In the past HR was used to handle payroll, benefits, and resolve conflicts when needed. However, over the past decade, and in 2020 especially, the role of HR has had to adapt to meet employee needs more holistically.
SMEs, Micro-Businesses and Outsourcing
The number of SMEs in the UK has long been on the rise. The SME share of total employment was 60% in 2019 and total employment in SMEs increased from 16.3 million at the start of 2018 to 16.6 million at the start of 2019. Micro Businesses (0-9 employees) now total 96% of the UK business landscape.
As the teams working behind businesses become smaller, the resources for a dedicated in-house HR department has become more-and-more stretched.
This trend towards smaller staffed businesses has seen the rise of HR outsourcing. This can reduce costs, whilst still providing employees with the same level of service, support, and benefits that a larger company may provide in-house. In these situations, a dedicated HR professional will guide your company to make the HR decisions that are right for your business, whilst providing services such as annual leave scheduling and employee management systems.
As a GMCC member you can access free HR advice from our partner Quest on a range of topics and issues that your business may face. Email benefits@gmchamber.co.uk for more information on this service.
Well-Being and Mental Health Support
From 2018-19 12.8 million working days were lost due to work related mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and depression. As a result of this, employers have had to start to take action regarding their staff’s mental well-being in the workplace as well as their physical health.
HR services have had to meet this need. Whether it’s implementing mental health training for managers, setting up a mental health first aider scheme or signposting to resources, there are countless ways in which HR services in your organisation can get started with raising awareness of employee well-being.
For mental health resources, produced by professionals, please take a look at the free Health & Well-being toolkit from Chamber partner Westfield Health.
Remote Working and Engaging Employees Digitally
With covid-19 came the requirement to work at home. This spring, city and town centre offices were left empty, leaving HR professionals with the question of how to manage their workforce remotely and how to keep employees engaged digitally. Now as lockdown measures relax and the Government encourages those who cannot work from home to go back to work, HR services are presented with a new challenge of managing those in the physical workplace and those logging in online.
The blended office is still a work in progress for many businesses across the country, and the learning curve will be steep and ever evolving. However, solutions such as Chamber Protect can help Businesses keep their HR services in one place making access universal for both office and home-based employees.
For more information on any of the services signposted above, please contact benefits@gmchamber.co.uk.