News and analysis HR news briefing
The HR news briefing:
EHRC publishes workplace harassment guidance
What you should know:
New technical guidance on
sexual harassment and
harassment at work was
published by the Equality and
Human Rights Commission
(EHRC) on 15 January. The
Commission said the evidence
of the need for tougher action
on harassment in the workplace
is overwhelming.
Chief executive at the EHRC
Rebecca Hilsenrath noted that
some employers have ‘woken up’
after the #MeToo movement
forced sexual harassment to the
top of the agenda, and that they
have started to make changes
that will transform workplaces.
The guidance builds on the
EHRC’s findings from its 2018
Turning the tables report. It
explains employers’ legal
responsibilities, such as a good
anti-harassment policy, as well
as practical steps they should
take to prevent and respond
to harassment and victimisation
at work.
What you should do:
Gemma McCall, co-founder and
MD of Culture Shift, suggested
the many high-profile cases of
workplace sexual harassment
prove that there is still more
employers need to do.
“It is vital that all organisations
wise up to what constitutes
‘unwanted conduct’ and recognise
that what is considered ‘banter’
by one individual could well be
classed as sexual harassment
under the new guidance,”
she said.
McCall urged HRDs to
acknowledge the problem and
embrace their responsibility
to ensure employees do not
face harassment.
“It is incumbent on HR to
create a culture of openness
and transparency by removing
barriers to reporting,” she said.
“They should do everything
in their power to encourage
people to report issues when
they arise and the only way to do
this effectively is to provide an
online reporting system that
gives the option for the reporter
to remain anonymous.
“Employers should not only
respond to reports of harassment,
but use the data gathered over
time to adopt a proactive and
preventative approach, rather
than a passive reactive one.”
Two-thirds of BBC staff to be based outside London
What you should know:
The BBC has announced that
it will be opening a new tech
hub in Newcastle-upon-Tyne
that will see at least two-thirds
of its staff based outside of
London by 2027. A reported
150 jobs will also be moved to
Bristol before then too.
Outgoing BBC director
general Tony Hall recently outlined the plan,
saying that creating more jobs away from the
capital would help to ‘promote inclusion’ and
‘diversity of thinking’.
Newcastle’s new tech hub will aim to deliver “a
new generation of software engineers, designers,
product developers and data scientists in the
north-east of England,” Hall said.
While more than half of the broadcasting
corporation’s 19,000-strong workforce is
presently based outside of London, at the BBC’s
current staffing levels the move would see around
2,800 jobs move out of the capital.
What you should do:
Laura Smith, head of HR and
community at Trade Ledger,
said that relocation puts a
large amount of work onto
HR’s plate.
Smith advised that you
can’t over-communicate. “You
need to make sure that you
keep people informed every
step of the way. You also need to ensure that you
encourage open and transparent communication,”
she said.
The second piece of advice Smith has is to
become an expert in the market. “Speak to agencies,
universities and local companies to analyse the
market, and have a recruitment/retention plan.
This will help you prepare for any gaps in resource.”
The third thing to remember is that culture
trumps strategy. “Use culture as your competitive
advantage. Design the right environment, hire for
behaviours, and update flexible working policies –
be clear on the culture you want to build.”
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8 HR February 2020 hrmagazine.co.uk
All photography: AdobeStock
Photography: Chrisgg382000
/hrmagazine.co.uk