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Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is delighted to announce that we have signed the Mindful Employer Charter.
The charter is a set of voluntary aspirations that encourage employers to lead from the front on issues of workplace mental health, and recognizes the employers who are working toward achieving better mental health at work.
The Chamber joins more than 1,100 signatories from up and down the country who all share the same values of championing mental health awareness and support.
“We are proud of our commitment to the charter which will help to continue conversations around mental health in the workplace”, explained Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Sara Williams.
“It’s an important time as ever to ensure that we’re providing this type of mental health support across the Chamber. Encouraging conversations around mental health is extremely important, and something that we should all engage with.
“The Chamber is absolutely committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of everyone who works with us.”
The charter is operated by the Devon Partnership NHS Trust and provides professional workplace mental health training, information, and advice to employers.
Find out more about the charter, here. Charter Signatories | Mindful Employer (dpt.nhs.uk)
The post Covid workplace – evolution or revolution?
A blog by Caroline Brown
Chair of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce HR, Employment and Skills Forum
‘It will be nice to get back to normal again.’ You hear it all the time.
The truth is that post-Covid-19, normal as we know it will not exist, normal will be what we decide we want it to be.
The pandemic and the enforced lockdown pushed us all into new ways of working in a matter of days. Bringing on changes that were seen as years or even decades away.
The Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce HR, Employment and Skills Forum has been considering the impact of the pandemic on organisational and operational models.
We have discussed the effects on the place of work, re-writing HR policy documents, leadership and management in a virtual/hybrid world, health and safety implications, frontline worker recovery, the skills agenda, resource implications and much more.
A recent report from the CIPD entitled Embedding new ways of working post-pandemic shows that some 40 percent of employers said they expect more than half their workforce to work regularly from home after the pandemic has ended. According to data from the Office of National Statistics, prior to COVID-19 only around five percent of the workforce worked mainly from home. The pandemic, and government mandates for people to stay at home, increased this significantly. However, according to CIPD research, before the pandemic, 65 percent of employers either did not offer regular working from home at all or offered it to 10 percent or less of their workforce. After the crisis, that 65 percent is expected to fall dramatically to 37 percent. This represents a significant shift in ways of working which organisations will need to prepare for. You can read the full CIPD report here: https://bit.ly/3ee0Ntu
Every organisation, small, medium, or large needs to review and evaluate their aims and formulate a policy to deal with this. There is no single way to implement hybrid working, and its exact form is likely to vary from organisation to organisation. The priority of the HR, Employment and Skills Forum, therefore, is to look at potential approaches towards a more hybrid future, considering the who, what where, when, and how approach.
The Chambers have a wealth of resource and tools for managers to help in shaping employment policy including the Quest online HR policy manual and dedicated helpline.
I would personally like to offer an invitation to anyone involved in HR and people management to come along to the forum get involved in the discussion. This is a crucial time for business, but if we get this right, it will have a such a positive impact on both the way we work and the local economy.
Everything I have talked about so far will be underpinned by having the right skills, for managers and employees. Suzanne Quinn from the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub sits on the forum and she relies heavily on input from local organisations to shape their offering. The forum offers the ideal platform to shape the skills agenda.
If you would like to find out more about what we do or are considering joining the HR, Employment and Skills Forum, please email Suzanne Quinn: suzanne.quinn@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
If you want to talk about any business issues, you can call the Chambers switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
To join the Forum discussion click here Hot Topics — Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce
Resolve your business disputes today through The Chamber Mediation Service.
Disputes can be incredibly stressful, time-consuming and costly if taken to Court. Mediation involves an independent third party, called a mediator, who helps both sides to reach an agreement meaning that you won’t need to go to Court. Because of this Mediation is considerably cheaper and faster.
It also helps to maintain business relationships. There are occasionally disagreements between businesses where both sides want to reach an agreement and maintain an ongoing working relationship. Mediation is a proven way to successfully resolve the issue while maintaining the relationship.
The purpose of this innovative scheme is to help businesses resolve their commercial disputes quickly and cheaply. The cost of the mediation will be about the same as filing a claim and when successful, saves the businesses the cost of instructing a solicitor. Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce is partnering with law firms across the region to deliver
this scheme and Else Solicitors is delighted to be one of the founding partners of the scheme.
The Chamber Mediation Service recognises the opportunity for businesses with or without lawyers at an early stage to engage in the Mediation process to attempt resolution.
If you have a dispute or are involved in a dispute and you wish to use this Service please call 01782 202222.
Health and wellbeing for your staff goes beyond handling the basics of health and safety.
The Chamber Health Plan includes a range of additional benefits to support your employees in and out of the office environment. With your Chamber membership get discounted access for your employees to a 24/7 advice and counselling service as well as face-to-face counselling services provided by Westfield Health. This confidential telephone service can provide professional support for wellbeing issues like stress, anxiety, problems at work, as well as guidance and information on a wide range of health and lifestyle matters.
The telephone advice line is not limited to workplace issues, help available for topics like money management, bereavement and family problems. Additionally, there is support for legal issues including consumer disputes, landlord and tenancy questions, welfare benefits and more. The service is available 24/7 to support the health and wellbeing of your staff and is staffed by trained medical advisors, professional counsellors, and lawyers. Through Westfield Health your employees can also benefit from up to six in-person counselling sessions, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) support.
The Counselling service also includes the complimentary online Health e-Hub, providing confidential access to wellbeing information, videos, self-help programmes, interactive tools and other resources to help. Take a proactive approach to health and wellbeing for your employees and set up your access to counselling services today. It’s a proactive tool that motivates existing employees and is a greatbenefit for recruitment – courtesy of your Chamber membership.
The 24 Hour Advice and Information line is on 0800 092 0987 or 0145 525 5123. You will need your Westfield Health scheme number to access support. Want to find out more? Contact info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk to set up your Westfield Health plan today.
Do you need HR help? Whether you’re not sure where to start, or you’re dealing with a problem that is particularly thorny, the Chamber’s HR Advisor team is here to help.
Arrange a chat with our local HR experts to help you on a range of topics, from recruitment to documentation, employment law to grievance and redundancy, health and safety, insurance and more. We’ll go into the level of detail you need and help you to create the roadmap that your business needs to develop and maintain an effective HR and Health & Safety management system.
Let’s talk. Email us today on info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
Get help with HR when you need it with the 24 Hour HR Helpline.
We know that effectively managing HR is one of the cornerstones of a successful business. Questions about everything from recruitment, employment contracts and inductions to managing grievances, terminating employment or redundancy procedures can all take place at any time your people are working – you don’t stop needing an answer because it’s 5 PM.
If you have urgent or specific queries about HR at your business, call the 24 Hour HR Hotline on 01455 852037. This British Chambers of Commerce endorsed service is supported by Quest, an industry-leading HR and Health & Safety solutions company. Your membership benefits include unlimited, up-to-the minute advice from employment law advisors via the Helpline.
Call the 24 Hour HR Helpline on 01455 852037.
Do you need help with grievance, termination, or redundancy procedures?
Conflicts in the workplace can be some of the most difficult HR processes to manage. Having procedures in place can help to alleviate the financial and human costs of handling employee grievances, terminating an employment contract or undertaking redundancy procedures. The Quest Document Library has hundreds of documents free with your membership to download, edit and use right away. You can also access a free HR Health Check for your policies and processes.
Quest is an industry leader in human resource and health and safety solutions, with their advice and support available with your membership. If you have an urgent query about grievances, terminating an employee or redundancy? Call the 24 Hour HR Hotline now on 01455 852037 or www.chamberhr.co.uk
Want to discuss your HR needs in more detail? Arrange a chat with one of the Chamber’s local HR experts. Let’s have a brew and talk about how we can help – email info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
Do you need help with Health & Safety in your workplace?
Keeping your employees safe at work is one of the most important aspects of running a business; the cost of getting health and safety wrong can be life-altering. You can access over 100 free health and safety documents, covering safe working practices, risk assessments, fire safety, insurance and more through the Quest Document Library.
Quest is an industry leader in human resource and health and safety solutions, with their advice and support available with your membership. If you have an urgent or specific health & safety query, specialist health and safety advisors are available during office hours on 01455 852037 or visit www.chamberhr.co.uk Want to discuss your health and safety needs in more detail?
Arrange a chat with one of the Chamber’s local HR experts. Let’s have a brew and talk about how we can help – email info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
Are you ready to take your business to the next level? The Skills Hub can help you get there.
Our advisors can guide you through identifying training needs, developing your employees’ skills and finding funding for paid training. Whether you’re self-employed or employ up to 250 people, we’re here to support you. The Skills Hub provides support for B2B and B2C SME businesses with no restriction on your industry, as long as you’re located within Staffordshire. We’ll help you identify how specialised training can help improve your business, choose the right courses, and find funding.
Through the Skills Hub members can receive up to 48% of the cost of bespoke training courses (up to £5000). We can help fund bespoke training needs in areas that are unique to your business, like CRM or accountancy software, specialised engineering courses, or certification for specific business machinery. Get started with a free 1:21 Skills Review, where you’ll meet with an advisor to review your needs and identify training and funding options.
Call 0300 600 1066 or visit www.staffordshireskillshub.org.uk
The Skills Hub is part-funded by the European Social Funding (ESF).
Schedule some time to develop your company’s HR practice with training just a click away through the Chamber’s Webinar Library.
You can start upskilling from your desk with training on a range of HR and staffing topics. Schedule some time to learn about best practices for managing people during uncertain times, from workplace and environment issues, to working from home as standard. You can find out more about looking after mental health, motivating employees and more.
New webinars are added regularly on a range of topics. It’s a great opportunity to take a breath, make a cuppa, and learn something new to successfully motivate and manage your workforce.
