Ask the Expert: What to do about a serious staff/manager rift?
The question Within the business, we have an employee and a line manager whose working relationship has completely broken down. The line manager has been with us for 20 years and has an unblemished record. The employee has been in post for three months, but has had no previous employment issues and her references […]
Blog: Are your staff getting enough shuteye?
For many of us pressing the snooze button on our alarms has become part of our daily routine and taking your laptop home alongside that extra pile of paperwork has become something of the norm. But do we actually realise the negative impact this is having on our productivity in the workplace? ‘Chronic lack of […]
News: Lack of HR support means 1/3 senior hires consider quitting in first 3 months
A failure by top managers to work closely enough with HR means that two out of five senior hires consider quitting in their first 90 days and are 50% less productive than they would otherwise be. According to a survey among 283 senior executives and 38 HR directors conducted by recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, a […]
News: Fear of fitness-to-work test driving disabled to suicide
Fear of fitness-to-work tests are driving some disabled people to suicide and causing others mental health problems, according to the latest research among GPs. A survey of more than 1,000 family doctors in the UK revealed that more than four out of five had patients who had developed mental health issues such as stress, anxiety […]
Blog: Are British workers really the most idle in the world?
British workers are among the most idle in the world, according to a book written by five Tory MPs. In the book ‘Britannia Unchained: Lessons for Growth and Prosperity’ the authors wrote: “Once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and […]
News: UK workers ‘most depressed in Europe’
UK workers are the most depressed in Europe, with just over a quarter having been diagnosed with the condition, according to research. But because diagnosis levels across the continent are on average about 20%, falling to a mere 12% in Italy, it appears that the country’s dubious position at the top of the polls may […]
News: Bereaved parents call for corporate manslaughter charges against G4S
The parents of a private security guard have called for his employer, G4S, to be charged with corporate manslaughter after their son was killed by a colleague described by an alleged whistleblower as a “violent criminal”. According to a BBC documentary entitled ‘Britain’s Private War’, which is due to be screened on BBC Two Scotland […]
News: Redundancies likely early next year if economy fails to improve, warns CIPD
Rising unit labour costs and falling productivity will only put more pressure on employers to either restrict pay rises and cut working hours or start making redundancies, the CIPD has warned. Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics revealed that the productivity of UK workers fell by 0.9% in the second quarter of […]
Blog: HR, it’s time to show bullies the exit
“As I opened the door, I saw her with her back turned and shoulders slumped. When she turned around, I could see that she had been crying. I felt bad but it made me realize that I am not the only one who gets verbally abused. The kicker was that she was a senior level […]
The first HCM reporting benchmark: BITC’s Workwell model
Today’s launch of Business in the Community’s Workwell FTSE 100 benchmark is the culmination of more than five years of research into the issue of human capital management reporting. The benchmark was created by the charity in partnership with key employers such as BT Group in order to demonstrate the benefits of taking a strategic, […]
HRD Insight: Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Leigh Lafever-Ayer on flexible working
This week is National Work-Life Week, which is intended to encourage both employers and their employees to think about how they can strike a better work-life balance. One popular flexible working method is home-working and people who do so are reportedly less stressed and feel happier that they are getting the balance between the two […]
News: Higher stress levels and longer hours with us for next 3 years
Increasing numbers of UK workers are suffering excessive pressure in their job as they work longer hours than ever – and the situation isn’t expected to change any time soon. According to a survey of 1,606 companies across the world conducted by professional services firm Towers Watson, a third acknowledged that employees were under […]
Well-being at work: Learning to love what you do
One of the strongest predictors of health and well-being turns out to be the quality of our social connections. Yet, have you ever turned up for a doctor’s appointment, had your blood pressure taken and then been asked some rather direct questions about your social life: Do you often get together with family and friends? […]
News: Call centre workers in East Anglia most likely to throw a sickie…
Although a third of UK workers admit to having pulled a sickie, a worrying 55% soldier on when ill due to anxiety over what their boss or colleagues will think. According to a survey conducted among 2,000 employees by insurance comparison website Confused.com, some 35% admitted lying to their manager over why they had missed […]
News: Lack of first aid skills leads to death of 140,000 workers each year
Although up to 140,000 people die each year due to lack of access to first aid, about half of all UK employers have no formal processes in place to assess workers’ needs in an emergency. According to research conducted among 4,000 people by One Poll on behalf of St John’s Ambulance, less than 20% acknowledged […]
Ask the Expert: What legal issues do well-being initiatives generate?
The question I have been asked to introduce some health and well-being initiatives into our workplace. Where should I start and are there any particular legal issues/pitfalls that I need to be aware of? The legal verdict Esther Smith, a partner at Thomas Eggar Where to start indeed! There is pretty […]
News: Heart attack risk higher for disempowered workers under stress
Being under stress at work but not having the power to change the situation increases the risk of a heart attack or death from coronary heart disease, researchers have found. As a result, according to a team at the University College London, ‘job strain’, which is a form of stress, appears to be most common […]
Living Leader Learnings: Longer hours for less pay – How can I motivate my team?
The challenge The project team manager at a building refurbishment company asks: “Motivating my team is really hard at the moment – their salaries have been frozen for the last two years and, because we have been unable to replace some staff members who left, everyone is working harder than ever. They all feel […]
News: Two whistleblowers find themselves vindicated
Two whistleblowers, one employed by the UK’s Care Quality Commission and the other a US former banker at UBS, both found themselves vindicated in their actions this week. Dame Jo Williams, who stepped down as chairman of the health regulator last week, was forced to apologise to a hearing of MPs for making public allegations […]
Blog: Learning resilience from going with the flow
As you are no doubt aware, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (yes – spelling is correct!) is a key proponent of the theory of Flow – whereby Flow is described as the state when a person in an activity is fully immersed, creating a sense of energized focus, full involvement, and success. So what I hear you ask!? […]