Using our resources to support the delivery of our goals
Our people
Staff relations and engagement
The Commission’s dedicated and expert staff are based across our four offices or are home-based. Weekly newsletters and chief executive updates, all staff events, ‘lunch and learns’ and the internal intranet allow staff to remain connected and share corporate updates.
A staff engagement group (SEG) meets every six weeks to discuss corporate issues and Commission culture, seeking to capture views and insight from all teams and levels. This is supported by regular cross-team project meetings, team
meetings, and line management check ins.
In June 2023 the Commission held an all-staff event, which allowed the organisation to meet and discuss its goal and priorities and celebrate successes.
The Commission has an active union. While there was an official trade dispute in relation to pay settlements this year, there was frequent dialogue with management on issues important to staff and members.
We completed our latest staff survey in November 2023 and 85% of employees responded. Our employee engagement score was 63 (out of 100), which is slightly lower than last year but in line with the Civil Service average (61). Our scores compared favourably to the Civil Service benchmark (2022) in areas such as our people agreeing
that:
- They are proud to tell others that they work for the Commission (71% compared to 60%)
- They would recommend the Commission as a place to work (68% compared to 56%).
The areas where we compared less positively to the Civil Service benchmark, and we need to improve, include people agreeing that:
- They believe the Commission is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace (65% compared to 78%)
- They believe there are opportunities to develop their career at the Commission (46% compared to 57%).
Performance indicators
| Indicator | Target | 2023-34 |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained staff wellbeing score in staff survey | 77% | 77% |
| Maintained staff engagement score in staff survey | 67% | 66% |
Occupational health and safety
We review our health and safety policy annually. We also have procedures, guidance and risk assessments in place to cover our core activities. A health and safety group oversees our arrangements. They meet regularly and report to our senior leadership group. However, primary responsibility for health and safety sits with people managers.
We initiate independent health and safety audits of our premises each year, which involves inspecting working environments and reviewing safety management systems. These audits tell us if our arrangements are suitable and highlight any improvements we need to make. In 2023/24 we:
- Installed new surge protection devices at the London office
- Held three days of portable appliance testing of staff laptop cables in London
- Installed new LED lighting and air-conditioning at the new Northern Ireland and Wales offices
- Provided members of staff with orthopaedic chairs following Occupational Health assessments
- Identified rooms at our London, Belfast and Cardiff offices for female members of staff to privately breast feed/express milk
- Installed new blinds at the London office that are designed to reflect the sun’s light outwards to help reduce the temperature in the office.