#AskUsAnything: Work and workforce after coronavirus

Event Date: 07/08/2020 11:00 am

Our next #AskUsAnything webinar will discuss what working life will look like post-pandemic as well as asking how the pandemic will affect the sector’s challenge of filling an estimated 277,000 vacancies over the next decade.

As the UK moves out of lockdown, a debate is growing about what the future of work and workforce will be in the utilities sector.

Utilities companies have already proven that lifeline services can be delivered remotely or with much-reduced field activity – but to what extent can, or should, lockdown working practices be adopted for the longer term?

Furthermore, with the campaign to “build back better” picking up momentum, what additional pressures do utilities face in terms of workforce resilience, diversity and inclusion as they look to find ways to accelerate or increase planned investments in the technology and infrastructure needed for a green recovery?

Our next #AskUsAnything webinar, will explore these issues in full, covering questions including:

  • What challenges do local lockdowns pose for utilities operations and their workers?
  • Will some business functions say goodbye to the office forever?
  • What new health, safety and wellbeing concerns might be raised by new ways of working?
  • Are utilities ready for to support a build back better agenda from a workforce resilience perspective?
  • Has the pandemic provided new perspective on the need to promote greater workforce diversity and inclusion in the sector?

The panel will include SSE’s director of HR, John Stewart, EDF Energy’s director of strategy and corporate affairs, Paul Spence, Kevin Fowlie, network & capital delivery director at United Utilities and Angela Booth, head of partnerships and planning at Thames Water and chair of the company’s Women’s Network.

You can shape the debate in advance by submitting your questions for the panel using the form below. Your questions or comments will NOT be attributed to you.

You can register to view the broadcast live or on-demand here.