

16 96 FEBRUARY 21

Black and Asian NGSU members are leading the discussion about how we all can play our part in securing racial justice.

It’s time for change

E

ver since the police killing of George Floyd highlighted the lack of racial justice in so many countries of the world, Nationwide’s Race Together network has re-doubled its efforts to bring long overdue change to the business, says co-chair Aisha Lewis.

“Back in the summer, we asked the organisation to stand up to this problem and confirm silence is not an option, because we’ve been sat for too many years saying nothing and that’s why nothing’s changed,” Aisha says.

“So across a day and a half, we produced a video with 500 colleagues coming forward from all walks of life to hold up a Silence Is Not An Option card to show allyship to those that needed it the most at that time.”

The video, alongside a number of intranet articles, became the Society’s most liked and commented upon intranet post when it was launched and was later screened at an event for the Society’s top 1,000 leaders.

Watch the Channel 4 spot, Black and Proud, on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ FZeq2cZMXrs

Then during Black History Month in October, the network ensured posters were on display in every branch across the UK and involved 5,000 colleagues in celebrating Black achievement.

In addition, Aisha herself appeared in a two-minute TV ad produced by Channel 4 called Black and Proud, featuring employees from Nationwide, the NHS, Virgin Media and other big-name brands talking about what Black History Month means to them and their hopes for the future. Aisha’s spot was filmed beneath the Bristol mural commemorating celebrated community activist Delores Campbell, part of the Seven Saints of St Pauls series by local artist Michele Curtis.

The network has also helped launch a new reciprocal mentoring programme involving 80 of the Society’s most senior leaders, including Chief Executive Officer Joe Garner.

“It’s a two-way dialogue,” Aisha says.

“The idea is to help retain and progress Black and Asian talent through the

IT’S YOUR

UNION

organisation and at the same time help educate and support our leaders on issues they need to be consciously competent about to benefit the organisation for the way forward.”

Developing effective mechanisms to help recruit, retain and progress Black talent will be key to making real progress, according to Andy Alvarez, who has been a local director in the Midlands for the past eight years.

“As a Society, I don’t think we are there yet in terms of really understanding the benefits of having a racially diverse workforce – I think we’re curious but I don’t think we’ve been brave enough,” he says.

That means the senior roles at the Society tend to be occupied by people with similar backgrounds, experiences and ideas, Andy says.

“If you take the example of me, at my job level and above in the branch network there are only four people out of 65 in all from what you would call a racially diverse background, and when the organisational changes take effect in January, there will only be two,” he says.

“And I’m the only person from an ethnic background in my job role north of Watford all the way up to the tip of Scotland – and soon there is going to be nobody, because I haven’t been successful in securing a role from January.”

These gaps affect people inside and outside the organisation, he says. It means Nationwide does not reflect the communities it seeks to

The Race Together network seeks to champion diverse voices, so if you have a fresh perspective you want to be heard or any questions for the network please contact the Race Together Committee at race.together@ nationwide. co.uk or contact co-Chair Aisha Lewis directly, and you can sign up to become a member of the network using the simple membership form at https:// bit.ly/3auasM0

“I don’t think we are there yet in terms of really understanding the benefits of having a racially diverse workforce”

serve. “We will never get there unless we have people in job levels that actually understand the tapestry of our different communities,” he says.

And it deprives Black and Asian staff of role models in the upper echelons of the Society – a lack that Andy has become acutely aware of himself.

“What I’m hearing from a lot of people from ethnic backgrounds that I’ve mentored is that they are really concerned because when they look at their careers, there is nobody that looks like them – and that’s impacted people more than I thought it would have done.”

The lack of progress has also contributed to a significant ethnicity pay gap. According to the Society’s own 2020 figures, ethnically diverse staff overall earn 17 per cent less than their white counterparts – and most of that down to Black and Asian staff being concentrated in junior roles.

The litmus test will be what action follows the dialogue that has opened up since the summer, Andy says.

“How many more people from an ethnic background are we going to see in a senior role in six months’ time?” Andy asks. “Whatever we can do to break down the invisible barriers there clearly are, we need to do it.”

18 96 FEBRUARY 21

Supporting you through difficult times Whether it’s face-to-face or via a digital video feed, James McCrossan feels best when he is helping people through challenging moments in their career.

A

few months after starting work in a tiny branch on the Kent coast eight years ago, James McCrossan spotted that the NGSU was on the lookout for a new rep to cover the constituency he was in.

James didn’t really know what being a rep would involve, beyond the interesting conversations he used to have with the union rep in his previous job at the Halifax and his dad’s prounion views when he was growing up.

But he was passionate about helping people and he knew enough to know that that was the essence of the role.

There was just one problem, though: to stand as a rep, you normally have to have a year’s membership under your belt and James had only had six months at this point.

“I told them straightaway, ‘I don’t think I’ve got the years’ because I was only six months into my role at Nationwide when I applied for the position but because they could see how passionate I was about it, they allowed me in,” he recalls.

James threw himself into the new role as he had promised he would, training as a disciplinary officer so he could represent members at hearings and disciplinaries, while he continued

To speak to an ICO, please call us on 01295 710767 or send us an email at ico@ngsu.org. uk. If you have been invited to a hearing or formal HR meeting, please fill in the form on our website at: ngsu.org.uk/ request-supportat-a-hearing/

working on the counter at Birchingtonon-Sea and then later in the Margate branch, a few miles along the coast.

It was while he was working in the seaside town that he heard that the union was looking for a new Individual Cases Officer (ICO) based in Swindon.

He made it through to the interview stage, with a panel that included the former General Secretary Tim Poil, but on that occasion the job ended up going to Rob Goldspink, who has of course since moved on to become Assistant General Secretary.

However, that was not the end of the story.

“I must have done something right at my interview because when Tim Poil called me up to give me the bad news he said, ‘We want to offer you a different role that will utilise your skillset to focus on another area to start with but with a development plan to become an ICO’,” James recalls.

That is how James came to start work for the union in the new hybrid role of Member Support Officer.

“The majority of my role was focused on the digital element of NGSU, so I was utilising my IT skills to try and bring some processes and systems forward, like bringing in the webchat

IT’S YOUR

UNION

“I can have one, two or even three meetings with someone before a hearing, which allows you to build up that one-to one rapport beforehand” function on the website,” he explains.

At the same time, James started taking on parts of the ICO role, learning the ropes over the next couple of years until he switched to focus on it full-time two years ago, mainly supporting members in London and the south-east.

James believes that the most important thing he can do for members going through disciplinary or grievance hearings is to be there for them, whether that’s by their side pre-Covid or via a digital video link during the pandemic.

And while supporting members via Teams can be challenging, there are upsides, he says.

“Prior to Covid, you might speak

to a member over the phone before a meeting but the first time you would meet them would be the day of the hearing,” he points out.

“But during Covid, because our diaries are a little bit more flexible and because we’re not travelling as much, I’ve been able to find more time to book in Teams meetings, so I can have one, two or even three meetings with someone beforehand, which allows you to build up that one-to-one rapport before a meeting, which then helps you when you get to the hearing.”

The other big change in his work brought about by the pandemic is that James has become the go-to person within NGSU for information on how the Society is responding – or should respond – to the challenges of the Covid era.

“My role is to ensure the team is updated in terms of any new information released by the Society and to find the answers to particular questions from members of the team in the guidance released by Nationwide or in our own guidance,” he explains.

“And if I get several questions on the same subject, I can go to Tim Rose or Rob and say, ‘I think Nationwide needs to address this’ and they can take that back to their meetings to discuss.”

Pre-Covid, during Covid or postCovid (whenever we make it there), James has continued to relish how every day in the job is different from the one before and the one to come.

“When you answer the phone, you’re going to be speaking to someone who may well be in one of the most difficult patches of their career,” he says.

“Knowing that you’ve done your job to support that person, whatever the reason they picked up the phone to call you, that’s the biggest positive for me and the reason I love doing what I do.”

20 96 FEBRUARY 21

If you’ve worked out the best way to address a condition that can impact the way you work, you can now capture it in an Adjustment Passport that can travel with you throughout the business.

Your Passport to a smoother work life

I

f you have an ongoing condition that occasionally impacts your ability to work to your usual standards, you may well have worked out the best way to address the issue by talking to your manager.

So far, so straightforward. But then your manager moves on, someone new takes over, and one of the first things you have to do is talk them through what can be a pretty complex situation, often involving educating them on issues they may be unfamiliar with.

And something similar can happen when you move on within the business through promotion or secondment.

It’s not the way most of us dream of starting a new work relationship.

Instead of being able to enjoy the kind of relaxed ‘getting to know you’ chat many of your colleagues can expect, you have to work out the best way of addressing your condition with your new manager and the arrangements you need to support you.

It’s a situation that leaves many members worrying about meeting

new managers, frustrated that they’ll have to reinvent the wheel with them or anxious that they’re going to be labelled difficult or demanding from the off.

But now there’s an elegant solution in the form of the new Adjustment Passport, developed by the Society’s United Network and now adopted for use across the business, which sits alongside the Carers’ Passport, launched in November 2018 for employees with regular caring responsibilities.

“We believe both the Adjustment Passport and the Carers’ Passport are very worthwhile initiatives that have been developed as a result of many employees’ previous experiences, with the aim of removing

“Our reps said they believed the initiative had the potential to be very valuable for many employees across the Society”

IT’S YOUR

UNION

unnecessary hurdles from the lives of other Nationwide employees, now and in the future,” says Assistant General Secretary Rob Goldspink.

Both passports are documents that the individual employee is in control of. They don’t need to be signed off by a GP or a government department, and employees are able to share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. They’re not part of a formal Society process, so they won’t be used as a way of judging someone.

NGSU reps welcomed the development of the Adjustment Passport when members of the United Network delivered a series of presentations to union reps over the summer.

Our reps said they believed the initiative had the potential to be very valuable for many employees across the Society – and a very helpful tool for line managers, particularly when they move into a new team, or have employees join their team.

Rob reckons that, over time, the Adjustment Passport will become familiar to all managers: a single document that looks and feels the same across the business that has the flexibility to allow for any condition, and any adjustments that are needed to accommodate that condition.

And he expects it to help reduce any anxieties around those ‘getting to know you’ conversations – both for the individual employee and for their new manager.

“When there’s a change in reporting lines, it will make that initial conversation so much easier: it’s a way of saying, ‘All of the team have their own particular characteristics, here are mine in a nutshell – and here are the tried and tested ways of ensuring that the work gets done’,” Rob says.

HOW I DO GET A PASSPORT? It couldn’t be easier to kick off the process: if you just search ‘Passport’ on the intranet, the different versions will be in the top search results.

There are also FAQs and guidance documents that should be in the first search results.

Let your manager know you’d like to talk about it and let them have a blank copy so they can cast an eye over it before your meeting.

You can check your terms and conditions or look into a Nationwide policy by logging onto the NGSU website.

Once you’ve entered your name and membership number, you’ll reach the Members Home page.

Then just click on: HR Policies and look for what you need in the relevant section.

And it won’t only prove useful for existing staff, he points out. The passport can also be introduced to new starters, demonstrating that Nationwide as a business takes their wellbeing seriously and wants to foster an inclusive approach to anyone with ongoing conditions.

The passport also provides a convenient structure for a conversation in the future if a condition or its impact changes, and different adjustments become appropriate. For many people, “Can we review the passport?” will be a much easier question to ask than, “Can you do something for me?”.

And if the reason for reviewing the passport is that the condition is no longer having an impact on someone’s ability to work as they would wish, that, too, can be captured in the document.

However, the passport means that the history of what’s been helpful in the past will be available in the future if it becomes appropriate: it won’t be necessary to reinvent the wheel two, three or more managers further down the line.

What will be crucial in all of this is delivery, Rob says. “Obviously, there’s a difference between capturing something in a document and delivering on the commitments that have been documented,” he warns.

The NGSU Travel Club

New Website for 2021!

Visit www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk to view your new website with fantastic ideas on holidays, tours and some great offers, plus important information about the benefits of being part of the NGSU Travel Club.

Enter our n Staycatio on Competiti Today!

Call 01422 847 847, visit www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk or email your holiday request to enquiries@benchmarktravel.co.uk

travel club

WIN BIG WITH OUR

rapport

MONTHLY PRIZE DRAW!

You could win thousands of pounds by entering the union’s monthly draw – just as Emma-Jayne Dyer from Optimus did in December, when her draw number came up first.

With around 30,000 draw entries a month, the odds are much better than the National Lottery! Each entry costs just £1 and you can enter up to 10 times each month.

Every month 75 per cent of the draw pool is returned to members as prizes and 25 per cent is retained to help meet the running costs of the union and keep our subscriptions low for members.

To enter, or to increase your number of chances, please complete and return an NGSU Monthly Draw Form, which you can download from: https://bit.ly/3gwoRXO

February 2021

Editorial board Bev Cubbon (President), Rob Goldspink (Assistant General Secretary) Editorial Martin Moriarty martinmoriarty@mac.com Design & production The Design Mill www.the-design-mill.co.uk Printed in the UK Banbury Litho www.banburylitho.co.uk

You can find out if you have won on the NGSU website: https://ngsu.org.uk/draw-results-2020/

Win a UK Staycation for you and your family today!* Open to NGSU Members only, the main prize is a Hoseasons Break in 2021/22, plus an extra chance to win a £100 Travel Voucher.

N COMPETITIO S E S CLO 31/03/21

Visit our new website to find out more at www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk

01422 847 847 www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk

travel club

*T&C’s apply

NGSU Commission Rebate Scheme Insurance providers pay us commission for arranging your insurance policy. Due to our unique relationship with NGSU, we are delighted to be able to give you an exclusive 50% commission rebate.

Receive an exclusive 50% rebate of all insurance commission

Get your commission rebate in four easy steps:

1

Request your quotes online It takes three minutes to send us a quote online: www.ifswp.co.uk/ngsu We offer quotes on a range of products including: Life cover/mortgage protection Income protection Critical illness Redundancy cover

2

Receive your quotes by email Check your quotes and estimated commission rebate for each policy. Just reply to let us know which quote you have chosen.

£501

the average rebate to members in 2018

3

Complete application pack Paperwork is emailed to you with easy instructions to follow. This includes a medical questionnaire.

4

Submission and Commission Rebate We will submit your application to the insurer for underwriting. Once accepted, your Commission Rebate will be paid to NGSU three months after your policy start date.

Case Study: Sarah & John takes out a Legal & General Life with Critical Illness plan to protect their £150,000 mortgage. Monthly premium of £62 and they received an exclusive commission rebate of £670!

IFSWP and NGSU Commission Rebate Scheme are trading styles of IFS Wealth & Pensions Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm Reference No. 713063. The NGSU Commission Rebate Scheme is a non-advised service.

Call: 020 8610 9811 Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm