15 June 2017

HR trends – what's happening in your region?

The BPIF HR Team travel the length and breadth of the country, advising members on a wide range of HR issues. Along the way we notice trends in each region that can be conversely different to other areas. Do your business's HR issues align with your regional peers?

Midlands

• Small number of redundancies and restructuring exercises taking place
• Continuing high levels of long term absence and capability issues
• Review of working practices, in particular shifts resulting in introduction of new shift patterns to improve efficiency
• Continued increased activity around apprentices and the apprenticeship levy
• Delivery of BPIF HR Healthchecks
• BPIF Discipline and Grievance Workshop being delivered on Wednesday 28 June 2017 at the Midlands Business Centre in Meriden

 North West

• Some large scale redundancies in the region, providing support to ensure alternative employment with other print companies
• Some restructuring and rationalisation as workflows fluctuate across region, possibly caused by the impact on consumer spending and confidence being fuelled by Brexit and Snap Election uncertainties
• A number of business acquisitions and TUPE transfers
• Small scale redundancies following restructuring and introduction of new technology
• Grievances
• Disciplinary cases up to dismissal
• Long term sickness absences

North East

• A marked increase in grievance complaints involving racial issues
• A rise in the number of companies taking efficiency measures and making small scale redundancies
• Numerous enquiries from companies caught in the supply chain and needing assistance with producing their own Ethical statements in relation to the Modern Slavery Act
• BPIF HR Healthcheck reviews and support with development of HR handbooks, policies and procedures
• Increase in requests for line management training in people management especially around Discipline & Grievance
• Key themes within the region - Absence, Performance, Disciplinary, Grievance, Bullying and Harassment, TUPE and Settlement agreements

South East

• Ongoing TUPE and long-running complex grievance issues
• Greater London companies hit by sharp rises in rent and business rates, in some cases leading to relocation or amalgamation
• Despite short-term upturn due to election, more larger-scale redundancies proposed
• Increase in long-term sickness issues
• A few companies with difficulties caused by loaning money to employees / agreeing informal flexible working arrangements (when the intention was never a permanent change)
• BPIF workshops delivered on Performance Management and Absence Management
• BPIF Disciplinary and Grievance workshop to be held at St Bride Foundation on 28 June. This is open to both BPIF members and non-members

Eastern

• Cost efficiencies being considered by companies resulting in small scale redundancies
• Long term performance management issues being managed more closely
• Changes to terms and conditions to include changes in shift patterns
• BPIF Disciplinary and Grievance workshop to be held at St Bride Foundation on 28 June. This is open to both BPIF members and non-members

South West

• A few redundancies, however smaller numbers
• Lots of requests for salary benchmarking
• Disciplinary and grievances happening across the SW requiring HR support
• BPIF Disciplinary and Grievance workshop to be held on 20 June at Konica Minolta offices, Bristol
• Performance and absence issues are on the increase
• TUPE issues, site closures and moving to other premises, HR support required with consultation meetings
• Changes to terms and conditions affecting decrease in overtime and changes to shift patterns
• Reviewing company handbooks