How to build and maintain an effective wellbeing strategy
You will no doubt be familiar with the saying “build it and they will come”. This can work, but in most cases, unless you’ve luckily hit upon a genius solution to a major need (including a need we didn’t know we had – such as the smartphone), it won’t. The simple reason for this is […]
Why we need a new approach to conflict resolution
Conflict between employees and their co-workers, with managers, within teams or with their employers is inevitable. It goes by many names: falling out, feud, fight, battle, disagreement, grievance or complaint, to more severe forms including bullying, harassment and discrimination. The problem is rife. The CIPD estimates that four out of ten employees in the UK has experienced […]
Authenticity is the only way to engage with the smartphone generation
When engaging and recruiting youth talent it is critical that engagement is authentic – the smartphone generation want personable and relevant content because that is what they are accustomed to. This article will look at how the latest technology and clarity of message is crucial and how trigger-point based marketing activity – for instance, around […]
Seven employee benefits that help build resilience
There’s an interesting relationship between stress and productivity. A little stress at work can actually do us good – helping us focus and prepare the body for action. But it can also lead to mistakes, cause difficulty when making decisions and impact our ability to concentrate. There are also physical side effects of stress – […]
One man’s experience of life after cancer
Aside from the more obvious physical symptoms of cancer and fatigue following treatment, there can also be emotional and mental side effects such as depression and low mood. All of this can have an impact on a patient’s ability to work; many people are forced to reduce their working hours, or even stop working altogether. […]
Why communication is key to supporting employees with cancer
One of the main challenges line managers face when supporting an employee affected by cancer is how best to start initial conversations. It can be difficult to know where to start, what to say and, importantly, what not to say. Despite concerns, it is vital that employers initiate talks and keep communication channels open, so […]
Why you should be offering returnships to career-breakers – and how to get started
If you haven’t heard of a returnship, you are not alone. Totaljobs’ latest survey results found that a staggering 85% of employers aren’t aware of back-to-work schemes, which is rather surprising given the positive response from employees. Of the candidates we spoke to, three in four revealed they would consider a returnship programme after a […]
How can line managers support employees with cancer?
When some people think of cancer, they may not realise the long-term impact it can have. In fact, 40% of cancer survivors are unaware of the long-term side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, despite 65% saying they’ve had to deal with fatigue during and after treatment. These long-term effects – such as persistent hair […]
How to tackle workplace discrimination against people with cancer
For those going through an illness such as cancer, discrimination can unfortunately be a very real and stressful part of their experience. This is despite the fact that if you have or have had cancer, you are protected by law from unfair treatment at work. Research from Macmillan Cancer Support, exploring the impact of cancer […]
Home worker wellbeing: how to manage it properly
With the exponential growth of technological development and the concept of multigenerational workforces, working from home is becoming more commonplace and feasible. Flexible working is also becoming more in demand from younger generations entering the workforce now, and never has there been a more opportune time for HR and managers to keep up with the […]
6 ways to support the health and wellbeing of shift workers
For someone standing on the outside, it’s hard to fathom how such a rewarding and compassionate profession can be equally frustrating, demoralising and, to put it frankly, bad for one’s physical and mental health. Working in the NHS as a young, single woman, I would often work overtime, miss tea breaks due to unplanned emergency […]
What to do when you want to prepare for retirement
When I wrote The Good Retirement Guide 2018 I had one overriding objective: to help people achieve a better retirement. Over the years I have drawn on my experience in financial services regulation, on giving business and taxation advice and, significantly, helping people prepare for retirement. Below are some practical hints and tips from my […]
Do your HR policies and processes support employees with cancer?
The workforce comprises increasing numbers of people living with a cancer diagnosis. One in two of us will now face a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime with almost 340,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year. Furthermore, in 2012 Macmillan Cancer Support estimated that there were over 750,000 people of working age with […]
Talent attraction: four ways to ensure you’re being inclusive
To improve diversity, every organisation needs a fair selection process, in which every applicant has an equal chance to do their best. However, if you want to take a more strategic approach to diversity and inclusion, you’ll need to start way before the selection stage, with talent planning and attraction. Most employers recruit tactically rather […]
Pensions: Is your best and most costly employee benefit your least appreciated?
The government’s recent review of auto-enrolment found that 12 million workers are not placing enough importance on saving for their pensions. When it comes to engagement analysis, the government’s review was particularly enlightening, offering guidance covering ways in which employers can refocus pension engagement strategies to encourage a higher level of adoption and lower level of drop […]
Is bias holding back effective recruitment and training?
We all like to believe that we are tolerant and open-minded people, but to what extent do we let bias, both conscious and unconscious, get in the way of our recruitment decisions? We’ve come a long way from the prejudice of the past, but there is still a way to go. The latest market research […]
Blood cancer: what you should know if an employee is diagnosed
Managers and HR professionals can play a key role in supporting someone who is living with, or recovering from, blood cancer – so it’s important to know where your responsibilities lie. This article was co-written by Rose Sunter, Partner specialising in employment law at Sharpe Pritchard LLP and Emily Peters, Patient Information Officer at blood cancer research […]
Thinking differently: neurodiversity can help companies thrive
Nancy Doyle is a Chartered Psychologist and CEO of Genius Within, a social enterprise that supports neurodiverse people with finding employment and helps companies access this untapped talent. She has recently worked with the BBC to create and deliver the TV series Employable Me 2. Not all great minds think alike. Making neurodiversity part of […]
One woman’s journey to the world of freelance
What you’re looking for is right under your nose. I was musing for quite some time, before I made the move. In a job that I enjoyed, with flexibility, autonomy, permission to create, however, I just knew deep down, that there was more; that I was capable of more. I knew I must spread my wings and […]
Why creating a culture of kindness and gratitude is more important than a discounted gym membership
We have all seen health and wellbeing programmes that just tick a box and do the same old thing, such as money off gym membership, EAP programmes and maybe an onsite massage. But there is so much more workplaces could do to have a real benefit for employees. Happy, engaged employees perform better and have […]