Review: Meeting customer needs
This third edition of “Meeting Customer Needs” by Ian Smith is a well-organized diploma-level text that combines customer service theory with practical action plans. Designed for formal education programs, it features current case studies, self-assessment questions, and a companion website, making it useful for both classroom learning and self-directed professional development.
Hard(y) Law Talk: TUPE or not TUPE – not again!
The Acquired Rights Directive (ARD) has proven difficult to apply in practice, particularly regarding contracting out, leading to the 2006 TUPE Regulations. These revised regulations introduce clearer definitions, a professional services exemption, and significant changes to pension rights protection during employee transfers.
How Did I Get Here? Gabi Nesengani, HR Director, Cummins Diesel South Africa
Gabi Nesengani, HR Director at Cummins Diesel South Africa, discusses her strategic role overseeing HR operations across multiple African countries and explains why Cummins stands out as an employer that values people beyond mere numbers, investing significantly in employee development and support.
Extracts of a Life Coach: New perspectives
A life coach discovers how deep listening transforms conversations and client outcomes. By focusing fully on others without interrupting, coaches can ask powerful questions that help clients find their own answers and achieve their goals, rather than offering solutions directly.
News in Brief: The week in HR – HR interim market thrives
The HR interim market is thriving, with survey data showing that 64% of companies made interim appointments in the past three months. Meanwhile, a skills crisis is sparking recruitment fears, as over 70% of organizations report experiencing or expecting shortages of white-collar workers due to baby boomer retirements and widening skills gaps.
The Couch?! takes a sickie
A BUPA survey reveals one in five workers has fabricated sickness excuses, with only 29% of managers believing staff are genuinely ill when they call in sick. The research highlights the challenge managers face in distinguishing real illness from false absences, prompting an exploration of common sickie excuses and workplace absence patterns.
Editor’s Comment: Will the last one out please turn off the lights?
Charles Kennedy faces mounting pressure as Liberal Democrat leader while struggling with party finances and dwindling support. An editor examines why hierarchical leadership structures persist despite evidence that shared responsibility and collective ownership drive better organizational outcomes and employee engagement.
Colborn’s Corner: The truth about work/life balance
Quentin Colborn examines the work/life balance debate, questioning whether reduced working hours are genuinely beneficial or primarily serve government interests in job creation. He explores how work demands today compare to historical standards and suggests our struggles may reflect changing priorities around material consumption rather than actual stress levels.
What’s the answer? Van driver regulations
Employers hiring a full-time van driver for the first time must understand key regulations governing working hours and rest breaks. For vans under 3.5 tonnes, the Working Time Regulations apply, requiring adequate rest periods and a maximum 48-hour average working week, while larger vehicles subject to EC rules have stricter requirements including 30-45 minute breaks depending on shift length.
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Put up and shut up?
An HR professional explores a workplace conflict where an employee faces repeated insulting comments from a coworker while her manager refuses to intervene. The article examines whether the employee should escalate the issue or accept the situation, highlighting the employer’s duty of care.
Review: Mastering change
Mastering Change presents real-life lessons from prominent business leaders on navigating organizational change. The book pairs short, accessible profiles with a companion video series featuring advice on topics like anticipating change and timing, making it effective for workshops and professional development.
Figuring things out: Help – I’m the new HR Director, now what?
Starting a new HR Director role requires quickly assessing your organization’s specific challenges—whether building HR from scratch, restructuring resources, managing company-wide change, or sustaining existing success. The key to demonstrating value within your critical first 90 days is identifying where your efforts will have the greatest impact rather than attempting to fix everything at once.
The hybrid career: Sabbatical stories
Sabbaticals for volunteering in developing countries are becoming a mainstream employee benefit, with companies like Accenture finding they significantly boost recruitment, retention, and workforce morale while supporting global development needs.
Opinion: Juggling HR ‘hats’ can end in tears
HR professionals increasingly juggle event planning alongside core personnel responsibilities, with 79% relying solely on personal knowledge. Experts recommend that part-time organizers seek professional advice from tourist boards, industry networks, and online resources to avoid costly mistakes and reduce workplace stress.
Member wire #117 – HR, Personnel or People Department?
Explore the debate over departmental naming conventions as organizations rebrand their HR functions to “People departments.” This HR Zone members discussion examines whether such terminology changes are meaningful or merely cosmetic.
CSR and beyond: Playing fair with investors cash?
Corporate responsibility toward shareholders deserves attention in CSR discussions. Fair treatment requires companies to provide accurate financial reporting and transparent communication about strategy changes, ensuring investors can properly assess risk and reward.
Payroll Tip: Handling payments in weeks 53, 54 and 56
Some tax years contain an extra payday: week 53 for weekly-paid employees, week 54 for fortnightly-paid, and week 56 for four-weekly-paid staff. These additional paydays occur every 5-6 years for weekly, 11-12 years for fortnightly, and 22-23 years for four-weekly payments. Tax on extra paydays is calculated non-cumulatively to provide employees additional free pay.
Extracts of a Life Coach: Learning to listen
Effective listening is far more than simply hearing words—it’s a foundational communication skill that transforms relationships and professional interactions. Emma Ranson Bellamy explores how genuine listening, often overshadowed by our tendency to multitask and interrupt, is essential for meaningful connection and coaching success.
How Did I Get Here? Graham Josephs, HR Director, Historic Royal Palaces
Graham Josephs, HR Director at Historic Royal Palaces, oversees strategic HR initiatives across iconic venues including the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. He transformed the HR function’s reputation through modernized recruitment, leadership development, and staff engagement strategies aligned with the organization’s mission to share royal history.
Feature: The secrets of engaging employees
Learn how to engage and retain talented employees through non-financial motivations like career advancement, autonomy, civilized treatment, and employer commitment. Dr Charles Woodruffe reveals why engaged employees deliver discretionary effort and how organizations can prioritize engagement beyond salary incentives.
