Vaping in the work place – developing policy guidance
Key facts There are over two million regular electronic cigarette users in England. Electronic cigarettes DO NOT contain cancer causing tobacco, but do contain nicotine which is addictive. There is growing evidence that they can help smokers quit. The long-term health effects are not known. However there are no circumstances when using an e-cigarette is […]
Five myths about personality profiling
1. Can personality change be based on mood? Personality profiling tools measure the core or DNA of personality. The underlying traits don’t really shift. Research shows that the re-test for reliability statistics of profiling are high. Changes can occur because of a life event which may have caused, for instance, an emotional trauma, and people […]
Boris Johnson ‘committed’ to helping his staff manage stress
Employees working for London mayor Boris Johnson are being given free advice and support on how to manage their health and wellbeing. Free resources, such as mindfulness podcasts, are being provided on the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) staff intranet at City Hall, the Huffington Post UK reports. "We have a wellbeing portal on our intranet […]
Wellness and personal performance made easy: Part 3
In the final installment of our series, we highlight further strategies and behaviours that lead to exceptional results with personal health, wellness, energy and performance. As with our previous tips, these are all simple ideas that, when implemented with consistency, will lead to dramatic and positive results. Take charge of technology Technology is one of […]
Health and safety: Why HR managers need to think like marketers to win over colleagues
We all need allies in life and business. That’s particularly true if you are an HR manager with responsibility for health and safety (H&S). All too often the media and even leading politicians portray H&S as bureaucratic red tape that imposes costs on business and hinders managers and employees – yet, as HR and H&S […]
Wellness and personal performance made easy: Part 2
We continue our journey towards great personal energy, efficiency, productivity and enjoyment of both our personal and professional lives, by examining more simple lifestyle changes that are tried and tested and proven to result in people feeling great and performing to the best of their abilities. Prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep every evening […]
Wellness and personal performance made easy: Part 1
During the last 15 years of delivering wellness solutions to businesses, two things have become very clear. The improvements that people would like to make to their wellbeing are usually very simple; the most popular including the desire to get fitter, increase energy levels, lose weight, sleep better and experience an improved sense of balance […]
Flexible working changes – a smorgasbord of opinions on right to request
From today, 20 million people (according to BIS) now have the right to request flexible working from their employer. BIS have said that over half of businesses who allow flexible working see improved relationships, 40% report productivity boost and 38% see drop in staff absence. The salient points: The change affects those who have over […]
Leading the way: Tackling stress from the top
It is the norm for physical health issues to be discussed openly in most organisations, but mental health remains very much a taboo topic. We’ve witnessed people from all parts of society speak up about mental health, except in the business world. So it’s up to business leaders to ensure that it can be talked […]
Men’s Health Week: better sleep is four simple steps away
It’s Men's Health Week, and while sleep issues can affect anyone, there are a few specific ways in which men manage themselves and their approach to professional life that are clear triggers to poor quality or quantity of sleep. So what are the details when it comes to men and sleep? One issue is that […]
Men’s Health Week 2014 – Is there a role for business to tackle men’s mental health?
This is men’s health week. Many people question why there is a need to focus specifically on men’s health….surely health is important to everyone? It’s because men are known to monitor their health much less than women and they’re also less inclined to seek help when they need it, usually in the hope the problem […]
Employee wellbeing: supporting personal issues at work
Tackling tough work issues is one thing, but what about when the problems are wrapped up in situations at home, in relationships, debt, or bereavement? When complicated personal issues are involved, managers can sometimes prefer to keep their distance and hope the issue goes away. At the Royal College of Nursing, we have 850 staff who […]
Why do women take more sick leave than men – and what can we do about it?
This article is part of our in-depth content series on women in the workplace – take a look at the full list of articles today and increase your knowledge of a range of issues relating to women in the workplace, including sickness absence, impostor syndrome and mental health. Last year, a study by Octopus HR found that women take […]
How can I cope better with setbacks?
Jan Hills is one of our regular contributors – this article was adapted from the content in her new book, Brain-Savvy HR, available to buy in hard copy and for Kindle on Amazon. You and a colleague have been working on a new project proposal which gets rejected by the board. You're gutted, and finding […]
Personality profiling – a pigeon hole in disguise
There are few activities in the learning and development world that have a more consistent and broad appeal than personality profiling questionnaires or psychometric tools. The profiles of which reveal how we engage, communicate and manage. The results come in different forms. Belbin Team Role, for example, uses labels such as Shaper or Team Worker, […]
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 […]
Corporate psychopaths and mental health
This article was written by Clive Boddy and Derek Miles. Clive and Derek are, respectively, Professors in Leadership and Human Resource Development at Middlesex University Business School. You can email them at c.boddy@mdx.ac.uk or d.miles@mdx.ac.uk. In relation to a previous article in HR Zone on how corporate psychopaths influenced the workplace, one commentator on the […]
How to make Happy Hour from 9-5
What is the ultimate role of HR? Is it all about benefits, processes, perks, hiring and firing? I say NO – the ultimate role of HR is to create a happy workplace. And while this may seem like a Pollyanna daydream, it makes a ton of business sense. Happy employees are not simply in a […]
Stress is helpful – but if you think it’s not, it’ll mess with your head
Stress seems to be something we are all subject too. In a recent survey by ThoughtLeaders 83% of people said that they had experienced stress that affected their performance at work. We mostly talk about the negative impacts and whilst they are many there is some interesting research that may have us thinking differently about […]
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 […]