Wurkplace is a company that provides outsourced HR, Health & Safety and Online Training to a wide variety of industries – Engineering is one of them!
Here at Wurkplace, we know that HR, Health & Safety and Online Training can be put on the back burner, especially when there’s an exciting engineering project to focus on; that’s where Wurkplace comes in, giving personal solutions for your problems.
We have been helping engineering businesses with HR and Health & Safety for years – For example, we act as Stiebel Eltron’s in-house HR department, helping them with all their HR issues and implementing bespoke policies & procedures on their behalf. Our team are dedicated to providing a comprehensive and personal service, valuing employees and keeping in line with current legislation.
Read what our Engineering Partners have to say about us 👇
Last week, Stiebel Eltron UK had a comprehensive audit carried out by our parent organisation, Stiebel Eltron International GmbH. Two senior officials visited our offices and carried out a very thorough audit of the business for 4 days, working through a very detailed 38 page audit checklist.
At the end of the audit, we received the initial summary and we were given a “very good” rating which is the highest that can be awarded and when compared to other subsidiaries around the globe, we are streets ahead. The next nearest being some 30 points away from our score!!
During the audit, we used the People HR site to demonstrate our HR systems and also our company employee handbook. The auditors were very impressed with both and have taken these both away to discuss at board level in Germany next week when the auditors give the board the full report of their visit. Every question that was levelled at us from a HR perspective was easily answered using both tools and we received a clean bill of health in this area.
I thought I would drop you a quick line to let you know how it all went. I would also like to ask you to pass on the information and my thanks to the team at Wurkplace who have helped us to put these tools and procedures in place, they certainly did the job last week.
Engineering HR
We offer bespoke, outsourced HR support services to businesses in the engineering sector, all over the UK. We know every sector has its fair share of people-problems, our experts are dedicated to making HR easy for you, while also making your employees feel valued!
Three of the biggest HR issues in the engineering industry are:
- Training Engineer Staff – With both new recruits and existing employees, HR training can be overlooked, especially in skilled trades like engineering. To work in the engineering sector, most staff will have already undertaken training and education; so HR training seems obsolete. However, training can help new staff settle into their roles and understand the relevant HR policies, and allow existing staff to qualify for a promotion; research has shown upskilling employees is very effective in engineering. Wurkplace offers bespoke HR training courses that can help induct new employees and develop management!
- Recruiting & Retaining Talent – The engineering sector can be extremely competitive and often businesses can struggle to recruit & retain talented staff; it can be hard for potential employers and employees to stand out!In today’s economy, you need to stand out as an engineering firm and show that you look after your employees. We use an online HR system which can track & compare job applicants, and provide a personal HR service to make employees feel valued by your engineering company.
- Engineering Management – Often managing engineers can be tricky for employers and senior management; when there are breakdowns in communication between management and employees; projects can be delayed, mistakes made and money lost.Additionally, in high-stress environments that can occur in engineering, conflicts can often arise and knowing how to fix these issues is essential. We have a large selection of managers guides and online management training to help you managers flourish.
- Full Engineering Audit – We will first conduct an initial HR audit of all your engineering policies and procedures, once completed we will provide recommendations on how to improve! We will also do another audit annually to ensure HR compliance.
- Creating Staff Handbooks & Contracts – Our team will make bespoke handbooks and contracts for your engineers which will contain all relevant policies and terms of employment.
- Engineering Employment Law Issues – We are well versed in the area of engineering employment law; including disciplinary matters, disputes, redundancies, grievances and much more!
- Optional Legal Insurance – The optional extra, providing protection from legal fees (up to the value of £100,000).
- Online HR Software – Our consultants can help to implement an online HR software system which automates all those pesky HR tasks, like payroll! It also allows you to track employee information, performance and attendance, as well as tracking job applicants and comparing them against each other.
- HR Training for Engineers – We can tailor all our HR training courses to your engineering staff, ensuring they get all the training necessary for their development.
- Engineering HR Updates – Once a month, our HR service consultants will contact you to inform you of any HR legislation changes that may affect engineering workplaces.
Do You Need Help With HR or Health and Safety in Your Engineering Business?
Engineering Health And Safety
Wurkplace also offers bespoke, outsourced Health and Safety support services to UK engineering businesses!
Engineering can sometimes be dangerous, not just for engineers but also visitors and the general public; it is employers responsibility to protect staff and the public from harm. We’re here to make Health and Safety hassle-free.
Three of the biggest Health and Safety issues in the engineering industry are:
- Using Machinery– Research has shown tools, equipment and machinery are one of the biggest contributors to engineering workplace accidents, with thousands of cases in the UK every year! There is a diverse range of different machinery for different types of engineering jobs, it can sometimes be difficult to remember how to operate it safely.Our Health and Safety consultants create risk assessments that are bespoke to your workplace, this ensures all appropriate controls are in place and PPE is worn, where necessary.
- Slips, Trips and Falls – Workplaces in the engineering sector can often turn into a mess with dust, oil and any other waste that may occur; increasing the risk of engineer staff having an accident by slipping, tripping or falling.Also in engineering, there can be lots of dangerous machinery laying around, which if fallen on or over could cause serious injury. Wurkplace has bespoke slips, trips and falls training courses which can reduce the risk of engineers injuring themselves.
- Vehicle Safety– The use of different vehicles (e.g. forklift or delivery vehicles) is common in the engineering sector, HSE states employers should put precautions in place to ensure the safety of both employees and the general public when concerning vehicles.Engineering sites should have strict rules for the use of vehicles with speed limits, transport routes and warning sounds on vehicles. We can visit your workplace and help improve your vehicle policy and procedures to reduce workplace accidents.
Our Health and Safety Consultants can help the engineering industry with (but not limited to):
- Engineering Health & Safety Audit – We will conduct a full initial and annual audit of all your engineering Health & Safety policies and procedures. After, we will recommend any changes or improvements that can be made to ensure compliance with UK laws!
- Site Visits to Engineering Venues – Our consultants can visit your engineering sites, this allows them to get to know your premises, policies and procedures; improving the service they provide.
- Creating Engineering Risk Assessments – We can make bespoke risk assessments for your engineering business, putting your engineer’s safety first! We can help with general, COSHH and fire risk assessments – ensuring all risks are assessed and controlled.
- Support for Occupational Health – Having our very own qualified nurse to aid our Health & Safety consultants with any occupational health issues that may occur in the engineering sector. We can help with sickness management, occupational health referrals, medical screenings, physio and more!
- Health & Safety Training and ISO – Our consultants can tailor our Health & Safety courses to your engineering firm, allowing all your employees to work safely. We can also help you in gaining certifications from ISO.
- Engineering Health & Safety Updates – Every month, we will contact you with any changes to Health & Safety regulations which could affect engineering.
Engineering HR and Health & Safety Training
We’re able to offer an extensive library of online and on-site HR and Health & Safety training courses to businesses in the engineering sector. Our team of HR and Health & Safety experts can customise all of our courses, ensuring they include everything your engineers need to know!
All our training courses are made up of different modules, each allows for 3 attempts to achieve a pass mark (after the third attempt you can contact us for further support), upon completion employees receive a certificate.
You can access a free demo for all of our courses on our website!
The HR and Health & Safety training courses we can offer to the engineering industry include:- Abrasive Wheels
- Slips, Trips and Falls
- Leadership Skills
- Project Management
- Noise Awareness
- Manual Handling
- Principles of Communication
- Working at Heights
- Emergency First Aid at Work
- Working Safely
- Principles Of Performance Management
- Electrical Safety
Want To Arrange a Free Consultation?
For a FREE consultation with one of our qualified Engineering experts, fill in our online contact form.