Share Sounds related to Work - Case Studies

The UK has come a long way since the early Equal Opportunities legislation of the 1970s, high-profile cases in the 1980s and 1990s identifying institutionalised discrimination, and the subsequent focus on celebration of diversity and promotion of inclusion. However, the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements are reminders of how far we still need to travel. In this episode, Peter Urwin is joined by Emma Parry, Professor of Human Resource Management at Cranfield School of Management, to discuss how to further move the dial on diversity in the workplace. Asking whether research provides clear lessons for managers, they identify a number of similar messages across the economics and HRM literatures. However, whilst recent debates over the value of unconscious bias training caution against untested approaches, evaluation of “solutions” such as Inclusion present a real challenge. Peter and Emma debate these tensions, and consider possible ways forward. For an accompanying blog post on this issue, go to https://www.propelhub.org.

Adam Cox is joined by video conferencing expert, Dieter Dehaemers, to discuss how COVID-19 has changed the way we work – and how flexible working has allowed a new way for meetings to take place. Dieter shares his thoughts and advice on how to keep up to date with meetings and the way our mindsets have changed when it comes to collaboration when working from home.

In the second instalment of this series looking at how Coronavirus has affected the working landscape, Peter Urwin is joined by Professor Emma Parry: Professor of Human Resource Management and Group Head Changing World of Work at Cranfield School of Management. They discuss what work will look like after the pandemic; drawing on a variety of recent evidence from surveys of HR practitioners, employees and companies to better understand which of the changes to working will persist beyond the current crisis. For instance, there is a clear gender split emerging as the burden of childcare continues to fall on women, who are being forced to balance the demands of working from home and home-schooling. But will this turn around now schools are reopening, and working from home brings benefits for those with caring responsibilities?

Adam Cox chats with Sam Miles, the head of production for Televisualise, a branded content company. They discuss how social media sites, especially YouTube, have enabled companies large and small to move from traditional advertising to a more subtle and less intrusive approach. From product placement to vlogging, this episode looks at how modern marketing has democratised audience engagement with tips about how to go about it for even the smallest company.

With the clock ticking on Britain's two year negotiation period the Brexit debate is proving far from over. So what could the outcome mean for Britain's rural economy? In this special report Share Radio's Tom Hill looks at the hopes and fears of the country's farming and fishing industries.

The government has rejected calls to ban employers from forcing women to wear high heels, arguing that existing laws against sex discrimination already outlaw such dress codes. So what can employees do if they're faced with sexist dress codes?

A lack of skilled workers is increasingly forcing many employers to offer higher wages and lower requirements for candidates. That's according to research from The Recruitment & Employment Confederation which found nearly half of employers struggling to recruit for permanent roles. To find out more about what's causing this Share Radio's Tom Hill spoke to REC Director of Policy and Professional Services Tom Hadley.

Last week saw the introduction of new gender pay reporting regulations forcing companies employing more than 250 people to publish information about their pay. So, what will this information really tell you, what can you do if you think you're not being paid the same as men in your organisation and what happens if you don't comply with the rules?

Recently we had another case testing the rights of gig economy workers. Self-employed cycle courier Andrew Boxer took the firm Excel to an employment tribunal arguing that he was a "worker" as defined by the Employment Rights Act - therefore, should get basic rights including holiday pay and the national minimum wage. His claim was backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain and the employment tribunal agreed with him. To find out what rulings such as this will mean for the gig economy Georgie Frost was joined by Kevin Charles, Director of Crosslands Employment Solicitors.

Complicated jargon could be putting many young job seekers off applying to vacancies according to research out today from the City and Guilds group. Terms such as 'fulfillment service' and 'KPIs' are amongst the most confusing with two thirds of young people claiming they don't understand the language used by employers in their job adverts. To find out more Share Radio's Sara Macham spoke to Michael Osbaldeston, special advisor at the City and Guilds Group.