Techniques for involving new employees in a project

Workers’ participation in occupational safety and health management

Involving workers in improvement processes implies that they are provided with resources and that they feel that they not only have the responsibility to affect outcomes, but also the power to do so. The idea of empowerment is the fundamental basis of participation and is defined as the process of giving workers greater autonomy and control over factors that affect their performance at work.

By involving workers in decisions that affect them and increasing their autonomy and control over their working lives, they will be more motivated, more committed to the organisation, more productive and more satisfied with their work.

Many countries have labour laws that require companies to practice representative participation. That is, instead of workers participating directly in decision-making, they are represented by a small group of workers who participate. The purpose of representative participation is to redistribute power within an organisation so that workers are on an equal footing with the interests of shareholders and management.

Worker participation is a key factor in the success of OSH management. Management alone cannot solve all OSH problems, whereas workers and their representatives have a wealth of experience and first-hand knowledge of the work – how it is done and how it affects them. Close collaboration between workers and management is therefore necessary to find joint solutions to common problems.

The participation of workers in OSH management implies their active involvement in the planning, implementation and evaluation of all activities for the prevention of occupational risks. It is not possible to speak of participation when workers are only informed of the activities to be carried out, when they are given a medical examination, a training course or a survey.

Prevention officers or safety officers and the joint occupational safety and health committee are means under the occupational safety and health legislation of some countries to involve workers in the management of occupational safety and health. However, employers need to be convinced that they directly empower workers to participate effectively in the management of occupational safety and health.

The ways of involving workers in OSH management vary. In any case, both formal and informal mechanisms or methods can be used. In particular, direct worker participation should not be seen as an alternative to the representative form of participation (prevention delegates and committees). These are two different routes that need to be combined effectively depending on the specific characteristics of the company.

Regardless of the methods used, the requirements for effective participation include: providing timely access to information on the OSH management system; allowing sufficient time for consultation and discussion; and having the means to resolve conflicts and reach consensus.

The role of workers in the participation process

We emphasise that workers should not limit their participation to passive cooperation and compliance with safety rules. To achieve active and effective participation, workers need to take full advantage of existing participation procedures in their workplace.

Benefits of worker participation in OSH management

Worker participation contributes to the establishment of a culture of dialogue. In this respect, organisations should promote, through prevention policy, a culture in which health and safety is integrated into the daily activities of each worker. Organisations should establish mechanisms that encourage workers and their representatives to participate in OSH decision-making. The principles to be followed are encourage honest dialogue, pay attention to what everyone has to say, learn from what is heard, and act accordingly. Effective communication is essential; it involves listening to workers and acting on their opinions. This two-way process creates a culture where reciprocal relationships are based on collaboration, trust and joint problem solving.

The future of work in the post-Covid-19 era

The coronavirus crisis has spurred the growth of online work. It is not only about the professional middle sectors, but also about workers in the so-called “platform economy”. How can this work be regulated fairly in the face of an overwhelming capitalism?

The trend of working online from afar is experiencing a crucial boost, as Covid-19 compels companies and organisations to impose mandatory work-from-home policies in an increasingly ‘no-touch’ world. The sudden switch to remote digital work, overnight and en masse, has the potential to accelerate changes in how work is performed and the way we think about working arrangements.

Looking at the broader picture, Covid-19 may prove to be a major tipping point for the digital transformation of the workplace. It looks near impossible to put that digital genie back in the bottle, once the health emergency is over.

As the virus keeps spreading, some employees will be working from home—and in digitally-enabled environments not bound by a traditional office space—for the first time. Their working lives will be hugely disrupted and upturned. Yet, for millions of workers around the globe doing ‘gig’ work, moving their working lives online isn’t new. It’s just business as usual.

Especially for crowdworkers in the gig economy, ‘work’ is not a place: it is a web-based task or an activity, which can be done from any location that allows for internet connectivity. Many millennials and Generation Zers are living the gig-economy model today precisely for the flexibility and freedom remote digital work can offer. Covid-19 could be the catalyst which takes the evolution of ‘work anywhere’ arrangements to the next level of growth, in ways that considerably improve opportunities to collaborate, think, create and connect productively.

Huge strain

Not all is rosy, though. Currently, Covid-19 is putting the low-paid contingent of gig workers, often linked to digital platforms—such as ride-hailing and food delivery—under huge strain. After doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, gig workers lacking any or adequate access to employment-insurance benefits or sick leave are the hardest hit in the United States, Europe and Asia. In countries with some of the biggest clusters of cases, such as Italy, some couriers working for food-delivery apps still go to work because they can’t afford not to.

Thus, the Covid-19 crisis leaves especially those who depend on gig work as their primary source of income extremely vulnerable to (fatal) health risks. It undermines their dignity and it intensifies social and economic divides which may potentially generate new cleavages, anger and political discontent in countries and regions.

As the crisis evolves, gig workers won’t be the only ones suffering even more than usual. The International Labour Organization published a ‘high’ global unemployment estimate of 24.7 million because of Covid-19 in mid-March; a week later, the head of its employment policy department warned the outcome could be ‘far higher’ still. By comparison, global unemployment increased by 22 million in the 2008-09 economic crisis. It is also expected that, worldwide, there could be as many as 35 million more in working poverty than before the pre-Covid-19 estimate for 2020.

Important message

These statistics send an important message: Protecting workers against the adverse impacts of the crisis is not only about increasing protection for typical jobs. It is also about including and protecting better those working at the margins: non-standard workers in tourism, travel, retail and other sectors most immediately affected, dependent self-employed persons with unstable incomes, zero-hours workers and low-paid workers in precarious working conditions who stand to gain little from the various countries’ latest packages of emergency measures, as recent evidence shows.

Persistent gaps in social-protection coverage for workers—in ‘old’ and ‘new’ forms of employment—constitute a major challenge for our labour markets in the post-Covid-19 environment. This matters particularly for the future of the work we want to create in the digital era. We need to facilitate digital work, for the many benefits it can offer businesses and workers. But we must not allow this to assume a form for workers—unprotected and socially deprived—too common in today’s gig economy.

Next to the deadly human toll, the war metaphors which have been recently invoked by world leaders in the fight against Covid-19 reveal an uncomfortable truth. We are confronted with the flaws and fundamental weaknesses of our labour-market and social policies, solidarity mechanisms and models of collective responsibility for managing the risks that weigh unfairly and gravely on the most vulnerable citizens.

Decent digiwork

What can be done? A more expansive, resourceful and inclusive recovery is crucial, so that the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on labour markets becomes less far-reaching. We need to make our digital future immune to the ‘virus’ of precarity, with our labour markets built on the principle of human dignity and the potential of ‘decent digiwork’ for all..

This is a vision of full participation in a digital-work future which affords self-respect and dignity, security and equal opportunity, representation and voice. It is also about defining a ‘digital responsibility by default’ model—an entirely different mindset in society as to the role of governments and the private sector, in ensuring labour standards are updated to respond better to the evolving reality of digital workplaces.

In these tragic circumstances, there is a lesson for the future: the experience of gig workers shows going digital means more than just shifting channels. It is about refitting our labour markets, social-protection and welfare systems and making sure everyone has the ability to realise the human right to social security in the post-Covid-19 digital era. No society and no organised democracy can afford to ignore the vulnerable situations of workers who have few social protections yet are critical in a crisis.

Done right, we can shape a fair future of work. More than ever before therefore, the message for policy-makers, employers, workers and their representatives is straightforward: prepare for the next day. Bring precarious digital work into the realm of social protection. Take action for decent digiwork—now.

Opportunities to promote women’s workforce participation during and post-pandemic

By Virginia Snyder – Amanda Beaujon Marin – Sisi Larrea

The situation we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that telework (for those countries and companies where it has been possible) is a viable option. This, in the medium to long term, could and should promote an increase in female participation in the workforce, especially in male-dominated sectors.

Women around the world have shown that working from home is possible, even in the midst of a global crisis, when they are at the same time and in the same space serving as mothers, teachers, cooks, cleaners, caregivers, counsellors, home managers, nurses, artists and more, while also fulfilling their responsibilities as workers and under the stress that the context imposes on every human being because of the pandemic. In the energy sector, many jobs can be done remotely, including IT, human resources, business analysis, marketing, customer service, and purchasing, among others.

Now, will the situation of work and co-responsibility within the household improve, and will anything change after this health emergency? We could and should do our best to take this pandemic crisis and turn it into an opportunity and have a new beginning, which promotes a more equal society, where the pandemic can open up opportunities to transform us household and care responsibilities do not fall disproportionately on women.

What can the energy sector and many other sectors do?

The pandemic can open up opportunities to transform us:

1. Take into account women’s views and voices, their perspective and their situations. Strategies to revive economies and plans to return to the workplace must ensure that women are involved in decision-making processes.

2. Promote flexible human resources policies and promote work/life balance through tools such as teleworking, flexible working hours, reduced working hours or task-sharing among colleagues.

3. Do not undo what has already been done with policies that affect women in the workforce. Having a diverse workforce is one of the smartest business decisions, as it promotes creativity and innovation in work teams.

4. Encourage a redistribution of household and care responsibilities that is more equitable between women and men. As part of the efforts of ministries, companies and social responsibility offices, the co-responsibility of parents should be promoted much more, and equal benefits and opportunities should be offered to employees who are both mothers and fathers.

5. Companies can also promote positive masculinities among their employees by encouraging men’s participation in family responsibilities, such as child-rearing, housework, and care for adults and people with disabilities.

6. Equip teams with new technologies and help them be more productive and connected after COVID-19. Provide employees with digital, technological and productivity tools that help employees succeed while working remotely, considering that after the pandemic, some workers, especially women, will continue to care for the elderly or continue to work remotely while childcare facilities are not open.

7. Plan training courses for men and women in the sector on virtual platforms on technical, operational and professional topics, such as safety, employee management and professional development courses. Digitalisation will be key for the immediate future. If companies do not yet have the necessary digital skills, this is a time to prioritise these investments.

8. Strengthen links with universities and technical schools. Universities and technical schools, during the crisis, can collaborate in the development of training, workshops and courses necessary for companies to adapt quickly to the crisis and, at the same time, are a space to discuss the best actions to respond to the situation. In addition, they are an excellent place to recruit new employees during and after a crisis.

9. Analyse value chains. It is also worth looking in detail at the value chain of suppliers, from those offering cleaning services, food, spare parts, stationery, etc. How can the company help other smaller companies that are part of the value chain and services that also hire women? In times of crisis, many small businesses and suppliers are also facing financial difficulties and without support, they will not be able to overcome the crisis.

10. Last but not least, promote mechanisms to respond to increasing gender-based violence. Gender-based violence was already a problem in Latin America before the pandemic. However, confinement has increased reporting to hotlines, and companies can offer support to families in this situation.

In conclusion, electric companies must continue operating and take care of all their assets, but mainly their human capital or talent. Do not lose sight of the gender perspective. The rules of the game are already different. This pandemic is an opportunity to start transforming into a company of the future.

What harms the motivation of your employees, and how to avoid it? (Part 2)

María Camacho

Solutions to your employees’ motivation problems

A demotivated employee is not irrecoverable. In fact, their mood will likely change if Human Resources and the company look for solutions. Here are some activities to motivate employees related to the problems mentioned in the previous section.

1. Designing a career development plan

To offer a professional development plan, employees’ skills must be assessed, and new responsibilities must be assigned. It is also necessary to consider whether a certain rotation is possible so that each employee gets to know the company and what his or her colleagues do better.

2. Communication is key

Effective communication needs to be both vertical and horizontal.

Horizontal relationships should be close so that all employees are aware of the company’s activities and are encouraged to participate. This will also make them less resistant to change. Vertical communication is also important. This must be fluid, and workers must see leaders as inspirational, approachable and accessible.

It is important to remember that the first element that contributes to effective communication is listening. For an employee to want to communicate, he or she must feel listened to. If they do not feel this way, they will not want to communicate with others.

3. Recognition of workers’ achievements

One of the best motivational techniques that work for any employee is recognising good work. This recognition implies positive reinforcement and will make employees feel part of the company and motivated to carry out their activities.

4. Training plan

Many workers feel stagnant because they do not receive training, so it is so important for Human Resources to design training plans.

Continuous training contributes to the advancement of professional careers by assimilating new knowledge. The knowledge that employees need to acquire will be related to the company, as procedures are constantly changing. Other skills are not related to the production process but are necessary for daily tasks such as language, leadership, etc.

5. Labour Coaching

This is the most popular technique because it is the most complete when working on motivation.

Work coaching is based on asking the worker what makes him/her uncomfortable in the work he/she does in the company. Once the employee has answered, the technique consists of asking questions and talking in which the employee himself makes an introspection to change his reality.

A motivated employee is one who will make the company grow the most.

When employees are well motivated, productivity increases and performance appraisals are a success. This means that the HR department is doing very well.

However, the HR staff must be the first to be motivated to support the rest of the company.