Employee Assistance Program (EAP) definition A service that helps mitigate the effects of employees’ personal problems on their workplace engagement, happiness and overall productivity. From a business point-of-view, EAPs help reduce the economic costs of absence and low productivity. Some of the issues that EAPs seek to address include bereavement, addiction, marital stress, financial problems, stress, mental health concerns and […]

– Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of discomfort on holding contradictory cognitions or different ideas in the mind simultaneously. Cognitive dissonance results in tension often when what a person believes is different how he acts. However, this is known to be a strong psychological motivator where in a person tries to change one or the other beliefs so […]

Early Return to Work Program (ERTW) Internal or external initiatives designed to help employees on long-term absence return to work earlier than anticipated by offering them a position that cuts down on the demands of their previous role, such as with reduced hours or responsibility. Alternatively, early return to work programs may provide equipment needed so that staff can return […]

Due Diligence definition Investigating and assessing a business or person’s suitability for contractual agreements in specific time period. Commonly used to refer to the process by which large businesses considering an acquisition evaluate the nature of a smaller company in order to judge whether the acquisition would be worthwhile. The process is also used during mergers between two similar firms. […]

Downshifting definition Downshifting refers to social behaviours whereby individuals reduce the responsibility and complexity in their lives in order to achieve a better quality of existence. In a workplace context, downshifting attempts to find a more appropriate and sustainable Work-Life Balance often in order to improve family relationships, reduce stress and generally reduce the level of intrusion of the working life […]

Dual Labour Markets definition In 1971, American economists Doeringer and Piore noticed that the labour market seemed to be segregated into primary and secondary spheres – they labelled this the dual labour market. The authors found that jobs in the primary market were characterised by relatively high salaries, status and responsibilities, career mobility and good working conditions. On the other […]

Developmental Counselling definition Counselling aimed at reducing inhibitors of career and workplace progression and helping people perform at a higher level. Developmental counselling can take place in different settings and formats – often exterior coaches will be drafted in to help senior leaders on a case-by-case, individual basis. Alternatively it can be a process between managers and employees to address […]

HR Word of the Day – Self Directed Work Teams Self directed work teams are those who carry out a business operation with little or no input from a supervisor or manager. The team handles both the managerial and operative tasks. Organizations with a decentralized decision making process are more suitable to accommodate self directed work teams since they empower […]

HR Word of the Day –  Wage Drift Wage drift is defined as the differential amount by which the wages paid to a worker exceeds the previously negotiated amount of wage, collectively agreed upon. The main reason for this occurring is the worker having worked for extended durations (excess overtime wages) or the ambient economic condition resulting in a shortage […]

Delayering definition Delayering is the process of removing layers of hierarchy between the highest and lowest levels in order to boost operational efficiency, decrease the wage bill and remove red tape. Delayering typically removes middle managers, providing senior managers easier reach over the organisation as a whole. Commonly cited advantages of delayering include increases in engagement and motivation as more […]

HR Word of the Day – Top Down Programs Top down programs is an information processing strategy where in the information – orders and decisions trickle down from the top management to the bottom ones. Herein the hierarchical structure of any organisation plays a huge role. Flat versus heavily layered organisations have different ways. Most diversity and strategic initiatives start […]

Dead-end Job definition Dead-end jobs are those where the possibility of future promotion and reward is limited or non-existent. Jobs with a poor ratio of service to pay – such as long hours and limited holiday time paired with minimum wage remuneration – are often cited as examples of dead-end jobs. Jobs that are not traditionally seen as dead-end can […]

HR Word of the Day – Transition Stay Bonus Transition Stay Bonus is an extra payment for employees whose jobs are being terminated, thereby motivating them to remain with the organization for a period of time. A transition stay bonus is a tool in the hands of an organization which helps them in retaining as well as motivating the employees […]