Great Britain: HR experts call on employers to support employees whose families are affected by the war in Ukraine

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the UK Professional Body for Human Resources and People Development, has called on companies to support employees with family or loved ones in Ukraine and Russia. It advocates permitting personal phone calls during working hours and offering flexible working hours, with extra breaks. ” Managers should be checking in on their colleagues who are more directly affected by the crisis for any reason and signpost wellbeing and mental health support where it’s needed,” noted Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD. ” “Providing flexibility over time off or over working hours can help employees balance competing demands on them and aid in managing stress and anxiety, for example, if they trying to establish the whereabouts or safety of loved ones,” he added. The CIPD also reiterated the need for appropriate leave for war-related bereavement. It also expressed concern about the impact of the conflict on employees based in Russia as many companies have left the country. The specialist invites HR teams to think about relocation solutions in this case. Finally, the organization referred employers to the crowdsourcing site HR For Ukraine set up by HR expert Sergio Caredda.