Poor health hits UK productivity
Over half of managers (58%) admit to being unproductive for at least 20% of their working time due to poor health.
This is according to research by the Chartered Management Institute and Workplace Health Connect.
Thirty-eight per cent of managers also have difficulty concentrating due to their ill-health. But despite the findings managers are still not doing enough to tackle workplace illness.
Key findings include:
- Sixty per cent claim illness has increased over the last 12 months. Just one in three report their symptoms to their line manager.
- Sixty-one per cent of managers agree that there is senior management recognition that health and safety is important.
- While general health and safety policies abound just 57% have policies on occupational illness or management absence (68%).
- Where health initiatives and benefits are offered by organisations there is an increase in the physical and psychological health of employees.
Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said that businesses had to pay greater attention to the issues.
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Free course boosts graduate skills level
A free online course is being launched to train graduates in the skills needed for professional success.
Management development company, Management Training and Development Ltd (MTD) aims to provide graduates with communication and networking qualities, aspects which are not necessarily offered by degree courses.
The ‘Grad Skills’ programme is a result of a survey of over fifty graduates who had been employed for less than six months, to find out what key skills they felt would have helped them during this period.
Sean McPheat, Managing Director of MTD, said: “We were then able to design a course that fulfilled this criteria and through the free subscription, make it available to all Grad Skills members completely free of charge.
“Employers expect graduates to have a whole skill set which in reality they haven’t got,” he added.
The course is provided in email instalments for study away from the workplace. Topics include managing and motivating people, influencing others and improving selling skills.
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HMRC shuts e-service after PAYE flaw
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was forced to temporarily shut down a feature of its online PAYE service last week after a flaw allowed users to view PAYE details of other companies, it has been revealed.
Sister site, AccountingWEB was first alerted to the error by member Perry Yarnell who spotted it during a routine use of the Revenue’s website.
While using the ‘View PAYE Notices’ facility, he discovered not only was he able to view his own company’s information but also that of thousands of other firms.
Data including recent tax code changes and student loan updates were visible.
“We could read notices issued in the last seven days to several large payrolls including a variety of police forces and local authorities,” Yarnell said.
After noticing the mistake, he contacted HMRC. A HMRC spokesperson confirmed to AccountingWEB his department had received calls from users highlighting the error but would not verify why the flaw had occurred.