Tobacco is one thing, but have you ever stopped to think about kicking some bad HR habits that could be having a seriously negative impact on your business?
May is a good month to think about kicking some bad habits, be they personal or professional.
31st May is world no tobacco day – a world health organisation initiative to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco.
The 2019 campaign focuses on the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people. As an employer, you have certain duties to your people and you can’t simply ignore the impact of tobacco on your workplace.
Tobacco is the number one cause of lung cancer, the main cause of COPD, is a deadly trigger for asthma, and the harsh reality is that second hand smoke puts those exposed to it at the same risk as the smoker. We are talking unnecessary ill health and suffering, countless sick days and time off work – and a real strain on your business costs and productivity. And in reality, all of these consequences are avoidable.
So, could you be more proactive in stamping tobacco out of your own workplace? Probably yes. And perhaps you could start by getting behind the WHO campaign in your office or reviewing your own Smoking Policy. Better still, you could roll it all up into a broader employee wellbeing initiative, which would not only have a positive impact on your sickness absence rates, but is also a great recruitment and retention tool!
May needn’t be just about tackling tobacco either. We all know that bad habits in our personal lives can lead to serious problems. From trying to adopt a healthier diet through to kicking cigarettes, most of us have experienced a time when we recognised that changes had to be made.
But have you ever stopped to think about the HR bad habits that could be having a seriously negative impact on your business? Like many less than favourable behaviours, we sometimes don’t realise that they’re a problem until they’ve spiraled out of control. Here, are three bad HR habits that you might be committing:
- Carrying out annual reviews
Wait a minute – why exactly is this a bad habit? Shouldn’t you be making sure that performance discussions are taking place? Of course you should. But if they’re only happening once a year, then you’re missing a trick. Managing and improving performance needs to be built into your everyday working practices. If it’s not, then you can’t realistically expect to improve productivity.
- Being stuck in the past
You don’t need us to tell you that the world of business is moving faster than ever before. You’re probably utilising modern tactics when it comes to your marketing, for example, but what about your HR? It could be time to ditch the notion that HR lives in the filing cabinet, and bring your business up to speed. A few savvy investments in technology and software could yield a huge return.
- Thinking that training and learning are one and the same
There’s no denying that training can be expensive. Send a few employees to a conference, book in some places on an external course, or bring in a professional trainer for a couple of days, and your bill will be hefty. Sometimes, formal training is essential. But what’s arguably much more important is ongoing learning within the workplace. Nurturing your talent isn’t a one-off event – it’s about what happens in your business on a day-to-day basis.
Bad habits are often deeply engraved into a business’s culture, but that doesn’t mean that you should just ignore them and hope for the best. Tackling these issues head-on is the only option. Need a little help for working out your next steps? We can help you create some good HR habits that will help your business to flourish. You just need to ask!
