It’s been a while, but we are back – and we are delighted to be here!
The Peony and Magnolia team have been busy focusing, not only on the work we do for our clients and their people; but also, the inner work we continuously invest in ourselves. As the days have gotten warmer and longer, we have been mindful to get outside as much as possible to reap the rewards on both our physical and mental health.
We have just rolled into a new month and have taken a moment to reflect on what has been at the forefront of HR during May and cherry picked a few topics for this blog.
One size simply will not fit all when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
May saw the return of Mental Health Awareness Week and many businesses could be seen ‘jumping on the bandwagon’. However, we know that discussions and actions around mental health must be tailored for the environment, the scope of employees, the industry and different specialisms. Seeking support from trusted sources like MHFA and getting advice and training is a great start, however, there are so many more layers that need proper consideration and this in all honesty can be overwhelming. You can read more about mental health and wellbeing and some of the steps you can take in Espresso issue #2.
If you are not intentionally including…you’re excluding
There has been a lot of much welcomed conversation around neurodiversity recently so we wanted to shine a brief light on adjustments that can be made to ensure inclusion.
Adjustments are usually simple and inexpensive however, they can significantly improve workers’ happiness and performance. The duty to make reasonable adjustments applies to both current workers and job applicants.
- Some examples of potential reasonable adjustments for neuro divergent workers include:
- Structuring breaks into long meetings for a worker with ADHD
- Providing a second computer screen for a dyslexic worker
- Agreeing a later start and finish time for an autistic worker to avoid the rush hour
- Varying a dress code for a dyspraxic worker
- Providing noise-cancelling headphones to workers who are hypersensitive to sound
- Varying role responsibilities or agreeing a transfer to a similar post, where appropriate
- Providing coaching or a mentor system
- Funding the purchase of, and training in, assistive technology (such as time management or speech-to-text software)
‘Neurodiversity is…. the beautiful reality that all our brains are unique and we should celebrate and embrace that fact more often’ Smith and Kirby 2021
We speak more about neurodivergence and inclusion in Espresso issue #3
There is no wrong time to do the right thing – Charles M Blow
There has been a fair bit of buzz recently around workplace culture and toxicity, we thought the best way to address this discussion without becoming political, would be to raise a point around whistleblowing and the importance of why this can help create a culture of trust.
A whistleblower is protected in law if they are an employee, an agency worker or a member of a Limited Liability Partnership and any discloses, that qualify for protection, can bring a tribunal claim if treated unfairly.
In our experience, whistleblowing concerns raised in grievances are hugely costly and time consuming, especially if the right practices and processes aren’t already in place. Before you employ anyone, it is important to consider how you, as an employer will manage this responsibility.
P&M are partnered with Speeki as, regardless of the size of company, they offer a full ESG solution which includes a comprehensive whistleblower and incident management system. ESG has to be on every HR professionals agenda and last year Alice was invited to speak with the Speeki founder in depth on this subject, you can listen here: Maximising the involvement of HR in your ESG initiatives (speeki.com)
We hope you have enjoyed reading this blog. We’ll keep sharing the HR hot topics you need to know about and the trends you can’t ignore.
In the meantime, please get in touch with any questions.
We would love to hear from you!
Alice