If you missed the Safety People Forum this month you may want to hear what your peers have been saying.
It’s been a HUGE two years, we all know that. Now the cracks are starting to show and we’re feeling the effects of sustained and consistent hard work.
Changes in the landscape.
The big change for most Safety, Injury Management and even Risk departments was finding good people to fill crutial roles. There is a lack of good quality candidates in the market and sorting through the weeds has become a time consuming process for many.
The outcome has left some organisations either filling the gaps with ‘good-enough’ options or even spreading the heavy work load across already busy team members.
As we showed in the 2021 Safety Industry Benchmark Survey, only 30% of all participants took annual leave in the last two years. The forum discussion centred on whether that was remote work removing the need for time off or was it simply a case of too much work. While there was definitely some talk of teams taking time within their work from house, most people said that the work load was preventing any real time off. Even when managers were taking time, the short staffing issues were keeping them in communication with the business while on a break.
What’s the result? Burnout, good people leaving the business and even a decline of qualified individuals wanting to step into management and leadership positions. People just want a break.
Return to work was also a point of discussion.
By now, most companies have made their decision on how to manage the return of their workforce, but there is definitely a strong resistance on returning to the workplace.
Managing workplace covid protocols was also an issue for some organisation with dilligence and compliance slipping. While previously it had been a more academic exercise. It has become a more practical one, with individuals spreading illness throughout the business. Again, making the work load heaver for those left behind.
The forum was a good robust conversation with plenty of focus on the opportunities to improve and how others are navigating these challenges.
If you haven’t been to a Safety People Forum for a while, next month may be a great opportunity for you to join the discussion and speak with other professionals in your sector.
Tickets are now available: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/april-safety-people-forum-tickets-310281890487
We’d love to see you there.
