The ‘S’ in ESG has just got BIGGER

The business and people impact of ‘Lockdown’ and beyond

Food retailers, pharmacies and off-licences are all critical outlets to keep the nation fed and healthy. All their suppliers are operating at full capacity, many of whom are reporting 25% fewer employees due to isolation measures. The distribution centres are experiencing the same levels of impact as the supplier base. The strain is beginning to tell. Conversely, all other bricks and mortar retailers have literally shut up shop.
Homeware and Fashion distribution centres are closed and staff redeployed to grocery operations where businesses can.
On-line retailers are doing well but are hugely reliant on ‘last mile’ delivery continuing to operate effectively. Drivers are not immune from the virus and as isolation or infection hits this group, the effect will be felt just as the manufacturers have felt it.
Any organisation supplying the health service is experiencing high levels of demand on supplies and services.
Certain charities’ services are seeing much higher levels of need, but they are suffering from a loss of revenue due to high street closures of their shops and cancellation of major events such as the London Marathon.
Coronavirus will have a significant impact on mainstream society, it will be a game changer on how we wish to live in the future and view the world

The ‘S’ in ESG has just got bigger and this will impact on organisations, their associated corporate reputations and the actions of the HR function

The current actions of the employer are now under the spotlight.
How companies are seen prioritising (or not) the wellbeing and the duty of care to their employees will be remembered.
Less cash rich companies may have to make harder decisions on employees’ retention in order to build a sustainable platform in order to survive the crisis. However, the way this is done is important. Those companies with a strong proactive HR-centric leadership are likely to be the more effective in dealing with the current challenges. Your future employer branding will be judged by the actions you are taking today.

8 Tips on How to Belong when we’re forced apart

We have hosted many breakfast seminars over the years and one of our regular guest speakers is Isabel Collins, the founder of Belonging Space. The concept of working from home has been with us for a few years, but total isolation is a stranger to most. Isabel’s article below is a good reminder of some of the things we can do to encourage team spirit. HOW TO BELONG – WHEN WE ARE APART

Hoggett Bowers has a long-standing partnership with The Clear Company; the recognised leaders of inclusive recruitment and talent management insight, training and technology in the UK. Together we have applied an inclusion lens to much of what we and our sector do in order to remove barriers to inclusion and create diverse workplaces.

We were early adopters of the Clear Assured Standard using it to generate change within our markets and are actively using the latest guidance in meeting the challenges presented by Covid 19.

The Clear Assured Covid-19 toolkit will support HR and D&I professionals to adapt to the short-term situation where mental health and wellbeing are so important, but also think longer term about the inclusion journey after the pandemic is over.

Clear Assured provides a wealth of resources and guidance on how to put this into practice, including:

Considers all areas likely to be impacted by COVID-19 from an inclusion perspective
Inspire new and creative thinking
Consider how to operate in a post COVID-19 world
Show current thinking and activity from UK employers

For more information here is a link to their site CLEAR COMPANY – COVID-19 RESOURCES