COVID-19: Support for employers, HR professionals and business champions

COVID-19 is creating an unprecedented challenge for businesses in terms of adapting to the fast-evolving situation and maintaining business continuity.  Employers are having to implement new working arrangements at lightning speed and communicate freqently and efficiently with their workforces, clients and suppliers to minimise myriad potential risks.  They are also concerned about supporting colleagues as best they can through this uncertain time,  helping them continue to work productively and to manage the impact on their homes lives as well.  We are watching these developments closely and are constantly considering how we can use our resources to positively support you so that you can in turn support your colleagues over the coming weeks. To this end, we will be moving the Cityworks network offering wholly online for the next few weeks. Planned physical events are being converted to webinars, and we're busy researching, writing and collating fresh content to provide you with advice and examples of how other businesses and HR professionals are responding to these challenges. In our online Library we have created a discussion thread where you can share your priorities, approaches and questions with other members.

Below is a list of the Coronavirus-related Webinars we have planned and recordings of recent Webinars.  We have also collated relevant articles from Cityworks and other workplace experts and signposted other online resources. Please let Kate know if there are particular questions or topics that you would welcome information and support on.

Webinars 

• Webinar: Leading during uncertainty.
• Monday 4th May at 12.30pm BST online.
• Webinar: Financial fitness during challenging times. 
  Thursday 21st May at 12.30pm BST online
• Webinar: Learning from mass remote-working. 
  Thursday 4th June at 12.30pm BST online

Recordings of all our webinars are now available online to Corporate Members and Individual Pass holders here (login required).

Expert Advice

Our News articles are full of relevant examples and advice from a wide range of experts and professionals.  The following articles in particular may be helpful to you in considering how best to support colleagues, maintain productivity and boost morale:

• The (long) road to childbirth in the face of COVID-19; how employers can help: all fertility treatments are suspended effectively for both NHS and private fertility clinics, representing an unimaginably difficult situation for many employees.
• Recruitment dilemma - when home becomes the office: insights on how organisations can adapt their recruitment practices in the current crisis and how this might just change approaches more permanently.
• Maintaining employee productivity and morale during COVID-19: highlights from our March webinar providing guidance on managing this crisis and supporting employees.
• The future of work: trends in the 21st century workplace: Dame Janet Gaymer, eminent employment lawyer and high profile Government advisor, sets out what the future of work look like in the 21st century workplace and how organisations need to adapt to meet these changes.
• The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace: Gian Power, Founder and CEO of TLC Lions, explains how organisations can harness the power of corporate storytelling to build open, empathetic workplaces and bring out the best in their employees.
• Establishing Mindful Business Cultures to Support Employee Wellbeing: Demanding workloads and high stress levels have a negative impact on people's wellbeing; on top of this, the global pandemic is causing uncertainty and rapid change. How can employers establish a more mindful working culture?
• Looking after your carer employees:  Becoming a carer can be a sudden transition and many employees don’t feel comfortable discussing their caring responsibilities at work. With so many employees now worrying about friends, neighbours and family members due to the coronavirus, this advice for supporting your carer employees may be applied to the wider workforce.
• 6 Actions to improve stress and resilience in the workplace: Now more than ever, stress management and helping employees to build their resilience to stress should be a top priority for employers.

Best Practice Checklists

These downloadable Checklists offer at-a-glance guidance on workplace policies and initiatives to support employees (login required):

• Maintaining employee morale and productivity during COVID-19
• Mental health support in the workplace

Online Library

To share your priorities, approaches and questions with other Cityworks members please click here (login required).

Other Helpful Resources

Here are some links to external articles and resources to support you. If you have any other suggestions, please contact Kate

• Social distancing without disconnecting (Simon Sinek, Optimist & Author)
• 10 strategies for productive remote working (Talking Talent)
• Practical ways to deal with coronavirus disruption (Personnel Today)
• COVID-19 advice for employers and employees (ACAS)
• Employer Response Guide (CIPD)
• Supporting Mental Health whilst Working from Home (Mental Health First Aid England)
• Guidance for employers on supporting working parents (Working Families)