Remote Working Archives | orgshakers.com

Once upon a time, in a workplace not so far away, three employees faced challenges that tested the magic of their HR departments. With the right support from their employers, they knew that they could find their happily ever after…

“Hansel and the Breadcrumbs”

Hansel was excited to start his new job. He had worked hard to land a role in his dream company, but after onboarding, he felt lost in an unfamiliar forest of responsibilities. His manager was always too busy, and any guidance he received was scattered, much like a breadcrumb trail leading nowhere.

Hansel isn’t alone – over half (54%) of office-based employees said they were dissatisfied with their onboarding experience. Without any clear direction, he struggled to find his way, second-guessing himself and feeling isolated.

How can Hansel’s employer help him?

Firstly, companies should ensure structured, well-documented onboarding programs that don’t leave new hires to fend for themselves. Regular check-ins with a mentor or manager can help employees feel guided and supported. A buddy system, where a more experienced colleague helps navigate the first few months, can also work wonders.

And, most importantly, onboarding shouldn’t end after a few weeks. Continuous learning opportunities and career development plans ensure employees feel valued long after their first day. And this sentiment rings true – a Glassdoor survey found that a strong onboarding process improves a company’s retention rate by 82%.

“Rapunzel and the Remote Tower”

Rapunzel was thriving in her fully remote role – until she wasn’t. At first, working from home felt liberating. But over time, isolation crept in, and the excitement of flexible working turned into a lonely existence. She missed casual coffee chats and brainstorming sessions, and despite attending every virtual meeting, she still felt disconnected.

Rather ironically, she’s not alone – 67% of remote workers reported feeling disconnected from their colleagues. This is because a lack of in-person interaction can make employees feel like they’re trapped in a tower, with little social engagement.

So, how can Rapunzel’s employer support her?

Remote work should not mean working in solitude. Employers can implement virtual coworking sessions, casual chat channels, or monthly team-building activities to foster community. Hybrid work options, where employees can meet in-person periodically, can also help combat isolation if this is an option.

Most importantly, leaders should check in with their remote employees regularly – not just about tasks, but about their wellbeing, too. Encouraging employees to set boundaries and take microbreaks is key to ensuring they don’t feel trapped within their own four walls.

“The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Layoffs”

The Three Little Pigs worked hard to build their careers, but storm clouds loomed overhead. Economic downturns and restructuring left them anxious about job security. Some of their colleagues had already been let go, and rumors of more layoffs circulated like the wind. The first pig tried to ignore it, hoping it would blow over. The second panicked, applying to jobs frantically. The third, however, sought clarity from leadership.

With about 70% of employees saying layoffs negatively impact workplace morale, how can companies ensure their people feel secure, even in uncertain times?

Transparency is key. Leaders should communicate openly about business challenges and any potential restructuring, rather than letting rumors dictate the narrative. If layoffs must happen, organizations should prioritize empathy, offering career transition support and mental health resources.

For those staying, companies must rebuild trust by reinforcing a clear vision for the future, ensuring employees feel supported rather than expendable. Strong foundations – just like the pig who built his house of bricks – are what keep employees engaged even during turbulent times.

In today’s ever-changing workplace landscape, the magic isn’t in fairy godmothers or enchanted castles – it’s in the HR policies and leadership decisions that shape an employee’s experience. If companies want their employees to live happily ever after, then they must continue their commitment to making workplace wellbeing more than just a fairy tale. If you would like to discuss how we can help you achieve this, please get in touch with us today!

The working world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by transformative forces such as new technologies, generative AI, geopolitical turbulence, and the assimilation of hybrid and remote working models.

For HR professionals, these rapid changes present both opportunities and challenges, demanding agile approaches to ensure organizational readiness.

A key concern is whether organizations are equipped to manage change effectively.

According to a recent report from Gartner, 82% of HR leaders believe that managers lack the skills needed to navigate change successfully.

Coupled with this, 77% of employees report experiencing change fatigue – the exhaustion and cynicism that individuals experience when undergoing frequent or complex changes, leading to resistance, decreased motivation, and disengagement. This fatigue negatively impacts employee wellbeing and productivity, yet only 8% of workers feel confident in their ability to manage it.

For HR leaders, the imperative is clear: addressing change fatigue must be integral to organizational transformation strategies. And, as the pace of change shows no signs of slowing, incorporating proactive fatigue prevention measures becomes essential to sustain workforce engagement and drive productivity.

Traditionally, change management has focused on clear communication and comprehensive training. Now, however, our approach needs to evolve further. Integrating change fatigue management into organizational strategies equips managers with tools to guide their teams effectively. This involves identifying fatigue drivers, addressing issues promptly, and preventing fatigue through measures such as promoting microbreaks, involving employees in decision-making, fostering a psychologically safe work environment, and normalizing rest periods.

Critically, successful fatigue prevention requires HR leaders to recognize that one-size-fits-all solutions are ineffective. Employees have diverse needs based on their roles, personal circumstances, and life stages. By adopting an intersectional lens to employee wellbeing, HR professionals can create tailored support systems that resonate with each demographic within their workforce.

For instance, midlife workers often have needs that differ from those of younger employees. While established wellbeing programs frequently focus on parental leave or childcare support, midlife employees may benefit more from initiatives such as menopause support or resources for working carers. By bridging these gaps and offering inclusive wellbeing strategies, organizations can empower their entire workforce to manage change fatigue confidently.

As HR professionals, we play a pivotal role in steering organizations through this era of transformation. By prioritizing employee wellbeing and equipping managers with the tools to mitigate fatigue, we can create a resilient workforce ready to adapt and thrive amid ongoing changes.

Is your organization prepared to embrace change with confidence?

Let’s start the conversation and explore innovative strategies to support your employees through this dynamic landscape. Reach out today to discuss how we can collaborate on implementing change fatigue management solutions tailored to your organization’s needs.

This month, we’ve been reading Vijay Pendakur’s debut book, The Alchemy of Talent: Leading Teams to Peak Performance.

A global talent and culture leader, Vijay has seen the very real effects that change fatigue has had on employees after years of what has felt like constant disruption and uncertainty. In this book, he pools his vast amount of leadership experience and draws from extensive research in behavioral science and organizational psychology to create this comprehensive guide that delves into building high-performing teams in today’s dynamic business environment.

Central to the book is the concept of ‘productive friction’ – the idea that diverse and complex teams, when managed effectively, can generate superior solutions and drive peak performance.

To harness this potential, Vijay introduces three key ‘talent catalysts’:

Psychological Safety – creating an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, voice their opinions, and admit mistakes without fear of retribution.
Belonging – fostering a sense of inclusion where individuals feel valued and integral to the team’s success.
Connection – encouraging strong interpersonal relationships that enhance collaboration and trust amongst team members.

Each catalyst is explored in dedicated chapters, beginning with real-world anecdotes from Vijay’s professional experiences. These narratives illustrate the practical application of each concept, followed by sections on understanding (‘knowing it’), identifying (‘spotting it’), and implementing (‘doing it’) the catalyst within one’s team. This structured approach provides leaders with clear guidance on how to transform these theoretical insights into tangible, effective practices.

The book also addresses the challenges posed by modern work settings, such as remote and hybrid models, which can impede traditional team dynamics. Vijay emphasizes the importance of adapting leadership practices to maintain the rituals that promote cohesion and productive interactions, even in virtual spaces.

And in addition to the core content, The Alchemy of Talent includes reflection prompts, illustrative graphics, and practical exercises designed to help leaders internalize and apply the concepts discussed. The emphasis on aligning leadership models with individual strengths and the strategic integration of diversity and inclusion efforts reinforces the book’s relevance in today’s dynamic organizational landscapes.

Overall, Vijay’s work serves as a vital resource for leaders aiming to navigate the complexities of team dynamics and drive their teams toward exceptional performance.

If you would like to discuss how we can help your teams achieve sustained success through our team coaching services, please get in touch with us today.

And in the meantime, be sure to grab a copy of The Alchemy of Talent – you can purchase a copy here in the US and here in the UK.

Last year, we asked the OrgShakers team what practices and ideologies they thought employers should be leaving behind as they ventured into the New Year.

Now, as another year comes to a close, we wanted to see what they believe should be left behind in 2024 in order to help propel sustainability and growth in the year to come:

Our Founder David Fairhurst believes that the end of the year is a great time for HR leaders to be considering their key areas of focus for 2025, and this includes looking at what practices should be left behind in order to foster more innovative, inclusive, and employee-centric workplaces. This could be done by adopting outcome-centered models of managing performance, or placing a greater focus on strategic workforce planning to ensure the workforce is a future fit, or even looking into comprehensive wellbeing strategies to avoid employee burnout, to name a few. But what’s important to remember when looking at new practices is to be realistic, and this can be done by thinking of HR strategic objectives on three levels:
- What are the basics that need to be maintained?
- What are the areas that must continuously improve?
- What are the big moves we need to focus on which will offer a transformative impact?
Anya Clitheroe would like to stop hearing managers complaining about the Gen Z workforce! This year she has heard so many managers making the blanket statement that Gen Z have been spoilt and they don’t want to work hard or that they don’t show any initiative. Instead, Anya would like them to find a way to engage the younger workforce in a way that interests them. Have they clearly communicated ways of working expectations, and have they found out what does motivate them? At the very least, they need to see that not every Gen Z can be identical in their workstyle preferences!
Speaking of leaders, Marty Belle believes that employers should leave behind rigidity and paternalistic leadership operating styles. These areas of inflexibility include enforcing Return to Work practices in cases where remote workers are more productive, or only offering fixed work schedules without taking into consideration some workers may not be morning people and would choose to work mid-day rather than early morning. Additionally, more flexible scheduling would accommodate childcare needs and parental involvement in their children’s extracurricular activities.
Building on this, Lauren Kincaid believes that employers should be leaving behind a one-size-fits all approach when it comes to employment policies and employee benefits. The more personalized the employment experience, the more seen, heard and valued an employee feels, resulting in better employee engagement, loyalty and performance.
Echoing Marty’s sentiment of rigidity, Sayid Hussein also believes employers should leave behind in 2024 a “9-to-5, in-office only” mentality. With advancements in technology and changing workforce dynamics, it’s time to embrace flexible working arrangements that prioritize outcomes over hours. Trusting employees to manage their time fosters creativity, improves retention, and acknowledges the diverse realities of modern life.
Speaking of mindsets, Karen Cerrato believes that employers should be leaving behind short-term thinking. Whether at a corporate level or a management level, if we want longevity out of our employees, Kanen believes that need to start thinking strategically and long term. The days of people staying in a job for 10 yrs + “just because”, are long gone; we need to give them a reason to want to stay:
- Reactive decision-making: Shift toward proactive strategies that prioritize long-term growth and stability.
- Underinvestment in talent: Invest in professional development and career growth opportunities for employees.
- Top-down communication only: Foster two-way communication to engage employees and encourage innovation.
Amanda Holland believes that employers need to be conducting their final Covid pandemic clean up: it’s time to finish assessing any processes or procedures developed specifically during the pandemic. Operationalize any efficiencies your company will be keeping by ensuring the language is up-to-date and free from pandemic references. Eliminate those policies, processes, and procedures that are no longer needed or applicable.
Ken Merritt believes that employers should be leaving behind ‘reluctance’. Several companies have been slow to hire and fast to retire because there has been a ‘cloud of reluctance’ hanging over the economy since 2022 – it’s time for employers to be leaving that behind for good in 2024.
Therese Procter knows that 2024 has been a very challenging year, with the key topics of remote working, political uncertainty, and the skills gap taking many of the highlight spots. But an area that she believes is often pushed down the agenda (whether this be due to the amount of effort and/or cost it requires) is mental and financial wellbeing. That’s why she believes that employers should be leaving behind poor and ineffective mental health support strategies and programs that are outdated and not fit for purpose, and instead take on a fresh approach to wellbeing this new year that better supports mental and financial aspects of life.

If you would like to get in touch with us about any of the points raised by our team, or if you have a different concerns that you were hoping to leave in 2024 and need assistance in shedding it, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

Equally, if you want some on-demand advice and strategies, why not book in a 1-hour private consultation with one of our seasoned HR professionals? Take a look at our OrgShakers CL!CK service for more details!

From all of us at OrgShakers, we wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!

In the post pandemic era of flexible and remote working, global mobility is no longer just about relocating employees – it’s about driving organizational growth, fostering innovation, and building resilient, future-ready workforces.

Global mobility has evolved from being primarily a logistical function into a cornerstone of talent strategy, where mobility data analytics can be used to forecast talent needs, aligning mobility with business objectives, and ensuring that policies promote inclusivity and equity.

Access to Global Talent Pools
The war for talent has expanded beyond borders. Global mobility programs enable organizations to tap into the widest possible pool of talent, ensuring individuals with the right skills and experience are in the right locations. This not only addresses local talent shortages but also enhances diversity, which has been proven to drive innovation and performance.
Leadership Development and Succession Planning
International experience is a critical component of developing leaders who understand global markets and cultural nuances. By embedding mobility into leadership development programs, firms can ensure they are equipping executives with the skills required to successfully lead a diverse and interconnected workforce.
Enhancing Employee Experience and Retention
Offering opportunities for global assignments is a compelling employee value proposition. It demonstrates an investment in professional growth and fosters a sense of adventure and purpose, which are critical for retaining the next generation of top talent in a competitive labor market.
Building Organizational Agility
Global mobility enhances an organization’s ability to respond to market changes and new opportunities. Whether it’s establishing operations in emerging markets or quickly deploying talent for critical projects, mobility programs underpin agility and scalability.

Challenges and Opportunities

Global mobility inevitably creates challenges and requires the navigation of complex employer compliance obligations including tax, immigration, and local labour laws, not to mention the high costs which can be associated with employee relocations.

However, with the right policies, partners, and tech-enabled support it is possible to overcome these challenges without compromising the employee experience.

In today’s interconnected world, global mobility is not just an operational necessity – it’s a strategic enabler. And by leveraging mobility as a driver of innovation, agility, diversity, and talent development, business leaders can position their organizations to thrive on the international stage.

If you would like to discuss how we can support global talent mobility in your organization, please get in touch with us today.

Remote working isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Since the pandemic forced companies to adapt their working styles to adhere to the strict conditions of lockdown, once we returned to normalcy, many employers opted to keep a remote or hybrid approach to work.

However, there have always been productivity concerns – especially from employers – around those employees who do work from home either full- or part-time. And there is some weight behind this concern; the Stanford analysis, which pooled the results of multiple studies, found a 10-20% reduction in productivity amongst those employees working from home.

There are many reasons for this, ranging from childcare demands, household duties, or simply just the ability to remain focused in an environment which was previously considered the antithesis of the workplace. As remote and hybrid working continues to remain popular amongst employees, it can be a great idea for employers who may be noticing a dip in productivity to promote some focus strategies for those working from home:

Create a Dedicated Workspace – when working from home, encourage employees to try utilizing a private space to operate from where possible. Whether this be a spare room, their own bedroom, or a different room in their home, it’s good to be able to have physical boundaries in place to distinguish to themselves and others they live with that in this space they are ‘at work’. This can also help prevent the lines between ‘work’ and ‘home’ from blurring too greatly, as it compartmentalizes these two things.
Don’t be Afraid to be Flexible – a great tip employers can promote is this idea of asynchronous work. When working from home, employees can be more flexible with their approach to their working hours (albeit within reason of being available for scheduled meetings and so on). This can help chunk the workday when operating remotely, allowing for time to tend to those distractions that may pop up when in the house.
Encourage Goal Setting – help employees stay on track by promoting short- and long-term goal setting. This enables tasks to be broken down into smaller, manageable chunks which can reduce the likelihood of procrastination and instead boost motivation.
Set Boundaries with Others – employees may be working from home with others in their home, such as a partner or roommates. Either way, the notion of working from home can sometimes be mistaken for ‘being at home’, mistakenly implying you are readily accessible for a chat or a task whenever needed. To avoid this, it’s important for staff to set boundaries with those they share a home workspace with, setting expectations by communicating that during these hours, they are unavailable as they will be working.
Foster Connections – 23% of remote workers reported to be suffering from loneliness. Whilst remote work has been received well overall, there are pros and cons to everything, and one major drawback of working remotely for some is the lack of social connection and camaraderie that it offers. This isolation can result in a lack of motivation, which has a domino effect on wellbeing and productivity. Employers can therefore encourage team collaboration through regular virtual meetings, peer check-ins, or accountability partnerships, as feeling connected to colleagues can help to increase engagement and focus and ward off those feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Working from home offers incredible flexibility and convenience, but it also demands intentional strategies to stay focused and productive. By promoting these tips and providing the right resources, employers can empower their remote employees to thrive.

If you would like to discuss how we can help implement these strategies, please get in touch with us today!

You can do a lot in sixty minutes.

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright marked the dawn of aviation with FOUR successful powered flights in the space of just one hour!

In 2020 Mo Farah set a world record by running 21,330 meters in 60 minutes. That’s an average speed of over 13 mph, which is faster than most of us can run if we sprint just 100 meters. He just maintained that pace for a whole hour – try that on your next fun run!

Alternatively, you could make yourself a delicious meal of Beef Tacos with Homemade Guacamole. Our favorite recipe takes about an hour from ‘fridge to fork’.

What we see here is that while sixty minutes might not seem that long – the length of a team meeting, a workout at the gym, or an episode of your favorite podcast – it can also be incredibly productive and even transformative.

At OrgShakers, we believe in The Power of the Hour … 60-minutes where leaders can bounce around ideas, receive expert advice, or get the objective feedback they need to start something incredible. After all, every successful business we’ve come to know started with an idea – and someone who was willing to listen.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new consulting service: OrgShakers CL!CK.

OrgShakers CL!CK offers a one-hour, private and confidential online consultation with one of our experienced HR professionals. It’s perfect for those moments when you need advice to tackle a new challenge, to test and refine your HR strategy, or simply to try out new ideas to see what resonates.

With extensive global corporate experience, our team is equipped to provide guidance on any HR-related question, whether you’re dealing with everyday tactical issues or complex strategic concerns.

If you would like to learn more about this service and book in time with one of our team members, head over to https://orgshakers.com/orgshakers-click/

Up to 70% of companies with flexible work schedules are planning to increase the days employees must work in the office by 2025. However, with many major companies – including Disney, Apple, Google, and Zoom – issuing ‘Return To Office’ (RTO) mandates this year, there has been a significant rise in the latest ‘quiet’ rebellion … ‘hushed hybrid’ working.

‘Hushed hybrid’ working is when, contrary to company policy, managers quietly allow some employees to work from home or work flexibly. According to a survey by Owl Labs, 70% of managers have allowed team members to work from home despite an official company policy mandating otherwise.

The rise in this trend signifies a strong disconnect between executives and middle managers that could result in unwanted ripple effects if this gap were to widen.

As first point of contact between employees and the wider organization, it’s important that middle managers feel able to communicate employee feedback to the company’s leadership. However, the rise of this trend suggests that many middle managers believe senior leaders are not prepared to listen to employee’s views on hybrid work, preferring instead to stand behind their RTO mandates.

But whilst ‘hushed hybrid’ working may provide middle managers and their teams with a convenient workaround, it is an ultimately unsustainable solution that could damage the wider culture of the organization.

For one thing, managers letting some if their team quietly work from home whilst others are required to come into the office will inevitably create tension between employees. Pair this with the element of secrecy that is rooted in ‘hushed hybrid’, and you create a recipe that could result in a workplace culture which becomes ‘toxic’.

In addition to this, ‘hushed hybrid’ also plays a role in the widening the gap between policy and practice, which should be a huge ‘red flag’ for HR as, if RTO policies are not being followed by managers, it raises alarms of what other policies are being flouted or simply ignored.

All of this risks a collapse of trust across the organization.

Instead, middle managers need to feel that they can openly and honestly communicate with their leaders to give feedback on policies that don’t seem to be working well.

We have all seen the problems with the rise of these ‘quiet’ trends since the pandemic ended, so it’s important for employers to break the cycle of these hushed practices by fostering a culture of openness and honesty so that they can enhance their workplace culture and become an employer of choice.

If you would like to discuss how we can help coach your leaders in communication, as well as foster a culture of openness in your workplace, please get in touch with us today, or book in an hour with one of our experienced HR practitioners through our confidential online consultation service OrgShakers CL!CK.

You can accomplish remarkable things in just sixty minutes.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first steps and initial exploration on the moon took about an hour.

Alternatively, you could make yourself a delicious meal of Beef Tacos with Homemade Guacamole. Our favorite recipe takes about an hour from ‘fridge to fork.

At OrgShakers, we champion The Power of the Hour … 60 minutes where leaders can brainstorm, gain expert insights, or get the unbiased feedback needed to spark something extraordinary. After all, every major breakthrough began with an idea and someone ready to listen.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new consulting service: OrgShakers CL!CK.

With extensive global corporate experience, our team is equipped to provide guidance on any HR-related question, whether you’re dealing with everyday tactical issues or complex strategic concerns.

If you would like to learn more about this service and book in time with one of our team members, head over to https://orgshakers.com/orgshakers-click/

‘Work from anywhere’ searches have risen by 145% in the UK, with recent research from MoneySuperMarket discovering that roughly six million Brits plan to use their flexibility to work abroad without telling their employer.

This rising trend has been dubbed the ‘workation’, a combination of ‘work’ and ‘vacation’ that is defined as taking a break from the work environment but not the work itself. Whilst these two things have typically been seen to be incompatible, the workation’s rising popularity seems to challenge this notion, as employees – especially the younger generations – are looking to find innovative ways to have the best of both worlds with their flexible working arrangements.

However, when we conducted our own poll asking if employers would be happy for their staff to work abroad without them knowing, 70% responded that they are happy for their staff to take a workation as long as they inform them. So, whilst the majority of employers also seem to be in favor of the workation, employees should communicate their movements to keep their employers in the loop of where they will be working from – especially if the time zone changes significantly.

It’s no wonder that we are seeing this trend emerge, as digital nomad visas have come into play in countries such as Italy, Spain, Dubai, and Thailand, to name a few. These visas aim to attract foreign employees who want to continue to work for their company whilst living elsewhere, eliminating any compliancy risks being breached by employers or employees (however, this would have to be revised if the employee decided to permanently move residences abroad).

While the workation therefore offers ample opportunity for employees to revolutionize their work-life balance into a comfortable blend of the two, there are a few things that employers need to consider to ensure that the workation remains a force for good:

Workation Boundaries – it’s important for employers who are happy for their employees to take workations to not confuse these with employees taking vacations. Workations highlight that remote working employees are able to work whilst also being away, but this doesn’t mean that when an employee does take paid time off that they become accessible or contactable. Having those clear boundaries in place is essential for the workation to be a driving force for work-life balance and wellbeing support, as a workation is still work!
Introduce ‘Core Hours’ – workations may see employees working in countries where the time zones can differ by more than an hour either way. If this is the case, consider creating a policy which introduces core working hours for all employees to be available no matter the time zone. This will ensure that there is always crossover but also means that those on workations do not have to work outside of typical working hours.
Rise of Workaholism – employers need to be mindful that employees do still take time away from work purely to rest and relax. With the workation becoming popular, some employees may slip into the habit of not wanting to take time off and fall behind on their workload now that they can take a workation. But employers have a duty to encourage time off work in order for employees to recharge and ward off burnout.

Overall, the workation is shaping up to be a popular benefit that employers with remote workers can consider offering to attract and retain top talent. This is without mentioning all the additional benefits it has to offer around fostering creativity, improving mental health by working from sunny countries, and potentially strengthening the interpersonal bonds between colleagues if your company operates on a global scale. However, it’s important for employers to ensure that the workation doesn’t replace vacation, and to monitor the permanence of a workation so that there are no legal or tax implications that may have to be considered.

If you would like to discuss how we can help your organization design policies around offering workations, please get in touch with us today.

Having a digital avatar is no new feat. With the likes of Bitmojis, personalised emoticons, and The Sims games, the concept of creating a virtual lookalike hasn’t come out of thin air.

But with the world of work becoming increasingly digital, especially in the wake of hybrid and remote working, this begs the question just what role a digital avatar of oneself might play.

For one thing, we know that the metaverse boasts for its users to create their own avatars which they can control using virtual reality technology. The idea is for employees to be able to attend a digital office, surrounded by other digital versions of their colleagues, whilst still working from the comfort of home. Whilst the metaverse has since lost some of its traction, discussions around the possibilities of having AI-powered avatars have continued to gain momentum.

Most notably, founder and chief executive of Zoom, Eric Yuan, believes that in as little as five years’ time, employees could be sending their AI avatars to Zoom meetings in place of themselves.

This is based on the idea that employees would have their own ‘large language model (LLM)’, which essentially uses the underlying services of AI tools like ChatGPT to train the model on their individual speech and behaviour patterns which would allow the avatars to generate accurate and personalised responses to queries and requests.

This may sound like the plot of a futuristic sci-fi movie, but the concept of having AI mimic us isn’t as foreign as you might think. After all, Gmail has an inbuilt AI tool which can summarise and suggest replies to emails based on previous conversation points and common phrasing that the user uses.

However, despite the fact that LLMs can do passable impressions of people, there is no evidence to suggest that they can actually do useful work on behalf of someone. Not to mention the fact that if an AI version of an employee is doing their job for them, at what point does the human employee behind the avatar no longer become useful? Should an employer pay someone when their virtual counterpart is doing the brunt of the work?

On top of this, having an avatar attend meetings runs the risk of completely losing any possibility of fostering friendships and connections at work.

Whilst AI technology enables employees to work smarter and optimize their skills, are AI avatars one step too far in this technological evolution?

Rising workplace sickness is costing UK businesses billions every year, with an estimated £25bn being lost through presenteeism, according to a new think tank report.

New analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reveals the annual hidden cost of employee sickness has risen by £30 billion since 2018.

Most of this increased cost, around £25 billion, is from lower productivity, with only £5 billion due to a rise in sick days.

Employees now lose the equivalent of 44 days’ productivity on average due to working through sickness, up from 35 days in 2018, and lose a further 6.7 days taking sick leave, up from 3.7 days in 2018.

Workers in the UK are among the least likely to take sick days, especially compared to other OECD and European countries.

Read the full piece here: https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2024-08-01-rising-workplace-sickness-is-costing-uk-economy-billions-every-year-think-tank-warns