Coffee Break: Fun Fridays, productivity & the benefits of a younger workforce

I hope you're sitting comfortably, because we've got the latest round up of HR news, opinion and research for you to peruse over your morning coffee or lunchtime break. Let us know what you've enjoyed reading this week, or what you think of any of the articles we've shared below. Enjoy! Diversity & Support – […]
Workplace conflict: Is the workplace itself part of the problem?

We all know that workplace stress can have long-lasting negative consequences on employees. Long hours, unrealistic demands, and looming layoffs can lead to an increase in workplace conflict and health problems. But these issues are compounded when the workplace itself is a part of the problem. Academic research highlights the importance of the workplace environment on employees’ […]
Are you minding the disability employment gap?

It’s common knowledge there’s a big gap between the employment rate for disabled people and non-disabled people. The government wants to halve this gap and has criticised employers for being both reluctant to take on disabled employees, and too quick to write off employees who fall ill. So what’s the solution? Making the case for […]
A personal account of my suicide attempt

Josh Quigley survived a suicide attempt. Now he spends his life trying to save millions of others around the globe. He’s known as The Tartan Explorer, a global ambassador for mental health awareness, and he is trying to wipe out the mental health stigma one step at a time. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: There’s thinking about […]
How to create flexible working arragements for older workers

The ageing workforce constitutes one of the most influential contemporary labour market trends. Falling birth rates and increasing lifespans mean that fewer younger workers are entering the labour market and older worker numbers are growing. Older workers are aged between 50 and State Pension Age (SPA), although this definition is broadening as, with the removal […]
What are the requirements to qualify for shared parental leave?

Adding a new dimension of flexibility to the work environment, shared parental leave (SPL) was introduced to allow parents to share their parental responsibilities in a way convenient for them during the first year of their child’s life. A mother can share her leave with one of the following: the baby’s father, her husband, her civil partner […]
25 years’ experience, now struggling to find a job

Paul served a short prison sentence earlier this year and is still on probation. Since leaving prison in June he has applied for countless jobs, but is struggling to get past the tick box. Prior to his sentence, Paul worked for over 25 years in the financial industry. Like many others, Paul is qualified, experienced […]
Can sponsorship help the female talent pipeline?

Women are entering the consulting industry in unprecedented numbers, but the proportion of them who’ve made it to the top of the organisation remains small. Source Information Services and nbi recently teamed up to try and understand why. “Having to sell my soul” Two-thirds of the 40 senior people in leading consulting firms around the world […]
Unfair treatment experienced by pregnant women “astounds me”

There's so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics' Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Why aren’t young workers engaged by online learning?

It’s often assumed that young people will gravitate towards online learning. However, a new study from the CIPD, which examines the challenges of developing 16-24-year-olds in the workplace, reveals that online training is their least favourite way to learn. This finding, on the face of it, is surprising, but what’s the full story? The study […]
How can we improve the female talent pipeline?

To address the issue of a less than productive female talent pipeline across UK businesses, www.WeAreTheCity.com has launched a new awards programme – the WATC Top 50 Rising Stars Awards for 2015. These awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level and will celebrate 50 women across multiple industries who […]
Why do we still debate the composition of boards?
The debate around the composition of Europe’s boards continues. The new wisdom says we need more women, younger executives, and more people with less traditional backgrounds on the boards of some of our biggest businesses. But why? And why now? According to the PwC CEO survey released in January, the competitive landscape is hugely turbulent, […]
Feminism rebranded: Gen Y women & the gender divide

Feminism gets bad press in business. Despite the undeniable gender divide being a persistently irritating feature in the workplace, men and women alike simply do not like the F-word and all that it stands for. Not surprisingly, we ‘believers’ are taken to muttered expressions of interest with likeminded souls in quiet and dimly-lit corners of […]
How to engage employees in diverse cultures
The last few years have seen both employee engagement and equality and diversity gain greater prominence. Employers know how important it is to engage their staff, and they’re willing to invest in doing so. Employers also recognise that they need to create a fair environment where all employees are treated equally and are able to […]
Your total guide to diversity quotas

There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
How the role of women has changed in the workplace over the decades – and are we in a better place today?

This article is part of our in-depth content series on women in the workplace – take a look at the full list of articles today and increase your knowledge of a range of issues relating to women in the workplace, including sickness absence, impostor syndrome and mental health. The last 60+ years have seen the […]
What should we do with the multi-generational workforce?

There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Eldercare – what it is and why it’s becoming increasingly important in the workplace

It seems like common sense to recognise that those working for us might need a little extra support to help them with added pressures at home. Finding new ways to retain our best workers isn’t rocket science. For many, childcare facilities or vouchers make an excellent employee benefit. But what about eldercare? We’re all living […]
Religious concerns at Christmas – consideration or over-compensation?

Recently I had been invited to undertake some consultancy work for a Residential Home for Adults with Learning Disabilities. The consultancy work involved participating in the team’s weekly meetings to understand the team communication and dynamics. During one of the meetings, there was a discussion about a new staff member due to join their team, […]
A radical new model for gender equality

In my recently published book, Tolerance of Uncertainty, I focused on the impact of both certainty and uncertainty in our lives. Morality is obviously relevant; to what extent are our morals certain? A prime example is the subjugation of women. The anthropological evidence suggests that in early human societies, usually referred to as “hunter-gatherers”, men […]