How Did I Get Here? Sue Rice, HR Director Accenture
Sue Rice, Accenture’s HR Director, shares how strategic HR practices in recruiting, inclusion and diversity drive business success while making Accenture a great place to work where talented people thrive and stay.
Comment: On top form?
Business leaders often overlook the concept of “form” that athletes manage carefully, yet employee performance naturally fluctuates due to personal stress, health issues, or fatigue. Managers who recognize these peaks and troughs and provide support—whether through workload adjustments or open communication—maintain better overall business efficiency and employee well-being.
CIPD Conference round up
Key insights from the CIPD Conference in Harrogate reveal that leadership is best developed on the job rather than in classrooms, with speakers emphasizing the importance of passion, staff development, and top-down organizational culture. Expert recommendations include implementing structured leadership development strategies, careful manager selection, and positioning line managers as mentors to build leadership capabilities at every organizational level.
Feature: Paternity leave rights will hit small businesses
Small businesses warn that expanded paternity leave rights will create staffing challenges, particularly in male-dominated sectors like engineering and construction where finding temporary skilled replacements will be difficult.
Stress busting tips: The top ten
Learn effective strategies for reducing workplace stress, from implementing support systems and improving communication to promoting work-life balance and involving employees in decision-making. Discover why stress management is essential for HR professionals and employers.
News in Brief: The things HR should know but don’t
HR professionals lack critical insights into their workforce, with over a third unaware of sick leave taken, staff turnover, and recruitment costs, according to new research. Nearly three-quarters cannot compare their HR data to industry benchmarks, limiting their ability to create competitive advantage and drive business strategy.
The Couch?! team present their top 10 Harrogate give-aways
The Couch?! team ranks their top 10 favorite giveaways from the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate, including stress toys, fluffy ducks, honey pots, iPods, and complimentary massages. The roundup showcases the creative and quirky freebies offered by exhibiting companies.
Review: The fusion manager
Robert Heller’s “The Fusion Manager” explores a management philosophy combining Western scientific principles with Eastern acceptance of uncertainty. The book advocates for role-based hierarchies and blending experienced managers with young entrepreneurs to drive innovation and organizational success.
Opinion: Strategy and the fat smoker – Part II
David Maister argues that successful strategy implementation requires permanent lifestyle changes, not temporary initiatives. He emphasizes establishing new daily routines, tracking progress publicly, and demonstrating genuine leadership commitment to organizational transformation.
Figuring things out: Useless management
UK management struggles with change initiatives because leaders often fail to communicate effectively and engage employees in the process. With over 75% of change programs missing their objectives, research shows that poor employee consultation and lack of genuine commitment are key factors behind these failures. Organizations need better project management skills and meaningful employee involvement rather than top-down change directives.
What’s the answer? Dyslexia: Verifying the condition
Employers can verify dyslexia in recruitment through two approaches: requiring documented evidence like educational psychologist reports, or offering accommodations without proof. Legal experts recommend consistency in whichever policy you choose, considering job-specific time pressures and potential fraud risks.
Counting house: Deduction from wages
Employers can only deduct wages in specific circumstances, including statutory requirements like tax and National Insurance, employee consent for union dues or pensions, and retail stock shortages. Understanding the legal limits and documentation requirements is essential to avoid employment law violations.
Payroll focus: The end for home-working?
New HMRC rules restrict tax relief for homeworking expenses, disallowing claims for council tax and rent while permitting only a £2 weekly deduction for additional costs like utilities and business calls. Thousands of remote workers may lose out under these revised eligibility requirements.
Opinion: Strategy and the fat smoker Part I
Strategic planning often fails like New Year’s resolutions because knowing what to do isn’t enough—the immediate discomfort of change outweighs future rewards. Without addressing why people resist change, not just what they should do, strategic plans remain ineffective.
HR outsourcing: the shape of things to come?
HR outsourcing is growing among UK businesses, with companies turning to external providers for payroll and HR functions to reduce costs, access specialized skills, and free internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives. Major industry consolidation and expanding service portfolios from IT outsourcing firms reflect increasing demand for transformational HR outsourcing solutions.
Age discrimination: Will legislation help?
A University of Kent report reveals 29% of workers experience age discrimination, surpassing other forms of workplace discrimination. The UK’s Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, introduced in October 2006, will require employers to justify age-based hiring criteria, though legislation alone may not eliminate ageism without broader cultural change.
HR Tip: The burden of proof in workplace discipline
Employers can dismiss an employee without absolute proof of wrongdoing by using the “balance of probability” standard rather than criminal court’s “beyond reasonable doubt” threshold. A thorough investigation, formal disciplinary interview, and careful evidence review are essential to support your decision.
Mental health: Mind over matter?
Mental health problems affect 15-20% of the workforce, costing society £23 billion in lost output. New research shows cognitive behavior therapy and regular manager contact can help employees with common mental health issues return to work sooner.
How Did I Get Here? Kate Price, HR Director, Punch Taverns
Kate Price progressed from an administrative role in the Royal Air Force to become HR Director at Punch Taverns, the UK’s second largest pub operator. Her career path included executive development consulting and international HR experience, reflecting the strategic evolution of HR from reactive to proactive business functions.
Extracts of a Life Coach: Pandora’s box
A life coach explores how deeply rooted negative beliefs trap us in self-fulfilling patterns and prevent personal growth. By examining these limiting beliefs—even uncomfortable ones—through coaching, we can break cycles and achieve meaningful change.
