Editorial
Happy Days
It might seem a bit churlish to be thinking about time off when the new year has barely begun. After all, aren’t we expected to bounce back to work after the summer break feeling revitalised and full of Tiggerish enthusiasm for the months ahead?
Sadly, that’s not always the case. The ‘back-to-work’ blues are a recognised phenomenon. You don’t have to look far for figures to support this—like the English survey that found just one in four people return to work after a holiday feeling refreshed. And there’s the Australian study that found workers returning from their Christmas vacations are often more stressed and tired than before they took their break.
After the mad dash to the year-end finish line, we can be forgiven for wanting to sit back and put our feet up. The trouble is our ‘to-do’ lists for the holiday break often far exceed the time we have to do them in. And our busy schedules mean we’re not leaving ourselves time to recharge our batteries.
The New Zealand Herald recently reported on a study that found, whatever their occupation, people felt better on Saturday and Sunday than on week days. Men and women alike consistently felt better, both mentally and physically, at the weekend, according the results published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
Married or single, old or young, it seems that no matter what people do for a job, how much they earn, or how many hours they work, weekends are where it’s at.
Study author Professor Richard Ryan said the findings highlight just how important free time is to an individual’s wellbeing. His team found that people felt happier at weekends because they have greater freedom and control over what they are doing, and they are able to focus on activities they feel they do well.
If weekends are so good for body and soul, imagine how much more effective some extra days holiday would be? It’s a message that seems to have got through to those Gill South interviewed in her article on taking a flexible approach to annual leave (page 32). Recruiter Peter Kerridge told her: “I’d rather have someone three weeks a month who was firing for us than someone working four weeks with less energy. It’s a no brainer.”
Of course, that might not be possible for everyone, but with the shortage of talented workers resurfacing as a key concern for business, it just may be time to consider a more flexible approach.
In the meantime, I’m hoping for a fine weekend so I can get back to the landscaping project I didn’t complete over my holiday.
—Lyndsey Swan
Feature articles
The right attitude
There were virtually no young disabled broadcasters when the TV show Attitude launched in 2005, so producer Robyn Scott-Vincent set out to change that. She talks to Sally Wenley about the talented team now working on the programme.
Recruitment in 2010
Employment Today asked a selection of HR, recruitment and business professionals to gaze into their crystal balls and tell us what’s likely to happen on the recruitment front as a new decade begins.
2010 and beyond
By understanding the changes in the labour supply, employers will be better able to develop strategies for recruitment, retention and workforce development, says Dr Dafydd Davies. He provides the all-important facts and figures.
Strong foundations build success
Workforce planning is a critical part of the HR/business partnership, says Anastasia Ellerby. She outlines the key steps to implementing effective workforce planning and mitigating the people risks inherent in business strategy.
Centre stage
Assessment and development centres are powerful techniques that will help you recruit and retain the best employees—but they should be used with care. Teresa Callow puts the spotlight on seven key defining factors that will ensure success.
Getting flexible about holidays
Whether it’s done formally or informally, extra holidays are proving to be an important currency in attracting and retaining talented workers. Gill South takes a look at the market and finds days off are a welcome perk—and can even boost productivity.
Reframing bullying
The challenge with bullying is to reframe the issue by tackling negative behaviours and adopting sound preventative strategies, says David Beck. He considers the current law and offers tips on how to deal with the problem.
Facilitation: a magic bullet?
Facilitation is an option when parties are having serious difficulties concluding a collective agreement. But, say Katherine Burson and Jenna Rennie, is it a cause for hope in dispute resolution or does it have limited value?
Departments
Just the job: Finding balance
Finding balance in life and work is important, says Kaye Avery. She learned to juggle over the holidays and here she explains how juggling can help us rebalance and condition our brains to operate more efficiently.
The DoL Report: Getting behind the best
The Department of Labour’s sponsorship of the 2009 JRA Best Workplace Awards provides a valuable opportunity to recognise the best in modern business practice, says Craig Smith. He discusses the benefits involved in building the best workplaces.
Recruitment: Rolling out the red carpet for new employees
Tapping into a new employee’s enthusiasm and getting them up to speed quickly and smoothly is important, says Angela Atkins. She looks at ways to create an inspiring induction process that will ensure your new staffer is productive in no time.
Remuneration remedies: Fleeting thoughts
When it comes to the question of online versus offline training, is there really any competition? A blended approach is the best way to achieve your learning objectives, says Michael Solomon. And today’s technology means there are no limits to how learning is delivered.
HRINZ news: Flexible work—more than just talk
Graeme Sandri advocates using a flexible workforce when setting future workforce planning strategies. He explains why senior management, and in particular senior HR practitioners, need to build the right workforce by using varying hiring strategies.
Wellness at Work: The right approach
One in five New Zealanders experience a mental health problem in any given year and the majority of these people will be employees, managers or owners of companies, says Judi Clements. The Like Minds, Like Mine programme offers practical advice to help employers and employees experiencing mental health issues.
Public sector: Investigating misconduct
It’s hard to get it right when investigating misconduct, says Paul Robertson. He discusses the dismissal of a teacher which the Employment Relations Authority held to be unjustified—even though it shared the Board’s concerns about his actions. |
