Remote working: five top tips for keeping home workers healthy
Think back to archive images of men in grey suits, bowler hats and rolled up umbrellas, marching together like a colony of penguins, all heading in the same direction to offices that were as uniform as their appearance. Communication was limited to meetings, phones and letters. Most people worked their way up in one organisation, […]
Is a four-day working week really possible?
Advances in technology, stagnant productivity levels and a greater focus on employee wellbeing has opened up the debate on what a typical working week could look like in the future. The working world is rapidly evolving, not only as a result of the introduction of revolutionary technologies, but also due to changing employee viewpoints, attitudes, and expectations. People’s […]
How to make flexible working work
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. In the UK, various government policies officially aimed at supporting […]
The four-day work week: tips for a smooth transition
Earlier this month, the TUC called for a four-day working week. But can businesses realistically make this transition? Jade Beddington, Senior Account Director at Radioactive PR, tells the story of how the agency she works for has reduced its working days without cutting pay – something that was put into play just before the TUC […]
Work/life balance: why checking emails on holiday is bad for business
Our latest research revealed that 65% of respondents admitted to checking work emails while on holiday, with various degrees of frequency, and 75% said they have taken or made a work call while on leave. The higher up the organisation you are the more likely you are to be ‘checking-in’, with only 19% of senior […]
Flexible working: a vital differentiator in a challenging labour market
Economic pressure and political instability are impacting British businesses’ ability to attract and retain talent. Instead of battening down the hatches, organisations should embrace flexible working as a way of securing the future of their workforce. There’s no doubt that UK businesses are facing more challenges now than ever before. The rise of the […]
Working parents: shared parental leave has the potential to positively impact gender equality
With the uptake of new fathers taking up shared parental leave remaining stubbornly low, it seems a change in workplace culture and perception is needed in order for employees to truly feel the benefits. One professional dad shares his personal experience of the scheme and how it has positively impacted both his personal and working […]
Remote working: why businesses need to work smarter, not harder
Flexible and remote working can hold the key to a happier, more productive workforce, but many employers and employees must first reach an agreement on cultural barriers. The way many of us work has changed considerably in recent years. More flexible ways of working are on the rise, with people shifting where they work and […]
Remote working: why virtual teams fail and how you can avoid it
Recruiting and managing a virtual team requires a whole different approach to office-based staff and there’s plenty that can go wrong if leaders don’t take this into account. Research shows that a worrying two out of every three experienced managers fail in their first attempt at running a virtual team. This matters greatly now because […]
Death by overwork: quantity at the expense of quality
From subsidised gym memberships to ‘stop smoking’ programmes, businesses are increasingly taking responsibility for the wellbeing of their staff. However, one aspect of employee health has taken a step backwards: mental and physical exhaustion caused by overworking. Sleep famine has simply become an intrinsic part of daily life for many workers, both white collar and […]
Off-script customer service: how to be truly human
In an increasingly automated age, customers value truly human interaction more than ever before. When customers ask to speak to a representative, whether on the phone or in person, they are in need of human help. They have rejected the automated response and want a real person to hear and manage their problem. Unfortunately, customers […]
Remote control: how to build culture across a team of remote workers
Building a great culture is hard work. We tackle it every day inside my own company, PeopleG2, which offers employment screening solutions. And I hear about it whenever I consult with other companies about cultural strategy or speak to a group on the subject. The unwieldy job of melding vision, values and operational nuts and […]
Spiritual wellbeing at work: how to do it right
Today, more people are finding inspiration and fulfilment in their jobs by bringing their spirituality into the workplace. The nature and meaning of work are undergoing a profound evolution. And the emergence of spirituality in the workplace points to the desire that there be more to work than just survival. We yearn for work to […]
The Good Work plan: has any real action been taken to improve employment rights?
The HR Dept has been calling for a long time for a simplification of employment status, to protect rights and ensure that business owners do not fall foul of legislation due to ignorance, confusion or bad business advice, giving evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee last year. Like many, we have witnessed the blatant circumnavigation of […]
How home working can help people with cancer maintain a work-life balance
With advances in treatment and long-term survivorship, we now talk about the ‘cancer journey’. For those living with cancer, and for those without, work plays a very important part in our life’s journey. It not only provides financial stability, but a sense of normality, routine, and self-esteem. And cancer patients often crave normality and routine […]
Home worker wellbeing: how to manage it properly
With the exponential growth of technological development and the concept of multigenerational workforces, working from home is becoming more commonplace and feasible. Flexible working is also becoming more in demand from younger generations entering the workforce now, and never has there been a more opportune time for HR and managers to keep up with the […]
Dynamic working: Flexibility for the next generation of worker
Flexible working is a phrase that is thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? In 2014, the government released its official definition, stating that: “Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, e.g. having flexible start and finish times, or working from home.” It also stipulated that all […]
Why Theory Y organisations are best prepared for future success
In the modern workplace the established attitudes towards permanent, fixed employment are under fire as the idea of a one job career becomes less appealing. The arrival and growing popularity of the gig economy, a source of much controversy, is a signal to the social, cultural and business revolution being experienced both in the UK […]
Employee perspectives: an accountant’s view on KPMG’s HR team
We spoke with a previous accountant for KPMG about her thoughts on and personal experiences with HR. This anonymised interview helps to provide insight into how HR teams within finance are potentially viewed by their employees. Could you start by telling us a bit about your current job role and your employment history? I am currently a […]
Tackling Taylor: “Good Work” deserves defence
I’m dismayed at the early critique of the Taylor review. The headlines and analysis do our professions no credit. This is a report promoting “good work” and good work to me deserves defence. Read here what and why. At the end please note you’ll also find your speed-read of the substantive points. What’s the story? […]
