Productivity with purpose: How to reconnect a disengaged workforce
When workplace purpose is genuine – not just a mission statement slide – it is HR’s next best productivity tool. But what does ‘authentic purpose’ look like in practice? And how can you build it? Sanjay Lobo MBE, CEO of OnHand, will reveal all at the Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum 2025 on 16th October in London.
Quiet cracking: A buzzword masking a mental health crisis at work
A ‘new’ trend has hit the workplace (and our Instagram feeds). But what does ‘quiet cracking’ actually mean? How does it impact performance? And is it actually new, or just an existing problem rebranded? Culture transformation expert, Deborah Hartung, uncovers what HR needs to know.
AI mental health tools: Breakthrough or band-aid for employee wellbeing?
ChatGPT’s new mental health tools promise 24/7 support, but are they a breakthrough or band-aid? With workplace stress at crisis levels, AI offers tempting solutions – yet the risks of surveillance, poor-quality care, and organisational complacency are real. Dr Jo Burrell explores how to harness AI’s potential without losing the human touch.
From 30% to 50% satisfaction: How Refresco’s employee benefits strategy won over a deskless workforce
When only 30% of your workforce feels they have “special and unique benefits,” you know something needs to change. In this revealing case study, Sarah Tomson, Head of HR Services and Reward at Refresco, shares how her team transformed not just their benefits offering, but also rebuilt trust from the ground up.
Over three-quarters of Gen Alpha prioritise wellbeing over wealth and traditional workplace perks
New research reveals the next generation of employees will reshape workplace expectations, with 77% demanding mental health support and nearly half seeking neurodiversity-inclusive employers.
Here comes the Sun: How to boost productivity and wellbeing this summer
The UK has already hit it’s third heatwave of the summer. How can employers keep productivity flowing while also allowing extra flexibility? Five HR experts share their tips.
Smarter systems: How benefits tech is powering better employee experiences
A new global study from Benifex shows that smarter benefits systems don’t just offer an upgraded experience – they produce real wins in employee engagement, retention and wellbeing.
62% of workers left underwhelmed by their benefits, despite rising employer spend
Despite 79% of organisations increasing employee benefits spend in the past 12 months, 62% of workers struggle to see the value of what’s on offer, new Benifex research reveals.
How to avoid a war over the return to the office
At a time when conflict is growing over return-to-office mandates, Paul O’Donnell, Managing Director of CMP, considers how HR can defuse tensions and help shape a new ‘normal’ for working practices.
A quiet revolution in men’s mental health: Lessons for the workplace
During Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week, leadership coach and author Thom Dennis explores what employers can learn from the quiet rise of grassroots peer support groups. With men accounting for three-quarters of all suicides, he argues it’s time for workplaces to take greater responsibility and reframe their approach to supporting men’s wellbeing.
Supporting untreatable, advanced cancer in the workforce
People with advanced cancer have the potential to work successfully for many years, but employers are failing to provide adequate support. Here, Founder of Working With Cancer, Barbara Wilson, sheds light on the difficulties of combining work and cancer, and how HR can better help employees at a time of extreme vulnerability.
52% of Gen Zs and Millennials on a financial tightrope, Deloitte finds
Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reveals over half of younger employees live paycheck to paycheck and one-third experience work-related stress. Blaire Palmer, CEO of That People Thing Ltd, examines the study’s key findings, providing HR solutions to increase workplace happiness.
Gallup 2025: Employee engagement decline causing US$438 billion in lost productivity
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report makes for bleak reading. Last year, employee engagement fell by 2%, equating to US$438 billion in lost productivity. Here, HRZone’s Managing Editor Becky Norman explores the study’s major findings and shares responses from industry experts and practitioners.
As cancer diagnoses rise, here’s how HR can provide better support
Research shows organisations are ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of cancer in the workplace. Here, Founder of Working With Cancer, Barbara Wilson, shares 12 HR best practices for supporting affected employees and their unique cancer-care journeys.
What Severance teaches us about the dark side of workplace culture
The hit US drama, Severance, takes us deep inside a dystopian workplace – but does it also trigger a twinge of recognition? Leadership expert Deborah Wain shares stark lessons from Apple TV’s hit drama on the realities of employee disconnection at work.
Gen Z myths exposed: It’s time to end the generational blame game
A decade’s worth of data across five working generations exposes the myth that Gen Z is the weakest link at work. Jessica Brannigan, Head of Enterprise People Science at Culture Amp, urges employers to stop playing the generational blame game and pay closer attention to the varying life and career stages of employees.
Gallup reports declining respect at work: What, now?
2025 research from Gallup shows feelings of workplace respect are at an all-time low. What are the implications for people professionals? HRZone columnist Blaire Palmer shares hard truths.
Ramadan at work: HR best practice
A guide for HR professionals on how to support employees observing Ramadan.
Mental health conversations at work: An eight-step guide for managers
To mark Time to Talk Day 2025, Dr Jo Burrell offers an eight-step guide to help managers facilitate safe, supportive mental health conversations.
Five ways to sabotage relationships at work
Good relationships enrich the workplace and help us get things done. But human connections are fragile and common behaviours harm our efforts to build trust. Quentin Millington of Marble Brook examines how we wreck, and how we might protect, our workplace relationships.