99% perspiration: the challenge of being a midlife professional woman
Mid-life professional women often have to juggle the pressures of work, child care and ageing parents, all while going through the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause. How can HR offer support and flexibility for these women? Most companies today are pretty enlightened about the fact that women with children often want to work, often need to […]
Wearable technology: what’s the impact on workplace wellbeing?
Digital technology is changing how we operate and make decisions every day. In an ‘always connected environment’, we’re seeing apps and wearables playing a more prominent role than ever before. This article was co-authored by Glenn Rankin, CEO of Healthia; Nick Court, Director of The People Experience Hub; and Paul Nash, Head of Clinical Governance at […]
How to help your employees become more resilient
In order to help employees manage stress, organisations should create a culture of openness, provide effective training and role-model healthy working practices. Resilience training has never been so popular. We’re all expected to ‘do more with less’ and no organisation can afford to allow ongoing workplace stress to impact the bottom line. A variety of useful techniques can be […]
Why wellbeing in the workplace is a joint effort
Creating a culture of wellbeing should be a collaborative effort: employers should empower staff to become happier and more productive. Wellbeing at work is a hot topic. Everywhere you look there are new suggestions for employers on how they can support employees’ mental, physical, financial and emotional wellbeing. While getting employers on board is vital in creating […]
Is our use of technology doing more harm than good?
There’s no denying that technology has many benefits, but are we ignoring the damage that comes from our reliance on digital devices? It’s 8.30 in the morning and hundreds of people are crossing London Bridge on their journey to work. Around a fifth of them are looking at their mobile phones as they walk – they’re watching […]
Invisible disabilities: it’s time for HR to get hearing loss on the agenda
People with hidden disabilities, such as deafness and hearing loss, are often overlooked and lack support in the workplace. HR can play a key role in removing any barriers faced by affected individuals and empower these employees to thrive in their job. In recent years, both the government and employers have been actively making strides towards […]
What are the legal implications of managing mental health in the workplace?
With an increasing number of organisations implementing initiatives to support employee mental health and wellbeing, what are the legal implications to be aware of? Recent tribunals have queried the actions of a ‘reasonable employer’, putting management and often named individuals at risk of legal action. Mental health is the largest single cause of absence in […]
Why it’s time to humanise the workplace
How often do you have meaningful conversations with colleagues at work? If the answer is ‘rarely’, then find out why it’s time to make a positive, conscious change in the way you approach workplace relationships. Mental health seems to be top of the HR agenda at the moment. This is thanks in part to the efforts of Prince William and others […]
Standing desks: 5 ways HR can facilitate change
The case in favour of employees standing at desks rather than sitting is a strong one. Countless studies have been conducted into how much more happy, productive and healthy employees are if they spend less time sitting and more time standing. The University of Loughborough has just produced a study which was covered by the BBC; […]
Why flexible working beats the 9-5
The workplace has changed dramatically, in part because advances in technology have enabled remote and flexible working, but not all employers can see the benefits. Work to live, or live to work – whichever way round you see it, employees still have lives to lead alongside their jobs. Ultimately, and sadly for Dolly Parton, working 9-5 […]
Communications: how to be open and honest, even in times of growth
Honesty is the best policy when it comes to managing internal communication during a period of change. Keeping your workforce updated and addressing their concerns will alleviate stress and keep your team together. One of the biggest challenges HR directors face when their business is going through significant growth is deciding how best to communicate the […]
If we’re okay, why are mental health absences going up and up in organisations across the UK?
Dealing with mental health issues effectively in the workplace is a complex issue, so opening the channels of communication is the crucial first step every business should take. “Do you want to hurt yourself or anyone else?” “Err no, I just want to stop feeling this way.” An awkward silence. End of conversation. If talking to a […]
How to earn employee trust in your business
In the opening keynote of CIPD’s Annual Conference and Exhibition 2018, award-winning author, speaker and lecturer Rachel Botsman explored the value of trust in today’s society. Opening up the 2018 CIPD conference, Rachel Botsman, author of ‘Who Can You Trust’ and ‘What’s Mine is Yours’, explored how little we really know about trust, how bad […]
Why the workplace is an ideal context to practice mindfulness
From Google to Ebay, from KPMG to BT, a growing number of companies have invested in mindfulness training programmes, recognising the potential of mindfulness as a life skill to improve focus and clarity, listening and decision-making skills and perhaps most importantly, overall well-being. And you’ve guessed it, a more resilient, less stressed and anxious workplace is […]
Why should HR care about the adult social care crisis?
HR practitioners are responsible for adapting benefits frameworks to meet changing workforce demands. Could adult social care vouchers be a tax-efficient solution for our ageing population? Adult social care has reached breaking point. Not only is there a significant shortfall between what local authorities allocate per adult per week (£490) and what it actually costs (£600), an estimated […]
How data can enhance employee wellbeing
Imagine if there was a way to measure levels of happiness in the workplace and improve them? Well, advances in technology are enabling employers to do just that by monitoring employee behaviour through smart devices. Research has found that employee happiness in the workplace has a direct impact on productivity. Put simply, the happier someone is, the better […]
Money worries and mental health: what can businesses do?
We are a nation that heavily relies on borrowing money – and this does not look set to change anytime soon. But what is the impact of financial debt on health and wellbeing? It’s not uncommon for people to feel stressed as a result of their financial situation. And this in turn has been strongly […]
Do transformational leaders make you sick?
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. Transformational leaders communicate a clear positive vision for their teams […]
Workplace trends 2019: Jason Corsello at UNLEASH World Conference & Expo
On day two of UNLEASH World Conference & Expo 2018 Jason Corsello, Managing Partner at Acadian Ventures, outlined the upcoming trends that are reshaping how companies are embracing the future of work. With 15 years’ experience in the HR tech space, Jason Corsello provided a snapshot of what will be emerging and evolving in HR in […]
How mindfulness practice has changed my life – a personal story
I have dreadful memories from when I was 4 or 5 and onwards of feeling terribly frightened and anxious about anything and everything. Going to sleep was the worst. Ideally I would have liked to stay at my mother’s side day and night. I didn’t want to go to school because I was feeling scared […]