Fancy a Cruise Down the Channel?

A professional and honest approach to human relations can bring benefits to an employer, and a good HR  manager can certainly make it easier for a trade union to reach a negotiated outcome. But in our experience some  employers have scant regard for HR, and others simply appoint HR  mangers whose sole remit seems to be to say “No”. Then there are those from the anti-union stable who seek to divide and rule, and those who remain remote in their ivory towers. Not surprising then that this poor approach to HR is more aptly known as Human Remains.

Sadly, HR big cheeses have not helped improve their image this week. According to Personnel Today,  a group of them are holding a conference on a luxury cruise liner somewhere in the English Channel. This gives a whole new slant to the phrase “out of touch”.

Controlling Managers Hinder Productivity

New figures show that performance levels in workplaces across the UK are suffering as overbearing and dogmatic management practices top the list of management styles. The Quality of Working Life report, which questioned 1,511 managers, also found a high rate of sickness and absence levels in organisations exhibiting ‘negative’ management styles.

The report, published by the Chartered Management Institute and Simplyhealth, assessed the impact of differing managerial styles on motivation, health and productivity.

The most widely experienced management styles in UK organisations are bureaucratic (40 per cent), reactive (37 per cent) and authoritarian (30 per cent). Worryingly, all three have become increasingly common; the top two have increased by 6 per cent since 2004, with authoritarian leadership also rising 5 per cent.

Only 1 in 10 respondents said absence increased in organisations with ‘innovative’ and ‘trusting’ cultures. This was in contrast to 45 per cent suggesting sickness rates have gone up where employers were ‘suspicious’.

Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs, at the Chartered Management Institute, said: “The effect of management styles on performance can be marked and has a direct bearing on the levels of health, motivation and commitment linking employers and staff. Of course, improving the sense of wellbeing, determination and productivity is no easy task, but one that cannot be ignored. Left alone, it will only serve to reduce morale and lower the quality of working life.”

Young Managers Dissatisfied

It is reported today in People Management that more than half of young managers are dissatisfied with their jobs and are considering change. The figures come from a survey by leadership organisation Common Purpose.

People Management says that the study, entitled, “Time for a change”, surveyed 200 junior or middle managers and found that 53 per cent of managers under 34 years old said they were not sufficiently fulfilled at work, and half of respondents were either thinking about or actively seeking a change in job.

The least satisfied sector was the not-for-profit sector where 75 per cent of managers were thinking about a change.

New Guidance on Tackling Stress

The Health and Safety Executive has published new guidance on managing work related stress.

Work-related stress is a major cause of occupational ill health, poor productivity and human error. That means increased sickness absence, high staff turnover and poor performance in organisations and a possible increase in accidents due to human error.

Based on the Management Standards, this new guide aims to help employers, employees and their representatives manage the issue sensibly and minimise the impact of work-related stress.

Priced at £10.95, it is available from HSE books.

Barriers To Professional Development

A study by the Chartered Management Institute published this week reveals that job prospects are increasingly being influenced by an individual’s commitment to their long-term professional development. However, it also uncovers major barriers preventing significant numbers from improving their skills.

The findings show 64 per cent of employers – and 74 per cent of individuals - believe management qualifications will grow in importance over the next 5 years. Individuals and employers also agree that ‘proof of academic prowess’ is no longer a key driver for taking a qualification.

However, the report shows that desire to secure formal recognition is not matched by action, with only 1 in 5 individuals holding a management qualification.

The study suggests that low uptake of professional development is caused by a series of barriers. One of the key difficulties is the complexity of the qualifications system, with 65 per cent arguing too many qualifications exist and 51 per cent agreeing that the different levels are confusing.

The most widely felt barrier is the impact of study on managers’ time. Many agreed that it diverts energy from other interests (56 per cent), family (53 per cent) and their work (40 per cent). A significant proportion also said they sought employer investment, with 43 per cent seeking full-funding and 39 per cent looking for partial financial contributions.

The results of the CIM study, The Value of Management Qualifications, can be downloaded in pdf format from the Institute’s website.

Misuse Of Power Most Prolific Type Of Bullying

Two-thirds of UK managers believe that lack of management skills is the major factor contributing to bullying at work, according to new research. Misuse of power was listed as the most prolific type of bullying used within the workplace.

The figures are reported on the OUT-LAW.COM website run by the law firm Pinsent Masons. They refer to a survey by the Ban Bullying at Work campaign which questioned 512 senior managers across the UK in conjunction with the Chartered Management Institute.

The other main factors, given by managers themselves, which contribute to bullying at work included unrealistic targets (cited by 27%); authoritarian management styles (56%); personality (57%); and failure to address incidents (37%).

The survey also asked managers what they believed was the most prolific type of bullying used. Misuse of power was cited by 71% of managers while 63% cited overbearing supervision and 55% cited exclusion.

The fifth national Ban Bullying at Work day takes place on 7th November and is supported by the TUC and a range of other organisations. To raise awareness of the day, the Ban Bullying at Work campaign has produced a range of materials that can be bought online. There is also a very useful Reflection Questionnaire to profile your own behaviour and that of others.

Workplace Change Leads To Poor Health

The extent of workplace change is having a dramatically negative impact on employee health and business performance, but organisations are failing to address the issue.

Figures released by the Chartered Management Institute show that 89 per cent of managers have experienced some form of change in recent months. The impact is being felt across organisations, with 60 per cent reporting an increase in illness rates over the past year, 58 per cent admitting they are unproductive for at least 1 day each week, and only 17 per cent believing that change has increased productivity and profitability.

These figures will come as no surprise to college managers. Funding shortfalls, inspections, a new college principal and responding to new policy initiatives such as Train to Gain can all result in a staff restructuring or college mergers. Add in the additional pressures of corporate and individual targets, poor management training, excessive hours and workplace bullying and it is little wonder that college managers experience high levels of stress and sickness absence.

These problems aren’t new. Colleges have been restructuring and merging ever since incorporation. Indeed, with so much change one might expect the sector to finally enter a period of stability. But if our own members experiences are anything to go by, stability remains a very distant dream.

Dyslexia Code Of Practice

A new code of practice to help employers support dyslexic staff is to be launched by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) in September.

The code will give employers advice on supporting workers with dyslexia as well as guidance on policies and procedures relating to the Disability Discrimination Act.

It Makes Us Sick

Return to work interviews after a period of sickness absence are fairly common in the education sector. ACAS say that the interview is an opportunity to welcome employees back to work, update them on any news, and discuss how to ease them back to work.

In their guide, Managing Attendance and Employee Turnover, they say the interview is an opportunity to tease out any concerns the employee may have, at work or home, and plan for the future. ACAS also stress that the interview should focus on positive outcomes and that the person conducting the interview should be sensitive and recognise the employee’s value to the organisation.

Does this sound like the sort of return to work interview you are familiar with? Certainly not in the case of one of our members. Attending what he thought was a routine return work interview, he was hijacked with a list of allegations about his competency. None of these issues were raised before his illness; and in nine years at the college, his performance had never been questioned. Not surprisingly, our member ended up being ill again.

It made our member sick, and such behaviour by a college certainly makes us sick.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

A new resource for safeguarding vulnerable adults has been published by NIACE. Called Safer Practice, Safer Learning, it sets out the safeguarding responsibilities of further education colleges, adult and community learning providers and providers of workbased training in the learning and skills sector in England.

The document offers guidelines to education and training providers on producing supporting policies and procedures, as well as suggestions for raising awareness of abuse, with strategies to deal with it among staff and learners. Most importantly, this guide recommends creating a ‘safer’ learning environment that promotes well-being and security, essential for all learners and all staff.

To download a pdf version, please follow the link to Safer Practice, Safer Learning.

Government Plans on Leitch Criticised

Responding to the Government’s plans for implementing the Leitch Review of Skills, Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, states that the report does not go far enough to address the UK’s long-term needs for higher-level skills.

She says: “The Government’s response clearly indicates that leadership and management skills have a vital role to play in increasing productivity and prosperity across the economy, so it is disappointing that management skills barely feature in the detail of the report’s recommendations.

“The report states that the majority of Government funding for adult education will be focused on the lowest skill level and least qualified individuals.  Yet, at the same time it is important not to neglect the management population, a significant proportion of which is under-qualified.”

According to Leitch’s interim report, 41 per cent of managers are not qualified up to Level 2.  Furthermore, Labour Force Survey data indicates that just 38.5 per cent of managers are qualified to NVQ level 4 or above compared to 80.9 per cent of those in other professional occupations.

Chapman comments: “Such a low level of management skills is untenable, given the expected growth in professional and managerial occupations and the UK’s ambition to grow its high skills, high added-value economy.

“It is also a concern that the Government intends to pilot the development of new qualifications on offer from employers and private training providers.  Employers already find the number and range of qualifications confusing and individuals need a simple framework with qualifications that are easily transferable.  We should, therefore, be focusing on achieving more qualified employees, rather than a greater number of different qualifications.”

Mary Chapman concludes: “It is, after all, the skills and abilities of those individuals who are leading organisations that determine how people are employed and whether resources are invested effectively.  Despite a move in the right direction, unless Government prioritises management skills for current and future leaders, there is a real danger that we will not be able to make the right management decisions to advance the UK’s international competitiveness.”

Bad Practices Help Nobody

An article in the most recent issue of the ACM newsletter College Manager has caused a bit of a stir. The article describes some of the bad employment practices that exist in FE colleges, particularly when a manager falls out of favour and the college force them to leave. Whilst we always welcome feedback, sadly the e-mails and phone messages about this particular item only confirm the worst: that the poor practice is more widespread than we might think.

Clearly this is bad news not just for those affected, but for the sector itself. Further education is often seen as the poor relation along side schools and universities. But if it’s to shake off this label, it not only needs to tackle the lower wages compared to schools and universities, but it must improve the way it conducts its own employment relations.

Achieving such change will take time and commitment, not least because of the external funding pressures, the various skills initiatives that exist, and the egos of some of those involved. Yet the current poor practice helps nobody. So changes are needed. The question is though …. is anyone listening?

See also on this blog: The Wrath of Boss, and Give Us Stability.