Mental Health: Let’s Look After Our Workforce

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Callum George, policy advisor, latest column in The Journal.

August marks exam season, with results coming through for A-Levels, GCSEs, BTECs and VTQs (Vocational Technical Qualifications). Whilst many A-Level students will be nervous, yet excited, to enter higher education, we have also seen the great success of new vocational courses. The first cohort of T-Level students is something to celebrate, in which pupils can be proud of the 92.2% overall pass rate they achieved. This is great news for businesses which are willing to use the next generation for experience-led, innovative ideas.

A big part of celebrating these achievements is recognising the extraordinary pressures put on young people’s education during the pandemic. And rightly so! As I write this column, I can still remember working from home as I am now, but with my sister in the other room trying to prepare for A-Level exams she might- or might not- sit. Pupils who toughed out some of the challenges of online learning and have gained results that allow them to achieve their dreams, deserve huge credit.

However, challenges in the workplace remain. The labour market in the North East is buoyant, with lots of job opportunities for people who are actively looking for work. But as businesses in the North East know far too well, skills and staff shortages in key sectors are hampering their productivity. Here at the Chamber, we have found that 65% of businesses in the North East are worried about staff shortages. This is affecting existing employees who are taking on the burden of extra work. Mental health problems, including stress, are one of the biggest reasons for employee absence.

With that in mind, do businesses have a part to play in caring for their employee’s mental health? Absolutely.

The tightness of the labour market means that employee retention is crucial. So, tackling employee well-being head-on is vital. Fair pay, supporting a good work-life balance, and open and supportive conversations about mental health and resilience to stress are all areas where employers can have a big impact. At the Chamber, we have highlighted this as part of our Good Work Toolkit, which is available on our website https://www.neechamber.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Good-Work-Toolkit.pdf.

Recognising the importance of mental health in the workplace can lead to retaining great talent in North East businesses. It can also help other people, who have been out of work due to mental health issues, to move from economic inactivity to having all the benefits that come from good work with great employers. I hope that the North East can become a shining example for employee wellbeing, with our many fantastic businesses leading the way.  

The North East has the highest unemployment rate

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Marianne O’Sullivan, policy adviser, latest column for The Journal.

From the latest employment statistics the North East continues to have the highest unemployment rate and the lowest employment rate across the UK. We are the only region to have experienced slight decreases in jobs and employment overall from November 2021 to January 2022.

The North East also remains the region with the highest economic inactivity rate in England – too many people have left our workforce altogether. The North East economic inactivity rate stands at 24.8%. This compares to a national rate of 21.3%. According to the ONS people aged 50 and over have seen the largest increase in economic inactivity out of all age groups. This is having a large impact on the workforce and adding to labour shortages.

In the longer term there needs to be a focus on skills shortages as this is playing a significant role in limiting growth. We need to make the most of talent in the region to allow everyone to access opportunities. The North East is a leader in sustainable energy with the potential for more jobs around a green recovery, the region needs to have the training in place to encourage people into growing sectors in the region.

Apprenticeships are an important route for younger people and for people looking to change careers, they have been highlighted by the Government’s Social Mobility Commission as a key route into employment as well as employers needing to widen their talent pool.  

We are working with employers, education providers and the Government to tackle the skills gap in the North East. Our upcoming linking business with education event in July will help to share best practise from businesses and discuss how they can effectively engage with education providers.

Our Good Work Toolkit has highlighted how employers can offer staff training and progression opportunities in the workplace.  This is complemented by our further toolkit focussed on ensuring women, in particular, can progress in their careers.

We have some work to do to catch up with the rest of the country but it is certainly not down to a lack of determination and tenacity.

There is so much potential in the North East and with the right support for our employers and education providers we can start to narrow this persistent employment gap.

We need every single person in the region to be able to succeed and become part of our success.

Chamber launches toolkit to help businesses create fair culture

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A practical business toolkit on how to create a fair company that rewards employees while ensuring it makes sound financial sense has been launched today (Monday, 22 November 2021).

North East England Chamber of Commerce has developed the Good Work toolkit with support from its members Hodgson Sayers, Northumbrian Water, AES Digital Solutions and Thirteen Housing Group.

Niamh Corcoran, Chamber policy adviser said: “We are promoting ‘Good Work’ to encourage all regional employers to ensure they invest in their workforce, reward people fairly, commit to lifelong training and support the wellbeing of employees.

“At it’s core, the Chamber is about ensuring that the North East economy thrives. If we create a network of good businesses, we will build a stronger, future-proofed economy, underpinning a better, fairer and greener society.”

Six years ago Chamber Partner member Hodgson Sayers was the first company in the construction sector in the North East, and only the second in the UK, to become accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. The motivation for this was to be the best employer it could be and also for business benefits, such as well-paid staff being motivated and more productive. As well as this staff retention also significantly reduces training and recruitment advertising costs and long-serving employees create strong teams.

John Sayers, managing director said: “The economic reasons were important factors, but uppermost in our minds was the fact that embracing the Living Wage was simply the right thing to do. It chimed perfectly with our core values that guide all our transactions – honesty, decency and integrity. We don’t want people coming to work and worrying about money and whether they have enough to get them through the week. The wellbeing of our staff is as important to us as it is to them. We have a responsibility – a duty of care.”

Practical advice in the Good Work toolkit also came from Chamber Partner member Northumbrian Water which rose to the challenge of Covid to establish new working arrangements and introduced a range of new ways to support employees.

The company recognised that for many colleagues working remotely felt less like ‘working from home’ and more like ‘living at work’, so it reinforced the importance of self-care and disconnecting from work. Many employees were parents, so resources and activities were developed including the Parent & Family Zone and Parents’ Network for parents to offer peer to peer support to each other.

An internal platform for this initiative ‘Living Well’ had registered 96% of the Northumbrian Water workforce using the site with both office and field colleagues regularly accessing resources.

Advice in the Good Work toolkit from Thirteen Housing Group included ensuring employees are encouraged to upskill and enjoy their work every day. Joanne Lawther, director of people said: “We know our business could look very different in the future. Through our approach to talent and succession, we can understand how the skills we need might change and how this could affect roles across the business.

“We want our ambition, energy and passion to make a difference and to be the reason why colleagues want to work for Thirteen. We want our colleagues to want to help others thrive just as much as Thirteen does.”

Chamber President Lesley Moody’s business AES Digital Solutions has long-championed flexible working and being a Good Work ambassador. In the toolkit she recommends being supportive of people’s personal circumstances and believes the economic benefits are tenfold from employees as a result.

“In this new normal work environment, we should grasp the opportunity to use the learning and experiences of the last 18 months to help our staff achieve a better work-life balance.”

Download the report here