Chris Britton
One of the key pledges of the new Labour Government’s successful General Election campaign was to reduce unemployment. One of the ways in which they outlined how they would do this, was to crucially get the long-term unemployed back to work.
With the release of their new white paper, aptly titled the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government has outlined the plans they’re putting in place to achieve their long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.
In this article, we’ll look into what the white paper means for the UK workforce and how HR teams can help make this target a possibility.
What the Get Britain Working White Paper hopes to achieve
The white paper lays out how a £240 million investment will, among other things, tackle ill health (both physical and mental) that prevents people from working, boost skills support to make people more employable, and fund youth programmes that help the one in eight young people who are classed as NEET (not in education, employment or training).
But how do these targets align with the modern worker? It’s impossible to devise a plan around getting people into gainful employment without taking tangible benefits, such as flexible working and wellbeing support, into consideration.
Our research into the cost of living crisis found that 40% of global employees would leave a job that didn’t offer them flexible working, mental wellbeing support and a reward and recognition programme.
This aligns with the government’s white paper, which highlights ‘health-related economic inactivity’, meaning people who feel that they won’t be able to work due to health concerns, as one of the issues they aim to reform.
How can HR facilitate the re-entry of people back into the workforce
When it comes to attracting new talent to an organisation and easing new hires into their roles, our teams play an essential role in the process, especially if new joiners have been out of work for an extended period.
Put wellbeing and flexibility first
Businesses looking to attract the best candidates to roles need to start thinking holistically about the wellbeing support they offer employees, providing for them regardless of what stage of life they are at.
A dedicated wellbeing hub, keeping team members in the loop about benefits available for their mental, physical and financial wellbeing, can be a game changer in this area.
It’s also important to realise that the needs of the modern worker develop and evolve quickly. How widespread working from home is today would have been almost unimaginable 10 years ago, but now most office-based staff will expect some flexibility when it comes to days spent in the office.
Create a safe environment for new team members
As the government’s white paper attests, people who have been out of work for some time may feel anxious about returning to the work environment. Whether this is due to a fear of returning to routines, or nervousness about ‘fitting in’ with their new colleagues, HR teams need to be aware of this and ready to help if needed.
Creating a culture where staff, both new and old, feel psychologically safe is crucial in allowing employees to be their authentic self when returning to work. What’s more, this comfortable, understanding atmosphere will lead to happier employees who are more willing to take creative risks and push the envelope – a win-win for the business.
Managers also need to be trained properly on how to support their team members. This goes beyond simply creating a project tracker and making sure deadlines are hit. Managers and HR teams need to develop their listening skills and ensure they set themselves up as a ‘safe space’ for colleagues.
This is an area that still needs some work. Our HR Priority Report found that while 51% of HR personnel believe that employees feel safe in confiding in them, the reality is that only 42% of employees actually feel this way. Improving these numbers certainly needs to be prioritised by business and HR leaders, especially if you want to entice the long-term unemployed back to the workforce.
Develop tangible onboarding plans
To turn these scenarios into a reality, HR teams should have clear and transparent re-boarding plans that can be followed when any new employee has been out of work for some time.
These should be designed around two key principles:
1) Firstly, they should bring the new team member up to speed and ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed by their task load or the new environment.
2) Secondly, they should place an emphasis on wellbeing, making sure that the new team member is aware of what wellbeing benefits are available to them.
Of course, when developing these re-boarding plans, you must keep in mind that one size does not fit all when it comes to employee health and wellbeing. Your staff and their needs are constantly changing, so don’t be afraid to change and update any plans you put in place.
Listen to your people, find out what matters to them the most and start there to keep what you are doing relevant for your employees and your business.
How Reward Gateway | Edenred can help
The Get Britain Working White Paper demonstrates just how significant employee wellbeing is and how it’s finally, and rightfully, become an area that businesses can no-longer afford to ignore.
At Reward Gateway | Edenred, we’re keenly aware of just how important wellbeing is when it comes to employee acquisition and retention. But you need to go one step further and communicate the benefits you offer to your employees at every stage of their journey with your organisation. This is where we can help.
Our employee wellbeing solution provides your employees with an easy-to-use hub that displays your benefits, programmes and initiatives in a clear and accessible way It’s personalised nature means staff will be able to access wellbeing benefits that appeal directly to them, while giving you an avenue to proactively engage with your teams and improve your employee value proposition.
Speak with one of our team today to discover how to connect with your employees and put wellbeing at the forefront of your strategy.
