HRZone

4/30/2026

Financial stress in UK workplaces is at crisis levels, risking retention and productivity. Gethin Nadin advocates for treating financial wellbeing with the same institutional seriousness as mental health. The post The ‘midlife money squeeze’ is affecting your best people appeared first on HRZone.

4/29/2026

Employers face a dual challenge this spring: new legal requirements to keep detailed records of annual leave and holiday pay, alongside rising employee travel disruption amid global instability. Phil Pepper advises HR teams to act quickly and coordinate carefully to ensure both legal compliance and consistent, fair support for employees. The post Holiday compliance and travel disruption: What HR needs to do now appeared first on HRZone.

4/28/2026

The link between financial stress, mental health and suicide risk is well evidenced. Yet most employees won't tell you they are struggling. Jane Vivier, Independent reward professional and FinWELL advocate, and Alice Hendy MBE highlight what the data shows and what needs to urgently change. The post Check your blind spot: Financial stress, mental health and suicide risk at work appeared first on HRZone.

4/27/2026

Addressing the pay gap is not just about policy; it's about leadership credibility and trust. Sandi Wassmer explores what genuine C-suite ownership looks like. The post The gender pay gap: Why C-suite accountability matters more than ever appeared first on HRZone.

4/23/2026

Burnout can sometimes look like high performance, commitment and resilience. For Stress Awareness Month, PQ Coach Lisa Hammett explains the five stages of burnout and how to ensure you pay attention early enough to act. The post Before the breakdown: How to spot burnout before crisis appeared first on HRZone.

4/22/2026

Summary: Burnout isn’t a personal failing, it’s a systems problem. The shift from episodic workplace pressure to constant, unrelenting strain has created a leadership capacity gap that individual resilience can’t bridge. HR professionals must move beyond wellbeing programmes and take responsibility for redesigning how work is structured, prioritised and led. It’s easy to talk about […] The post Leaders are burning out: Stop fixing people and start fixing the system appeared first on HRZone.

4/21/2026

While 64 per cent of organisations are actively working to reduce workplace stress, only half think it's making a difference. Parental coach Giulia Galli examines the gap and advises on meaningful ways to close it. The post Your wellbeing scores look great. That might be the problem appeared first on HRZone.

4/20/2026

Summary: At the route of the manager engagement crisis is a role that nobody designed. Instead, the role accumulated everything organisations had nowhere else to put. AI now makes it possible to alleviate administrative weight and rebuild around what only humans can do. By redesigning the role, organisations can ensure it’s effective, sustainable and worth […] The post Gallup’s 2026 workplace report: How do we fix the manager engagement collapse? appeared first on HRZone.

4/16/2026

Another term is doing the rounds and how we respond to the narrative it carries will have huge impacts on psychological safety and belonging. Deborah Hartung warns against letting the ‘sickfluencer’ rhetoric infiltrate your culture. The post Sickfluencers: Why this tabloid narrative is bad for business appeared first on HRZone.

4/15/2026

Mandating AI without a clear purpose or strategy is creating distrust. Stephanie Davis Neill delves into the new form of employee disengagement that’s emerging and what organisations are getting wrong about change management. The post When AI adoption becomes performance theatre: Inside the new kind of employee disengagement  appeared first on HRZone.

4/15/2026

HR professionals are being asked to do more, faster and with fewer resources. In her first Editor’s note, Lauren Haigh shares her early reflections on how quickly the HR landscape is shifting, and sets out her commitment to delivering practical advice and honest insights that helps practitioners navigate the fast-moving world of work. The post From the Editor: An industry under pressure deserves authentic, actionable content appeared first on HRZone.

4/14/2026

Burnout comes from outdated systems that are consuming energy. Thom Dennis believes that rather than seeking to change the people without changing the structure, it's time to remove the constraints that prevent natural processes from reasserting themselves, and then step back and watch the magic unfold. The post Why you need to to rewild your organisation appeared first on HRZone.

4/13/2026

The decline of young people in education, employment and training signals a long-term threat to talent pipelines, future skills and the sustainability of the UK workforce. Angela Matthews highlights why HR leaders need to pay attention, and where to start. The post Why HR can’t afford to ignore the UK’s emerging younger workforce crisis  appeared first on HRZone.

4/13/2026

At the end of the month, the must-attend event for HR professionals returns: HR Technologies UK. As a proud media partner, HRZone is looking forward to seeing how the UK's leading tech-focused event unfolds. The post HR Technologies UK 2026: Exploring the future of HR, together appeared first on HRZone.

4/9/2026

Workforce diagnostics and engagement surveys are everywhere and yet engagement stagnates and turnover is increasing. Brian Bakeberg warns that when we measure without providing the agency to act, employees start to feel less heard and more surveilled. The post HR is watching you: Why pulse surveys are killing trust appeared first on HRZone.

4/8/2026

The prevailing narrative that people have to ‘trust’ AI in order to realise its benefits brings various risks. Quentin Millington looks at reasons we cannot, and should not, trust AI, and argues that a more relevant ambition is to seek AI systems that we can instead ‘rely’ on. The post Forget trust. Is AI reliable? appeared first on HRZone.

4/7/2026

Day-one SSP is now in effect. But will it actually reach the workers it's designed to help? HR Technical Consultant Sarah Kerr explains that the gap between policy update and real-world application isn’t in legislation, but in everyday decisions made by line managers. The post Day One SSP: Closing the gap between policy and practice appeared first on HRZone.

4/2/2026

The Drama Triangle is a dysfunctional dynamic that can be deeply damaging to business. Emma Georgiou says it’s time to start thinking like a Traitors contestant who’s just worked out the game. What’s your next move? The post The Drama Triangle: Why your conflict training isn’t reaching the people who need it most appeared first on HRZone.

4/1/2026

How do we actually measure the value of knowledge work? Deborah Hartung delves into the misconduct that’s holding up a mirror in the knowledge economy, warning that if we continue to manage by signs of life, we should not be surprised when people learn to fake a heartbeat. The post Faking productivity: Do you know the difference between a pulse and a purpose? appeared first on HRZone.

4/1/2026

The first wave of the Employment Rights Act lands this month. Charles Hipps, Founder and CEO of Oleeo, breaks down what the changes mean for HR practitioners. The post April’s employment law shake-up: What HR needs to do right now appeared first on HRZone.

3/31/2026

Whether you’re Gen Z, millennial or Gen X, work has to meet intrinsic needs. Most of us want the opportunity to make a difference, to grow and develop and to be recognised and valued. Blaire Palmer explains why abandoning outdated principles and getting curious is the route to understanding and getting the best out of Gen Z. The post Stop asking why Gen Z are difficult and start asking what they are showing you appeared first on HRZone.

3/30/2026

One in five job adverts dress up legal rights as perks. Appreciation expert Chris Britton assesses the damaging impact of ‘fake perks’ on candidates and companies alike and underlines the need for HR to show up authentically. The post The ‘fake perks’ problem: How misleading job ads are fuelling ghosting appeared first on HRZone.

3/26/2026

Global payments shouldn't still be this hard. For businesses managing cross-border contractors, the complexity isn't a minor operational annoyance, it's a strategic constraint that shapes which talent is actually accessible. Bryan Pena, Workforce Strategy Consultant at Defiant Solutions & Papaya Global, makes the case for treating payments as infrastructure, not an obstacle. The post The global payments problem: Why your payment infrastructure is a workforce strategy issue appeared first on HRZone.

3/25/2026

While the EU Pay Transparency Directive doesn't apply to the UK, its effects already do. Gethin Nadin argues that pay transparency is already here. The question is: Will we shape our own framework, or adopt the one being written next door? The post Pay transparency WILL come to the UK: Are you ready?  appeared first on HRZone.

3/24/2026

With reforms to zero-hours contracts on the horizon, specialist employment lawyer Philip Pepper advises that the time to act is now and offers practical guidance on the decisions employers should be making today. The post The future of flexibility: Preparing for reforms to zero-hours contracts appeared first on HRZone.

3/23/2026

Effectively judging situations and acting appropriately under pressure are inherently human skills. But new research suggests that the ability to take accountability is largely contextual. Ella Overshott explores resonant findings and how they can be applied in practice by establishing a culture of accountability. The post AI won’t take accountability, will you? appeared first on HRZone.

3/19/2026

Empathy has become essential to leadership, yet new research reveals that managers consistently score lower than the general population in emotional sensitivity. Jasmine Escalera, Career Expert at Zety, explains why this gap might exist, and how HR can help managers stay connected to their teams whilst maintaining the decisiveness their roles demand. The post The empathy gap in management: What HR needs to know appeared first on HRZone.

3/18/2026

The statistics speak for themselves; neurodiversity is prevalent in the workplace and beyond and yet misunderstanding and discrimination remain. What can organisations do to bring out the best in their neurodiverse employees? The post Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Designing an environment where neurodiverse talent thrives appeared first on HRZone.

3/18/2026

Whereas average managers quietly wend their way to retirement, the best performers may account for your greatest headaches. Quentin Millington of Marble Brook looks at how ‘smart and driven’ managers fail, and offers ways HR can support people to make the most of their rare strengths. The post How smart and driven managers fail appeared first on HRZone.

3/17/2026

A recent Times feature argues UK HR teams have become "bloated", costing the economy £10bn. Rena Christou, CEO of The Empowering People Group, explains why this headline-grabbing claim oversimplifies a far more complex reality. The post HR isn’t “bloated”. The debate is just oversimplified appeared first on HRZone.

3/16/2026

On Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Atif Choudhury, CEO of Calling All Minds, urges employers to move beyond awareness campaigns and start actively removing barriers. Sustainable inclusion can only be achieved when workplace systems are designed with diversity in mind – a philosophy that the City of London is embodying through its Neurodiversity in the City initiative. The post Neurodiversity inclusion must move from awareness to workplace design appeared first on HRZone.

3/12/2026

Instead of RTO mandates, what if organisations designed purposeful events that people actually want to attend? Mark Griffith of FourthWall shares insights from people leaders at Lloyds Bank, DHL and Lockton, who are creating in-person activations that deepen connection to purpose and build genuine belonging. The post Why your RTO strategy needs purposeful in-person experiences (not mandates) appeared first on HRZone.

3/11/2026

A new Deloitte study finds that artificial intelligence is creating what researchers call 'AI cultural debt'. When organisations move quickly on implementation whilst leaving trust, clarity and behaviour to chance, the hidden costs compound. Culture transformation expert Deborah Hartung explores the growing suspicion economy and how to address the cultural fallout. The post The suspicion economy: Why low-trust organisations are racking up ‘AI cultural debt’ appeared first on HRZone.

3/10/2026

Even well-run grievance processes fail when psychological safety is absent, warns employment lawyer Gillian Melville. When procedural rigidity takes precedence over lived experience, employees can feel unheard and more inclined to litigate. As employment tribunal cases rise, HR needs to consider a more nuanced approach to conflict resolution. The post Are your grievance procedures escalating workplace conflict? appeared first on HRZone.

3/9/2026

Over half of business leaders regret layoffs made using AI-driven tools. But regret is not the biggest concern here – legal risk is. Carolina Merlin, Compliance Manager of Mauve Group, highlights the dangers of giving too much control to AI in HR decision-making, and why proper governance is essential at every stage of the employee lifecycle. The post The legal risks of AI-driven recruitment and redundancy (and how to govern them properly) appeared first on HRZone.

3/5/2026

As we approach International Women's Day on 8 March, it's worth examining who benefits most from flexible working – and who suffers when it disappears. For disabled women, flexibility isn't a perk but a lifeline that determines whether they can stay in work at all. Diane Lightfoot, Chief Executive Officer of Business Disability Forum, explains why the decline in remote jobs threatens inclusion, equality and the government's own disability employment targets. The post  Why flexible working is a lifeline for disabled women  appeared first on HRZone.

3/4/2026

RTO mandates – and their failings – still make headlines six years on from the pandemic. Why do so many employers struggle to create hybrid working policies that work for both their people and the business? Jane Young, Head of Future of Work at HubStar, says the problem lies in poor data visibility, an unwillingness to embrace complexity, and a lack of managerial autonomy. The post RTO mandates: Policy vs reality with Jane Young, Head of Future of Work, HubStar appeared first on HRZone.

3/3/2026

We’re now in the era of the megamanager, with the average team leader now overseeing 12.1 direct reports. As spans of control expand, managers are consuming information more superficially than ever. Matt Poepsel, VP of Talent Optimization at The Predictive Index, explains why this combination is dangerous and how attention management has become 2026's most critical leadership capability. The post The human cost of megamanaging: Why your leaders have an attention deficit appeared first on HRZone.

3/2/2026

When employees can't see how they progress, engagement dips and retention suffers long before you notice. Sarah Lardner, Director of Business Innovation at Innecto, provides a practical guide to building career clarity now – from auditing your current approach and updating job architecture to leveraging technology that places career ownership in employees' hands. The post An HR guide to retaining knowledge (and talent) through career fluidity appeared first on HRZone.

2/27/2026

Are your employees slow to adopt AI, despite your efforts to train them? You're not alone. Alice Burks of Deel highlights four common errors organisations make in their AI training – from murky rules to theory-heavy content – and how to avoid them. The post How to sidestep four common AI training pitfalls appeared first on HRZone.