Grant Thornton continuously research and survey what is happening in the workplace.

Their latest programme included asking over 800 women at work what life was like for them during lockdown and how it has affected them.

The survey results which will be published in full shortly were discussed on a Podcast and Grant Thornton TV where the guests were; Elaine Gray Partner – Carey Olsen and President of the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Carnegie President of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Carly Parrott Director – Opus Private and Grant Thornton’s Human Capital Advisory Director Susie Crowder.

Watch the discussion in full or go to Spotify Grant Thornton Channel Islands to hear the podcast, the headlines under discussion were:

• Businesses need to embrace flexible working to a much greater extent
• Employees needed to be trusted to work away from their office
• Much more investment needs to be made allowing flexible working to flourish
• An office culture with a 9 to 5 mentality is not part of the new norm

The survey results:

• 84% of respondents stated that their employer had sufficiently supported them during lockdown – 12.8% however felt that their employer did not support them sufficiently
• 21% of respondents suggested that they had invested as much as 40% of their working day in home-schooling their children, whilst 33% stated they invested up to 50% of their working day
• 41% of respondents stated that their productivity had diminished during lockdown
• 43.5% of respondents claimed that they were not granted special leave during lockdown (annual leave/sabbatical/unpaid leave, etc)
• 77% of respondents stated that they had suffered with stress
• 77% stated that they had suffered with exhaustion
• 70% stated that they suffered with frustration
• 51% stated that they suffered with loneliness
• 89.7% of respondents agreed with the following statement: “The increase in unpaid care and domestic work, job and/or income loss, and the implications of lockdown on mental or physical abuse are among the factors that may be contributing to higher rates of stress and anxiety among women”.

With economic pressures building, organisations will be keen to build some resilience back into their balance sheets. COVID-19 has accelerated “efficiency programmes” in an attempt to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the business. Meanwhile, (some zombie) businesses continue to be propped up by government support resulting in a likely further phase of closures in due course. This has resulted and will continue to result in a sharp increase in unemployment across most sectors, not least as we battle our way through a recessionary period on the world stage.

Susie Crowder, Director of Human Capital Advisory commented “We need a corporate agenda that supports a multi-stage life with multiple entry and exit points at different stages and ages. A greater emphasis on wellbeing and flexible working will play a significant role in building back better.”

Teams made up of people from diverse backgrounds (cultural, socioeconomic, gender, etc.) have the potential to respond most effectively to a crisis. Why is this and how do we go about realising the innovation capacity of diverse teams?

• The science behind diversity for innovation.
• CEO experiences of building diverse teams.
• Examples of success through diversity.

Join Amicus for an exclusive interactive webinar where we unpack why team diversity is so important for delivering innovation in a crisis.

Duration:

1 hour

What we’ll cover:

• The difference between macro-level (at the organisational level) and micro-level (at the team-level) diversity.
• Research on the challenge and potential inherent in overtly diverse teams.
• The importance of overcoming our tendency to stick with what and whom we know (homophily).
• Understanding and integrating seemingly conflicting perspectives and ideas (frame-switching).

Amicus Limited is a specialist leadership consultancy focused on organisational health, resilience and performance improvement.

Panel:

Sir Peter Wall, Amicus Co-Founder, Former Head of the British Army

Peter has completed a full career in the British Army, retiring as its Chief in 2015. He led the Army’s most significant transformation programme for decades, whilst sustaining its operational focus. He is a co founder of Amicus.

Angelika Love, Amicus Associate, Social Psychologist (DPhil University of Oxford)

Having completed her Doctorate at Oxford University, Angelika is an expert on social networks, relationships across group divides, and the psychology of overcoming inter-group conflict.

Bal Bagary, Country Manager Barclays Singapore and CFO Barclays Asia Pacific

Having lived in Asia for the past 20 years, Bal is also a Board Member of Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and a male mentor for the Finance Women’s Association of Singapore.

Sally Clark, Executive Coach and Associate at Pelham Street Coaching, NED at Metro Bank and Strategic Advisor at Regtech firm ACIN.

Recently embarked on portfolio career post 33 years in financial services culminating in Chief Audit role at an international bank. Passionate about people and their development, and about creating the culture and environment where they can all thrive.

Bukola Adisa, Founder, Career Masterclass

Award winning Senior Governance, Risk and Controls experts who has held leadership roles in global financial and professional services organisations

Currently the founder/CEO of Career Masterclass which is a platform dedicated to enabling the progression of Black and Minority Ethnics (BAME) professionals in the workplace. Through webinars, live events and the annual STRETCH conference, she teaches practical career tips to a varied BAME audience which has resulted in tangible career progress for the participants.

Recently listed in the 2020 PowerList which celebrates the achievements of senior professionals from an African background.