June 2017 - Kathryn Kendall

I’m working from home today. This is not an especially unusual occurrence – I work from home for part of most days, though it’s more unusual for me to block out a full day to be at home.

Working from home, in my view, is a little like Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. And we’ll explore some of the rationale behind that in this blog post. But regardless of whether you’re a “WFH” fan or not, the fact remains that, with the rise of technology and the associated change it has brought to our working conditions, working from home is here to stay.

‘Flexibility To Travel’. Unintentional Discrimination?

By Kathryn Kendall

On 27th June 2017

In Culture

Some of you may have read a blog post I wrote for Benefex last week, in which I talked about the desperate need for us to relook at the way we treat parents and parental responsibilities within the workplace.

The need to provide increased flexibility doesn’t just apply to parents, either. When CV Library undertook a piece of research to understand what employees would cite as their most desired workplace benefit, flexible working came out on top with a massive 47% of respondents listing it. Like it or not, a demand for increased flexibility within the workplace is here to stay. The very best organisations out there have already woken up to this, and are making workplace flexibility a key component of their EVP.

Summer in the City: The Dress Code Dilemma

By Kathryn Kendall

On 21st June 2017

In Culture

In this current heatwave that we’re enjoying/enduring (dependent on your view on warm weather!), my thoughts have turned once again to the subject of dress codes.

I’ve blogged previously on such a topic, and my personal reasons why I believe office dress codes are both archaic and actually counteractive to productivity. However, today I’d like to explore our obsession with dress codes not only within the office, but also outside of it.

Cast No Shadow: The Benefits of Work Shadowing

By Kathryn Kendall

On 16th June 2017

In L&D

work shadowing

You have no doubt heard of work shadowing. It’s something which is typically used as part of an induction, or training process. The idea being that an employee goes and sits with another employee, to observe them working. Why? Well, the benefits are multiple. It’s a chance to observe working practises first hand. An opportunity to absorb knowledge and to learn new skills via direct observation. For new joiners to the business, it also provides time to get to know colleagues and start to build those all-important working relationships.

Delivering Value: A Roll Out Programme

By Kathryn Kendall

On 8th June 2017

In Culture, Uncategorized

Following on from my recent blog on the Value of Values, I wanted to write a series of blog posts talking about the roll out of our new values here at Benefex.

The first and most obvious question you might ask is, why the change? If you already have a set of values in place, why look to change them?

Up Close and Personnel

Month: June 2017

Working From Home, And Making Home Work For You

‘Flexibility To Travel’. Unintentional Discrimination?

Summer in the City: The Dress Code Dilemma

Cast No Shadow: The Benefits of Work Shadowing

Delivering Value: A Roll Out Programme