Not out of the woods yet
The government begins the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine, bringing up questions for HR about employer rights when the time will come to bring employees, vaccinated or not, back to work.
A harsher tier system is put in place in England, and on 19 December, government introduces a four tier for London and South East England placing them in a full lockdown over the festive period.
Multiple households in other tiers are now only allowed to mix indoors on Christmas Day rather than the five-day period initially promised.
Nicola Sturgeon also confirms a travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK, and over 40 countries ban travel from the UK due to the spike in cases and prevalence of a new strain of the virus.
A lesson in risk management
At the start of the month HR magazine held its latest lunchtime debate. The panel considered the topic or risk and how it can be integrated into company culture to prepare for potential dangers.
Throughout the month, HR was urged to consider the impact long COVID and the looming prospect of a no-deal Brexit could have on their workforce.
To tackle the disproportionate impact coronavirus has had on BME workers, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) launched an antiracism taskforce.
The best bits of HR magazine from December 2020:
As workers teeter on the brink of burnout, we question the nature of busy culture – when it helps and hinders productivity.
Are you doing diversity training right?
Our second feature for this issue addresses whether unconscious bias training is a good way to spend your L&D budget.
Creating a net-zero ready workforce
Catherine Schlieben, HR director – talent, inclusion and diversity at National Grid, writes about the importance of leading with purpose.
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