5 things about presenteeism you don’t know

jlsohio

Presenteeism is a big problem: some commentators suggest it costs twice as much as absenteeism in the workplace. At its broadest level, presenteeism refers to situations where employees continue to attend work while they are sick. 1. Whether presenteeism is positive or negative depends on context Employees, and the organisations they work for, can continue to benefit […]

How a bad night’s sleep can disrupt the workplace

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Do you feel grumpy, short-tempered, or prone to irrational behaviour after a bad night’s sleep or are you one of those who can quell your emotions and be ‘as nice as pie’ when you’re tired out? Sleep is a challenge for most of us, and to get a good night’s rest can have a significant […]

The Madness of Kings: leadership, hyper-masculinity & mental health

andreymakurin

If you had a choice to return to Earth after this lifetime, and, while resting on your celestial cloud, were given a menu of gender, racial and sexual orientation preferences to choose from, what would you pick for your next time around? Of course, approaching this logically, received wisdom would tell you to check the […]

How do psychological work stressors impact commuting behaviour?

disqis

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 […]

Say hello to… Ian Johnston, Group HRD, Johnston Press

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Taking on a new role is as challenging as it is exciting. In this series we will be talking to HR professionals who are getting to grips with a new job and finding out what attracted them to the role, as well as what their key priorities are for the months ahead. Want to tell us about […]

Round-up: 7 popular articles from our mental health month

sdominick

Our mental health focus looks at mental health with a spotlight from very different angles! Here are seven articles we’ve run and why they’re an essential read if you’re looking to take action on mental health in your organisation. 1. Why tackling absenteeism could hike presenteeism Sickness monitoring, raising awareness of sickness policies and techniques […]

Presenteeism in academics: a shift to the twilight zone

mlenny

This article looks and when and why academics in the UK work while they’re ill and the systemic factors at play. It pulls together a concept called the ‘twilight zone’ of work and looks at the effects of presenteeism on academics. It was written by Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of […]

Presenteeism in prison officers: a case study in pressure

basslabbers

This article looks at the degree of presenteeism in UK prison officers and the reasons prison officers give for working while sick. It also looks at the impact of presenteeism on UK prisons.  It was written by Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire, Andrew Clements, a lecturer in organisational psychology […]

Tackling absenteeism could increase presenteeism: what can be done?

shironosov

This article looks at why techniques for reducing absenteeism can encourage presenteeism. Organisations need to focus on reducing the punitive parts of absenteeism policies if they want positive action on presenteeism. It was written by Andrew Clements, a lecturer in organisational psychology at the University of Bedfordshire, Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at the […]

E-resilience: 5 tips to help you master the technology in your life

azmanjaka

We've written before about the importance of e-resilience – or being able to cope emotionally with the amount of technology in our lives. There's no chance of us having less technology to solve the problem, so it's on us to add tools to our toolkit in order to more proactively deal with technology-related stress in the […]

Walking meetings at work: how, what, why, when

kavuto

The idea that staying physically fit is good for our bodies, minds, mood and performance is as old as the hills. In the distant past, our very survival depended on our fitness and it was as early as the 1830s when the first gyms resembling our modern day equivalents began to take shape in an […]

My eight-year-old’s workload warning led me to a healthier balance

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A few years ago, my daughter, who was eight at the time, took it upon herself to have a chat with me about my workload. I was running a business and renovating the family home whilst single-handedly bringing up my two children. My daughter pointed out that I was trying to do three jobs, and […]

“As a manager of flexible workers, it is important to put trust in your team.”

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Tim Stone is Vice President Marketing EMEA at Polycom and will be speaking at the Agile Working Event to be held on March 29th in London.  Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: Lots of companies would love a 'no holds barred' flexible working policy but are terrified of giving up control. How did you guys overcome this? Tim […]

Is full satisfaction at work even a possible or desirable goal?

andresr

I received a press release today that led with the statistic that "a mere 10% of workers feel completely satisfied in their jobs." I was surprised it was as high as 10%. Completely satisfied? Is that really the benchmark we're using now? Is there anything in life we're completely satisfied with? It's worrying that agency life is starting to set the […]

How to make maternity leave work for both employers and employees

damircudic

Want to ensure that maternity leave works for everyone involved? From shared parental leave to mentoring returning parents back in the workplace, here's how to keep all staff happy. This article was originally published on Mumsnet. As we hear daily on Mumsnet, pregnancy and new motherhood bring with them a raft of challenges. Not the least among […]

How to negotiate for family-friendly work habits

highwaystarz-photography

Flexibility is a key consideration when returning to work. We talk you through the best ways to get the accommodations you need at work – from asking for a trial period to finding solutions to staffing issues. This article was originally published on Mumsnet. The right to request flexible working has been a welcome innovation for […]

What mothers want: What women say about how they can be best supported in the workplace

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Discrimination can begin before a woman even steps foot in the office. This is how you can ensure that all women are supported in the most effective way possible. This article was originally published on Mumsnet. When thinking about mothers in the workplace, ‘flexible working’ comes up constantly; it seems, too, that the options for and benefits […]

Going back: what fears and hopes do mothers have before returning to the workplace?

georgijevic

From being there for your kids to coping with the stresses of working life, Mumsnet users share their thoughts on returning to work after having children. This article was originally published on Mumsnet. Above and beyond the important stuff like HR policies and procedures, mothers’ fears and hopes on returning from maternity leave are often focused […]

Beyond the nappy zone: Why older people and carers need flexibility too

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It isn't just the parents of young children who need flexible leave – older people and carers also need the chance to work flexibly. This article was originally published on Mumsnet. Flexible working is an idea constantly associated with parents of young children, and (things being the way they are) specifically with mothers. Of course, […]