Blog

  • Workplace Loneliness is Real

    workplace loneliness

    I was writing about ‘loneliness’ back in 2018 – before Covid and mass remote working was amongst us and before the global energy crisis and inflation started pressing in on people’s lives. Despite a lot of parliamentary gesturing and the setting up of the government’s Tackling Loneliness Network, the Office for National Statistics has revealed that even after the lifting of social restrictions, more people are now…

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  • Financial Wellbeing

    Financial Wellbeing

    I first wrote about ‘in-work poverty’ back in 2016, referencing research from the Joseph Rowntree Organisation highlighting the growing number of households experiencing poverty, even when at least one person was working. Sadly, there is an even greater need to raise awareness and tackle similar issues, with rising inflation, soaring energy bills and new taxes. A recent You Gov Survey provided a worrying insight into the financial…

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  • The Rise of Polyworking

    Polyworking

    What is Polyworking? The pandemic has had a profound effect on not just how and where people work, but also how they think and feel about working. Virtual and remote working have already challenged the geography of the workplace and put flexibility at the heart of many business and HR strategies. However, during the last two years of intermittent lockdowns and furloughing, more people have also taken the unusual opportunities presented to…

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  • New Flexible Working

    New Flexible Working

    On the eve of the government’s consultation deadline for “Making Flexible Working the Default”, will we see radical changes to the way we work? After all, the government has stated that it wants to take a world class approach to flexible working to ensure the opportunities and challenges of the post Covid-19 economy are maximised. In contrast, the TUC has criticised the government’s proposals, stating that they will not be the ‘game…

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  • Covid-19 information, Right to Work checks, Flexible Working and Inclusion

    Covid-19, right to work checks, flexible working and inclusion

    Latest HR News and updates on Covid-19, Right to Work checks, Flexible Working and Inclusion  * * * HOT OFF THE PRESS * * * Check out information on the Black History Month website to help create a bank of resources and reading for you and your staff for October and beyond. Also, there is now a further extension to the Kickstart Scheme which will run until March 2022 and apprenticeship incentive payments will be available until the end of…

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  • Small Business Inclusion

    Inclusion

      National Inclusion Week gives organisations a good opportunity to learn about, celebrate, share and champion inclusive practices. But what does inclusion mean in the workplace? To understand inclusion, you also need to understand equality and diversity. If equality is about the fair treatment of everyone, protected by law via The Equality Act 2010 in the UK, diversity can be described as the ‘mix’ or ‘variety’ of…

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  • Empathy at Work

    Empathy Power

    The New Super Power? I remember reading a pre-Covid Forbes article in 2019 in which the author was challenging those who referred to empathy as a “soft fluffy skill”, advocating its importance in the workplace to aid co-operation, innovation and influence. Two years on and we are living in a very different world, with new threats and challenges, so is empathy being viewed any differently? According to the employee benefits provider…

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  • Eating Disorders

    mental health awareness week 2024

    During Mental Health Awareness Week, it was refreshing to see helpful media coverage and dialogue about encouraging good mental health in and outside of work. However, we still have a long way to go to truly de-stigmatise mental illness within our society, communities and workplaces. By way of example, eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are frequently misunderstood and hidden from many employers. There is still a commonly held…

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  • Covid News, National Living Wage, Kickstart Scheme and Work-Life Blend

    Covid News, statutory rate changes and Work-Life Blend

    HR UPDATE AND EMPLOYMENT NEWS – Spring 2021 A summary of key HR and employment updates affecting small businesses: Covid News Shielding (1st April 2021) People categorised as extremely clinically vulnerable will no longer be advised to shield or be eligible to receive SSP on the basis of being advised to shield. This category of worker are being advised to work from home where possible, but if this is not possible, they should return to work.…

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  • Work-Life Blend

    Work-life balance vs Work-life blend

    Work-Life Balance vs Work-Life Blend Work-life balance was a concept first popularised by the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1980’s highlighting the importance of flexible work schedules and family friendly policies for the first time. Since then, the term has evolved to describe a state of equilibrium where a person (of any gender) equally prioritises the demands of their career and the demands of their personal life. Work-life balance…

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