The UK’s Employment Rights Bill is set to become law as the Employment Rights Act 2025 and arguably represents the most significant overhaul of workplace legislation in a generation.
Ah, World Kindness Day. It makes us feel all warm and snug, every year. Hygge-like. As the international news stories tell of ever-more alarming crises, and as waves of anger seem to roll through our streets, kindness may seem like a rare occurrence these days. But that's all the more reason to uphold it. Kindness may seem scarce in the modern world, but it's also precious, and worth protecting…
We all love to say yes. It's built into our human psyche. We want to please - to feel that tiny flare of endorphins, and to see that light of satisfaction in the eyes of the person across the table. And when that other person is your boss, there's an even stronger driver to pull out all the stops. To comply with every request. To push beyond your limits…
Let’s face it, Dads: whatever your situation, choosing to have children is a really daunting prospect. Am I going to know what to do? Am I going to mess them up? How do I change a nappy? Are they going to support my favourite sports team? When am I going to spend time with them?…
It's still satisfying, isn't it? That first underfoot, autumnal crunch. It calls to the small child hiding inside each of us. But as an adult, the concept of crunch time can take on a whole new meaning. This Autumn, we've welcomed back a member of our fantastic 9-2-3 team from maternity leave. We're delighted to see her again - we've missed her fabulous sense of humour, and her innovative approach. The 9-2-3 airwaves have rung with stories of the return from our own maternity leaves. There have been increasingly enthusiastic - indeed, some might say almost frantic - attempts to pass on several attics' worth of toddler clothes and train sets…
We all know that slightly bittersweet sense that the summer is drawing to a close. We try desperately to cling on to the last few weeks, pretending against all odds that the long evenings will continue forever. That the days are still full of promise. But we know, deep down, that time is marching on. September is upon us, and with it, a whisper of change is in the air.
We're almost there. It's so close we can almost touch it. We just need to get everyone over the finish line.... If, like ours, your children are hanging on for dear life for the end of term, then you might be counting down the days until schools break up. After all, the media would have us believe that the summer holidays are endless, sunlit days full of laughter and ice lollies. Shouldn't we all be looking forward to them...?
We've all been there. A stiflingly hot room. A colleague who loves the sound of their own voice. The flashing red alert of a pressing deadline going off in your head. Your stress levels are rising, and you know that when you walk out of here, your afternoon is going to involve an imitation of the metaphorical headless chicken, and alarming quantities of caffeine…
And finally, the sun is shining! We're struck by that most British of urges - to throw caution and our cardigans to the wind, and turn our faces to the light. We find ourselves smiling at strangers in the street. Our hearts swell a little at the crescendo of birdsong, heralding the arrival of spring! Oh wait. No. No, that's not birdsong, actually. That's the repeated pinging of your work phone. It heralds not the onset of a new season, but of a new project. It signals not the turning of the earth, but rather the turning of your planned evening into several hours of answering emails...
Volunteering is a huge cultural phenomenon in the UK; in 2021/22, for example, 55% of people in England reported that they'd volunteered in the previous year, and 34% had volunteered at least once a month. That said, volunteering isn't just a one-sided undertaking - it can also be a way of acquiring new skills and experiences that you can carry across into your working life. In the immortal words of Bugsy Malone, "you give a little love, and it all comes back to you..."
Are you one of the ‘quiet quitters’, putting in minimal effort with your heart elsewhere? Are you frustrated that you’re not operating where you’re both passionate and proficient (see Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt)? Are you sick of your boss? Are your values out of kilter with your organisation? Are you returning to work after a career break and wary of stepping back in where you left off? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s probably time to act…
