Are UK employees crying out for financial wellbeing training?
UK adults believe their financial situation will worsen, says new CIPD research. With economic factors driving down wages and raising living costs, just 15% of the population say they live comfortably. Financial pressures are always highlighted as particularly damaging to mental health, work-life balance, personal stability and identity and relationship health, all of which have […]
Social media: working for the wellness of workers
I am one among the 22% of UK adults who do not actively use Facebook. It worries me that amongst the HR profession that minority may not be so small, behind a continuing explosion of social media penetration. It may of course just be me. But love or loathe LinkedIn, friend or foe of Facebook, if […]
How far up your list of priorities are you putting yourself?
I have recently been conducting research for my next book about stress. It’s certainly a fascinating topic and I have been involved in lots of interviews, with an eclectic mix of people, attempting to establish what tips people into a state of distress. Of course we are all unique, and like snowflakes everyone is different. […]
Who are you under your suit?
Steve Jobs once said that intuition is more powerful than intellect. As it turns out, he was onto something big. And the scientific community backs him up. It seems we’ve been giving intuition far too little respect. “Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” – Jonas Salk The importance of slowing down […]
5 Things We Can Learn From Disengaged Employees
In a recent article on our blog, I suggested that many disengaged employees do care about their work, careers, and how they are seen professionally by other people. This suggestion is based on our work with client organisations. Disengaged employees, when given the opportunity, are more likely to communicate what they need to be engaged. It […]
“The wellbeing field is so fast-changing that there is always something new & interesting to discuss.”
We're always curious to hear how our members and contributors tackle the challenges that the ever-changing world of L&D throws at them. We've got a wealth of experience and knowledge across the site, and what better way to showcase the diversity of our community than to get them to walk us through an average day? Want […]
How to get off your smartphone and start being super-productive
We live inside our smartphones. I can’t be the only one to be aware, every time I walk down the street, commuting or just at my local sports club, that most of the time we are completely bound up in our devices. Our smartphones have become Swiss army knife–like appliances that include a dictionary, calculator, […]
Tackling health and wellbeing: why we created the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work
Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Alliance Manchester Business School, President of the CIPD and Co-Chair of the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work. We asked him to tell us more about why the forum was set up, and what it hopes to […]
Learning analytics, wellbeing training and new vs. old talent management
Give yourself a well-earned break and take five to catch up on some highlights of this week's L&D news and opion before we all depart for a few days of rest over the holidays. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared, and tell us what you've enjoyed reading too! Leadership – Business […]
Uber-problematic – reflections on taxi drivers and the “agents of de-skilling” of the modern world
Have you ever had a conversation with the driver of a London Black Cab? I know the stereotypical conversation is all about Arsenal’s title chances, outspoken political opinions or a list of celebrity passengers. But if you get the chance to move beyond, “Guess, who I’ve just ‘ad in the back of me cab?” there is a […]
Return to Work Interviews: what HR is doing right (and wrong)
Records indicate that the greater completion of Return to Work Interviews (RTWIs), the lower overall absence rates are. But many organisations fail to achieve a high RTWI compliance because their line managers are either: A) poor at the process or B) lack the confidence to talk to their staff about sensitive health issues. You could […]
What could personal resilience training look like?
Mental health issues received unprecedented levels of media, political and health service attention during 2015, and will continue to do so, not only into 2016, but for the foreseeable future. The Health and Social Care Act 2012, secured explicit recognition from the Secretary of State for Health, to work towards ensuring 'parity of esteem' between physical […]
Prioritising mental wellbeing in the retail sector
With one in four colleagues facing mental health difficulties every year, it is an issue that organisations, and those charged with the wellbeing of employees, should be focused on. Here at our head office in Leeds, Asda House, we have created a ‘Wellness Hub.’ The Wellness Hub is a permanent quiet area for our colleagues […]
Let’s have a “comfort break”
There are certain words or expressions in the "real world" that REALLY get up my nose. The biggest of which is "skinny latte". In MY day, it was a milky coffee! In the "training world", three terms that make me cringe are: "Comfort break", "Plenary" and "Action Learning Set" – say what you mean for Heaven's sake! […]
Breaking the stigma: why every office needs a Mental Health First Aider
Depression, anxiety, stress – mental health issues in the workplace are cause for concern for many employers. According to the HSE stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 9.9 million days lost to work related ill health between 2014/2015. If absenteeism is having an impact on organisations, consider the impact of presenteeism to the organisation’s bottom line […]
Coffee briefing: Design thinking, leadership training and the bad side to getting a PhD
Welcome to another of our weekly round-ups of news and opinion from across the L&D industry. We'd love to know what you think of the articles we've shared, or let us know what you've found interesting this week in the comments below. Strategy – Looking ahead to #LearningLive 2016 (Kate Graham blog) – In praise of […]
What your voice in the workplace says about you
In business we usually get things done by talking. But how well are you doing this? Kate Laws from people business Connor takes a look at why it’s important to assess your communication and influencing skills at work. When it comes to business, talk isn’t cheap. From the board room to the shop floor, the […]
Mental health first aiders – yay or nay?
I've just read through this article on the BBC about mental health first aiders, it's a really nice idea to have a go-to person in an office, but thought I'd gauge the opinion on here – is it better to train up employees to deal with any mental health problems in the workplace, or is it better […]
The importance of a financial education
As a financial wellbeing company, we regularly see young people applying for our financial products. In fact, 40% of our customers are under 30 years old. Clearly, this age group needs better access to knowledge than they have at the moment, which will help them to understand and improve their financial situation. But a financial […]
Is YOUR job boring?
This article from the BBC raises the spectre of boredom becoming a formally recognised cause of stress – it got me thinking- What is it that makes a job boring for any one particular person? Bearing in mind that we are all different and that some people love doing what others would pay good money […]
