The New Labor Market: Why it’s different this timeThe post-pandemic labor market remains unrecognizable in comparison to what was standard a few years ago. From a global pandemic to record-high inflation, workers have been rattled by a number of factors – some of which motivated them to simply leave the workforce altogether with no plans to return. Workers are missing, and as employers, we need to be prepared with strategies to improve efficiency and offer greater value to current and prospective employees to support higher retention. How did we get here? The irony of the shrinking labor mark ..read more

As work environments in the UK become progressively more demanding, employees are putting new demands on their senior leadership teams and HR decision-makers. The demand for better mental health support comes as UK workers increasingly face challenging workloads, long hours, and pressures to maintain high-performance levels constantly and consistently.  The uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated this –  as more companies implemented remote work to mitigate the risk of infection, the ‘always on’ monolithic era of working has been born. This will only be amp ..read more

Do hiring algorithms prevent bias or amplify it? As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand across all industries, human resources (HR) departments have been among the first to embrace its capabilities. AI provides HR departments with new tools to streamline the job application process for both candidates and employers, automate repetitive tasks in the onboarding process and recognise patterns indicative of employee turnover intention. While these technologies offer a range of benefits, such as improving the candidate experience and reducing time and cost, they also pose r ..read more

With increased rates of employment amongst women over 50, more women than ever before will experience menopause symptoms during their working lives. According to a report by the Fawcett Society, about 1 in 10 women aged 45-55 left their jobs in 2022 due to menopause symptoms and lack of workplace support. Analysis of Court records by the Menopause Experts Group shows that the number of tribunal cases citing menopause increased by 44% in 2021. As workplace issues relating to the menopause are increasing – what is the legal position?There is no specific legal protection aimed at workers going t ..read more

There has been a tug-o-war between the four different generations in the workplace and their views on diversity, equity and inclusion practices, as of late. As millions of Baby Boomers retire each year, the workforce welcomes many more Generation Z workers and their demand for a more inclusive workplace. Research indicates that those of the  Baby Boomer generation view DEI lower on their list of workplace priorities, members of Generation X have mixed views, Millennials recognize its importance, and Generation Z, the most diverse and most-educated American generation yet, believe that wo ..read more

As digitisation continues to run rampant, so too is the evolution of the modern workplace and employee expectations. Human resources departments are facing an uphill battle to meet the adapting professional needs of employees, not to mention balancing this with evolving business goals and targets. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, business communications, training, announcements and socials were all delivered via computer screens. Over time, many companies realised that they could be more productive by balancing the use of technology and remote working infrastructure, given that many employees ..read more

For millions of employees, work simply isn’t working for them anymore. The problem is so big that nearly one in ten young people who have not entered the workforce say they never intend to. A further third don’t feel they’ll be able to meet their career ambitions anymore. Where did it go so wrong, and how do we fix it?  The social contract has broken down Part of the reason people are beginning to become so disillusioned with work is that the deal isn’t attractive enough anymore. Many of those working full time still find themselves struggling to pay for essentials, home ownership among ..read more

Workers are logging more hours and shouldering heavier workloads than ever before. In both work schedule and work volume, there’s been a steady moving of the goalposts for years. In many jobs, the expectation of what one person can reliably accomplish or manage in their role has become unreasonable. Americans now spend up to 19 percent more time on the job than their European counterparts. The average office worker receives 120 emails every day. Even a global pandemic didn’t slow the swelling of our at-work obligations. An analysis of the emails and meetings of 3.1 million people in sixteen g ..read more

You might be missing out on a raft of talent – without even realising it. Neurodiversity is the umbrella term for dozens of conditions, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism, and it refers to neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behaviour. As diagnosis becomes more common and accessible, one in seven of the UK population now falls within the neurodivergent category. Yet it’s estimated that 30-40% of neurodivergent employees are unemployed. That’s three times the rate of people with physical disabilities and eight times the rate of people without disabilities. It’s about time ..read more

As a manager, part of your job is to inspire your team to do what you want them to do. Typically, this relates directly to their work performance. Their work performance can, however, be directly influenced by their health. Their health can be directly influenced by their diet. This means that influencing your team to eat well could boost their performance. Set the example you want others to follow There are as many different management styles as there are managers. The effective ones all require managers to set the example they want their team to follow. For this to happen, your team has to ..read more