Zika virus declared public health emergency
The Zika virus spread through South America in 2016 and infected 1.5 million people in Brazil alone. While the virus rarely poses a danger to healthy adults it can have very serious consequences for pregnant women. Several countries issued travel warnings regarding the area, and Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica advised their citizens to delay getting pregnant.
Gender pay gap reporting details released
In February then education secretary and minister for women and equalities Nicky Morgan announced details on gender pay gap reporting, now due to be introduced in April 2018. Large organisations will have to disclose how much they are paying in salaries and bonuses to their male and female staff. The reporting regulations will require them to divide their pay distribution into four bands and work out the number of men and women in each quartile.
The best bits of HR magazine in February:
Generational categories miss the point
Thinking of each generation as an alien species is much less productive than focusing on overall workplace trends, says Penny Moyle, CEO at business psychologists OPP.
The most demotivating business behaviours
Lenovo's head of talent development, Maxim Strashun, on what not to do around employee engagement.
HR Future Leaders Forum discusses boardroom influence and workplace politics
HR thought leaders including Neil Morrison and Helen Pitcher shared their views with the HR talent of the future at an HR magazine event.
The HR challenges of an ageing workforce
People are living (and working) for longer, which has implications for employers' age strategies beyond older workers. Our February cover story investigated what HR needs to do as our workforce ages.