I explore the “arbitrator” hat HR sometimes wears—acting as a neutral decision-maker when workplace conflicts arise.

Mediation isn’t a magic fix for workplace conflict.

When organisations face financial strain, they often need to identify “deadwood” — people, projects, or structures that consume resources without contributing to core business goals.

If you’ve ever driven home worrying about a business issue that isn’t a people issue… you’re probably doing business partnering right.

Listening isn’t a talent. It’s a skill — and good listening is an art form.

HR often gets cast as the compliance department — the internal police — but if we want to be effective, we need to be seen as genuinely helpful partners to managers.

HR plays a crucial role in ensuring organizational justice, going beyond legal compliance to promote fairness in employee treatment.

As you move higher in an organisation, success depends less on departmental expertise and more on understanding and shaping the company’s direction.

Practical ways for HR professionals to shift from administration to strategic people and culture partnering.

Redundancy is painful for both employer and employee. While losing a job isn’t the worker’s fault, the process impacts dignity, confidence, and workplace culture.

New hires often get higher salaries than loyal, proven employees due to status quo bias, market pressures, and midpoint salary systems.

Avoid hot-cold management cycles—address issues early, fairly, and consistently for better results.

Are you a talent hoarder? The pros and cons of keeping overqualified employees, building flexible talent pipelines, and planning for future capability needs.

Handling long-term employee medical absences is one of the toughest challenges for HR and managers.

How to handle difficult employee representatives: keep meetings on track, stop reps derailing decisions, filter irrelevant outside agendas, and ensure the manager remains the decision-maker.

Employee representatives aren’t just obstacles—they can support communication, defuse tension, and help guide employees toward resolution.

People take personal grievances not just for money, but to be heard, seek fairness, and restore dignity.

Swearing at work: Offensive behaviour, bad habit or just another form of punctuation?

Workplace conflicts hinge on perceived harm, social norms, intent, and fair accountability.

The value of a salary is more subjective than you think.