Over the last 25 years of my working history I'm happy to admit I have taken a couple of “mental health days” from work.
One of those days was suggested by my Manager, as he recognised I wasn’t coping with the relentless workload, the onerous travel associated with my role, and the extra demands on my time in a workplace where labour resources were scant. The other “mental health day” was taken approximately 12 months after the first. I initiated this day, with the support of my Manager, as we both recognised I was near to breaking point with workload.
On both occasions my Manager was understanding and supportive, and was happy to pay for me to have a day off “sick”, despite the fact I was not medically unwell.
Whilst granting a day off was only a temporary Band-Aid to the underlying problem, at the same time, it highlighted the fact that I was completing a role equivalent to that of 2 full time employees, and extra resources were recruited to remedy the situation.
Having the occasional one off absence throughout your working history for genuine reasons can be deemed acceptable, but having frequent one off absences or pulling a sickie claiming you need a “mental health day” is not. Frequent patterns of absence can be a sign of deeper issues in the workplace or at home, so it is advisable to be aware of these patterns, and address employees of concern in a proactive sensitive way.
Statistically one of the most common reasons for employees taking a “mental health” day is attributed to anxiety, with workers citing too much responsibility, or feeling burnt out.
Sometimes taking a “mental health day”, is the best thing you can do for yourself - I know that this was certainly the case for me. Having a day away from the everyday demands of work allowed for a much-needed break to pause, regroup, and enabled me to come back with a fresh, less-stressed perspective.
Remember, work isn't all there is to life! Balance is the key to happy and productive workers. So when you take an occasional day off, or grant your employee a day off, make it worthwhile and ensure that work really is left at work.
What is most important is to recognise when you (or your employee) need time out, and where possible address the cause. Don’t be afraid to take, or grant a “mental health day”, after all - prevention is much better than cure, and unrelenting stress could lead to more serious issues for both parties.
Check out the WorkSafe New Zealand website for some valuable resources on managing stress and fatigue in the workplace.
France has just introduced new labour agreement designed to ban workers accessing work emails outside work hours. (9:00 am -6:00 pm) The agreement struck between a union and employer groups in the technology and consulting sectors (including those employees for Google and Facebook!!) affects thousands of employees. It gives workers permission to ignore any work emails when not officially on duty. Companies are required to ensure workers are under no pressure to do work related activity after hours.
France already enjoys the shortest working week (35 hours) in the EU and 5 weeks paid leave per year plus 10 public holidays.
So how can it be that France’s productivity is amongst the highest in the developed world?
I can imagine Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page are not too happy about their people going off the air for large periods of the day - very brand affecting!!
We are sure there will be no take up here in NZ but it does beg the question whether companies should look at some protocols around handling emails as all of us seem to get buried under the weight of so many per day (ie ban ‘cc’ing for the sake of it etc.)
The bigger question is “Who has it got it right and who has got it wrong?
Expect a mass exodus to the south of France!
by Paul Bell
Women in Governance and Leadership Roles
In 1893 a landmark legislation was signed making New Zealand the first self-governing country in the world to give women the vote in parliamentary elections.
120 years later, why is it women are still a rare breed around the Board table?
According to Diane Forman (NZ Herald article ) a recent report by Harvard Business School noted the percentage of woman on boards in NZ was 7.5%, less than half the global average of 16%. Diane believes 'women are still being locked out by the 'old boys network' in New Zealand'. It is recognised internationally that women on boards is an indicator of women's progress and gender equality. From our ground breaking start in the 19th century it would appear we are now falling behind in the area of gender equality.
There is numerous research and evidence to indicate the positive impact that women's contribution to the Boardroom can make to the improved performance and bottom line of businesses. Studies by Catalyst and McKinsey both say there is a correlation between women on boards (preferably at least 3) and improved financial performance of a company in terms of return on investment.
In an interview on women in leadership and governance, experienced Director John Palmer said he believes women bring unique contributions to business and governance roles. According to John, amongst other strengths women act more collegially, have an ability to 'read situations' and have an intuitive understanding of what the underlying people dynamics are.
So how do we change these statistics and get more women in leadership roles and around the board table? Diane would say that beyond getting boards to challenge their criteria and process, CEOs need to sponsor senior women executives into board roles.
For individual businesses we need to look within to identify our talent, recognise the capability of the women in our organisations and back them to broaden their experience and help develop the skills required to take those steps towards a pathway in governance.
Who are the shining lights in your organisation and what are you doing to encourage them?
by Julie Baxendine
What is it about short men in positions of power? The Bevan/Len saga reads like a re-run of the Bill and Monica fiasco – all hot and steamy but no cigar in this case apparently.
Clearly ‘power’ is a compelling aphrodisiac for some people. Would Len have appealed to Bevan if he was down the ‘pecking order’ (no pun intended) and in a really exciting job like being in charge of city Sanitation and Drainage? If Len had been the council’s Chief Porcelain Technician would he have in any way thought he had the necessary appeal to entice Bevan away from the magnetic clutches of Luigi The Wedgee?
However it does raise the whole complexity of relationships formed at work. Whilst there is no doubt that people are entitled to their own life, when relationships are formed or broken in the workplace there is usually some fall out! If it affects others and workplace performance, it does become, like it or not, a very delicate issue some employers have to deal with.
Companies who are thinking of introducing a ‘non fraternisation’ policy aka ‘no fishing off the company wharf’ or a ‘don’t s@%*& the crew’ edict need to be careful. Take legal advice as the law is fraught with dangers around this sort of thing! These could be grounds for discrimination or disadvantage in the workplace if you do so. Whilst we think the better thing to do is to deal with this sort of issue in a discreet and private way when and if it arises, having a process for dealing with possible ‘conflict of interest’ either in employment agreements or your staff handbook should be considered. This is particularly so when relationships in the workplace can give rise to allegations of bias, uneven treatment or could expose an organisation to ‘collusive’ behaviour allegations. This is a particular concern in businesses in the financial services industry. Clear delegations, escalation and dual sign offs around decisions involving investment and capital expenditure will mitigate any fraudulent activity.
Back to Luigi – seems he has flown the coup – must have got too hot in the henhouse! What on earth was he thinking?
By Paul Bell
To win customers – and a larger share of the marketplace - companies must first win the hearts and minds of their employees.
As managers and leaders you are primarily responsible for your employees’ engagement levels. Each person in your organization has different needs and expectations and as a manager you need to find ways to connect with each member of your team.
The latest findings of the Gullaup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report indicates that 70% of American workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” and are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and less likely to be productive. Imagine that! I wonder if a similar statistic is true in Nelson, Blenheim or other New Zealand cities? Consider the possibility that 50% of your employees are not involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and contribute to your organization in a positive manner; what effect is this having on lost productivity and customer interactions for starters!
We often say that our oganisation's greatest asset is people – but in reality, this is only true when those employees are fully engaged in their jobs.
You may say that you are engaging your employees because you offer things like morning tea once a week, massages, flexitime, beers on a Friday night; and while keeping employees happy and satisfied is a worthy goal that can help build a more positive workplace, there is no substitute for engaging them.
There is no one “right” way to engage everyone, and employees certainly do not become engaged overnight. Different types of workers demand different engagement strategies. The best managers recognize and understand the fundamental differences amongst their team and are energized by the potential these diverse individuals bring to the table.
So, how can managers and leaders accelerate employee engagement? Finding the right employees and managers is essential, but it is not enough to put the right people in the right jobs. Companies must invest in their employees’ greatest talents to optimize their performance.
At Intepeople, we love working with business (of all sizes and across all industries) to help their employees discover their innate talents and strengths and apply them productively to achieve performance outcomes. When employees know and use their strengths, they are more engaged, have higher performance and are less likely to leave your oganisation.
We think the places we are based in Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch are fantastic places to live, work and play, but is it really if only about one-third of your employees are committed to your company’s success and two-thirds are standing in their way? Given the proven links between employee engagement and financial outcomes, if we could find a way to double the number of engaged employees in each and every business, it would dramatically change our economic and social trajectory. At Intepeople we believe, All Together we can make a difference, and we are working with some great businesses to help make it happen.
For more information about our employee career management tools and coaching programmes, please contact Lucy MacLean. From now until the end of October we are offering an Introductory Special starting at only $220 per person.
This article is based on research from the “State of the American Workplace” Employee Engagement insights for U.S. Business Leaders 2013. Please let us know if you would like a copy of this report emailed to you.
Air NZ’s decision not to hire an aspiring cabin crew attendant because she had a very ‘NZ’ tattoo on her forearm has raised some interesting debate in the media.
Apart from inviting various views as to whether such a decision violated the Human Rights Commission Act, it also has to be challenged whether the media reaction would have been the same had that person been overweight, worn a full burqa, a bindi, or nose chain, had two front teeth missing, had an arm that was a prosthesis, exuded distinctly bad breath or rancid body odour or the tattoo was not a moko but a swastika, gang emblem or prison insignia?
Would Air NZ’s decision have been different if the role that was being applied for was outside of the public eye in say a call centre?
The real issue is whether their decision was grounds for a discrimination case under the Human Rights Act, or, indeed whether they could have handled this issue in a whole different way. Their decision smacks of double standards and brand inconsistency when they hold themselves out as an iconic NZ brand, use the Koru in much of their branding and deploy the colourful (and tattooed) Ma’a Nonu in their advertising campaigns.
We welcome your views!
So the business in our Nelson office continues as we count down to our big move to Whitby House in Buxton Square in a couple of weeks.
One of our core areas of expertise has been the ability to provide temp labour to businesses in the top of the south.
As mentioned last week we are lucky to have some of the most experienced HR professionals working for us. The temp area is no exception and while we are currently reinventing ourselves we are not going to compromise on some of our traditional methods as they are already best practise.
We are continuing to provide excellent temps to employers who need staff in a hurry, or for those times when you want to try new roles or need help in getting a big project completed.
Our new client management system is better able to handle the numbers of candidates we screen on a daily basis and will hold an even richer number of candidates to choose from.
I am continually amazed at how many temp roles turn into permanent positions. Over in our Blenheim office the temp area has been increasing steadily hopefully indicating that better times are ahead in terms of the economy in that region.
Tune in next week for our next update!
by Emma Worseldine
As I sit here and write this blog the wheels are in motion for a new look and feel for almost everything we do here at FB.
Not only do we have a sexy new CRM system, a great new office to move into in Nelson on April 26, modifications to our Blenheim office, opening one of the first new offices in the former red zone in Christchurch and launching an exciting new brand; we also have the opportunity to look at how we can refresh and modernise the way we go about our business.
Here at the current FB we have a collective group of amazing HR minds. We now have the chance to put all our years of collective learnings together in a pot, stir it round a bit and see if we can cook up a better recipe for our clients and candidates.
Traditionally we are known for our skills in recruitment so this is the area I will look at first.
Most of us have signed up for The Savage Truth blog by Greg Savage www.gregsavage.com.au
This guy is truly brilliant at articulating what we need to do when it comes to adapting how we recruit to cater for today's business environment.
It's hard to keep up with:
. Social media options - Linked in/Facebook/Twitter. What next?
. Executive searches - how is that different to executive recruitment?
. Managing a database of candidates who are constantly changing roles
. Deciding good candidates from bad
. Etc etc
But the bottom line always comes back to the relationship you have with your clients. Understanding their business and how we can help them improve their bottom line through great people.
We will have a few simple recruitment options for our clients to consider - we will work with you to decide the most appropriate option for your business.
All will be revealed the week commencing April 22 - stay tuned.
Have a great week.
by Emma Worseldine
This is our final blog for 2012 and we'll be back in 2013. Thank you for reading and commenting on our blogs this year, we appreciate your support. We take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2013.
The following Christmas themed poem was written by Susan Hadfield. We hope you enjoy it.
On a warm and balmy Christmas Eve, somewhere in NZ
Nine Reindeer struggled through the sky, dragging Santa and his sled.
This year Santa enjoyed too much pud, and put on many stone
His waist expanded rapidly his suit had been outgrown.
The Reindeer were dragging twice the weight, no provisions had been made
No extra hooves, no extra time, the Reindeer were dismayed!
Mutterings amongst the staff, Rudolph at the lead
Santa doesnt understand we cant achieve full speed!
Dasher (having pulled a muscle, in his lower glute),
Nodded in agreement, I refuse to drag this brute!
Next thing you know the Reindeer stopped, and pulled the sled up short,
Amid much snorting and stamping hooves, they threatened poor Santa with court!
Now Santa was doing his very best, and loved his Reindeer dearly,
He couldnt afford the extra staff but wished to treat them fairly!
Disorder and dissention! It made poor Santa shiver!
It was nearly 3am with many gifts still to deliver!
What was Santa meant to do, with no one on his side?
He felt Christmas slipping away, the children would be denied.
But wait! In the east, a glimmer of hope, a shining light was seen
A glowing blue FB sign, what could it possibly mean?
Santa coaxed the reindeer down, with promises of cookies
And sure enough they followed him, like money hungry bookies.
And boy! Was Santa ever pleased hed seen that shining light
For within the walls, he found the solution to his staffing woes that night.
The FB team had them sorted, and soon they were back on their way
To deliver the gifts and make children happy in time for Christmas Day!
