How can organisations manage their relationships with unions to prevent strikes?

Rewiring traditional HR policies and repairing relations with unions are key to the future success of businesses

How to solve the diversity crisis in local government leadership

There is a leadership gulf in local government when it comes to BAME representation – a problem caused by institutions and society as a whole. If there were more role models then individuals would be empowered to reach outside their perceived boundaries.  In October, the Prime Minister announced that public services, including the NHS, armed forces, schools and the police force will […]

German workplaces: what can businesses learn?

The world of work is facing major upheaval, be it the result of Industry 4.0, digitalisation, demographic change or integration of diverse cultures in the workplace. How are the business community and policymakers across Europe responding to these immense challenges? Unlocking the potential of flexible working Despite recent media headlines suggesting that tech giants such […]

“We must be different by design,” says Thames Valley Police’s Director of People

1. Is agile leadership particularly useful in the police force with people at all levels having to respond to unique situations quickly and authoritatively? Absolutely yes. I always say to our newly qualified police officers at their confirmation ceremony that they are taking on one of the most challenging vocations I can imagine. From day […]

The HR of today v the HR of tomorrow

This article is based on submissions to a new academic journal, the Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, by Paul Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. The journal is published by Emerald Group Publishing and provides insight into best practice and how HR can add value in a sustainable way. The journal covers a range of […]

NHS and employee engagement – what works?

Employee engagement is increasingly being seen as a priority by employers. Nowhere more so than in the NHS. Research has shown that NHS Trusts which effectively engage their employees have higher levels of staff wellbeing and more satisfied patients; they have better clinical outcomes and they are more efficient. It’s increasingly clear that engagement is […]

Should whistleblowers receive rewards or awards?

Whistleblowers serve private and public interests when they raise concerns about wrongdoing but how do we recognise those who choose to come forward? Should we offer financial rewards or awards of a different nature? Policies and procedures for whistleblowing are becoming increasingly common in both the public and private sector. In the UK we tend […]

Which jobs make you happy?

The BBC has a story covering Cabinet Office research on the jobs most likely to make you happy and the jobs most likely to leave you miserable. The research is part of a wider move towards including notions of wellbeing and happiness on the public policy agenda. Top five jobs Clergy Chief executive/senior official Agriculture […]

What’s the most embarrassing mistake you have made at work?

Yesterday concrete accidentally leaked into the control room of the Victoria Line, leaving tens of thousands of rush-hour commuters trying to find another route home. Nigel Holness, Operations Director for London Underground, said that contractors had been working in an area next to the Victorial line signal control room. He said: "These works involved the use […]

“We are robots,” says undercover Amazon worker

A BBC investigation at a UK-based Amazon warehouse has revealed working conditions that a stress expert said could cause “mental and physical illness.” Undercover reporter Adam Littler, 23, got a job collecting and processing orders in the company’s 800,000 sq ft warehouse. In a video filmed secretly by Littler as part of a Panorama investigation, […]

How should HRDs protect their position in light of the BBC HR scandal?

The role of the HR Director has been forced into the spot light of accountability with the HR Director for the BBC being called to give evidence in front of the committee of MP’s investigating the scandal of over-generous exit packages.  During this process the HR Director in question has been publically named – and […]

Enabling a culture of compassionate accountability in the NHS

The Berwick Reality The NHS has had a wakeup call. The operational failings in Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation prompted Ministers and NHS leadership alike to contemplate the causes and conditions for patient safety and care, and the subsequent Berwick report has called for a “wide systemic change” within the organisation. Professor Don Berwick highlights the […]

Blog: top tips for training finance staff

 The NHS Foundation Trust is a big believer in staff development. Helen Rourke, Assistant Finance Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, shares her tips on training finance staff of all skill levels and abilities through a formal qualification.    The NHS Foundation Trust has supported a significant number of finance staff through formal […]

Mid-Staffordshire: a challenge to HR to show its mettle

The Francis Report into the scandal of Stafford Hospital needs to be read thoroughly by all senior managers for the lessons to be learned about executive responsibility.  The inquiry chaired by Robert Francis QC was set up to assess the wider lessons to be learnt by the NHS from the Staffordshire scandal where up to […]

Final pensions RIP for the private sector?

Final salary pensions in the private sector have closed their doors to new staff at the fastest rate on record, with just 13% of final salary pensions were open to new joiners in 2012. According to a study by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) out today, that represents a drop of a third from […]

News: Public sector is still a good place to work, say staff

Despite all of the recent cuts and job losses, the public sector is still a good place to work, new research has revealed. A huge 90% of public sector workers said that they would recommend a career in public service to graduates and school leavers, according to a survey of 2,500 staff conducted by from […]

News: Low income NHS staff “not paid properly” since transfer to outsourcer

Low income, non-medical staff at a hospital in Brighton have not been paid properly since they were transferred to a private outsourcing company, according to a union. The GMB told the BBC that the workers who include cleaners, porters and caterers at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have experienced payment problems since being taken on […]

Blog: Hiring migrant workers is now a boardroom issue…

The revocation of London Metropolitan University’s student licence this summer shook the Higher Education sector. Although the financial fallout for the university is still yet to be quantified, it is anticipated that the loss of hundreds of international students, coupled with the damage to the university’s reputation, will translate into a massive dent in revenue. […]

News: First employers accredited under London Healthy Workplace Charter

Fourteen employers have been accredited under the London Healthy Workplace Charter, which is intended to set standards for improving employee health and well-being in the capital. The initiative grew out of the Workplace Well-being Charter that was developed by NHS Primary Care Trust in Liverpool and endorsed by the cross-government Health, Work and Well-being board. […]

Three considerations for effective succession planning

In the wake of the crisis that engulfed the BBC following the Jimmy Savile scandal, the broadcaster’s director general, George Entwistle, was forced to resign after only 54 days in the job. But less than a fortnight later, the BBC Trust was able to announce his replacement.   Lord Tony Hall of Birkenhead, chief executive […]