Interview: Kristiina Mäkelä, Associate Professor, Aalto University
Kristiina Mäkelä is an associate professor of International Business at Aalto University. She has published on HRM and knowledge-related topics in a number of international journals and was awarded the European Doctoral Programmes Association in Management and Business Administration (EDAMBA) 2008 prize for the best doctoral dissertation in Europe. Kristiina’s latest research focused on evaluations […]
Interview: Andrew Millard, Senior Director Marketing EMEA, Citrix
1. Are trust issues created by mobile working arrangements or do we just have an endemic problem of low-trust workplaces, which is highlighted and emphasised by the geographical remoteness of mobile working? It’s hard to argue with the advantages that remote and mobile working offers, both from an employee and business perspective. However, when it comes […]
It’s not (just) about the money, money, money…..!
In the words of Jessie J (well almost!) its not about the money when it comes to employee benefits, certainly not when we want to think about retaining Generation Y talent and beyond. An HBR article (How Gen Y & Boomers will reshape your agenda -2009) talks about a ‘rewards remix being both challenging and […]
Yahoo! I’m working from home today…
96 percent of all employers in the UK now offer some form of flexible working. In the US, over a million more Americans worked from home in 2010 than in 2005. But not all businesses seem to be convinced. Marissa Mayer became Yahoo!'s CEO in mid-2012. She had 13 years prior experience at Google where […]
Facilitating the cultural shift to remote working
This article was written by Jane Kirk, director at search and intelligence consultancy Armstrong Craven. The news that Marissa Mayer banned Yahoo!’s entire workforce from home-working sparked an immediate surge of protest. The move seemed to fly in the face of growing evidence to support flexible working. Engagement and well-being are cited as key benefits, as […]
The future of flexible working in the 21st century
This article was written by Eileen MacMahon of law firm Dundas & Wilson. When Marissa Mayer’s recent memo banning Yahoo employees from working from home was leaked to the press last week, a lot of us questioned whether the UK Government’s stance on the promotion of flexible working was still relevant. Mayer, whose appointment as […]
News: flexible working tightens grip on UK firms
Flexible working has taken hold in 94 percent of UK firms, but a few niggling negative attitudes must be snuffed out if it is to deliver maximum business benefits, finds an Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) report. The survey’s findings suggest the days of the 9 to 5 grind are numbered. Half of the […]
Blog: why Marissa Mayer is right to ban remote working
This week the world has been horrified, apparently, by a leaked memo from Yahoo!’s HR team that instructs staff that they should be working from the Yahoo! offices and not from home. Cue the web coming alive with people criticising the move, including via Twitter, motivational luminaries such as Dan Pink. Some of the criticism […]
Yahoo boss bans remote working
Marissa Mayer, the recently appointed CEO of US internet firm Yahoo, has decided that she's none too keen on remote workers and wants all Yahoo employees to report for work at company facilities. And if anyone's not happy about that, then from June onwards they have a simple choice: comply or quit. Yahoo is headquartered in […]
Employees don’t get the benefit of not being 9 to 5
HR professionals must make a better job of explaining the merits of flexible working, as many workers wrongly assume this is just another way for their employers to slash costs. Nine in ten UK professionals believed flexible working would soon dominate working practices, according to a survey by recruiter Ortus. Yet, only 12% of […]
Blog: What’s your communication style?
You communicate in your own particular way – we all do. Over the years you’ve developed your own natural communication style. To come across confidently and to look as though you’re in control, it helps if you’re aware of this style. People with good communication skills already know what’s good and what’s bad about their […]
Blog: Seven ways to ensure your wellness initiatives are sustainable
Many wellness programmes begin with a fanfare, and rightly so. If you’ve invested time and resources in developing the best wellness programme possible for your business, you’ll want to shout about it from the rooftops when it’s ready to launch. You can then stand back and enjoy the flurry of activity and […]
Blog: Shared parenting leave – Is it really a win-win?
The latest government proposals in respect to encouraging a ‘family-friendly’ workplace seem to have met with general approval both from business and employee groups. Under the proposals, unveiled last week by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, from 2015, after the first two weeks of a mother’s maternity leave, the remaining 50 weeks can be […]
Blog: Work-life balance is a bottom line issue
"You are a great model of work-life balance, Ron. Thanks for showing me.” Last week I linked to an article titled Why the Work-Life Balance is Now More Important Than Ever. It was a UK-based article on work-life balance and it cited five countries and how each of them approaches it. The comment was based on […]
News: Flexible parental leave branded an “administrative nightmare”
Government plans to introduce flexible parental leave have been variously described as “disappointing” and an “administrative nightmare” for employers. The legislation, which is due to come into force in England, Scotland and Wales in 2015, will enable parents to share up to a year’s leave in order to look after their new-born children. New […]
News: Impact of flexible working extension will be “limited”, says lawyer
Government plans to extend flexible working rights to all employees in a bid to stop women being “locked out of the workplace” and boost GDP may have a “more limited” impact than expected, a lawyer has warned. The government estimates that the forthcoming changes will bring a net benefit of £222.5 million to employers as […]
Blog: Family-friendly law – The debate continues
Earlier this month we saw a shock announcement from Sheila Lawlor, director of Politeia, stating that paid maternity leave creates a “great burden” for women and has stunted their growth up the career ladder to the boardroom. With current legislation allowing women to take time off following the birth of their children and recent developments […]
News: Met’s tattoo ban could be “indirectly discriminatory”, warns lawyer
The Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban both officers and civilian staff from having visible tattoos could be indirectly discriminatory in certain circumstances, a lawyer has warned. The Met’s commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, has ordered personnel who already have visible body art to cover it up as it could “damage the professional image” of the UK’s largest […]
News: Childcare costs biggest employment barrier for single parents
The biggest barriers to work for single parents are childcare costs and a shortage of flexible and well-paid enough jobs, a study has revealed. According to research published by charity Gingerbread, single parents with children over the age of 12 face double the rate of long-term unemployment as the rest of the population (8%). […]
Blog: Working Families Conference – How to achieve true flexible working
Matt Dean facilitated a very interesting discussion at the Working Families Conference on 25 September. We posed the following four questions: “Can we honestly say that we have created ‘flexible career paths’ (and what is stopping us)?” “Why do jobs have to take 60 hours (particularly in the current economic climate)?” “How can business alter its […]
