HR musings with added sparkle!
Are you someone who struggles to get motivated to study and with another bank holiday, how could you possibly consider studies over social times with friends or family?
I am one of those people, I find it hard to remain focussed at times, so here are some tips that I keep in mind to keep me on track for my studies, even over bank holiday weekends!
Continue reading “Bank holiday study blues? How to rediscover your motivation! #ICSrealstories”
Kindness. It’s a simple, yet an incredibly powerful word, isn’t it? Kindness is something we can see, it is rare but we can see it, however to me it has always been a feeling or an experience, I don’t go looking for it, but I am proud to create a small part of it to bring joy to people.
When I created HR acts of kindness three years ago, it wasn’t for publicity or to get more viewers on my blog, it was simply to enable HR to use a different tool in its extensive toolkit. We often hear the phrase “be more human” but being human, to me anyway, means being kind to everyone you encounter. Kindness is one of the most basic foundations of being human, it is inexpensive and the results can last forever.
So now that the April showers have cleared, it is time to get a spring in our step and create a new wave of HR acts of kindness, to get involved, read on!
Continue reading “Hello May! Its time to create a culture of kindness #HRactsofkindness”
When I began writing this piece, it was difficult to fully piece together what the picture of men’s mental health looks like from a man’s perspective, not because I’m a woman, but because so few are reluctant to speak out. In this case, it makes this piece all the more worthwhile.
Unfortunately, around one in eight men inĀ England are currently living with a mental health issue and with suicide being the largest cause of death for men under 35, it only highlights the scale of this problem. So why are so many people reluctant to talk about it? Maybe it is because so many men may be reluctant to seek support, there are thousands of men suffering in silence due to the stigma surrounding this taboo subject.
Sadly many are afraid to speak openly about their mental health even with those closest to them, and whilst this topic is not a new issue, people are still shying away from it, so isn’t it time we start talking openly about men’s mental health?
Many people reading the title of this post will be wondering why is employee financial wellbeing important, and what does it have to do with me as an employer?
Financial worries account for the majority of stress felt by employees in the workplace today, this can be attributed to the rising costs of living combined with the stagnation of salaries. However, the impact that personal finances has onĀ your employee’s health in terms of poor psychological wellbeing, higher stress and anxiety levels, can be felt heavily by the employer such as increased levels of absence and lower levels of productivity.
Continue reading “How can employers effectively support employee financial wellbeing?”
It has been branded the worst day of the entire year (I know, tough crowd, huh?!) but is Blue Monday really that bad?
Blue Monday was actually a gimmick created by a travel company in an attempt to convince people to book a holiday, and it worked! Blue Monday is actually a big day for retailers, and with the early dark nights, the grey cold weather, the passing of the jolly Christmas festivities and the tight finances can all contribute to feeling a bit blue at this time of year.
It is safe to say that we canĀ all pretty much agree that Monday is not the most exciting day of aĀ week, and it is always hard to get back into the swing of things at work after a nice relaxing weekend. But aren’t we being a little bit harsh on the third Monday of January? Can we really assume it to be the most depressing dayĀ of the year? Personally I do not think so, but as with everything, it is a matter of perspective, but one thing is for sure, the media channels love to bring it to our attention every year, however, it is almost always in a negative light.
Natalie Ellis HR 