Columnists
September 7, 2022
Remote work and the things we have learned about it
by Sara Whitman and Isabel Conrad • Comment, Flexible working
Two plus years after the onset of the pandemic and many employees are continuing to work remotely, either full or part-time. We know that the ability to work remotely increases employee happiness by as much as 20 percent, but employees will tend to work longer hours and are more likely to experience burnout. The debate […]
September 7, 2022
Understanding employee wellbeing in the fight for talent
by Simon Daly • Comment, Wellbeing
The pivot to remote work over the past few years has undoubtedly had its benefits, with many of us finding new ways to be productive and collaborate with our peers. This includes taking advantage of new workplace trends such as ‘workcations’, where people can work from another country, flexible working, and four-day work weeks where […]
August 30, 2022
Is the growing number of working mums a cause for celebration or concern?
by Hina Belitz • Comment, Wellbeing
Working mothers are a resilient group, accustomed to juggling work responsibilities and family time with aplomb. Such was the conclusion in a report from McKinsey last year. But the day-to-day challenges they face can severely test that resilience. The proportion of working mums in the UK has just matched the highest ever recorded figure. In […]
August 26, 2022
Automation presents some legal risks you really need to address
by James Crayton and Luke Jackson • Comment, Technology
Many think that robots making deliveries, ‘waitering’ in restaurants or working at hospitals is a long way off. However, breakthroughs in robotics, machine learning and other technologies are making automation a reality in many industries. This will accelerate in upcoming years. Indeed, the smart technologies are forecast to add a whopping $15 trillion to the […]
August 25, 2022
How Microsoft’s social listening research highlighted changing attitudes to work
by Camila Angio • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing
The current state of the talent market is putting significant pressure on business. Employers are experiencing an acute skills gap, with average vacancies across industries per 100 jobs ranging between 5 and 8, according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics in June 2022 – the highest average since records began. As more […]
August 23, 2022
Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees
by Anthony Thompson • Comment, Workplace
Companies and employees are often acutely aware of the terms of their written employment contracts. The roles, responsibilities, working hours and salaries are clearly laid out for all to see. What is often overlooked, however, is that there is a second, hidden, contract within the employment relationship. This is known as the psychological contract. The […]
August 5, 2022
The four day week might be the wellbeing solution workers need
by Mark Hall • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
It’s been a couple of months now since 70 companies in Britain began their four day week pilot program, where thousands of employees went from celebrating the Queen’s 70th Jubilee to celebrating shorter work weeks without reduction in pay for the remainder of 2022. The pilot had been highly anticipated by workers and employers alike […]
August 3, 2022
We can re-imagine the future of human resources
by Richa Gupta • Comment, Workplace
The world of work is changing rapidly. Businesses are having to make fundamental shifts to adjust to the emergence of new business models, technologies and the changing expectations of the workforce. This has left human resources teams all over the world needing to efficiently adapt the way they hire, develop and take care of their […]
July 29, 2022
It should be much easier to identify genuinely green products
by Julie Hadley • Comment, Environment
We all need to become more environmentally conscious, so there’s a greater focus than ever on workplace sustainability. Trying to find greener products, and making sure they truly are better than the alternatives, is a complex task. Once you’ve acknowledged that you really do need to make a purchase and other options have been exhausted, […]
July 25, 2022
Have we arrived at a point of equilibrium in the great workplace conversation?
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing
Perhaps the greatest irony of the tedious home v office debate is that the absolutists on both sides rely on many of the same fallacies. They tend to build their arguments around a simplistic view of the office and remote work that has little basis in reality. Unsurprisingly, when they do get their way, reality […]
September 9, 2022
Calling time on the quiet quitting hysteria
by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working
In a 2002 speech, the author Michael Crichton coined the term Gell-Mann Amnesia effect, after the physicist Murray Gell-Mann. He used it to describe a particular phenomenon in which experts in a given field will believe news and opinions in the media, even though they know the same media can be spectacularly unreliable on matters […]