EDF Transitions: Supporting Staff Through Change
EDF Transitions: Supporting Staff Through Change
EDF supplies electricity and gas to more than 3.7 million British homes and businesses. Its operations include the UK’s eight most modern nuclear power station sites, seven Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) and a Pressurised Water Reactor nuclear power station.
The Just Transition challenge
The AGR nuclear power stations, built over the 1960s-1980s, are reaching the end of their operational lives. Three sites have already ceased generating electricity: Hunterston B, Hinkley Point B and Dungeness B. The rest will follow by 2030.
Decommissioning is a major transition, requiring different kinds of knowledge, skills and ways of working, and affecting hundreds of job roles.
The first step in the process is to remove the fuel. The defueling phase includes reducing workforce numbers by a quarter. Further reductions are anticipated in the next phase (decommissioning), when EDF hands over the sites to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its subsidiary Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS – formerly Magnox). The NRS will then take down and remove plant and equipment and restore the sites to facilitate some form of re-use.
A tale of two sites
Hunterston B, located in North Ayrshire, was the first to enter the defueling phase (2022-4). It had 480 employees and a forty-six-year history of relative stability. Hunterston B had always known it would be the first to transition. Its workforce was proud of its high performing culture and was determined to retain this high performance whilst defueling. It delivered defueling ahead of time and below budget.
Hinkley Point B in North Somerset followed later the same year. It was the UK’s most productive nuclear power station with 500 employees and a strong record of achievements. Going second, it benefitted from learning lessons from Hunterston B and its defueling timescales are now challenging Hunterston B. However, it faced noteworthy challenges, particularly in having the largest construction programme in Europe next door. It is currently defueling to time and budget.
Action
Maintaining an engaged and motivated workforce was identified as key to a successful transition. From previous experience, the HR team had learnt that a key enabler was the sharing of an organisational structure (end point) early in the transition to provide employees an understanding and some certainty of their future.
Consequently, a People Plan was put in place in the early stages of the preparation phase to ensure employees would be supported, trained and educated on the changes and the timetable for implementation. The Plan’s workstreams focussed on organisational design, preparing people and leaders, communications and maintaining industrial and employee relations.
Key elements:
- Non-binding aspirational conversations: The site HR Team conducted a deep dive self-assessment to identify what leaders felt they needed to manage their teams through the transition. Leaders were trained to hold a number of trial (non-binding) “aspirational conversations” with their team members, through which employees had time to reflect, have discussions with their families and consider whether to remain with the company and if so, in which role. The goal was to meet each employee’s aspirations for their future. This early and individualised approach allowed employees to take ownership over any subsequent training plans and enabled the HR team to hold open conversations with its other sites across the UK, to map out their employment opportunities during and beyond the transition period. By the time the formal conversations began, employees felt well supported and prepared.
- Industrial relations: trade unions were given the same level of training as the leaders so that they were able to answer members’ (employees) queries as confidently and consistently as the managers. This was key to establishing a level of trust in the process as was the development of a joint agreement.
- New owners: The public authority to which the sites are being transferred (NRS) has a different culture and expectations but has worked collaboratively alongside EDF throughout and is committed to ensuring a successful transition. NRS has shared valuable lessons learnt, identified new roles that will be required in later stages of the transition, and engaged with staff on site visits. As staff saw that there were fresh opportunities to learn new skills and broaden their competence levels, it helped ease anxieties and uncertainties, increasing staff engagement and desire to transfer, helping to maintain motivation and focus, which in turn reduced the risks to the station’s operations.
Outcome
Hunterston B met 93% of employee aspirations, with further opportunities for internal promotions as the transition moves into the next phase. Hinkley Point B is going through the formal consultations with a strong chance of meeting more than 90% of employee aspirations. All of this has been achieved in parallel to the business meeting its operational requirements.
Takeaway: one size doesn’t fit all
The success of these transition experiences serves as a useful guide for other EDF sites entering the decommissioning process.
It’s worth noting however, that one size doesn’t fit all. All sites are different in location, culture, engagement and motivation. What worked well for these sister sites may not work the same way elsewhere. For example, Hunterston B had few competitors, Hinkley Point B had Hinkley Point C next door.
When creating their own People Plan, other sites will consider:
- preparing the site, people and leaders for the change
- exploring/understanding local area employment market/opportunities
- seeking opportunities for employees either through resource pipelines or training to ensure continuity of employment.
Transferable lessons
Beyond EDF, other companies in other industry sectors looking to ensure a just transition to net zero in their own operations might also find inspiration from these transferable lessons learned:
- people focus – support & create new roles through training, educating, clear communications etc.
- collaborate with future owner on people related activities
- communicate key information to enable employees to make informed decisions
- support from a central programme
- use opportunities at each location
- good relations with trade unions, with union representatives briefed to the same extent as company managers.
- retain regulatory confidence
- clear project planning with clear understanding of milestones.