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Spring 2023 43 HOW CAN EMPLOYERS BENEFIT FROM THE NEW EMPLOYMENT BILL? Employers can benefit in several ways from flexible working, such as: • It could attract a wider pool of candidates • It could support you in retaining talent • It could help reduce costs • It could help you extend your working hours to suit your business needs • It could reduce absenteeism and sickness • It could improve a company’s reputation, for example by showing it is a family-friendly employer WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS? There are also concerns that negotiations to change T&Cs as soon as day one will cause friction between employees and employers. However, the Government believes this can be negated by the employer designing job adverts, roles, and the recruitment process to cover flexible working. Other concerns for employers may be: • An impact on productivity • Increased procrastination • Workplace flexibility often means working from home • Employee monitoring may be challenging Flexible working should be considered a positive thing. Still, employers need to fully engage in this type of culture for it to work. They may need to invest in their infrastructure, and Managers may need to review employee performance differently. For example, setting clear targets and goals. C ontrolling risks you can see is challenging but when you can’t see the problem, it becomes even harder to control and measure the risk. “But this is how it always is”, “It’s not that noisy”, “We’ve always used these tools?” are common responses to this issue. Exposure monitoring is a highly useful tool to have on your belt in a variety of workplaces, it can be used to check control measures, reinforce risk assessments, and support you in your statutory duty to protect your employees and the public. It can be hard to tell the difference between how things have always been and how they should be – especially with things that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Standing next to an industrial piece of equipment will be noisy, but how is it affecting the noise levels in the breakroom next door? And what’s the knock-on effect on your employees’ hearing? When reviewing air quality, the specific substances used within a workplace need to be carefully managed – from particulate sizes to the COSHH implications of certain substances – and reviewing the effectiveness of LEV systems where they are in use. Exposure monitoring allows you to put measurable data to these unseen risks we all run into. Our specially-trained consultants are able to work with you to measure a multitude of hazards such as noise, dust, fumes, vibration and various substances. HOW IS IT MEASURED? Getting the most accurate information for everyday operations needn’t be obtrusive. Through the use of personal dosimeters and static monitoring stations, a holistic approach to exposure throughout the business can be achieved, with minimal operational impact. Exposure monitoring and compliance. For more advice speak to your Health & Safety Advisor or contact HAE EHA’s BusinessGuard by emailing businessguard@hae.org.uk or call 44 (0)121 380 4612 . UNSEEN RISKS