The great debate: Will IT skills make people skills extinct?
While IT has transformed workplace communication through email and instant messaging, people skills remain essential. Rather than replacing face-to-face interaction, technology has created new communication challenges requiring updated interpersonal skills and workplace etiquette to prevent costly misunderstandings.
What happened next? Stubbing out smoking… continued. By Sarah Fletcher
Lucy Hibbert discusses her workplace smoking cessation initiative, including evaluation methods through feedback surveys and potential future wellness programs. Learn how she gathered support from NHS resources and community feedback to address smoking in her workplace.
What happened next? Stubbing out smoking. By Sarah Fletcher
A company launches a smoking cessation initiative after an HR manager seeks advice on supporting employees to quit. Working with the NHS, they plan presentations, potential on-site clinics, and nicotine replacement therapy sponsorship to create a healthier workplace.
Changes to the Benefit In Kind taxation of vans … continued
From April 2007, van drivers with private use faced a sixfold tax increase, making company cars a more attractive option. Employers and employees needed to reassess vehicle policies, as over 1,700 cars would be taxed less than vans under the new benefit in kind rules.
Changes to the Benefit In Kind taxation of vans
Changes to van Benefit In Kind taxation mean companies must enforce clear policies prohibiting private use to avoid increased tax charges. From April 2007, unrestricted van use will be taxed at £3,000 annually, with additional fuel charges applicable if private use is permitted.
Off the record: Transsexual employees … continued
Employers should establish clear policies and timelines with transsexual employees regarding medical procedures, name changes, facility usage, and workplace accommodations. It’s essential to update all records under data protection laws and ensure existing policies adequately cover equal opportunities, benefits, and harassment prevention.
Off the record: Transsexual employees
Employers must support transsexual employees undergoing gender reassignment with proper planning, consultation, and staff education. Key steps include discussing disclosure preferences, handling workplace transitions sensitively, and establishing clear policies against harassment to ensure legal compliance and inclusivity.
HR Tip: Return from maternity leave
Employees returning early from maternity leave must typically provide 28 days’ notice, though this requirement only applies if the employer issued written notification of the expected return date within 28 days of the pregnancy announcement. Employers who failed to provide this notice cannot enforce the notice period, allowing employees to return whenever they choose.
Gaynor’s Thoughts: Career breaks, sabbaticals and personal transformation … continued
Career breaks and sabbaticals offer significant benefits for personal growth and professional renewal. People report gaining clarity, improved listening skills, better work-life perspective, and renewed confidence during extended time away. Organizations that support these breaks help prevent burnout and maintain employee engagement and creativity.
Gaynor’s Thoughts: Career breaks, sabbaticals and personal transformation
Career breaks and sabbaticals offer extended time away from work, ranging from months to years, with the opportunity to return to employment afterward. These opportunities are increasingly common in creative industries and can lead to significant personal transformation, improved employee retention, and renewed creativity and motivation.
Life Coach at Large: Meeting … yourself … continued
Learn how to rank your personal values by importance and understand how they interact with each other. This self-awareness exercise helps you gain clarity about who you are, empowering more harmonious relationships and personal fulfillment.
Life Coach at Large: Meeting … yourself
Understanding your core values is essential to finding balance and improving relationships. This exploration helps reveal what drives your behavior, reduces stress, and clarifies why certain situations cause conflict. By identifying your eight core values and how they interact, you gain deeper self-awareness that strengthens both personal and professional connections.
How Did I Get Here? Anne Harley, HR Director, RSPB … continued
Anne Harley, HR Director of RSPB, shares insights on maintaining organizational culture through in-house HR services, the importance of treating people well, and her inspiration from figures like Charles Darwin and Desmond Tutu.
How Did I Get Here? Anne Harley, HR Director, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Anne Harley, HR Director of the RSPB, discusses the strategic role of HR in conservation, how the function balances necessary processes with approachability, and why the organization’s people-focused culture makes it a great place to work.
News in Brief: Culture change biggest HR challenge … continued
Businesses are failing to accurately assess recruiter skills using scientific methods, with most firms not measuring candidate quality or applicant standards despite significant hiring costs. Meanwhile, construction attracts school leavers over other sectors, tax credits face fraud concerns, and high earners face marginal tax rates exceeding 57%.
News in Brief: Culture change biggest HR challenge
Culture change has emerged as the biggest HR challenge facing companies this year, according to new research from employee benefits provider Thomson’s Online Benefits, surpassing previous concerns about cost control and employment law compliance.
Book review: Challenging Behaviour
Challenging Behaviour is a workplace training resource that uses dramatized scenarios to explore bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Covering topics from multiple perspectives—actor, receiver, and observer—it helps organizations address inappropriate behavior through facilitated group discussions and expert commentary on legal implications.
HR Happy, HR Horror
This Friday column explores the week’s HR news that sparked joy or concern. Stories range from northern England’s superior salaries and workplace romance boosting productivity, to long work hours driving divorces and rising employee fraud costs. HR professionals navigate both positive trends and workplace challenges affecting employee wellbeing.
Reviewer profile: Richard L Berry
Richard L Berry is a Chartered Accountant and J.D.Edwards consultant with 16 years of ERP implementation experience across Asia Pacific, UK, and other regions. He specializes in real estate, construction, and asset-intensive industries through his consulting firm Richard L Berry Associates.
What’s the answer? Bonus payments during maternity … continued
Bonus payments during maternity leave depend on whether the scheme is contractual or discretionary. Contractual bonuses are typically treated as wages and may be pro-rated, while discretionary bonuses are generally payable during ordinary maternity leave but not additional maternity leave.
