The Yolk Podcast - home to Diversity Champions

HR Insights: Mental Health and Trauma Responses in the Workplace - 22nd November 2022

How has the pandemic affected people's mental health and how should employers handle it in turn?

In this special episode of HR Insights, we were thrilled to be joined by special guest speaker, Dr Jen Daffin, Community Clinical Psychologist and Trauma Informed Practice Lead from Platfform.

As mental health problems have been made increasingly worse by ongoing crises, it is imperative as employers that we take the time to look at what we can do to assist our employees.

As we discussed in our previous session, Managing Conflict in a Burnout World, employers should take a position of understanding the problems their employees are facing with a holistic approach. The ‘whole-self’ environment at work brings an expectation for workplaces to look at the support that they can provide.

In this HR Insights session, we explored the psychology behind the trauma caused by the pandemic, what has changed in terms of what employers will see in work, and how employers need to think differently in the responses they make going forward.

HR Insights: Managing Conflict in a Burnout World - 20th September 2022

In this special episode of HR Insights, we were thrilled to be joined by special guest speaker, Leah Steele, a burnout and resilience mentor and coach who founded Searching for Serenity.

As HR professionals, managing professional conflicts and avoiding employee burnout are two key factors to the job. On the back of a global crisis, and the unpredictability of the working world and changing work/life balances, businesses are reporting an uplift in work related conflicts and staff struggling with workloads.

Fostering healthier workplaces is a necessity at any time, but particularly because of a crisis that has intensified job demands and drained job resources.

In this HR Insights session, we explored what burnout looks like in the workplace, how to identify the potential pitfalls to create a more sustainable and resilient working environment and the top 10 tips to manage the conflict that arises as a result.

HR Insights: Recruitment Accessibility & Removing Barriers - 8th June 2022

​In a special HR Insights session, we partnered with Leonard Cheshire to discuss how we can make recruitment as accessible and diverse as possible.

Diversity within the workplace offers businesses a huge range of benefits, including better problem solving, employee engagement, increased profits and better decision making, but a conversation about diversity cannot be had without first talking about disabilities. 

In Britain alone, over 14 million people have a disability or long-term condition. While they make up over 21% of the population, or one in five people, it may surprise you to find out that only 54% of disabled people are in employment. Disabled people have to apply for more than 60% more jobs than non-disabled people in the UK.  Do you feel confident hiring a disabled person?

In this special HR Insights session with Kirsteen Allison of Leonard Cheshire and Anna Denton-Jones from Refreshing Law Ltd, we explored how we can empower employers to identify and remove barriers that prevent disabled people entering the workforce, and how to increase their recruitment accessibility.

Diversity Champions - Episode 4 - Kirsteen Allison from Leonard Cheshire

We are thrilled to welcome our latest guest to Yolk’s Diversity Champions podcast; Kirsteen Allison – Disability Awareness Trainer at Leonard Cheshire.

In conversation with Nici Jones of Yolk Recruitment, this podcast covers Kirsteen's experience as a disabled person and the work she does to remove barriers and increase disability inclusion and what employers can do to start their disability inclusion journey.

A big thank you to Kirsteen for joining us on this episode, we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation!

HR Insights, ESG: Get On Board - 23rd March 2022

If you think we’ve faced change in the last two years, you should be aware that even bigger changes are around the corner. With COP26 having highlighted key problems, it is clear that environmental and sustainability challenges and social issues present even bigger development changes, now more than ever.

​​What can businesses and HR be doing regarding environmental and sustainability challenges, and the social issues that come with it?

In this session, Anna Denton-Jones of Refreshing Law Ltd spoke about what’s around the corner and what HR can be doing. 

• ​What is ESG, why is it important and what is HR’s role?
• The areas that are impacted
• Measures HR might be considering

• Reshaping pensions

​

HR Insights, Ask Anna - 24th November 2021

As our last HR insights session of the year, we invited our listeners to pose their questions to HR expert and employment solicitor, Anna Denton Jones of Refreshing Law Ltd.

The session answered the burning questions you've had on HR and employment law, covering the validity of electronic signatures, what employers can do to help prevent mental health crises in their employees and whether an employer can enter a homeworking employee's home.

We also covered the three most essential training sessions for employees, what happens with GDPR if emails are taken outside of the workplace, the menopause, and more. 

Diversity Champions - Episode 3 - Denise Currell from Careers Wales

We are thrilled to welcome our latest guest to Yolk’s Diversity Champions podcast;

 

DENISE CURRELL – HEAD OF PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT at CAREERS WALES.

 

In conversation with Nici Jones, Yolk’s Director of Public Sector & Not-for-profit, this latest episode delves into the challenges involved with ensuring you’re seen as a diverse employer of choice within the public sector.

 

Denise shares a range of tips and gave us some fantastic examples of the processes she has developed and put in place at Careers Wales. These range from ensuring the language in your job adverts is as inclusive as possible, through to auditing and improving your application processes so that you’re encouraging a diverse candidate audience to apply and not alienating those with protected characteristics.

 

And of course, hear Denise’s top tips for other employers starting out on their journey to improve Diversity & Inclusion.

 

A big thank you to Denise for joining us on this episode, we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation!

HR Insights, Supporting LGBTQ+ employees - 15th September 2021

This topic for HR Insights came about as a result of 2021 Pride where we wanted to continue supporting the LGBTQ+ community outside of just the one month of June, and make it all year round.

The session focused on the support employers can offer LGBTQ+ workers and what HR professionals should keep in mind when ensuring their work environment is as inclusive as possible.

We also covered choices employers can make to help improve diversity and inclusion for their workforce and LGBTQ+ employees, as well as discussing the positive broadening of legal protection for the LGBTQ+ community.

We also discussed the correct terminology, as well as trans rights employment cases and disputes faced by groups with competing beliefs.

HR Insights, The employer's role in tackling domestic abuse - 8th June 2021

Domestic Abuse is something all employers need to be aware of and understand their role in tackling.

A bill is currently going through Parliament to ensure there is a statutory definition everyone can work to.

It’s on employers minds as we all became aware in lockdown that for some, home was not a safe space.

In this episode, Anna Denton-Jones discusses what it is, what to look out for, how it can affect the workforce and the measures employers might take.

 

Useful links discussed in the episode: 

• BBC Three documentary ‘Is this coercive control?’ available on the iplayer
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247 and www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
• Womens Aid and Safer Lives work with employers to help them create policies
• https://www.vodafone.com/content/dam/vodcom/files/vodafone_domestic_violence_toolkit_2020.pdf
• www.survivingeconomicabuse.org
• https://www.solacewomensaid.org/get-help
• https://www.refuge.org.uk
• https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/well-being/supporting-employees-experiencing-domestic-abuse#gref
• Hollie Guard Personal Safety APP 

HR Insights, The Impact of Vaccinations on the Workplace - 24th February 2021

Our first HR Insights webinar of the year was a packed one.

Anna Denton-Jones of Refreshing Law focused on the topic of Covid-19 vaccinations and the impact they will have on the workplace and HR professionals when rolling out new HR policies and procedures.

This included issues such as; vaccine hesitancy from employees, data protection, staff contracts, the risks of discrimination, impacts on recruitment, awareness of unfair dismissals, and legislation to stay on top of.

An incredibly timely and important webinar, loaded full of information, with our most virtual attendees so far! Have a listen to this month’s HR helping hand.

(Please excuse some of the background noise in the first minute due to some unmuted mics. Noise levels out from 1.20.)