Why HR must support the development of a code of ethics
The rapid increase in the power and prevalence of digital technologies is radically changing the nature and scope of ethical issues seen in the workplace. There is currently no ‘gold standard’ template to follow when producing a code of ethics relating to these emerging technologies. Hence, HR is in a key position to i) facilitate […]
Employee engagement at RHP Group
Chloe Marsh is Head of Engagement at RHP Group. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: Why do you think you appeared on the Great Place to Work Best Workplaces list? What makes you stand out? Chloe Marsh, Head of Engagement, RHP: If I had to pick one thing it’d be our unique culture. We’ve worked hard to create […]
Social media: working for the wellness of workers
I am one among the 22% of UK adults who do not actively use Facebook. It worries me that amongst the HR profession that minority may not be so small, behind a continuing explosion of social media penetration. It may of course just be me. But love or loathe LinkedIn, friend or foe of Facebook, if […]
How the UK can resist the threat of ‘karoshi’ culture
The health of around a fifth of all employees in Japan is estimated to be at risk from going to work. Not accidents or mental health issues, but death. It’s known as ‘karoshi’, a sudden heart attack or stroke as a result of overworking and the pressure of workplace conditions. Despite growing awareness, the problems […]
Incivility, onboarding lessons and why we should all work less
Are you up to date with the latest developments in HR? Worry not, we've spent the week rounding up our favourite articles and blogs for you to read whenever you get a spare five minutes on the bus or at your desk. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared, and tell us […]
How to negotiate for family-friendly work habits
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
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?
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
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, […]
Achieving gender balance – the practical stuff
This is part two in a two-part series on achieving gender diversity. The first looks at why we need to focus on men, not women. When I first talk to organisations about their gender issues, the conversation usually starts with an explanation of their issue, for example, maternity non-returners or lack of female progress from […]
Achieving gender balance is about men – not women
This is part one in a two-part series on achieving gender diversity. The second part looks at the practical steps organisations can take. Why is it that whenever anyone talks of gender equality, the immediate thought is about women’s rights, feminist chants of discrimination in the workplace, pointing the finger at male leaders creating barriers […]
How to avoid another year of Trexit
2016 was a year of divisive politics. In the UK, factions formed around the ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ camps. In the US, the battle lines were drawn between supporters of Trump and those of Clinton. In both cases, the rhetoric was vicious and saw a rise in hate-related incidents. It was easy to point fingers and […]
Contextualising innovation in HR: what do we mean?
Keeping pace with social, cultural and technological progression has always been key for business but these three areas now advance so fast that the task has become harder. Businesses used to keep pace by fortifying: making things stronger so they could better resist change. That’s fine when change is a series of smaller waves, but […]
Maternity coaching: a crap name for an incredible development opportunity
It's HR in Retail month on HRZone! We're focusing on all things retail – check out our HR in retail hub to read all our great content! I want to start with a confession: despite my dislike of the terminology, if you search our website, you will find reference to maternity and paternity coaching. It’s become such […]
Financial wellbeing – time for businesses to act?
As we move further into 2017 and still counting the cost of our Xmas extravagances, many of us will be watching the pennies. January is traditionally a difficult time for families in the UK. Getting through the month is estimated to be a struggle for one in four adults and it’s a time of year when […]
HR then and now: how a decade has changed the workplace
In daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day issues and miss the bigger trends. Consider the many changes that have happened in the past ten years: in 2006, there was no iPhone, Twitter was still in development, Facebook’s user base consisted mostly of hip college students, and Disney and Pixar were […]
A snowball started rolling: lessons from Norway about gender quotas on boards
What are the main lessons that we can learn from the Norwegian women quota for corporate boards? The quota was introduced in 2002. In most countries in Europe the number of women on boards today are several times higher than it was in 2002. This is illustrated by the EU statistics displayed in the graph below. How […]
The state of family-friendliness in UK financial services
Over the last few years, academics and professionals alike have been documenting the gradual shift toward more flexible ways of working, in part facilitated by an evolution of Government legislation. Research has shown that flexible work can improve staff retention, improve morale and increase productivity. However, the definition of flexible working is broad and ill-defined […]
The grey area of the parent trap and the failure of work to tackle it
I’m going to make a bit of a generalisation and say that there are really only two ways of working in our society. One way is task-orientated and the other way is clock-based. You can imagine this as the difference between a freelancer’s life and an office worker’s life. Task-orientated work If you’ve ever worked […]
Family-friendly workplaces: the role of mental wellbeing
Mind urges employers to create mentally healthy workplaces by tackling the causes of work-related stress and poor mental health at work, supporting members of staff experiencing a mental health problem, and promoting wellbeing for all employees. Workplace wellbeing initiatives can benefit all employees, including parents with mental health problems. Mental health problems can affect anyone, […]
