Everyone since Socrates has grizzled about “young people today”. Employers lament that they either lack attitude or they have too much of it. Neville Aitchison reflects on the attitude readjustments required in recessionary times.

Perceptions are hard to change, says Phil Maguire, but he and his team at Oceania Group are working hard to change the way their industry is seen. He talks to Lyndsey Swan about the people who care for our elderly and the challenges and joy of their work.

They’re often put in the “too hard” basket, but employing people with disabilities has benefits for all involved. Helen Frances talks to a couple who offer a positive start to disabled workers, and a young woman dealing with rheumatoid arthritis.

Executive leasing is experiencing a boom in some regions, but in others the number of available contracts has greatly diminished. Jackie Brown-Haysom checks out the impact the recession is having on this market.

If there was ever a time for HR to be looking at how it can do more with less, it’s now, says Liz Tibbutt. She explains how technology can help HR to increase its level of service and make a stronger strategic contribution.

Organisations with successful talent management programmes are able to respond quickly to challenges. Anastasia Ellerby gives practical guidance on how these organisations manage their talent, and what tools they are using.

Strengthening workforce skills can build employee engagement and provide a framework for future success. Philippa Reed introduces a new opportunity for employers to promote workplace literacy and numeracy.

Recent controversies over incentive payments in the public sector have the potential to set back employee engagement and effectiveness in our crown agencies, writes Philippa Youngman.

CEO performance reviews are often more about reviewing remuneration than appraising performance, says Gordon Davidson. He outlines a better way of doing CEO performance appraisals.

Payroll should play a support role and not take centre stage. John Gill explains how, with the right software, you can take the pain out of a complicated task.

There have already been several legislation changes this year, and some new case law. Are you up to date with it all? Angela Atkins put together this quick quiz for you to test how much you know!

The business case for diversity in the workplace is a no-brainer, says Denise Hartley-Wilkins. She looks at the rewards that employing disabled staff can bring.

As older workers leave their jobs, businesses will feel the impact as valuable organisational knowledge and expertise is lost, says Kaye Avery. She examines ways to ease the transition.

Getting your workplace involved in charity work sounds like a good idea, but does it really pay off? Karen Boyte considers that, and also looks at ways to get your staff engaged and ready to communicate.

When times are tough, it’s sure to have an impact on your salary budget. Susan Doughty outlines some creative strategies for dealing with tightening purse strings.

Although unemployment is increasing as firms cut staff, the skills shortage is far from over in some areas. Employers need to shift the focus from youth to experience if they want to maintain a viable workforce, says Dave Stewart.

The potential payoff to the economy from preventing illness in the workplace is huge, according to new research from Southern Cross which sheds new light on the cost of illness.

The new editor of the New Zealand Journal of Human Resource Management (NZJHRM), Dr Jarrod Haar, shares his thoughts on how the changing landscape of business should propel our interest in understanding the challenge of theory and practice in HRM.

Building workforce capability through e-learning makes better use of a worker’s time, space and place, and offers access to rich resources, say John Clayton and Richard Elliott.

The Employment Relations Act requires an employee to raise a personal grievance within 90 days. When a school principal raised a grievance over 16 months after resigning, it was deemed too late, says Paul Robertson.