Understanding leadership styles to navigate the leader maze
Effective leadership requires adapting your style to each situation. Leaders must balance team involvement with decision-making control, choosing between directive, consultative, consensual, or delegative approaches based on the specific business context and team dynamics.
Females feel ‘unsupported’ by smaller businesses
Female workers in smaller UK businesses experience nearly twice the sex discrimination of those in larger companies, with almost half of all women feeling unsupported by employers in achieving work-life balance. Research shows 19% of employees in companies with fewer than 10 staff believe men receive better treatment than women, compared to the 10% average across all organizations.
CIPD: For fewer on benefits, address job and skill problems
Welfare reform alone won’t reduce benefit dependency without addressing structural economic issues, according to the CIPD. Poor workplace management, insufficient skills investment, and too many low-paid, insecure jobs create a revolving door between work and unemployment that undermines welfare reform efforts.
Controversial HR outsourcing leads to NHS resignation
The NHS Confederation’s CEO Steve Barnett has resigned following criticism over a failed HR outsourcing project that cost £3.4 million. The Member Model Project aimed to provide pay-as-you-go HR services to NHS Trusts but collapsed after fewer than 20 signed up and the Department of Health re-tendered the NHS Jobs website.
Sleep: the elephant slumped in the corner of the room
UK employees report adequate sleep duration but suffer from poor sleep quality, with 79% experiencing workplace fatigue despite sleeping over seven hours nightly. Work stress, personal worries, and sleep disruptions are primary culprits, while insufficient sleep significantly increases health risks and impairs workplace performance.
Extraordinary energy – the ultimate reward
Managing energy rather than time is key to extraordinary performance. By optimizing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, you unlock sustained productivity and fulfillment both at work and home.
Will World Cup Fever affect performance?
IT managers worry the 2010 World Cup will strain networks and reduce productivity as employees stream matches at work. A survey found half of IT managers want to ban workplace streaming, while 54% of workers plan to watch games during office hours. Managers also cited concerns about increased hangovers affecting employee performance during the month-long tournament.
Loreal creates virtual reality for recruits
L’Oreal is piloting a virtual reality recruitment game called Reveal where candidates control avatars to complete work tasks across different departments. The game assesses performance and provides feedback while offering insights into the company’s culture and various job roles, with top performers invited to interviews.
BT prepares for strike ballot
BT is preparing for potential strike action after the Communications Workers Union rejected a 2% pay offer and demanded 5% instead. The telecom giant asked managers to declare their skills for contingency planning as it faces its first industrial unrest in 25 years over pay disputes and pension changes.
Training talk but no action leaves business at risk
Most employers recognize training’s importance for growth, but fewer are investing in it—the number of UK workers receiving training dropped to 56% in 2011 from 63% in 2007, putting economic recovery at risk and leaving 1.7 million workers lacking essential job skills.
Changes to paternity leave – will they work?
New government proposals for flexible paternity leave face significant implementation challenges, with only two out of five UK employers currently offering fathers two weeks’ paid leave. HR experts warn that cultural change in reward policies, rather than legislation alone, is needed to encourage fathers to take parental rights.
Government budget cuts will have negative effect on private sector
Government budget cuts totaling £6bn, including a civil service recruitment freeze, will trigger negative effects on the private sector and risk rising unemployment, according to HR and trade union leaders. The cuts are expected to reduce public sector employment by 50,000 this year, impacting private contractors and reducing overall demand for labor across the economy.
Ask the expert: Is that a TUPE?
Understand when TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) regulations apply to contract takeovers. Learn about service provision changes, employee transfer obligations, and the legal requirements for tendering on contracts like catering services.
Who owns engagement?
Employee engagement requires organization-wide ownership, from the CEO down to line managers and individual employees. Modern engagement encompasses personal attachment to work, motivation, and psychological wellbeing—not just traditional measures of effort and commitment. For effective implementation, leadership must prioritize engagement as a strategic imperative rather than treating it as an isolated HR concern.
The real cost of employee benefits
Employee benefits packages are crucial for improving staff satisfaction and productivity, yet many employers overlook them due to cost concerns. When designed as part of overall compensation rather than add-ons, flexible benefits can enhance retention and morale without straining company budgets.
We need a fresh approach – better benefits on a budget
Discover how to retain top talent through creative benefits solutions when budget constraints limit pay raises. This feature explores practical strategies for improving employee benefits packages while maintaining fiscal responsibility and employee satisfaction.
Talent and innovation the key to Microsoft success
Microsoft’s success depends on attracting and retaining top talent who can drive innovation, according to CEO Steve Ballmer. The company won Best Large Workplace in Europe for the third consecutive year, crediting investments in office environments, flexible benefits, and technology that empower employees.
Competition time: Win £50 of National Garden Gift Vouchers
This competition has closed, but you can explore other giveaways on our site. The winner, annswan, took home £50 in National Garden Gift Vouchers with her Chicken Cajun Kebabs recipe. Check the business lifestyle section for more current promotions.
NHS age discrimination manager awarded £147,000
An NHS manager has been awarded £147,000 after an employment tribunal found she was denied promotion and later dismissed due to age discrimination. Linda Sturdy, 60, was passed over for a younger, less experienced colleague after revealing she had three years until retirement, with a manager stating “I didn’t realise you were so old.”
Generation standby: 20% would turn down a job which banned Facebook
One in five workers would reject a job that bans Facebook and social media use, according to a 2010 report on workplace internet habits. The trend reflects how employees increasingly blur boundaries between personal and professional life, with 57% of 23-45 year-olds conducting personal activities at work.
