HR body CIPD establishes Northern Policy Forum

The professional body for HR and people development – CIPD – has established a Northern Policy Forum to represent the voice of the region’s diverse range of businesses, when influencing public policy on the future world of work.

The CIPD has long been an advisor to the government, and its new Northern Policy Forum will support the government’s critical levelling up agenda by running campaigns to address regional inequality, drive positive workplace change and champion more quality jobs for all ages.

Over 140 senior HR and people development professionals from a range of sectors – including housing, education, manufacturing, healthcare and retail – across the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber, have signed up to become a member of the CIPD Northern Policy Forum.

Together, they will represent the region’s vision of better work and working lives by providing their expert insight on a range of workplace areas – including health and wellbeing, inclusion and diversity, along with pay and reward.

This insight will help the CIPD respond to work-related government consultations and recommend vital changes to policy, as well as create best practice guidance for employers and policy makers.

Policy Leads from the forum will also work with the CIPD’s public policy team to present learnings from the pandemic to the Government’s Flexible Working Taskforce – which is co-chaired by the CIPD’s chief executive Peter Cheese – to help organisations adapt to new ways of agile working. They will also respond to, and help drive, the government’s skills agenda to reform post-16 training (including apprenticeships) and improve funding around the needs of employers.

The forum will be managed by the CIPD Northern England team, which formed in 2019 and has over 29,000 members.

Daphne Doody-Green, Head of CIPD Northern England said: “The world of work, and the needs of both employers and workers across all sectors is changing and evolving at pace.

“This is why it’s so important that our region’s businesses have a platform to use their voice and help influence government on the future world of work.

“We’re looking forward to the CIPD Northern Policy Forum having a hugely positive impact on the North’s organisations and employees.

“It will do this by ensuring the CIPD’s propositions and polices – on everything from youth employment, hybrid working and wellbeing at work – reflect the needs of both our region’s employers and workers, and add value for members.”