Workers will not disclose mental health problems

A CIPD/Mind study has shown that only 2 out of every 5 employees say would feel confident about disclosing a mental health problem to their employer and only 1 in 4 respondents say their organisation encourages staff to talk openly about mental health problems.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) said they had experienced a mental health problem while in employment, with women (31 per cent) more likely to say this than men (22 per cent).

Only a third of respondents say their employer supports employees with mental health problems well, while 21 per cent said that it did it badly and 31 per cent said they did not know what support was available.

Stress is the number one cause of long-term sickness absence, but it is not just time lost to absence which impacts on the bottom line.

Christmas Part Do's and Don't's

Tis the season of office Christmas parties, tra la la la la, la la la la. Unfortunately is also a time when being jolly fraught with risk as the employer’s duty of care extends to many ‘social’ occasions and events that happen ‘off the premises’ or after normal working hours. Here, we talk turkey about the do’s and don’ts that ensure for a happy Christmas in what, for many, is the last working week of the year.

Is celebrating Christmas at work now politically incorrect? It is a myth to think that workplace greetings of "happy Christmas" have to be replaced with "happy holidays" for fear of offending those of different faiths. Workers are protected from discrimination based on religion or belief, but this does not mean that language or actions have to be neutralised so that a belief system cannot be identified or celebrated. All workers are entitled to dignity in the workplace, which means respecting all faiths. Common sense and a degree of sensitivity for the feelings of others have more place at work than political correctness.

What’s an appropriate present for a Secret Santa? Chocolate willies and other naughty nibbles are best reserved for stag and hen parties. By all means, let employees buy a funny present but get them to think carefully before buying something that might offend. As a sense check, ask givers to put themselves in the recipient's shoes and imagine how they would feel.

What goes on at the Christmas party stays there, doesn't it? Wrong. Although the Christmas party may take place away from the workplace, and even in employees’ own time, it is so closely connected with work that employers remain responsible for much of what goes on. This is why employers can advise their staff on sensible alcohol consumption and insist that their dignity at work policies continue to apply at the event. As an employer or employee you can still be liable for bullying, harassment and discrimination at the Christmas party.

What's wrong with plain old gossip? You'd be surprised. In some circumstances gossip might amount to discrimination and harassment and was the subject of an Employment Appeals Tribunal in the UK when a couple that were seen ‘getting on’ at a Christmas party became the subjective of gossip when the woman became pregnant at a later date - rumours about the paternity of the child. It became all too much for her and eventually she resigned. She successfully claimed constructive dismissal and pregnancy discrimination and harassment.

Can I tell my secretary she/he looks lovely? Yes, you can. Almost everyone loves a
compliment. However, if she – or he – looks offended, or tells you in colourful language to keep your comments to yourself, then you will know not to do it again. If you persist, it could amount to harassment. It is not your intention that counts, it is how the recipient feels about it that is important.

I want to look really attractive at the Christmas party… is this possible without compromising my professionalism? Yes, you can turn all the heads at the party, by looking attractive but do it without compromising your corporate and professional image. Dress appropriately for the occasion and think "accidentally attractive". Then you will turn every head the right way.

I have been infatuated with my boss all year and I really think that the feeling is mutual ... is now the time to make my move? According to statistics up to 58% of us have had an office romance at some stage - so it is only natural that you want to make a move if there has been sexual chemistry between you and your boss. However you need to be really careful and think about if this is what you really want. Consider how your boss would react if you did make a move and what impact this might have on your other colleagues and your career. Think long and hard about what the outcome of such a move would be and whether or not it would be worth it. Overall, the office party is considered part to be an official event (even if the employer is not directly participating, financially or otherwise, so the normal etiquette of the workplace should be observed). If you decide to go ahead make sure that your confidentiality is protected and that you do not become the subject of office gossip or a romance related career crisis.

Can I put Christmas party photos on Facebook? This is not a good idea without the informed consent of the people in the pictures. Assume that someone will tell that person that their photo is on Facebook because, inevitably, a friend will have a friend that has a friend that knows a friend that tells the person. The potential exposure of the photo is limitless, and almost impossible to delete once it’s out there on the internet. The photo’s subject would be entitled to bring a grievance against the photo poster and, depending on the employer’s workplace policies, this may result in the employer having to take disciplinary sanctions against the photo poster. Remember, too, that uploading or tagging workplace colleagues in compromising photos, or employees making derogatory comments about their employer, could taint an employer's reputation, which may necessitate taking disciplinary action, even if employees do this in their own time, on their own computer or mobile phone.

Social Media in Recruitment

New research shows that more than three out of four (78 per cent) Irish workers are now working outside the office using mobile devices, and forty six per cent of workers report using three or more of devices such as smartphones, laptops and iPads in their work every day (Citrix Systems). The Government keeps talking about creating jobs in the Smart Economy, but the reality is we already have one! Companies such as eBay, Google, LinkedIn and others already have offices here, and Ireland is often used as a test-bed for new applications. It is perhaps not surprising then that 97 per cent of office workers say they already use mobile devices for everyday tasks such as banking and restaurant reservations. And we are becoming a technology savvy bunch too. Four out of five of those who use personal devices for work purposes describe themselves as “do it yourself-ers”. This means they take care of their own IT needs rather than relying on the IT department to manage the device or install new apps. including social media. In a recession companies place emphasis on hiring staff with networks of existing connections to knowledgeable people, as opposed to just knowledgeable people. Those who have active accounts on social media sites fit that profile. LinkedIn, for example, can be used to keep in touch with current contacts, former employers, for lead generation, and meeting new people in your business or local area. Social networking is all about sharing information, and contacts, with a large number of people. Tweeting shows an ability to ‘converse’ with your peers. So what is the next step? Skillpages, an Ireland-based internet company, has had thousands of users in more than 50 countries sign up to its social media platform since launch less than a year ago. It enables anyone, anywhere to connect with people who need their skills and also, to find people who have the skills they need. So social networking is no longer just about keeping in touch or even getting in touch, it is about getting that job!
In the early days of these new applications many jobseekers took a very basic approach to using them in their job search, doing activities in much the same way as they always did through other websites, to obtain information and get in contact with potential recruiters. But there is much more to using social and other networking applications than that.
Whether you are looking for a job or in a company people will be ‘googling’ you in order to find out about you: They will be searching on business networking sites such as LinkedIN to see what your profile says about you and find out about your past work experiences. · They will look on sites like Facebook to see who your family and friends are, and what you get up to in your spare time! · They will look at your blog to see what types of attitudes you have and what opinions you are expressing. If you do not have a blog, does that mean you have nothing to say? · They may visit discussion boards to see what your expertise is. · They may even follow you on Twitter to see what you are chatting about – as this is the online equivalent of the water cooler. The default for Twitter and Facebook accounts is now public so potential employers can find out a lot about you apart from what you have on your CV. Before you cry ‘Big Brother’ bear in mind that if you were going to do an interview with an organisation it is likely that you would probably do the same thing to them: You should invest time in obtaining information about the organisation and the person or persons interviewing you. As any good sales rep. knows, it is important to prepare yourself in advance by getting to know the people you are going to meet. Just don’t be surprised if they are doing the same. And remember that jobseekers with private accounts will be competing with other people who want to share their knowledge and expertise with the world.

Census 2011 - Slightly Off the Mark?

Meet Martina: Since her position at the bank was made redundant last year, she has juggled a number of roles: working and studying part time on a FÁS employment programme; caring for her disabled parents and her children; and spending her spare time on plans to start her own business. On Sunday, 10th April, Martina sat down to fill out the Census form. When she reached questions 27to 34 – the section dealing with status, employment and education – confusion set in.

The CSO tells us that filling in the Census form will help provide data that will assist the Irish government and others to plan for the future, providing an extensive picture of our individual social and living conditions that will map out future policy, planning and decision-making in areas such as health care, education and employment. The resultant analysis will capture a snapshot of Irish society, but how clear, complete and comprehensive will the picture actually be?

On a deeper reading of the Census form, it appears that some questions are framed from a traditional, one-dimensional view of our country and do not reflect the current reality for many thousands of Irish citizens like Martina.

The employment questions highlight the potential for error by making it difficult for Martina to classify her status. Question 27 (how would you describe your present principal status) is the basis of all economic analysis emanating from the census. It groups persons aged 15 years and over, within and outside the labour force, according to their primary economic status. There is, however, no specific designation for participants on state-sponsored programmes. How should Martina and the other 57,762 FÁS trainees, 14,944 apprentices, and the 25,906 people engaged on employment programmes categorise themselves? Do they tick the ‘working for payment or profit’ box, the ‘unemployed’ box, the ‘student or pupil’ box, the ‘other’ box, or all of the above? This lack of clarity may potentially generate insufficient and inappropriate labour market policy responses by trying to categorise the entire adult population into simplified groupings.

An interesting discussion arises when question 29 (do/did you work as an employee or are/were you self-employed in your main job?) is probed. This question is used to assign social class to all at work, now or formerly. If it is such a key economic variable, what is the rationale for excluding students, carers and those unable to work due to permanent sickness/disability altogether? These groups are referred to in question 27, but there is no mention of them in question 29. Where did they go? When it now comes to allocating social class, those formerly part of the labour force are simply omitted. How then do we ascertain their socio-economic status?

This omission is compounded in question 28 which asks those working, the unemployed and retirees to self-declare their present/previous main job, but asks students, carers and those unable to work due to permanent sickness/disability to skip the question on prior occupational status. The 14 per cent of our students in higher education that are mature students, the estimated eight per cent of adults providing non-paid care (one-third of whom work full-time according to the CSO) and the almost 100,000 individuals claiming Disability Allowance may be left wondering how they will be represented in the statistics.

Furthermore, one of the aims of the census is to provide a detailed picture of the occupations of the entire population, assisting analysts and the government to understand the economic infrastructure of Ireland. Yet none of the questions take account of non-traditional employment arrangements. Respondents are unable to highlight the fact that, like Martina, they may occupy more than one role, always having to opt for their ‘principal’ position, defined by the job in which they usually work/worked the most hours (questions 27 to 34). The Census form excludes those who wish to be represented as combining paid and self employment; students who may also work in paid or self employment; and part-time/seasonal/casual workers who are entitled to Jobseekers Benefit or Allowance. Being forced to indicate one designation alone may facilitate the complex analysis process, but it in no way reflects the diversity of occupational patterns that individuals exhibit, particularly in the current economic environment.

On Sunday, 10^th April we are all asked to make our mark, an action that will define our future policies. The design of the employment questions on the Census form is off the mark and has the potential to exclude, or at the very least, confuse those having multiple roles in our society. As a result, it will not paint a true picture of the textured and rich career patterns the population has.

The 2011 Census - What will it tell us?

There have been regular reports in the media in recent months that say the size of the Irish workforce has been decreasing over the past two years, as more and more non-Irish and Irish nationals leave the country, and that unemployment has been rising starkly. Is this a fair reflection of what has been happening?

The most recent population figures available show that emigration from Ireland in the twelve months to April 2010 was estimated to have remained broadly constant at 65,300 for the previous year. However, the number of immigrants into Ireland fell sharply, from 57,300 to 30,800, over the same period. These combined changes have resulted in an increase in net outward migration from 7,800 in April 2009 to 34,500 in April 2010. While the level of overall migration remained relatively constant during that period emigration among Irish nationals increased significantly as a percentage of overall emigration last year, up from 18,400 in April 2009 to 27,700 in April 2010. This is the highest level of net outward migration since 1989 and there is strong evidence of further net emigration already during the past year and the ESRI estimated that the level of net migration ran at approximately 8,000 per month during the first quarter of 2011. Against this background we have seen a shrinking of the size of our labour force, i.e. those available to work, over much of the past two years.

The forthcoming Census in April 2011 will provide a much more accurate baseline figure for the size of the population, the level of emigration that has taken place and the workforce. It will ask questions about where people live now and where they lived one year ago, as well as nationality and ethnic/cultural background, to give a more accurate and up-to-date, picture. The overall picture to emerge is likely to be one of a population and a workforce that is still growing over the long term, but which has been beset by short-medium term net emigration, particularly among younger, male, Irish nationals.

More importantly, the 2011 census will also ask about whether people consider themselves to be employed, unemployed, retired, studying, etc. Since the 2006 Census we have had to rely on estimates of the unemployment rate based on two, smaller, monthly and quarterly surveys that take place on a regular basis. The monthly figures that make headlines in the media tend to be these, despite their being based on a benchmark last established in 2006. The published figures rely on Live Register statistics from the Department of Social Protection and these are adjusted each quarter with results from the CSO’s own Household Budget Survey. These two sources only give a partial picture of employment and can only guesstimate the level of employment and unemployment to provide the monthly labour force statistics. As one statistician put it – it’s like sending a rocket into space, and not checking if it is on course for five years : usually the instruments will give you a rough idea of where you are, but you can never really be sure until you return to Earth!

The number of people in employment overall was estimated to have fallen from 2.1 million in 2008, to 1.9 million in 2009, and to 1.83 million by March 2011. Unemployment has continued to rise throughout although it seems to have stabilised sometime between the beginning of this year and now. The last Quarterly Household Budget Survey (for October – December 2010) statistics issued in mid-March showed a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 14.7% overall.

It is easy to get bogged down in the detail of monthly and quarterly estimates. The more accurate figures are those that come about as a result of the Census. It is worth noting that the percentage of the labour force unemployed was just 4.5% of the total workforce back in May 2006 when the last, full Census was conducted. In real terms, by April 2011 there were an estimated 1.83 million people employed and the unemployment percentage of the workforce has more than trebled over the past five years to an estimated 14.7%.

An interesting aside here is that direct costs related to unemployment have risen significantly in the past few years. Social welfare expenditure amounted to 15.6% of Gross national income in 2009. Ten years previously it was just 8.2%.

Getting Ireland back to work

A new Irish Government takes up office next week after a hard-fought election in which just about every party and candidate claimed that jobs were the number one priority. So if jobs are to be a focal point for the new Government, what can we expect from the incoming Dáil?

Whether any or all of these schemes remain in place by the year end remains to be seen. The leading party in the incoming government, Fine Gael, is proposing as part of its jobs strategy to retain and extend many of the programmes, but as might be expected it has rebranded them and plans to extend the number of places on offer in each:

• Its National Internship Programme (23,000 places) will offer part-time, one-year placements in the public service, private sector and voluntary sector for unemployed graduates. The objective is for interns to gain experience while studying for a masters degree or diploma. The payment will include a €3,000 bursary to help fund each individual’s higher education. Among the positions planned to be available will be classroom/teaching assistants in schools and nursing assistants in hospitals. IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland will be explicitly mandated to develop 5,000 work experience placements in the companies that they support.
• FG’s Second Chance Education Programme (17,000 places) will offer former retail and construction workers that did not finish secondary school either college or back to education placements for two years. Participants will receive a premium payment of €20 per week on top of their social welfare payment, a €500 contribution towards book costs, and a €3,000 completion bonus.
• The Apprenticeship Guarantee (700 places) will offer unemployed craft apprentices direct employment by the State, State agencies or semi-State organisations until their apprenticeship is completed. The number here is slightly lower than the outgoing government’s Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme as the number of apprentices will decline each year over the next five years.
• FG’s version of Tús, Community Employment, will also provide 5,000 funded places, again mainly for short-term positions in community organisations.

While the items mentioned above are specific, costed policies Fine Gael’s main employment plank consists of targeted job creation by allowing public-private partnerships and private investments in sectors such as water, telecoms infrastructure, renewable energies, smart-grid, bio energy and forestry. Job creation in these sectors will be funded by the sale of some existing, ‘non-strategic’, state assets e.g. Bord Gais energy production. Costs will be recovered in the longer term by the sale of equipment and services to businesses and the public e.g. water meter installation costs will be billed over time.

Welfare payments are to be reformed to make re-entry into paid work more attractive and to place new responsibilities on the unemployed while in receipt of State support. Among the changes mooted by Fine Gael are a reduction in the frequency of signing on (currently once a month) in favour of a more meaningful schedule of engagement with Jobseekers (for example, an in-depth, quarterly review); a specific focus by the PES to match up available talent on the Live Register with existing vacancies in Irish companies; conversion of rent supplement and other secondary benefits into means related supports that are unaffected by working status (with tapered withdrawal); and a requirement for under 25’s to maintain a Jobs Diary recording search experience and skill enhancement activities, with sanctions for unreasonable rejections of training and job opportunities.

As a final act, it is promised that the Minimum Wage is to be restored to its level prior to 1 February.

The most likely coalition partner, the Labour Party, is proposing to establish a Jobs Fund of €500m to carry out a number of job creation activities. Despite producing a large number of policy documents in recent months many of its proposals lack specifics about how this money will be invested and how it will link to jobs growth. Where they have been specified, they largely follow the pattern outlined by Fine Gael above. Some examples of what the party has said in recent press releases and policy documents include:

Extending the previously mentioned Employer PRSI Incentive Scheme, and extending the exemption period to 18 months, to incentivise employers to employ people who have been on the Live Register for 6 months or more.

A graduate and apprentice work placement scheme similar to those outlined above, but coupled with an earn and learn scheme to combine short-term working with study.

Reducing the qualifying period for the Back to Education and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to three months, and allowing for greater access to postgraduate courses under the Back to Education Allowance.

Creating Skills Exchanges to tap into the wealth of work experience of those currently unemployed.

While there are some points of differences between Fine Gael and Labour’s policies most are compatible.

It will be interesting to see if the Government adopts any of the suggestions put forward by other parties such as the Greens (who longer have any seats in the Dáil), Sinn Fein and groups of independents such as the United Left Alliance. In contrast to the larger parties’ suggestions many of the ideas for job creation from Sinn Fein, the United Left Alliance and Socialist Party suggest obtaining funding from the dwindling National Pensions Reserve Fund, increased borrowing, or utilising borrowings that might otherwise be used to fund Irish banks in order to finance job creation. The fact that this funding model is unworkable and that many of their initiatives will cost money means that they are unlikely to proceed in their manifesto form. However as some ideas could be low cost or cost neutral they may be adapted by the ruling parties over the coming two years in order to ‘kick-start’ the domestic economy, particularly in services.

Among the plausible ideas suggested by the smaller parties are a national approach to the agrifood industry i.e. one brand such as Kerrygold for all Irish food; building a series of public, local, healthcare centres in preference to large, centralised hospitals which would require a switching of funds; school and crèche building and refurbishment acceleration; and both bringing forward maximising employment on public infrastructure projects such as Metro North and the Western Rail Corridor over the next five years. While these are costly in the short-term both FG and Labour have indicated, in recent days, that they might include some of these proposals in their jobs strategy which is due to be announced in 100 days time.

New Minimum Wage from 1st February

The new national minimum wage rate takes effect from 1 February and sets the new rate at €7.65 per hour. The latest data from the Central Statistics Office shows that about 47,000 workers, or 3.1% of the employed labour force, are paid at or below the current adult experienced worker rate of €8.65 per hour. Even after the reduction to €7.65 per hour, the new rate will remain in the top tier of minimum wage rates set by European Union member states and 12% above the rate in Northern Ireland.

Oh for Fas sake!

The staff of the Community Welfare Service of the HSE and both staff and responsibility for the policy direction and funding of the employment services and community employment services programmes of FÁS were transferred to the Department of Social Protection on 1 January. The relevant staff and resources, such as buildings, will be fully integrated with the staff and structure of the Department over the coming months. The aim is to provide a more complete service to people on the Live Register. When the integration programme is complete, FÁS will cease to have any role in the provision of employment and community employment programmes and will focus on the provision of training services. This means that, as well as income support, the Department of Social Protection will now focus on assisting people to find employment and to prepare themselves for entry into the labour market by accessing training, career advice, work experience and job placement.

Losing Your Job?

Losingyourjob.ie is a useful new resource provided by the Citizens Information Board. This microsite provides public service information for those who are currently unemployed or are becoming unemployed in Ireland.

Dude! Where's my job?

At People Matters we often meet people who say there are ‘no jobs’. While the number on the Live Register continues to rise there have been some significant jobs announcements during the past 50 days:

· AA Ireland is recruiting up to 40 employees for its financial services offices in Dublin.

· Citi, which has been operating in Ireland for 45 years and already employs more than 2,200 workers in Dublin and Waterford hired 300 workers in the past 12 months (some on fixed term contracts) and plans to recruit 250 more.

· Irish-owned ClearStream Technologies in Enniscorthy will create 70 new jobs over the next three years in product engineering, research and development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing.

· Food nutrition company Danone announced an investment that will create more than 40 new jobs in food science, engineering and supply chain management in Cork. A major expansion of its processing facility in Macroom will also see up to 200 people employed during the construction phase of the expansion which is set to begin this month.

· Goodman Medical Ireland will create 115 new positions in manufacturing, sales and marketing, and research and development over the next five years in the Mervue Business Park plant in Galway.

· Murex, a French financial software firm, will create 30 new jobs in software development, business development and consulting in South Dublin.

· Quest Software is to set up an international shared services centre in Cork city and 150 new jobs will come on stream over the next three years.

IDA Ireland aims to create 9,800 direct and 6,800 indirect jobs next year through foreign direct investments. Enterprise Ireland’s target is for 6,300 direct jobs and 4,400 spin-off jobs through export-led Irish firms during 2011.