Case studies

Whether it’s the classic office work party or after work pub drinks on a Thursday or Friday, drinking alcohol has been a long-standing aspect of work culture in the UK.

Yet in recent years, the government, and various government bodies, have warned against the negative consequences of drinking in a work environment with colleagues.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) towards the end of last year warned businesses of the dangers of creating environments where inappropriate behaviours can flourish, particularly after the numerous sexual assault allegations that arose over the year.

Best known, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) faced a barrage of allegations, particularly from female staff members, about inappropriate behaviour, and in many cases sexual assault, that took place at staff parties.

This example, and many more, has been an indication to employers to not let staff consumption of alcohol get out of control.

This sentiment is being echoed, once more, by a Lancaster University think tank called the Work Foundation, and the International Alliance for Responsible drinking.

These bodies are urging employers to give up alcohol-oriented work socials for “inclusive and healthy workplace cultures” - such as meeting for breakfast or having an “away day”.

They also suggest employers run awareness sessions, teaching staff about the health risks associated with consuming alcohol.

There are many reasons why taking a more holistic approach to celebrations is good for business. Not focusing your events on drinking means that people who don’t drink, for personal or religious reasons, won’t be excluded.

While, of course, negating the possibility of inappropriate behaviour, which can cause rifts in your organisation, a tainted reputation, and potential tribunals, is also a main reason to have a re-think when planning your next work party.

But do organisations really need to ban drinking altogether, and set up alcohol education sessions in their place?

In short, I don’t think employers do have to be black and white in their approach to enabling drinking. Yes, if you want to foster an inclusive and diverse workforce then you should probably aim to have multiple options for employees to take part in during socials.

But taking it upon yourself to organise sessions to teach staff about the risks associated with drinking is a step too far, to me at least. This is because a main part of the HR function isn’t about babying your staff – it's about treating them like adults, being transparent, and letting them make decisions for themselves.

Pumping staff with loads of booze probably isn’t the most sensible idea, however creating an environment where they feel safe to do this, but also feel safe not to, is balanced and fair. Whereas, going all in on being against alcohol consumption, and willing to educate staff about this, comes across as a little patronising. Who would have thought that balance is the best answer?

As part of our ongoing support to our charity of choice, Pendleside Hospice, SER Limited were awarded the “Corporate Challenge” winners award for our efforts over the year raising valuable monies for the charity so that they can continue with the outstanding work they do helping end of life cancer sufferers in the East Lancashire region.

An award that really matters and really does make a difference.

Beth Hall is raising funds for our choosen chairty Pendleside Hospice. She will be doing a Skydive and is looking for sponosers. Every Penny helps.

The go fund me site is:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/beth-halls-skydive-in-aid-of-pendleside-hospice?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

After recent controversies employee surveillance is under the microscope

The benefits of hybrid and remote working have been thoroughly discussed and publicised – whether it's improving your employee's wellbeing with a better work-life balance, fewer commuting expenses and those overpriced lunch breaks or doing away with geographical restrictions to hire from a wider talent pool.

But of course, some drawbacks just won't go away – one of which being the quandary of how to make sure your remote workers are actually working!
The most obvious and simple solution is to trust them. If their daily duties are ticked off by clocking off time, does it really matter whether they are glued to their screens every minute of the day?

For some it does! And this has led to a rise in worker surveillance. There are significant ethical issues when it comes to monitoring an employee's productivity via tracking software, yet around one in five companies has admitted either installing tech to snoop on staff or planning to....The software can check attendance at meetings, log how long workers take to read and reply to messages & even secretly film them.
Several firms have come under fire, amid allegations of monitoring remote workers' activities.

Earlier this year, a worker was ordered to pay back the equivalent of £1500 in wages to her ex-employer, after tracking software deemed, she had "misrepresented" hours of work.

In another incident, August 2023, insurer IAG terminated an employee with an impressive 18-year career (in which time the employee was known as a good worker) because after introducing keystroke monitoring technology, the firm noted periods of zero keystrokes on her device when working remotely.
Naturally, many feel this type of monitoring is intrusive and shows a lack of trust, and some big names have received backlash to their worker surveillance.

What is the law on monitoring staff?
Karen Holden, CEO of A City Law Firm "Monitoring employees working remotely or at the office is not illegal if it complies with regulations including the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Employment Practices Data Protection Code 2011," Holden previously told HR Grapevine.

"An employer ideally should have carried out an impact assessment so it can show there is a legitimate interest behind the mechanisms and how the data is to be stored and used. This is also helpful for the employer to understand and balance trust, and motivation against any loss of staff confidence.
"The employees should provide their consent and have knowledge of what the employer is doing if an employer is to avoid potential grievances and claims. As such a dedicated policy should be circulated to inform staff of what is being done and why to avoid surprises and confusion (unless this has already been set out in their employment contracts)."

Holden continued: "All staff should be treated equally to avoid claims of discrimination and caution should be exercised not to infringe a person's privacy by being too invasive. Given recent times an employer should be sensitive to staff well-being, health and the hours staff are working.
"This is actually common practice in large London businesses. Specifically for keystroke capture, employers will need to obtain written agreement for this type of monitoring in some cases."

Why does it matter?
If done properly, employee tracking is totally legal, but implementing such software risks breaking employer-employee trust, and many people have spoken out against the rise in these measures.

Will workers accept more surveillance if it allows more flexibility?
If new research is to be believed, working in a Big Brother environment is a trade-off many are willing to accept in exchange for one of the most sought-after work perks.
GetApp UK- a UK-based B2B software comparison site surveyed over 1,000 SME employees to better understand their perspective on flexible working schedules. They found that 71% of staff would agree to more surveillance at work to be granted a flexible working schedule.

This correlates with GetApp's previous study, which found that a high proportion of employees that have changed jobs in the last 2years, moved to find a new role which permit a flexible working schedule.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT - RECRUITER - CARA

@ SER since January 2023 - Machine Tooling

Tell us about a professional success story that you're proud of.

Recently placed a candidate in an opportunity he described as "life changing" as it enabled him to progress within his career to service manager, join a growing and innovative company not to mention add an extra £10,000 plus to his salary to spoil his family. It's not about winning a quick fee but building relationships placing candidates in long term careers that suit their goals!

Most important skill a successful professional need to have in recruitment?

Actively listening to your candidates. So many recruiters give the industry a bad name by sending candidates here there and everywhere instead of taking the time to listen and understand what their pain is and what they want from their career.

What would your perfect weekend look like?

My perfect weekend would be spent eating out or baking (I'm a massive foodie) and spending quality time with my loved ones and little cockapoo. Or having found cheap flights on skyscanner for a spontaneous weekend away.

What's something surprising that few people know about you?

Despite falling off my chair and over my own feet daily, I used to be a dancer and even won a cheerleading national championship.

What are some of your favourite local spots to visit?

Definitely Amico Mio Whalley! A hidden gem in the Ribble valley that won best new business 2021 under the new owners. Although, I am biased as I have worked there since my early teens...

Why did you choose to pursue a career in your field?

Although most people tend to say they fall into recruitment I knew since Uni this was what I wanted to do. I wanted something that would combine my money motivation with helping people , but whilst also keeping me on my toes so I don't get bored. Recruitment certainly keeps me on my toes.

What do you think makes you unique as a team member?

My ability to fall over everything in site and humorous contributions to the SER "sports day", but also ability to switch from laughing with the team straight into business mode when on the phone.

What are some challenges you have faced since joining the team?

I have a borderline photographic memory, so all my candidate conversations are in my head, but making sure I am keeping my notes up to date on the computer and not one of my MANY notebooks has been a challenge but we're getting there! Organisation is key in recruitment.

What are your favourite travel memories?

The best trip I have been on is my most recent trip to Elounda in Crete! The commission at SER has helped me treat my boyfriend to not one but 2 holidays away so far and I can't wait to go back in September. That or my solo travels around Italy and getting lost in Verona...

Favourite memory from working at the company?

Must be Jimmys weekend stories in the Monday sales meetings or the SER "sports day" and open bar at the guzzling pig!

Do you have any strategies for dealing with stress at work?

If recruitment was easy everyone would be successful, so every now and then you get a stressful phone call. Taking 5 minutes out of the situation to grab a diet coke and have a joke with a colleague before throwing yourself into a different task works well for me. Control the controllables, be accountable and laugh off the rest.

How do you prefer to collaborate with team members?

In the SER office there is a wealth of knowledge to draw from, learning from top billers who have been in the game 5 – 10+ years from their techniques makes a world of difference.

What do you think our future looks like as a team?

SER seems to be growing and growing ; always lots of new faces in the office so I can see us going from strength to strength.

Have you any personal or professional goals for yourself?

Hoping to become the go to recruiter in the machine tool industry for your next career steps and put a deposit down for my first house which I will fill with many, many dogs...

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

I lived and went to school in Oz for a year and I have always wanted to go back to visit, Rio, Thailand and Vietnam are also big ones on the list!

In the survey from Morning Consult, 87% of workers said they would be interested in a 4-day work week and 82% believed that widespread adoption would be successful. Yet, an overwhelming majority (75%) said that they will only be interested in a shorter week if remote work continued to be a significant aspect of their week.

Many employees that joined the workforce over the pandemic, younger workers, seem more likely to prioritise their wellbeing and work-life balance and embrace unprecedented work habits.

"Since the COVID pandemic, the whole world of work has been completely transformed," Joe Ryle, Director of 4 Day Week campaign, told the HR Grapevine. "In many ways, people had their eyes opened to the fact that we can work differently. There's a sense that the world of work is being reimagined. I believe this has opened the door to new ideas like a four-day week."
With the passing of the Flexible Working Bill, employers might need to prepare themselves for workers demanding a variety of different patterns, including a four-day week. But the above figures suggest that maintaining a level of flexibility around remote work might be more important than a shorter week on its own.

Yet, this research is particularly poignant considering the success of the world's largest trial of a four-day week, set up by The Four Day Week campaign, which saw 61 companies enter the trial and 56 of those firms continue with a shorter week post-trial.

The campaign says that workers are able to be as productive in a shorter week as they are in a conventional five-day week, and points to the benefits a shorter week could have on the economy.

"Essentially, we need to reduce working hours," continues Ryle. "The hours we are putting in are too long, and that's causing burnout, stress and overwork. We know that 18million working days are lost every year to work-related stress. That's a problem for our wellbeing and health, but it's also having a negative effect on the economy. We are working some of the longest hours in the world while having one of the least productive economies."

Source: www.hrgrapevine.com

SER Ltd have signed up for the Pendleside Hospice corporate challenge for the 2nd year running. Last year we raised a nice £4,260. We obviously want to beat that this year...

We have a few things planned already, with lots more TBC

- 6 aside football tournament was held on Saturday 29th July @ Accrington Stanley Sports Hub

- Wednesday 27th September @ 12pm – Friday 29th September @ 12pm - 48 hours of non stop cycling!

Thank you for helping us to support Pendleside Hospice. As an independent charity they rely on donations and fundraising to enable them to provide much needed care to the people of Burnley and Pendle. Your generosity and support is therefore very much appreciate.

Just Giving Link

SER have been out and about these weekend, raising money for Pendleside Hospice.

We put together a team to take part in a 6 a side football tournament, which took place on Saturday 29th July at Accrington Sports Hub.

12 teams completed on the day and Mill Hill came away with the win.

Huge thanks for everyone that took part and attended. Special thanks to all the little helpers, who were on bucket patrol collecting cash donations.

Finally a massive thanks to James, who apparently was Man of the Match!

SER LTD continue to grow!!

We are pleased to announce that Jason Wallis and Louise Worswick have joined the mad house!

Jason joins us with a wealth of recruitment experience, Jason has been brought in to head up and develop a manufacturing desk.

Louise has joined SER Ltd with an extensive knowledge and experience within the Finance sector. Louise has joined as a specialist Finance and Accounting Recruiter.

Louise.... "The reason I contacted SER originally was because they placed my other half in his role. He was working with two recruiters originally however the service James provided was far superior, so he went with James exclusively.

Then after a few conversations with Joe I understood why.

The thought of then setting up a new division within the company was extremely exciting to me. The team have been lovely since joining, I'm excited to get the ball rolling."