Financial wellbeing: why women are being left behind
There’s been a recent flurry of interest in the issue of financial wellbeing from many organisations, but no one is addressing the elephant in the room – the fact that women are at a huge disadvantage. Last month, the UK’s first female defence secretary, Penny Mordaunt launched the government’s roadmap to financially empower women. […]
Harassment at work: do we need a crackdown on NDAs?
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are increasingly being used to silence the victims of workplace bullying and sexual harassment, but will a government crackdown do more harm than good? Last month business minister Kelly Tolhurst announced that the government will tackle business misuse of NDAs after a number of cases where businesses were found to be using […]
Online security: how HR can help prevent cybercrime
HR teams have access to more critical data than ever before, but an alarming number of employees show a distinct lack of awareness when it comes to protecting that information. Digital transformation is affecting every area of business today, enabling more modern ways of working, with more employees than ever working flexibly or remotely, and […]
Heatwave: how can HR take care of their employees in hot weather?
The sizzling summer has arrived, leaving many workers clammy, stifled and tired – none of which are conducive to productivity. Here’s how HR can better handle the heat for their people… You’ll be well aware that the UK is in the midst of a heatwave this week, with temperatures getting up to a stifling 37 […]
Presenteeism and leaveism: can you recognise these attendance problems in your workplace?
Attendance statistics only tell part of the story when it comes to your employees’ motivations and behaviour. Here, we look at some of the red flags for presenteeism and leaveism and how to encourage a healthier working culture. Absenteeism continues to be a thorn in the side of many HR professionals. Recent studies have shown […]
Employee wellbeing: how to handle parental bereavement
What does the new right for parental bereavement leave and pay means for businesses and their employees? It is hard to imagine the pain of losing a child and the impact is has on a person. Grief can affect everyone differently, so if and when it happens to one of your employees, it can often […]
Mental wellbeing: why the creative industry is harming its employees
Free yoga classes won’t fix mental wellbeing in the creative industries. It requires a bigger shift in culture and leaders with more emotional intelligence. You don’t have to look back far at some of the greatest figures in literature, the arts and music to find tragic stories about mental health. From Sylvia Plath to Robin […]
Workplace mental health: how to be caring, not just compliant
Providing meaningful mental health support does not have to be complicated or costly for employers. By taking a simple three-staged approach to wellbeing, businesses can reap the benefits of a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. The average person today is said to spend roughly a third of their life at work – so it’s […]
Celebrating individualism in the workplace
The whole may be greater than the sum of its parts, but that doesn’t mean we should view and treat our workers as one and the same. Allowing your employees’ idiosyncrasies to shine in the workplace is key to creating a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Workplace culture is on nearly every people professional’s […]
GDPR and HR one year on: three things you need to know
HR professionals have, on the whole, successfully jumped the hurdle of GDPR, but just as one challenge has been overcome, the prospect of a no deal Brexit raises more potential barriers that need to be addressed. One year on from GDPR coming into effect, an impressive 95% of UK HR professionals feel confident in their […]
Recruitment: four common hiring mistakes and how to avoid them
When hiring new candidates, employers need to carry out their due diligence checks – but there are a number of things that can go wrong. Here’s how to avoid them. Performing background checks on candidates is a crucial part of the hiring process for many employers. However, it can also be complex, especially when it […]
‘Do I belong here?’ The question potential employees are asking themselves
Employers need go far beyond the tick-box exercise of recruiting diverse talent to develop a dynamically rich and inclusive workplace culture. Making employees feel like they belong within your business may be the answer, but what does this actually entail? Diversity and inclusion experts have long sought to diversify the attraction and recruitment process. Unconscious bias […]
Putting the ‘human’ back into human resources
In order for businesses to be truly inclusive they must adapt their attitudes and behaviour towards those with disabilites and embrace human-centred skills. We can see emerging trends form in the HR landscape in terms of leadership and people with disabilities. At a time of increased automation and amid businesses preparing for wider use of artificial intelligence, HR functions are […]
Five ways to ensure a smooth transformation to global HR
Choosing an HR software system that enables you to transform the way you handle data globally requires careful consideration, research and preparation for the complexities that lay ahead. Regardless of whether you have thousands of employees or a just a few hundred, if you operate internationally, you’ll be more than aware that in today’s increasingly connected (and […]
How can HR create change for women at work in the Post-#MeToo era?
Gender equality is not going to be achieved through creating special groups for women. For real change to occur in the workplace, HR professionals must empower both men and women to take shared responsibility for one another. Genetically, we are all born different even though in principle we function in the same way regardless of […]
Strategic data: unlocking HR’s secret weapon
Businesses are failing to recognise the importance of data managed by HR teams. Equally HR professionals are not yet skilled enough in data to harness its power and help secure their future strategic function within an organisation. Something has to change. HR holds some of the most critical data within any organisation. This includes everything from data on employee engagement […]
EU Settlement Scheme: time for UK businesses to prepare for Brexit
Is your HR team supporting EU citizens in preparation for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU? Read our guide and make sure your staff fill in the correct paperwork before the deadline in 2021. With the UK set to sever its ties with the European Union on 29 March, major changes are set to ripple through the UK workforce. While […]
How to support LGBT+ employees throughout the year
Businesses have realised the importance and profitability of working with the LGBT+ communities. But employers should recognise that popping up during Pride and disappearing for the rest of the year is unhelpful. Support for LGBT+ employees must be provided on a consistent basis throughout the year. There has been an increasing need for businesses to […]
Good Work Plan: what are the implications for employers?
Changes in the law regarding employment rights will come into force on 6 April 2020, so it’s vital that HR teams prepare well in advance. After the flurry of announcements at the end of last year about the outcome of the Taylor Review, the Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (SI […]
How to close the gender pay gap
The gender pay gap revealed huge inequalities within organisations. Thankfully HR teams are uniquely placed to change cultures from the inside, ensuring women are paid fairly. In April 2017 organisations in the UK with more than 250 employees were required to publish their gender pay gap figures. All but a very small number of organisations declared a pay gap […]
