What 'skar' is Covid-19 leaving on your business?

Every person and every business has been changed by the impact of public health measures to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus. One big change in the UK has been the furloughing of staff. With several months of the scheme left more than 8 million people who are normally in work are being asked to stay at home.

In talking to clients and networks we’ve heard the benefits of this scheme and the limitations. One thing our team can see is the potential scar the furlough experience could leave on millions of people and businesses. The loss of productive purpose for several weeks or months and the impact of knowing you are ‘not needed’ will change workforces across the country. If businesses think that all their people will be able to switch from furlough to being immediately productive and highly flexible they need to think again.

Cathey Broderick, Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub noted that when lock down eases companies, “will need staff that are more productive, more flexible, than ever.” The nature of work in many businesses will have drastically altered and the patterns of commuting, behaviours and teams will be changed permanently.

So. it stands to reason that for forward thinking companies the question is not, ‘Should we invest in supporting our furloughed staff?’ but rather, ‘How are we investing to support our people?’

Know+Do’s way of enabling companies to ensure the productivity and performance is not scarred by furlough but rather that they are SKAR-red by it! The acronym SKAR stands for:

• Skills

• Knowledge

• Attitude

• Routine

We’ve pulled our expertise and resources to make a bespoke, 4-week furlough support programme for staff. This is available live online to groups of up to 8 at a time. The training supports their well-being and provides a structure where individuals can be encouraged to keep their edge and be ready to return to work when needed.

The programme is priced at cost to ensure all businesses can make the investment - at just £99+VATpp or £499+VAT for a group of up to 8 people. A video and detailed information leaflet have been produced to explain more.

Whatever your business scale or context, if you have furloughed staff we encourage you to invest in them, ensuring that they and your business are in peak shape after lock down.

If you would like ideas about staff support please contact Andrew or Bernard on info@knowanddo.com or call 0161 2804567; and please stay safe!

Keep Your Edge While On Furlough

Furlough is a new experience which has appeared in the past few weeks of the covid-19 adjusting world we now live in. It is when a company can keep employees on the payroll but receive a partial subsidy for their wages from the government. This has partially reduced the impact of millions of companies losing customers and clients overnight in lock down.

But being on furlough has a people price as well as economic one.

For many it is a strange limbo experience, being employed in name only but having to wait with uncertainty about how or when they return to a productive daily routine of going to work. Plus our workplaces and employment habits will have drastically changed when we do return.

One thing everyone on furlough can do is training.

So, to help people keep that edge of work readiness and to give employers a method of supporting their people Know+Do has created the Furloughed Staff Support Programme. It is a 4 week online course for groups of up to 8 people that helps them maintain and develop work readiness in skills, knowledge, attitude and routines.

A video and leaflet explaining more can be found here and bookings - by employers for a group at only £499+VAT, or individuals for just £99pp+VAT - can be made by contacting andrew@knowanddo.com or calling 0161 2804567.