Opinion – Page 3
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Summer in the city...
As temperatures began to rise this week, the Employee Benefits team received a flurry of press releases about steps employers should be taking to help employees cope with the heat during summer. With UK temperatures expected to top the hottest on record for July on Thursday (at the time of ...
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OpinionDr Monica Franco-Santos: Beware the peer-to-peer bonus
Recently, we have seen a new management practice taking centre stage: peer-to-peer bonuses. This type of scheme is a new motivation tool in which peers, rather than managers, proactively recognise the good performance of their colleagues by rewarding them with money or points.At first sight, peer-to-peer bonuses are useful, simple ...
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OpinionMarc Long: Are there hidden dangers when staff tip each other?
Peer-to-peer reward technology provides employees with a budget to tip each other small amounts of money each month, to reflect what they consider to be good work.On the face of it, a scheme that allows co-workers to ‘tip’ colleagues they think are doing a good job is a positive one. ...
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OpinionKaren Archer-Burton: The importance of aligning values with recognition
At Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals, employees are the lifeblood of the organisation; to ensure we attract and retain the very best talent, it is vital that they are recognised and feel valued.That is why we are currently reviewing our employee engagement strategy as a whole. As part of that ...
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OpinionLiza Andersin: The importance of boosting employee morale
The way people work has changed dramatically over the last five to 10 years, and is predicted to continue shifting rapidly as we move into the future. Employers are having to compete to attract and retain the best talent in this ever-changing space, in addition to focusing on business outcomes. ...
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OpinionMichael Brown: Online learning is an important tool for wellbeing and development
Wellbeing at work means a lot of different things, but the fact remains that, whether you are talking about someone’s physical wellness, mental health, or just simply whether they are happy and reaching their potential, wellbeing at work is now a top HR agenda item.Our awareness of what it means ...
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OpinionDr Heidi Smith: Focus on behaviour change to embed sustainability
At Swansea University, sustainability and wellbeing have been linked with employee benefits and reward because we want to embed sustainability into life here.Swansea is currently ranked ninth in the Guardian University Green League, and we are proud of our many achievements so far; however, we recognise that the process of ...
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OpinionJohn Forth: How have total reward trends developed?
A major feature of the reward landscape in recent years has been the prolonged period of wage stagnation; according to Employee earnings in the UK: 2018, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in October 2018, average wages are still below levels recorded in 2008, after adjusting for inflation.As ...
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OpinionNick de Mestre: Create a brand which puts talent, retention and engagement first
Now more than ever, organisations must be both commercially successful and morally sound to survive. Authenticity is increasingly important to employees, and no business has the right to exist, but rather a license to operate; at a time of increased scrutiny and demands for transparency, this license could be brought ...
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OpinionJonny Gifford: Measuring the happiness of the workforce
The key to effectively measure happiness at work is to consider a wide range of contributing factors. The UK working lives survey, published by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) on 24 April 2018, explores the components that lead to a positive or negative working life.For example, we ...
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OpinionVanessa King: The serious business of happiness at work
There is a growing body of evidence that happiness is serious for business. According to the World happiness report 2013, published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network in September 2013, happier people are more likely to perform well, adapt to change, help colleagues and be physically healthy, to name ...
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OpinionAnnie McKee: Who is responsible for happiness at work?
Life is too short to be unhappy at work, but is it a manager's responsibility to ensure that employees are fulfilled, excited and passionate about what they do, or is happiness something they must tend to on their own?Happiness at work starts with the individual. True, colleagues can be difficult, ...
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OpinionKatrina Philippou: What is the key to increasing workplace happiness?
Most forward-thinking employers have begun to recognise happiness at work as a key piece of the productivity puzzle; it is a factor that cannot be ignored, with research conducted by Warwick University finding that happy employees are 12% more productive.Personal Group runs a UK employee happiness survey each year, which ...
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OpinionProfessor Cynthia Fisher: Rewarding work influences employee happiness
There are many ways in which the workplace influences employee happiness. These include leadership, friendships and fair treatment; however, employee happiness is much more heavily influenced by the work itself.First, and most immediately, employees feel happier when they think they are doing well, and worse when they experience setbacks. Research ...
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OpinionKaroli Hindriks: Office anywhere – why remote work improves employee satisfaction
The nature of work has changed significantly over the past few decades; advancements in technology mean that modern workforces are better equipped to function with greater efficacy than ever before. Employees are able to communicate faster and more effectively, which means that businesses can provide more services, generate more revenue ...
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OpinionDaniel Elliott: Saying 'thank you' has far-reaching business impacts
A large number of employees will at some point in their career experience times of frustration and the feeling that they are not appreciated. Many organisations have a demanding culture, requiring long office hours and even weekend work, all for the good of the organisation.For a staff member going above ...
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OpinionEmma Hamnett: Key Christmas party warnings
In the run-up to Christmas and the dreaded office party, employers should be aware of a recent judgment that means they may be legally responsible for the actions of their staff, even if they take place outside the workplace.In itself, this is not news, but a recent Court of Appeal ...
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OpinionDanielle Crawford: What do employers need to watch out for with Christmas rewards?
Many employers offer their workforce some form of incentive or reward during the festive period. However, in order to minimise the risk of disgruntled employees, employers need to carefully consider their Christmas gestures of goodwill.First and foremost, organisations must ensure that their employees are treated fairly and consistently. People will ...
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OpinionProfessor Kirk Chang: Are incentives outdated?
There are thousands of types of incentives, but they usually fall into three main category bases: holiday, finance and workshop or training.These have been used around the world in various types of organisations, and they all have their positives and negatives. No reward system is perfect, but, in general, they ...
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OpinionProfessor Alex Bryson: All-employee share plans increase loyalty and productivity
Across Britain, around half of all listed organisations run some kind of all-employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), offering workers the opportunity to buy shares in the firm at discounted rates.In How does shared capitalism affect economic performance in the UK?, Bryson and Freeman, 2010, we found plan members behave differently ...