“If you’re finding another person difficult to work with, start with yourself – you’re the only person you can change.”
When working relationships feel strained, the focus should be on self-reflection rather than changing others. Meg Peppin, an organizational development specialist, shares how she navigates workplace challenges and structures her varied workdays through coaching, consulting, and continuous professional development.
Is this the best time to work in HR?
The HR industry is experiencing unprecedented opportunity as organizations struggle to attract and retain talent in a competitive market. Modern HR technology can free professionals from administrative tasks, provide valuable workforce insights, and enable them to become strategic business partners focused on employee engagement and culture.
“The company acknowledges that big growth ambitions have to be complemented with investment in people and talent”
Virgin Media’s new Chief People Officer Catherine Lynch discusses how the company is investing in talent to support its ambitious growth plans, with backing from parent company Liberty Media. Lynch outlines her three key priorities: developing high-performing leadership, creating a best-in-class people function, and aligning with Liberty Global’s global approaches.
Do recent legal decisions mean employers can discriminate on the basis of religious discrimination?
Recent CJEU decisions in Achbita and Bougnaoui establish nuanced rules on religious dress at work. While neutral dress codes may be permitted, discrimination based on customer preferences is prohibited. The cases show employers must balance legitimate business needs against employees’ religious freedoms within EU law.
The case for and against: is Skype coaching valuable?
Skype coaching offers a more affordable and accessible alternative to face-to-face coaching by eliminating travel costs and allowing flexible scheduling, though building the coach-coachee relationship remains essential for effectiveness.
What the heck is wrong with meetings? [PART 2]
Employees waste about a day per week in unnecessary meetings. Blaire Palmer explores why standard meeting formats fail and offers alternatives, starting with defining clear objectives and understanding attendee needs rather than simply calling a meeting to exercise authority.
What the heck is wrong with meetings? [PART 1]
Workers spend roughly one-third of their week in meetings, with about half that time wasted—costing businesses significant salary and opportunity expenses. This first of two articles explores outdated meeting assumptions and reveals how meetings could become spaces where diverse perspectives create real value and drive organizational change.
Are competing priorities impacting your health?
Competing priorities can significantly impact your health by causing constant decision-making stress that leads to exhaustion, poor sleep, and weakened immunity. Understanding common workplace conflicts—like freedom versus security, work versus downtime, or personal time versus others’ needs—is the first step to resolving them and reclaiming your energy.
“It was great to see the enthusiasm for adopting the new way we want to talk to customers”
Tesco Bank restructured in 2014 to shift from product-focused to customer-centered operations. Working with Cirrus, the bank developed an interactive Customer Engagement Programme using disruption sessions and workshops to help staff delight customers consistently, moving away from process-driven calls toward empathetic, customer-focused communication.
“Eliminating the part of the labor force that will do dull, dirty, and dangerous work will not create sustainable jobs for others.”
Eliminating workers in dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs won’t create sustainable employment for others, warns Mercer’s talent research director. Short-term workforce decisions ignore long-term economic impacts and educational needs for skilled positions.
Round-up: 7 popular articles from our mental health month
Explore seven essential articles addressing mental health in the workplace, from combating change fatigue and presenteeism to financial wellbeing, e-resilience, and the role of mental health first aiders in breaking workplace stigma.
HR analytics – the most important thing? Get started
Most organizations underperform in HR analytics, with over two-thirds of HR leaders saying they lack competence. Successful HR analytics requires strategic positioning, specific roles and capabilities, strong governance, quality data, and senior management support to drive business impact.
Presenteeism in academics: a shift to the twilight zone
UK academics frequently work while ill due to high workload pressure, lack of manager support, and limited control over their schedules. A survey of 5,209 university employees found nearly half work sick often or always, with 92 percent continuing work at home during sick leave. Job involvement and responsibility to students are key drivers of this presenteeism.
Presenteeism in prison officers: a case study in pressure
UK prison officers frequently work while sick due to punitive absence policies, staffing shortages, and safety-critical job demands. A survey of 1,682 officers found 84% felt pressure to work ill, with presenteeism potentially compromising both personal health and prison safety.
Tackling absenteeism could increase presenteeism: what can be done?
Strict absenteeism policies may inadvertently increase presenteeism, where employees work while sick. Organizations should reduce punitive measures and consider workplace context to address both issues effectively, as presenteeism carries greater economic costs than absenteeism.
5 steps to support mental wellbeing in the workplace
Discover five evidence-based strategies to support mental wellbeing in your workplace, from prevention techniques and stress management to fostering open conversations. Creating a supportive environment helps reduce burnout, improve employee performance, and address mental health as a priority equal to physical health.
A personal story of reaching breaking at work
One entrepreneur’s struggle with work burnout led him to therapy and a crucial realization: mental health should be managed proactively through training and stress management, not just treated in crisis. His experience sparked the creation of a mental health app designed to help workplaces prevent mental illness rather than only address it after employees reach breaking point.
Internal comms: lessons from the ad industry
Internal communications professionals can learn valuable lessons from the advertising industry to improve employee engagement. Research shows that effective internal comms correlate with 47% higher shareholder returns and save businesses thousands in wasted time clarifying messages. By adopting behavioral insights and emotional appeal techniques from consumer marketing, organizations can transform their internal communication from mediocre to impactful.
How to hang onto female talent – the problem of the ‘pinched middle’
Management consultancies struggle to retain female talent, with many women leaving in their mid-30s due to competing demands of demanding careers and young children. A new report identifies the “pinched middle” problem and recommends practical solutions including flexible work arrangements, predictable schedules, and rethinking part-time roles.
The myth of the male versus female brain
Recent meta-analysis of brain MRI studies challenges the widespread belief in categorically different male and female brains, finding no significant sex differences in amygdala volume when accounting for overall brain size. The research suggests much more overlap than difference between genders across nearly all brain measures.
