Snap general election
On 8 June the British public cast their votes in a general election. Prime minister Theresa May called the snap election in the hope that it would secure a larger majority for the Conservative party to "strengthen [her] hand in [the forthcoming Brexit] negotiations". However, the Conservatives made a net loss of 13 seats and Labour made a net gain of 30 seats with 40%.
The hung parliament election result caused uncertainty over Brexit. Meanwhile enhanced worker rights pledges were made in the run-up to the election by all major parties’ manifestos.
Grenfell Tower fire
On 14 June 71 people were killed following a fire at Grenfell Tower, Kensington. It burned for about 60 hours until finally being extinguished, and left around 158 households without a home.
“After this fire and multiple terrorist incidents, London in particular is experiencing a lot of stress at the moment,” Karen Grave, VP of the PPMA and former interim head of HR and OD for Gloucestershire County Council, told HR magazine. “You need to be thinking about how to help employees who may be caught up in these situations, and your long-term response to trauma.”
The best bits of HR magazine in June:
Office politics: The rise of populism and HR
In June’s cover story we explored the recent resurgence in populism and recognise the role organisations play in politics. But what exactly does the term ‘populism’ – which has received much air time and many column inches of late – actually mean? And what does it mean for the world of work, business, and HR?
Incorporating veterans into your hiring strategy
Former group HRD of The Go-Ahead Group, Val Proctor shares her experiences of building a veteran employment programme. As a former military wife and with a daughter serving in the Navy, she has seen firsthand the challenges service personnel face when transitioning out of the military.
Why the best leaders go against their nature
Rather than indulging in uncensored behaviours leaders must go against their own nature to be effective, says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, CEO of Hogan Assessments and professor of business psychology at UCL and Columbia University.
The power of 'upside-down management'
Providing opportunities for all and trusting employees to make decisions have been key to the success of multinational retail organisation Timpson, according to its chairman and owner John Timpson.
