HR in 90 Seconds - January 2020

Welcome to the first HR in 90 of 2020.  Olga Pollock kicked us off with some positive thoughts for the new year and tips for getting back into work mode.   

Menopause

It was announced by the BBC earlier this month that Derry and Strabane Council have agreed to adopt a menopause policy.  The policy aims to outline what menopause is, reduce absenteeism due to menopausal symptoms and provide support to manage symptoms at work.  If you are considering developing a policy of your own, here are a few resources to help you.

[Podcast] Menopause in the Workplace – in this Podcast with Clarendon Executive, Mairead Regan and Hugh McPoland discuss how the symptoms of menopause can impact on work performance and outline what employers can do to help support women who are undergoing this life change. 

Normalising the Normal: Sensitively Approaching Menopause in the Workplace – in this article Anne Dougan of Think People Consulting discusses various ways employers can aid women experiencing menopause, including understanding the symptoms and what to consider are reasonable adjustments in this area.

Guidance for employers to help manage the impact of menopause at work by Acas includes tips for workers on how to raise any concerns and good practice for employers to help manage menopause at work.

Diversity and Inclusion

The importance of inclusivity is gaining prominence in Northern Ireland and this article by Claire McKee from Clarendon Executive outlines the differences between inclusivity and diversity and discusses the actions HR can take in promoting inclusivity. These includes:

• A situational analysis to identify current cultural, structural and knowledge barriers;
• A global diversity and inclusion strategy, with objectives, timelines and ties to key performance indicators;
• Workforce analytics to evaluate current recruitment, selection, training, promotion and attrition trends;
• Leader and manager workshops to create more inclusive, high performing and engaged teams;
• Objective tools and assessments to help reduce manager bias in performance metrics, evaluations and hiring.

Legal Island’s Charter Mark is an opportunity for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   

The times they are a-changing

Claire Loftus discusses how the Changing Face of Work has an impact on Employee Engagement and Paolo Ruoppolo of Think People discusses the changing nature of the traditional sales function role and outlines actions for HR departments in ensuring their sales teams meeting the needs of modern consumers.  

With 85% of decision-makers within HR admitting their organisation has made a bad hire and 39% of employers admitting that their candidate interviewing, and assessment procedures could be improved, how relevant is psychometric testing to the modern workplace? Legal Island talks to Heather Angiolini, Associate at Clarendon Executive and occupational psychologist with over 20 years’ experience, about the evolution of psychometric assessment and the value it can bring to Northern Ireland businesses.

HR Network

The next meeting of the HR Network Group, in association with Arthur Cox Solicitors is on the 25^th February where we will be discussing the use of Fixed Term contracts.  If you would like to be added to the HR Network mailing list then please email Rolanda Markey at rolanda@legal-island.com.  The meetings are a great opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues to discuss your burning issues, as well as an opportunity to hear from an expert on our selected topic and get answers to your employment law questions from the Employment team at Arthur Cox.  The meetings are held quarterly from 09.30 to 11.30 and places are limited.