Carry on first aiding: HSE says no need for matron
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published new draft guidance to help employers get to grips with proposed changes to workplace first aid. Two pieces of guidance have been published on the HSE website following a consultation on proposals to amend the First Aid Regulations (1981) and remove the requirement for HSE to approve […]
Are employers up to speed on failing Work Programme?
"Extremely poor." That’s the damning assessment from a committee of cross party MPs of the government’s flagship, multi-billion pound Work Programme to get the long term unemployed back to work. But is the Programme failing as a result of poor communication and marketing to employers, without which it cannot hope to succeed? The House of […]
Health and Safety: businesses need to keep defibrillators to hand
Defbrillators should become part of regular office equipment, urges an occupational health group. A survey of 1,000 UK firms by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) found that more than half of UK businesses do not have a defibrillator, which restarts the heart using an electric shock following cardiac arrest. While six […]
Ask the Expert: strategies for mental wellbeing
The statistics are stark: one in four British adults will suffer at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, according to The Office for National Statistics. Yet, despite the prevalence of people suffering from stress, depression and other mental illnesses, there is such a huge stigma around mental health that many people […]
Mental health reform brings HR implications
The Mental Health (Discrimination) Bill was given its final approval by the Lords last week, marking a major step forward in the way society views mental illness. Three key changes will become law when the Bill gains Royal Assent, probably next month. It will lift the barrier on people who have suffered mental illness from […]
Best Practice: wellbeing initiative proves healthy for Ipswich Building Society
Ipswich Building Society is reaping the rewards of its employee health and wellbeing initiative with a dramatic fall in absenteeism and staff churn. The 110-strong building society embarked on a health and wellbeing programme four years ago. Since then, absenteeism rates have plummeted 48%, staff turnover has dropped to a record low and it has […]
Poundland’s graduate shelf-stacker wins back-to-work ‘slavery’ appeal
Three judges in London have ruled key elements of the government’s back-to-work schemes are unlawful and have quashed them. University graduate Cait Reilly has won her Court of Appeal claim that requiring her to work for free at a Poundland discount store was unlawful. Reilly had been claiming jobseekers’ benefits since 2011 after […]
Cancer care not on the priority list for employer-funded overseas health schemes
Working overseas can leave staff vulnerable as employers cut corners on health cover, with over a quarter (23%) of employers wanting to provide international health insurance to staff, but simply can’t afford to. According to the “Anatomy of an international business” report by Expacare, one third of employers (33%) consider international health insurance for staff as […]
Ask the Expert: can you refuse to interview an unsatisfactory former worker?
Question: Can you refuse to interview an unsatisfactory former worker? What is the legal position if a former employee who had a poor performance/attendance record but left of their own accord rather than having formal action taken against them, applies to work for your company again? I can’t seem to find any guidance relating […]
News: why we’re all totally stressed out!!!
One in five workers are too busy to take lunch breaks, according to report which aims to lift the lid on the true state of the nation’s workplace health. The survey by charity the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed employees felt let down by their bosses who didn’t prioritise their wellbeing or care about […]
Snow joke as workers lie about being trapped by the weather
Were you at work last week or were you ‘snowed in’? It seems a quarter of UK workers lied about being snowed-in to enjoy a sneaky day off from the office. It seems it wasn’t just school children who made the most of the blanket of snow that covered much of the UK over the […]
British workers beat the blues
Blue Monday, the so-called most depressing day of the year, will claim fewer victims this year, as workers say they are happier and more secure in their jobs in 2013. The third Monday in January, which falls today, has been dubbed the most miserable day of the year. But despite the cold snap in the […]
Analysis: Govt’s response to Frost sickness absence review “disappointing”
Experts have branded the government’s response to the Frost review of workplace sickness absence as “disappointing”, warning that it did not go far enough. The 2011 review was originally led by Dame Carol Black, the government’s national director for health and work and a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, and David Frost, […]
Blog: Driver licensing changes – Pushing eyecare up the HR agenda
Employee eyecare. It’s the benefit that always seems to sit at middle or even the bottom of many to do lists. This week’s changes to driver licencing, which mean regular medical certification for lorry and bus drivers, will have pushed eyecare up the agenda for employers whose business involves these vehicles. But for most organisations, eyecare policy […]
Blog: What’s your communication style?
You communicate in your own particular way – we all do. Over the years you’ve developed your own natural communication style. To come across confidently and to look as though you’re in control, it helps if you’re aware of this style. People with good communication skills already know what’s good and what’s bad about their […]
News: What to do when it snows?
After a wet Christmas and mild New Year, a cold snap is hitting the country once more, with temperatures predicted to reach as low as -10 and snow forecast to fall in most areas of the UK. Inevitably, this situation will result in travel disruption and employees who are unable, or unwilling, to get into […]
Information security: The role of HR
In 2004, Royal Bank of Scotland found itself and its email policy under scrutiny when an employment tribunal found in favour of an ex-employee. The individual concerned had been dismissed after an investigation into several staff members who had been using the company email system to send pornographic images. Around 30 employees were identified […]
Blog: Why are annual performance appraisals so stressful?
Recognise This! – The 5 top drivers of stress in the annual performance appraisal process are easily overcome through crowdsourcing with social recognition. Why does the traditional annual performance review continue to fail as both a performance measurement and management device? There are a litany of reasons but by far the greatest, most overriding […]
Blog: How to live long and prosper
After the indulgences of the festive period, it is worth considering the findings from a 60 year study into what makes us happy and healthy or sick and sad. It shows that we have a lot more influence over our long term health and well-being than previously thought…Your life and happiness are in your hands. […]
Four easy steps to plan for career change
Of course skills, qualifications and abilities are vital, but when I am coaching people who want to change career, it often transpires that they have not stopped to consider what they really want. It’s natural to some extent to want to just move on quickly, but this research and reflection time will be time very […]
