In a Nutshell: Four considerations when holding a tricky conversation
As an HR pro, being able to talk about sensitive and emotive issues is an important part of the job, but it’s also one of the toughest. If handled badly, such conversations, ranging from performance and conduct to personal matters, can damage team dynamics, lower morale and have a negative impact on attendance and performance […]
Legal Insight: When the (Christmas) party’s over…
As the festive season takes hold, workplaces around the country have been hanging up the tinsel, sending out corporate Christmas cards and thinking about the end of year knees-up. But both HR departments and the wider workforce should be aware that, just because a Christmas party takes place outside of work hours and in rented […]
Blog: Punk Rock HR – Christmas countdown part 2
In this mini series, we’re counting down 10 HR tips as seen through the eyes and ears of Punk Rock. No need to pogo whilst reading these unless you must! For more on all this, ping me a note with PUNK in the title to claim your free Christmas HR gift – a […]
News: Christmas party hangovers to cost employers £740m this year
Hungover staff will cost employers a huge £740 million in lost productivity this year, with seven out of 10 expecting to party for at least two nights over the next 10 days. According to a survey among 2,000 workers conducted by hotel chain, Travelodge, three times more UK companies (75%) plan to host a […]
Talking Point: Christmas – Is it really the season to be jolly?
A lot of employees are more likely to be looking for a bit of help and support rather than a party this Christmas. While it’s a rollercoaster time of year for people at the best of times, the financial squeeze is bringing with it new pressures that are generating their own potential problems and stress. […]
News: 1/3 of workers sleep with colleagues at the Xmas party
Even though just under a third of employees admitted to having had sex with a co-worker at the Christmas party, nearly three quarters don’t want to go this year. According to a poll of 1,000 UK staff undertaken by married dating website IllicitEncounters.com, three out of five also acknowledged having kissed someone that they work […]
Blog: How to avoid a Christmas bust-up
It’s official now, the Christmas season has started. The city is decorated, sparkling and illuminated. It is chilly, people have started sipping mulled wine, and pulling and wearing paper hats at Christmas parties. One of my colleagues is even planning her Christmas-tree decoration using a new app on her iPad. So, what’s the spirit […]
Blog: The rising challenge of presenteeism
The recent Chartered Management Institute/Simplyhealth report, “The Quality of Working Life 2012” surveyed over 1,000 managers in 2007 and 2012 and showed the impact of the recession on UK workplaces. In 2012, managers are now working longer hours due to larger workloads; increasingly they are suffering from ill health including stress and depression; and they […]
Blog: Workers to burn out unless something gives soon…
HR professionals will have seen more than anyone the ongoing challenges being faced by both employers and workers as the seemingly never-ending economic crisis rolls on. Some may be claiming that the green shoots of recovery are now visible but others are telling us to prepare for a triple dip recession. Whatever future difficulties […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways for HR to be true partners with the business
As HR director of British Gas, one of the UK’s best-known organisations and a key employer of 35,000 staff, Angela Williams needs to be on top of her game. Here she shares her views on the key attributes and skills that an HR director needs to become a true, valued partner to the business: 1. […]
News: Govt pursues shares-for-rights scheme despite lack of support
The government has decided to press ahead with its plans for ‘employee-owner’ contracts despite a lack of support among either employers or employees. A consultation by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills revealed that most organisations would choose not to take up the new rights, which were announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his […]
The skills paradox flourishes
We are in a skills paradox. On the one hand, headlines have screamed all year of redundancies, high unemployment, and graduates struggling to get a foot through the corporate door. On the other, they have also been warning of rising skills shortages and on-going talent wars. While there has and always will be […]
Blog: Punk Rock HR – Counting down the top 10 Christmas HR tips
In this mini series, I’m going to count down 10 HR tips as seen through the eyes and ears of Punk Rock. A kind of "HR Top of the Pops" but without the DJ. No need to pogo whilst reading these unless you must. Punk HR refers to brevity, simplicity and purity of thought […]
How to ensure there are no legal hangovers after the Christmas party
Christmas music has been played on the radio and in the shops for a number of weeks now which can only mean one thing – the Christmas season is fast approaching along with the anticipation of the associated festivities. Many companies like to put on a Christmas party for their hard working staff, but with […]
Ask the Expert: How can I keep my job with an undiagnosed disability?
The question I have developed a disability that requires a few reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Access to Work has agreed to fund an assistant for me, which would be the most expensive. But at the end of April, I was sent home from work after several meetings between my union and employer, […]
Case Study: How Norfolk Council maintains staff morale despite tough times
During the last few years, Norfolk County Council has experienced a squeeze on resources common to many public sector organisations. It’s been forced to make savings of £135 million over three years and is now halfway there, but hundreds of staff have been axed as a result. The cuts have arrived in conjunction with […]
Blog: How to deal with the pregnancy issue – legally
I have recently been contacted by several women who feel they have been unfairly treated by their employers because of pregnancy and maternity issues. It seems that this is an area of employment law that many employers fall foul of, possibly unintentionally. Pregnant employees or those on maternity leave have many key rights in […]
Have you got what it takes to be an HR director?
Securing an HR director job is tough. If you apply for an HRD role, you’ll be faced with strong competition from both inside and outside the organisation. There are some common factors that employers look for when hiring. Ideally, you’ll be someone who is currently a senior HR business partner or a head of HR, […]
Blog: The HR Headmistress – Adrian Smith and the social media issue
The number of problems that arise from the use of social media has, in recent years, increased dramatically. Facebook now has over 1 billion users, more than 500 million people are said to be tweeting and over 100 million professionals are connecting with each other on LinkedIn. Every day more and more users of […]
All you need to know about hiring a former drug or alcohol user
I’ve spent much of the last 17 years working with current and former drug users, homeless people and ex-offenders in London and Sheffield. Much of that time has been taken up helping them to access services, which include housing, treatment and mental health support, so that people have the necessary assistance to try and turn […]