From Brexit to COVID-19 to the cost-of-living crisis, businesses worldwide have had to adapt to a host of unpredictable, evolving economic conditions.

For instance, as lockdowns came to a close, over eight in ten employees who had been working from home said they planned to adopt a hybrid model. Pro Landscaper looks at which changes are here to stay.

Mental health awareness

Mental health has been at the forefront of society’s mind for some time now, so it is no surprise that this is one of the predictions on the list!

With resources such as Perennial’s free Health and Wellbeing platform, “packed full of valuable advice and support for your mental health, fitness, nutrition and more”, mental health help for those in the industry can be just a click away. But should this all be down to the workers?

Tony Benger Landscaping has introduced mental health risk assessments within its annual assessments and pay reviews, taking an active role in checking in on its employees. Meanwhile, Tyler Grange developed the TG Alertness app, used within its four-day work week trial to survey fatigue and happiness before and during the trial.

Training, training, and more training  

Training is of course mutually beneficial for employees and employers alike. A logical next step is for employers to create clear gateways for employee growth. Tony Benger Landscaping, for instance, is launching TBL Academy which will put staff’’ “training, progression and career path into their hands.”

Perennial, meanwhile, has an array of different services horticultural employees can explore when deciding what they want next in their career, which can be found here.

With the cost-of-living crisis affecting everyone on all levels, perhaps now is the time for companies to create training resources that are easily accessible to those within their company that wish to grow.

Sustainability

Sustainability has had a deep impact on the horticultural industry and is not a new topic to anyone. But what changes have companies made to adhere to its lessons? We are all aware that money is tight yet there are some sustainable options which would save money long term and short term.

In its most basic form, there are plenty of small things which companies can do to save money and the planet. Turn off the lights when a room is not in use. Turn off computers rather than leaving them on standby. Turn off kitchen appliances over the weekend if you know the kitchen is empty and clean. Yet have we considered some bigger changes that could have a longer-lasting impact?

For some companies, purchasing a company-owned fleet of cars would cost less in the long run than outsourcing them from third parties. And maybe even making the choice to have the new fleet be electric vehicles to the plant?

There are choices out there which could be both sustainable for the business and the plant, but they may have to be hunted down!