Hybrid Working | How to Ensure Fair Treatment and Avoid Discrimination

New research has revealed concerns over the treatment of staff in the world of hybrid work. Our recent Mind the Gap report found that only half (52%) of employers are confident that office-based and home-based employees will be treated evenly and fairly in the next 12 months, with development and progression opportunities causing the greatest concern.

Join our upcoming webinar to learn about the consequences of indirect discrimination, how to handle challenges around progression, pay and reward, and what ancillary policies and training you may need to implement to ensure hybrid working doesn’t result in a ‘proximity bias’ that could destabilise your team.

25 November at 14:00

Organisations may have settled into new ways of working – but making the decision to adopt hybrid working is only half the story. With numerous factors driving the Great Resignation, hybrid working needs to be managed effectively to avoid frustrations and, in particular, the perception of unfair treatment between home and office workers, which can invite a whole host of issues.

Indeed, employers must be mindful of fairness at every stage of hybrid working, from dealing with the initial request to acknowledging and counteracting ways in which homeworkers may be at a disadvantage. Already, both homeworkers and employers are worried that relationships with managers, progression opportunities, and even pay and reward may all suffer as a result of being less visible. An “out of sight, out of mind” mindset may result in grievances, resignations and even discrimination claims – so what can you do?

During this free 45-minute session, WorkNest’s Director of Legal Services, James Tamm, and HR Business Partner Hannah Copeland will discuss our research findings in more depth and address potential concerns that employers must be alert to. They will also offer practical guidance to help you ensure the correct processes and policies are in place, potential discrimination risks are minimised, and staff are trained to deal with challenges around unfair treatment.

You will learn:

  • Flexible/hybrid working requests: What are the key components of a fair flexible working procedure? Can I refuse? What are the consequences of getting it wrong?
  • Indirect discrimination: What is it? Who falls within protected groups? What mistakes commonly result in a successful claim?
  • Progression, pay and reward: How can employers avoid discrepancies and address negative employee perceptions?
  • HR policies and training: How can you align all policies so they are still effective in the hybrid world? What training should managers receive to counter potential issues arising from unfair treatment? How can you ensure homeworkers’ and office workers’ performance and productivity is monitored and measured in a consistent way so that objective decisions can be made?

At the end of the session, our hosts will be taking your questions on the topics discussed. In recognition of the limited time we have available, we recommend submitting your specific queries in advance via the registration form. All questions submitted before or during the webinar will be answered in a helpful FAQ which we’ll share with all registrants after the session.

Register below

Our ‘Mind the Gap’ research has been conducted amongst thousands of employers and employees nationwide. It evidences the current divide between these two groups across a whole host of employment and HR matters. The good news is that the gap isn’t unbridgeable – but organisations must take heed of the current sentiment amongst employees and respond appropriately. Those who continue with business as usual will inevitably face mounting concern.

Key findings from this report:

Just 52% of employers and 40% of employees are confident that office-based and home-based employees will be treated evenly and fairly in the next 12 months.

Only 44% of business decision makers are confident that office-based and home-based employees will have equal progression and promotion prospects. Employees are even less assured at 37%.

Meanwhile 54% of employers are confident pay and reward will be fair and even; however, only 40% of employees share this optimism.

Our hosts share their thoughts

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One of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. If we miss you, we’ll send over a Calendly invite so you can choose a more convenient time and date for a callback. 

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One of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. If we miss you, we’ll send over a Calendly invite so you can choose a more convenient time and date for a callback. 

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The rota module has been built on our brand new technology platform, so you’ll need to create a new account that you can then integrate with your existing Youmanage/PeopleNest account.

Follow these steps to activate your trial

  1. Log in to your existing Youmanage/PeopleNest account
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