Chamber’s Ireland Weekly Digest: 24th July 2017
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Ireland Public Sector Proposers Conference
Invitation
The 2nd Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Ireland Public Sector Proposers Conference will be held on:
Date: Wednesday September 13th 2017
Where: Enterprise Ireland, The Plaza, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3
Registration Time: 08.15am – 09.30
Duration: 09.30am – 13.00 approx
Audience: This conference is open to all Specifiers/Procurers from across all sections of the Irish Public Sector
What is SBIR?
The Small Business Research Initiative (SBIR), is a mechanism enabling public sector bodies to connect with innovative ideas through technology businesses, to provide innovative solutions to specific public sector challenges and needs.
What is SBIR Ireland?
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Ireland is the national innovation pre-commercial procurement initiative administered by Enterprise Ireland www.sbirireland.ie
SBIR Ireland’s aim is to drive innovation across all sections of the Irish Public Sector via robust engagement with technology rich companies and organisations, through competitive challenges. EI has established a fund to co-support worthy competitive challenges in partnership with Irish Contracting Authorities.
Background to Conference
This event is timed in advance of the release of a 2nd Call for SBIR Ireland Expression of Interest (Eols) Challenges to Irish Public Sector Specifiers/Procurers in Autumn 2017. The Eols will demand Contracting Authorities to outline bona fide SBIR Challenges for evaluation and if successful will receive funding support. It is anticipated that up to 10 SBIR Competitions will be funded over the period 2018 – 2019.
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Speakers will include representatives from:
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Please confirm attendance to maria.gavin@enterprise-ireland.com by COB Friday September 8th 2017
- HP Talent Résumé
As you will be aware, in February this year HP Inc. announced the decision to close their global print business at the Leixlip site and it is likely that close to 500 HP employees, across multiple disciplines and functions, will be impacted and leave the business over the next 6 months.
The HP Ireland leadership team are committed to supporting these highly-valued and talented employees in resuming their careers as quickly as possible. They have produced a brochure to provide an initial introduction to the breadth of business disciplines and competencies. They are keen to engage with companies and organisations who have immediate and future hiring needs.
The HP Ireland Talent Résumé is available online here.
- Chambers Ireland CSR Awards 2017 Shortlist Announcement
The shortlist for the CSR Awards 2017 was recently announced. The Chambers Ireland CSR Awards are partnered with Business in the Community Ireland , sponsored by BAM Ireland and run in association with the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Press Release with the announcement is online here
Details of the full shortlist is available here
- Weekly HR advice from Peninsula – Health & Safety Essentials
An employee will often be confronted by a number of stress factors. An organisation’s culture can be the key to determining the factors related to stress. Is it because of long working hours, bringing work home, poor communication or management style? Let’s take a look…
Demands
If too much work is expected and with insufficient resources provided, this can result in elevated stress levels. The work may be too difficult, or management may have inadequately trained the employee to complete the task.
Control of work
Lack of control over the job can result in heightened stress levels, this may happen when the pace of work is set outside of the worker’s capability.
Workplace relationships
Some employees may have difficulty interacting or building relationships with existing staff. In some situations, this can lead to interpersonal conflicts, which could be down to a lack of communication.
Position and training
Stress can develop at induction because the position isn’t clearly defined, or they don’t fully understand what’s expected. A lack of support from their surrounding colleagues and management, as well as an absence or inadequacy of training, can result in stress.
The result for employers…
If stress embeds itself within the workplace it may result in an increased number of employees calling in sick, which will, in turn, reduce output and productivity.
Stress also has a significant impact on morale and motivation levels, plus a high staff turnover and recruitment problems indicate a lack of control by management.
Solutions
In order to reduce workplace stress, employers should adopt a prevention, management and minimisation policy. This approach looks at the issues of stress, what the sourced of stress are, and will help stop its reoccurrence – and it’s important to find a balance between micro-management and a lack of engagement.
Finally, you can also minimise stress by offering counselling to employees or assistance programmes.
If you have any questions regarding the issues in this article, please don’t hesitate to contact Peninsula’s 24 Hour Advice Service on 01 855 50 50.