Richard Branson: Prioritising people over profit
“Clients do not come first. Employees are first. “If you look after your employees, then they will take good care of clients.” Context This quote by Sir Richard Branson is one of his most cited comments about business leadership and workplace culture. This is not a brand new statement. It has appeared in many of […]
Google worried by slow AI adoption in UK
The Google UK and European Operations head has warned that the UK is not adopting artificial intelligence (AI), which could lead to the country losing out on economic benefits. According to a new study by the tech giant, two thirds (66%) of UK workers had never used AI generative in their job. This usage was […]
European workers fear negative impacts of US corporate culture at work
European employees are concerned about the influence of American culture in their workplaces, according to an employee survey conducted among employees from the UK, France Germany Italy and Spain. According to the research conducted by career platform Zety there are widespread concerns about long-term effects of U.S. corporate practices on European standards for employment, wellbeing […]
The new pension reform consolidates small pots to reduce administrative burden
The UK Government has announced a policy to help workers track their retirement savings. This will be done by consolidating all small pension pots. Torsten Bell, the Pensions Minister, announced this initiative on 24 April. It will be implemented through the Pension Schemes Bill. This reform addresses a growing problem with small, fragmented retirement pots […]
Chelsea Feeney: Supreme Court Decision for Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers-implications for employers
The Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd. v Scottish Ministers on Wednesday, 16 April 2025. This judgement relates to the application “woman” under the little known Gender Representation in Public Boards Act (Scotland), 2018. However, the public debate about the decision is still going on. This decision […]
Apprentice dismissed after colleague “poked finger-sized hole” in his sandwich
We’ve all been there: we put our lunch into the fridge at work, spent the morning anticipating it, and then come back to lunch to find that it has disappeared. It’s bad enough that it was stolen. But what if the lunch had not been taken, but instead destroyed and left out for you to […]
A quarter of employees are concerned AI will threaten their jobs – Acas
According to a study by Acas, more than a quarter (25%) of workers fear that AI will result in job losses. YouGov, in a report for the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, asked UK workers what their main concerns were about AI. A sixth (17%) of respondents were worried that AI would make mistakes, while […]
What will the rewards look like in 2035?
Innecto predicted ten years ago what rewards might look like by 2025. What’s next for HR and pay professionals after a turbulent decade? Justine Woolf gives some predictions. Deborah Frost, the CEO of Innecto Reward Consulting at the time, explored trends toward matrix organizations and social working when she wrote about How reward might look […]
From HR to Business Partner: How People Teams can Earn a Seat at the Leadership Table
All of us have been there. We have been working day in and day out, sometimes for years. We work hard, but we’re not included in the leadership. Why? Why? The Five Principles Get Curious Lead data Add Value Be aware of yourself Build Relationships It’s not because building relationships is less important. Earning strong […]
Tribunal rules that a woman was unfairly terminated from Marks & Spencer for disclosing her pregnancy
An employment tribunal ruled that a woman who worked for Marks & Spencer in Watford was unfairly terminated after she informed her employer of pregnancy. Nilgun Kolan worked at the bakery of a high-street retailer for a short time in October 2023. She was initially inducted in Uxbridge, where it was promised that she wouldn’t […]